The Best Tummy Control Shapewear for Supportive, Targeted Compression — Starting at $9 on Amazon (2024)

For a versatile piece of shapewear you can wear on an everyday basis, the Core Control High-Waisted Thong from Skims is our favorite. Constructed from a stretchy yet compressive nylon material, this high-waisted thong form-fits the body and provides lots of support to the low belly and waist without it feeling too tight and uncomfortable. It's shapewear and underwear in one, and in addition to smoothing the core, it also moonlights as a waist-cincher thanks to its high-rise design.

The undergarment also comes in many colors, including nine different skin tones and classic black, so you can choose one that matches your skintone and doesn’t show through thin materials. It also features a comfortable silicone band at the top to hold it in place against your skin and prevent it from rolling down or shifting out of place. On top of that, it has an excellent size range featuring 2XS through 4XL and costs under $40.

Material: 79% nylon, 21% spandex | Sizes: XXS-4XL | Style: Thong underwear | Colors: 10

We love the Shapermint High Waisted Body Shaper Shorts high-rise style, excellent compression, size range, and comfortable fit. Not to mention these shapewear shorts cost less than $30, making them relatively budget-friendly, too.

The Shapermint shorts are constructed from nylon with 10 percent spandex stretch, making them comfortable to slip into and form-fit around the body while keeping things nice and compressive for strong support. They feature a tummy band that smooths and sculpts the belly while also providing waist-cinching benefits.

Material: Nylon, spandex | Sizes: S-4XL | Style: Shorts | Colors: 4

For a pair of shapewear undies with a budget-friendly price tag, consider the Jockey Slimmers Breathe High-Rise Brief (now on sale for $21) which features high-quality construction despite the lower cost. These undies are constructed from stretchy nylon, so they’re breathable, comfortable, and fit the body without too much constriction.

The ultra-high-rise silhouette means you not only can achieve a smoother and more sculpted tummy area but also can reap the benefits of a waist-cinching design. The shapewear briefs are designed with full coverage for a lifting and smoothing effect on the backside, too.

Material: 92% nylon, 8% spandex | Sizes: S-3X | Style: Brief underwear | Colors: 2

The Wolford Tulle Forming Underbust Shaper Thong Bodysuit is functional shapewear and sexy lingerie wrapped in one. The tummy control shapewear features an open-bust bodysuit silhouette with a gorgeous tulle material that smooths the tummy and waist while also leaving a little up to the imagination.

Despite its mesh material, the bodysuit actually has 33 percent stretch, so it fits around the body comfortably without pinching or digging into the skin to keep that smoothing effect on the shoulders and hips, too.

Material: 67% polyamide, 33% elastane | Sizes: 4-16 | Style: Open-bust bodysuit | Colors: 2

If you love shapewear with an open-bust style but aren’t a fan of the usual bodysuit design, the Shapermint Open Bust Shaper Camisole is a must-try. This open-bust tank top is designed to smooth and sculpt the tummy and waist without pulling you down.

Constructed from a breathable and stretchy polyamide material that feels comfortable on the skin, it offers plenty of compression without feeling too restrictive. We love this option as an everyday shapewear style or for lower-cut necklines that typically work with more full-coverage shapewear pieces.

Material: Polyamide, elastane | Sizes: S-3XL | Style: Tank top | Colors: Black, chocolate, latte, beige

This Spanx waist-cincher is our favorite for a couple reasons. One: We love that it's a separate, so you don’t have to commit to wearing bottoms or bodysuits in order to get the benefits. Two: This style is virtually seamless and goes undetectable under garments, which isn’t always the case with waist-cinchers since many have more of a corset-like design.

As a result, this waist-cincher is actually comfortable and supportive and doesn’t make you feel too restricted when it's on. In addition to shaping the waist, it also smooths and sculpts the belly and since it’s constructed from stretchy nylon material, it feels breathable and is easy to slip into (no hooks necessary!).

Material: 55% nylon, 45% Lycra elastane | Sizes: XS-XL | Style: Waist-cincher | Colors: 2

In addition to the Core Control High-Waisted Thong, Skims also makes our favorite pair of shapewear shorts. The Seamless Sculpt Mid Thigh Short is designed with strong compression to lift, sculpt, and support the tummy area while also cinching the waist and providing some shaping to the butt and thighs.

The supportive shorts are cut from a stretchy and breathable nylon material, and it has an open gusset, making it easier to use the restroom without having to pull down your shapewear. Similar to other Skims shapewear styles, the shorts also come in a variety of skin tone colors, too, so you can choose something that works well with your skin color and doesn’t show up under garments.

Material: 78% nylon, 22% spandex | Sizes: 2XS-4XL | Style: Shorts | Colors: 10

If you’re shopping for a great pair of cycling shorts with some compression, the Yummie Mel Shaping Biker Short With Pockets is an excellent option. These shorts look like your everyday bike shorts and are designed for active lifestyles, only they have 360-degree shaping, a booty-boosting design and feature impressive compression along the waist and tummy area to provide a supportive feel.

Since they’re constructed from stretchy cotton, they’re not only breathable, but they’re also super soft to the touch. The best part? The leopard print style is currently on sale at Amazon for $9.

Material: 88% cotton, 12% spandex | Sizes: XS-XL | Style: Shorts | Colors: 2

Most shapewear bodysuits have tummy control features. However, we find that the Skims Seamless Sculpt Brief Bodysuit is the best option — not only because of it strong compression but also its versatile design.

The spaghetti strap bodysuit features a brief underwear design with a mid-back and sweetheart neckline that allows you to hide it easily under various clothing styles. Plus, it includes adjustable straps so you can easily find your perfect fit. Because it has such strong compression and covers the torso area, the bodysuit doubles as a waist-cincher.

Material: 41% recycled nylon, 41% nylon, 18% elastane | Sizes: XXS-4XL | Style: Bodysuit | Colors: 10

If you’re looking for a piece of shapewear that pairs well under strapless dress styles, look no further. The Commando Tech Control Strapless Slip is our top pick for this category because it not only features a strapless design but also has lightweight compression to provide some smoothing on the tummy area, sculpts the waist, hips, and butt.

It's also stretchy enough to fit comfortably over the body without making you feel like you’re too restricted. Plus, unlike many other shapewear garments, this dress isn’t see-through, so you can also wear it on its own — the strapless style certainly fits the Y2K trend.

Material: 47% nylon, 40% cotton, 13% elastane | Sizes: XS-XL | Style: Dress | Colors: Black

When choosing shapewear for dresses, there are so many different options. We love the Joyshaper Shapewear Dress Slip on Amazon because it features a stretchy and breathable polyamide material and is essentially an ultra-high-waisted band that covers the belly, back, waist, hips, butt, and tummy area.

The skirt features a seamless design with lots of ventilation — partially thanks to the skirt style and partially thanks to the fabric — and works well with a variety of dress styles, plus high-waisted skirts.

Material: 90% polyamide, 10% spandex | Sizes: S-2XL | Style: Skirt slip | Colors: 4

The Miraclesuit Comfy Curve High Waist Shaping Thong features a band design that combines the thong underwear and waist-cincher silhouette in one to create a sculpting and smoothing effect. Made from stretchy and breathable elastane, this is a nice option for everyday and works well under jumpsuits and a variety of dress styles.

Since the underwear features a band, it actually covers the lower hips a little more than similar styles and can provide shaping and smoothing there, too.Our only caveat: Since it's designed to hit just below the chest, it may not fit great on anyone with a short torsos or those who consider themselves petite.

Material: 75% nylon, 25% elastane | Sizes: S-2XL | Style: Thong underwear | Colors: 2

The best brief underwear with tummy control is the Ruby Ribbon Sculpting Brief. We chose this style because it features more of a mid-rise silhouette compared to the more common high-rise styles, so you can easily wear this tummy control shapewear under a pair of jeans or a skirt.

The briefs have a 360-degree stretch, too, so they form-fit around the body with ease. An excellent option for targeting the low belly area, these briefs feature plenty of compression in the front with lots of sculpting details in the back to give the booty a little bit of a lift. They're also available in a light beige colorway.

Material: Nylon, spandex | Sizes: S-3XL | Style: Brief underwear | Colors: 2

We have several options on our list with an ultra-high-waist silhouette. However, the Honeylove SuperPower Brief offers some impressive compression that stretches all the way to under the bust area.

This shapewear piece is constructed from a durable and stretchy nylon with a cotton gusset and features a design with targeted compression so you can achieve a smoothing and sculpting effect on the tummy, waist, and backside. Additionally, the undergarment has strategically placed boning to prevent it from rolling and help it keep its shape.

Material: 75% nylon, 25% spandex; 81% nylon, 19% spandex lining; 100% cotton gusset | Sizes: XS-3XL | Style: Brief underwear | Colors: 7

The best lightweight shapewear also moonlights as a lounge dress, so you can actually wear your shapewear out on the town. The Popilush No Shaper Slip Maxi Lounge Dress is unlike other shapewear styles in that it’s a shapewear outer garment that doesn’t feature restrictive compression, and instead lifts and sculpts certain areas of the body, including the butt, tummy, bust, and waist.

The dress is also made from a soft and breathable stretchy modal material, so it’s comfortable to the touch and features adjustable straps for a better fit.We can see ourselves wearing this both at home and for girls' night.

Material: 92% modal, 8% spandex | Sizes: S-3XL | Style: Dress | Colors: 2

You don’t have to worry about leaks when you’re on your period, thanks to the Knix Leakproof Thigh Save, which are shapewear shorts that are designed to help keep leaks at bay. They are constructed from a stretchy and comfortable Lycra Xtra Life and nylon blend with a gusset designed to help prevent potential leaks.

When it comes to period underwear, these shorts aren't exactly the most absorbent but they feature a design constructed to help keep things fresh and leak-free so that you can go on and enjoy your event without worrying. Periods aside, they’re also super comfy, fit well, and do a fantastic job at shaping the belly area.

Material: ​​Lycra Xtra Life, nylon, cotton, spandex, carbon | Sizes: XS-4XL | Style: Shorts | Colors: 3

If you’re planning on wearing a dress or skirt, then a pair of tights that also offers tummy shaping support is a convenient option. We’ve tested almost 30 pairs of black tights in our PEOPLE Tested labs, and the Spanx Tummy Shaping Tights were hands-down the best shaping tights that we tried. They feel supportive around the midsection and are impressively comfortable.

Just as we’d expect from a Spanx product, the attention to detail is evident in these tights: From the cotton gusset that allows you to go commando to the notable lack of thigh-shaping that allows you to wear mini skirts and dresses without the shapewear aspect of the tights showing.

Material: Nylon, elastane, cotton | Sizes: A-E | Style: Tights | Colors: 1

The best sculpting shapewear is the ShaperX Sculpting Thong Bodysuit from Amazon. This bodysuit also comes in a shorts style and features enough compression to smooth the belly, hips, and waist while also sculpting and lifting.

Constructed from stretchy nylon material, the bodysuit doesn’t feel too restrictive and is durable enough that it doesn’t lose its shape. The shapewear also forgoes the compression at the bust area, so you don’t have to worry about it feeling too tight, and it has adjustable straps for an even better fit.

Material: 80% nylon, 20% spandex | Sizes: 2XS-5XL | Style: Bodysuit | Colors: 7

The best shapewear tank top for tummy control is the Shapermint Scoop Neck Compression Cami, which features adjustable spaghetti straps and stretches down past the hips to smooth the belly, waist, and hips.

Constructed from a durable, breathable, and compressive nylon material, the top stretches easily over the body without losing its shape. Since it's not see-through, it can be worn underneath clothing or as is, making it ultra-versatile too.

Material: 90% nylon, 10% spandex | Sizes: S-4XL | Style: Tank | Colors: 11

Of all the plus-size shapewear on the market, the best we’ve come across is this tummy control bodysuit. Not only does the ShapeLLX shapewear smooth the stomach, back, and thighs — but it also has an open crotch to make using the bathroom so much easier than it would be in traditional bodysuits.

We also appreciate the inclusive size range, which spans from XS to 5X (which their size chart equates to a range from a US size 0 to a US size 24). It’s made from a breathable, anti-bacterial material, with adjustable straps for a customizable fit. Plus, it comes in four different neutral colors, so you can snag it in a few different colors to go with any outfit.

Material: Nylon, spandex | Sizes: XS-5X | Style: Body suit | Colors: 4

Frequently Asked Questions

• What shapewear really works?

  Our top pick for the best tummy control shapewear overall is the Skims Core Control High-Waisted Thong, which features a comfortable yet compressive high waistband designed to support and shape the stomach area. For a more budget-friendly option, we recommend the Jockey Slimmers Breathe High-Rise Brief, which also has a waist-cinching design for additional support and shaping. If tummy control underwear isn’t your thing, the Shapermint High Waisted Body Shaper Shorts are another excellent option as they feature a compressive design and comfortable, breathable material. For an open-bust style, we love the Shapermint Open Bust Shaper Camisole, which has shaping benefits similar to an open-bust one-piece without any potential restrictions caused by the bodysuit style.

• Should you buy shapewear a size bigger?

  At first, shapewear in your usual size might feel a little tight — this is intended. Since shapewear is compressive, it should fit snugly against the body. To ensure you have the right fit, Richards says to always purchase your usual size. “Purchasing it in too big of a size can reduce the shaping and smoothing features,” she explains. “I also do not recommend purchasing shapewear a size smaller as it can be uncomfortable and restricting.”

• What's the difference between tummy tucker and shapewear?

  According to Richards, some use tummy tucker and shapewear interchangeably. “A tummy tucker targets the abdomen whereas shapewear is the category of garments that a tummy tucker is within,” she explains, adding that there are many different types of tummy control shapewear, including tummy tuckers, shaping panties, shaping shorts, and shaping tops.

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