Honeylove Shapewear Review

What is Honeylove?

Honeylove founder Betsie Larkin had similar issues with shapewear, but as an accomplished vocalist, she had to wear it regularly to keep things in check while performing in front of audiences. Larkin developed her own shapewear that incorporates a technology she called “SoftFlex.” Hidden at the side seams of the waist, this soft but structured boning holds up Honeylove’s pieces without traditional rubber grips.

Further, the “Sculptwear” smart compression panels are placed in areas where you’d want more compression, like across the stomach and around the upper thigh. The pieces have less compression in areas where you’d want more flexibility or movement, such as around the rib cage and along the legs. Fans claim these design characteristics help to lift the booty, give you more posture support, and even tone your legs.

I tested the SuperPower Short, the shapewear equivalent of the compressive bike shorts that I typically wear under a dress. The SuperPower Short comes in five neutral colors and women’s sizes XS to 3X and costs $89 a pair. In addition to the shorts I tested, the style is also available in brief, thong, and queen brief variations that offer different levels of coverage, depending on your needs.

What I like about the Honeylove SuperPower Short

It moves well

After a lot of shimmying and maneuvering (more on that coming), I made it into the SuperPower Short. I could see pretty quickly why people like this shapewear so much. It was very comfortable and didn’t restrict my stomach—I could take deep breaths and sit down with ease. Honeylove is super easy to move around in and, although the nylon/spandex material is thin, my thighs never had an issue with chub rub.

It creates a smooth silhouette

The top of the shorts goes all the way up to the bra line, smoothing the entire waistline with no muffin-top issues. The structured boning on both sides as well as the compressive sections on the tummy keeps these shorts from rolling down and keeps your body feeling supported.

What I don’t like about Honeylove SuperPower Short

It's not really plus-sized

My biggest issue: I would not classify Honeylove as a plus-size shapewear company. It advertises to “women of all shapes and sizes,” with the largest size being a 3X. I normally wear a size 14 to 16, which puts me at the lower end of the plus-size category in general. However, after taking my measurements, I wound up going with a 2X, because the company suggests that if you have “a wider thigh or proportionally bigger hips,” you should size up. Given that I was in the second-largest Honeylove size, I’d hardly say that the company caters to most women.

It's really hard to get into

When I received the shapewear in the mail, the shorts looked cute but also much smaller than I expected. As soon as I pulled them up to my thighs, I laughed—I knew we were gonna have a problem. I then spent 15 minutes—no exaggeration—trying to get the shapewear comfortably on. The uppermost section where your stomach goes is structured and made of thick compression material, so you can use that sturdy material to pull them up, but the thighs are made out of a featherlight nylon/spandex—you risk ripping the fabric if you pull too hard on that area.

Indeed, on just the second wear, I tore a quarter-sized rip in one of the outer thighs while trying to get them on. With each subsequent wear, the rip grew larger and larger.

They can be a challenge in the bathroom

Although there’s a gusset between the legs for easy access when nature calls, I never felt confident enough to go to the bathroom in the SuperPower Short. Maybe it’s just my nerves, but I felt like there just wasn’t enough access to pee without making a mess. That means I would have to take off the entire piece to use the bathroom, and then put it back on afterward—another 15-minute ordeal.

I’ve worn Spanx a handful of times to formal events and I had no problems with peeing or getting those on or off. Sure, Spanx can also be a little hard to get on because of its tight spandex content, but it wasn’t the painstaking process I endured with Honeylove.

Is the Honeylove SuperPower Short worth it?

It's worth considering (if it fits you)

If you happen to fit within the size range, I’d say the Honeylove SuperPower Short is worth considering, even if you have to wrestle a bit to get them on. But if you’re a plus-size person who wears anything larger than an 18, you’ll have to pass: This shapewear might’ve been designed with your body in mind, but in reality, your size isn’t stocked.

Smaller bodies could have an easier time getting in and out of the shapewear without so much shimmying and cursing, and once they’ve finally squeezed in, I suspect they’ll appreciate the structured contouring and comfortable material even more than I did. As for me, I would wear it to a wedding or special event, but I wouldn’t choose to wear this outside of a handful of formal special occasions.