The Enell Sport Bra is a great option for people who wear a larger band and larger cups (up to 48L / 52H) and want maximum coverage and support. It offers the most support of any bra we’ve tested, but it is proprietary sizing from 00 to 8 it’s not as refined as our picks, which use cup and headband sizes to offer a wider range of sizes. Enell Sport’s high neckline and corset-like design might seem too intense for some people – Holly Powell of The Pencil Test said people with firm breast tissue can feel especially constricted. But this design also makes it the best bra we’ve tested for reducing bounce. Also, our experts noted that this was a good post-operative sports bra because it tied in the front.
Iris Clarke of Iris Lingerie told us that the Anita Extreme Control Sports Bra was the best-selling sports bra in her store. The Extreme Control is an adjustable U-back bra with no wire or excess padding, with a mesh back panel. It is a lightweight, comfortable and breathable bra that is still supportive for larger cups; Powell told us the inner lining helped prevent rubbing of the nipples even during exercise. Our size G tester said: “The strap was still quite tight after wearing it for a long time and as this was thread-free, it ‘smoothed’ my breasts together, which is not the best for absorbing sweat. ” This bra is available in German sizes and doesn’t have as granular a size range as our picks. Powell recommended this bra for those with DDD cups (or UK F cups) and smaller.
Our size JJ tester loved the Royce Impact Free Bra, saying it came high to prevent spilling and bouncing, and that it was comfortable. Made of a soft and elastic material, it is a combination bra with adjustable straps and back closure. We love that it has options for G, GG, H, HH, J, JJ and K cup sizes (it comes in sizes 32 to 40 and uses the UK size system). However, we believe that Impact Free is more suitable for low impact activities.
Powell recommended the Shock Absorber Multi Sports Max as an option for people who wear larger cups and who run, including long races. Our size G tester liked this bra, but found its fit smaller than expected. Some Amazon reviewers they seem to agree. The moderator of Subreddit / u / goodoldfreda said of this bra: “In my experience as a fitter, sports bras with encapsulation like the Panache Sport do best for those with firm fabrics, but compression ones like the high impact Shock Absorber models. they are overall preferred by those with soft tissues. “
The Goddess Sport, produced by Wacoal, is designed for wearers of plus sizes. This bra didn’t fit our JJ size tester and doesn’t currently have a ton of reviews. It’s also meant for low-impact activities, according to a Wacoal representative.
We tested Freya Sonic. Clarke said Freya made bras with deeper cups and recommended this line to those who wore smaller sized headbands and cups up to a K. We like that it has a J-hook for added support, but reviewers and Overall experts seem to prefer our picks or the Anita Extreme Control Sports Bra.
We like the Brooks JustRight Racer stretchy and compression fit for people who wear A or B cups or who want a basic compression bra. It has removable padding (which some people may appreciate and others may find superfluous), is comfortable and breathable. Plus, it’s covered by Brooks’ 90-day return policy. However, it typically costs twice as much as the C9 Champion and we didn’t find it to be more supportive while we were exercising. This bra is also available in half sizes (S, M and L only, with the largest roughly translating to a 36C or 36D, or a 38C based on Brooks’ size chart).
While we love the Brooks FastForward Crossback’s sexy mesh and silky fabric and appreciate that this bra comes in six sizes (XS to 2XL), the straps were difficult to adjust. With the crossback style, we had a hard time figuring out how to put on and take off the bra.
With a seamless inner lining, Under Armor Eclipse High was a comfortable combination bra. We found the straps to be elastic but firm, and the bra had the second-skin feel of a basic compression bra. But it offers less coverage than the Champion Spot Comfort, and in our tests it didn’t convert to a racerback like it should have.
The New Balance Shockingly Unshocking had good coverage that went high across the chest. Its front adjustable velcro straps were comfortable to perfect the fit. But the metal loops that the straps pass through can cut you in the arms when you move them, unlike the more subtle all-fabric Velcro straps of the Brooks Juno. This bra also produces some front lighting because the cups are not lined.
Despite a promising design with increased chest coverage, the cut on the Sweaty Betty High Intensity Run bra didn’t work for any of our testers. All reported significant lateral losses.
The Glamorise No-Bounce Cami Sports Bra is a popular budget bra for people who wear a larger band and larger cups (up to 50G). In our tests, we found the tissue itchy and thin, with no inserts or padding. While we prefer the additional support and lining of our picks, this bra currently has more than 7,000 reviews on Amazon, half of which are five-star.
We believe the Syrokan High Impact Sports Bra is a better option than the Glamorise No-Bounce Cami Sports Bra for people who wear relatively large headband and large cups (up to 44F). Its cups are lined with a smooth fabric and its band and straps are smoother than those of the Glamorise model. But the High Impact’s mesh rear panel feels rough and its material is thin, which can lead to headlight illumination.
An Amazon best seller included in many other reviews and collections of bras, the Wacoal Sports Underwire Bra looks and feels like a standard bra. Among the bras from Wacoal, we prefer the Elomi Energize, which has more cup size options and greater coverage.
The Champion Freedom Seamless Racerback Compression Bra material felt scratchy despite the bra being seamless. We also thought this bra was too stretchy, expanding up to three times its original size when stretched, to offer good stretch and recovery during high impact exercises, although it might be fine for more occasional use.
We found the Chantelle High Impact Microfiber Sports Bra to be exceptionally small and we also thought the cups didn’t provide the same coverage as our picks.
During testing, we had a hard time turning Anita DynamiXstar on and off due to its racerback design. The band comes in at 40 and is available in fewer sizes than our picks.
The Champion Absolute Comfort Sports Bra ranked second for our A / B pick. The silky fabric of this bra not only feels great against the skin, but was sturdy enough to lock your breasts during spin classes and cardio workouts. . Both of our 2019 testers reported that this bra also worked well. The Absolute Comfort has a T-back, which allows for greater mobility and makes the bra easy to put on and take off. But that also means that this bra has less overall coverage than a racerback-style bra, which typically has a larger back panel. The other downside to this seamless bra is that the band is not separated from the rest of the bra; the testers said it sometimes rose during exercise.
The Champion The Infinity Shape Heather Sports Bra and the Women’s Champion C9 Racerback Seamless Sports Bra are almost identical: both are made of an elastic material with a raised, slightly grainy pattern and are seamless. The Infinity Shape has a mesh-like panel in the front décolleté area and on the back panel for ventilation, while the Seamless Racerback has no cutouts. Both are overly stretchy and we don’t think they do a great job compressing the breasts to the chest. Testers said these bras did not offer enough rebound control and that the bands rolled up during medium- or high-impact exercise, especially with reversed movements during yoga or burpees. However, we appreciate that Infinity Shape is available in plus sizes (1X, 2X, and 3X) and may work for low impact exercises.
Testers said the Adidas Don’t Rest Alphaskin sports bra offered pretty good support. It is available in sizes 2XS to 2XL (30A to 44E according to Adidas size chart). None of our 2019 A / B testers loved the band on this bra, though – it’s not as sturdy or supportive as the band on Champion’s Absolute Workout, and the embossed logo could cause irritation during longer exercise periods.
(Special thanks to Dr. Carl Baird of Evolution of health services in Portland, Oregon, for letting us use her gym, and Holly Powell a The pencil test in Portland, Oregon, for fit testers and for letting us take pictures in his shop.)
