It’s a fact of life that women are biologically designed to have bigger breasts than men, and while it’s easy for us girls to ignore them for the most part they can still make their presence all too painfully obvious when we’re trying to have a workout. Finding the perfect sports bra is therefore more than helpful, it’s essential for an optimal gym performance, so here’s a handy little reference guide to the different types to get your started.
Knowing how to find the perfect sports bra is essential in any woman’s fitness journey but is slightly more complicated than finding tops and bottoms. Aside from taking the material into consideration, you also have to identify the impact level of your usual activity and the size of your breasts. You need a bra that will minimize the bounce factor – therefore minimizing the strain on the connective tissue around your breasts, and the pain from any excessive bounce during your workout.
The perfect sports bra is performance-oriented – it’s tightly snug around your chest, providing support to your breasts, but not too tight that you can’t comfortably get a deep breath in. The straps should be wide, so it doesn’t dig into your shoulders when you move, and the band should have a firm grip since it supports the base of your breasts. A poorly-fitting bra can compromise your comfort and dig into your skin, which not only causes chafing, but causes discoloration under the arms as well – which is a common yet persistent aesthetic concern.
If you aren’t yet familiar with activewear textiles, be sure to check out our handy guide on common activewear materials and their properties. It will help you identify your ideal clothing material before you go on to purchase a specific type of sports bra.
Some ladies prefer to go braless, and that’s absolutely fine! This guide is all about finding things that work for you, so if the perfect sports bra for you is no bra at all, then just make sure to check in first with your gym management that they have no policy against that, to save the pain of dealing with people who think that their own opinion about your underwear (or lack thereof) matters more than your own!
Sizing
While sports bras are a bit more snug than your everyday bra, it’s mostly still the same size. Don’t go a size down when picking a bra – it’ll cause you unnecessary discomfort. Just make sure to measure your size each time you go for a purchase, since breasts can change in size for reasons such as weight gain and loss, pregnancy hormones, and aging. You may opt to have an in-store bra fitter help you (if there is one), or you may choose to do it yourself. Regularly checking your bra size will also make you more aware of your breasts and any changes in them, which is essential in breast health.
Low Impact (Compression Sports Bra)
Activities such as yoga and pilates involve slow and steady movements, so low-impact sports bras are usually lightweight, unpadded, and have narrower shoulder straps. They offer a more unrestrained range of motion and the least amount of bounce control out of the three levels of impact.
The best example for low-impact bras is the compression sports bra, which is essentially tank tops with elastic bottom lining. These bras are pullover types and can be with (but usually without) inbuilt cups. Well-endowed ladies need a bit more support than their modestly-sized counterparts, so it’s generally recommended for them to go for medium-impact bras even when doing low-impact activities.
Medium Impact (Compression/Encapsulation Sports Bra)
Medium-impact bras restrict unwanted movement more effectively than low-impact ones, and given that activities such as Zumba and hiking work up a sweat, they should have a greater moisture-wicking capacity. The ideal medium-impact sports bra can be either compression or encapsulation types.
Compression-type medium-impact sports bras have inbuilt cups for better support, wider shoulder straps, and snug bands. Encapsulation-types, on the other hand, have the additional feature of separating the breasts and holding them in place with an underwire. Both types can come in criss crossed back straps or racerback, which both offer firmer chest support and make for a great fashion statement, especially when worn with any low-back or sleeveless shirts.
High-Impact (Encapsulation Sports Bra)
High-impact workouts such as plyometrics, boxing, and running need significantly more support compared to low and medium-impact activities. If you’re engaging in high-intensity sports, the best bra for you is denser, with wider straps, and underwire for superior breast support. While other clothing apparel emphasizes the benefits of being lightweight, your high-impact sports bra should be anything but. These should be dense and firm, and the neckline should be higher for additional coverage.
Encapsulation bras can be heavily padded for greater support, especially for well-endowed ladies. These usually come in a racerback style, which not only looks amazing in wide neck shirts but also offers superior front and back support.
