Giving your boobs the right protection is important: shop the best workout bras on the market now
Making sure you’re wearing one of the best sports bras is important. Protecting your boobs during your workouts is as essential—heck, maybe even more essential—as wearing the right running trainers. That is, if you’re exercising regularly, you really should be doing both.
Search for the best sports bras is up 58% since gyms have reopened.
So, why is wearing the right sports bra so important? Research has found that your boobs can move up to a whopping 12cm when you exercise. And, unsurprisingly, a study by sportswear brand 2XU found that working out in the wrong sports bra, in the long term, can cause damage to your breasts. Think chronic breast pain, ligament damage and, ultimately, side effects like drooping, sagging and stretch marks.
You wouldn’t go on a 5km run in a pair of Converse (we pray), so we’d like to assume you also wouldn’t whip out your home gym equipment for your next HIIT session, Pilates class or Joe Wicks workout without proper protection for your boobs.
What to look for in a good sports bra
So, where to start when you’re shopping for a sports bras? It kind of depends on how big your boobs are and what exercise you’ll be doing. If you’ve got bigger boobs, opt for a more supportive design: if you’re lesser endowed, you can get away with something less functional.
Don’t worry. We’ve indicated next to each style who they’d best suit—we know there’s nothing more infuriating than a bra that just really isn’t cutting the mustard for you.
Keep scrolling to shop the best sports bras for 2021.
11 best sports bras for 2021: shop now
1. New Balance Relentless Crop Top, newbalance.co.uk
Key details: Comfy, supportive and stylish—what more could you want? Plus, it’s made from fast-drying fabric that wicks moisture away from your body to make sure you stay cool. Neat.
Best for: Medium impact
£25.00, BUY NOW
2. Hush contrast strap sports bra, hush-uk.com
Key details: We mean, just look at it. It’s not the highest of impact support – worth noting if you’re a HIIT fan or someone who needs support – but the designs are gorgeous and built for yoga, pilates and slow, mindful flows. Fun fact: it’s part-made from recycled materials. Treat yourself to the matching workout leggings, go on.
Best for: Low impact
£39, BUY NOW
3. Under Armour Iso-Chill mid team women’s sports bra, sportsshoes.com
Key details: If you’re into cycling, strength training or boxing and want to invest in a bra that offers soft, breathable structure, you’ll like this new design from UA. It’s supportive but also smooth, and their latest Iso-Chill fabric helps disperse body heat, making it feel cool to the touch, and wicks away sweat, too. The material also wicks sweat away from the skin and dries really fast while strategically placed mesh panels added for breathability.
Best for: Medium support
£41.99, BUY NOW
4. Lululemon Free to Be High-Neck Long-Line Bra, lululemon.co.uk
Key details: Lululemon consistently deliver on their fit kit and their bras are no different. This Free to Be design isn’t massively supportive, but is a beautiful shape and style for slow yoga flows or wearing around the house.
Best for: Low support
£50.00, BUY NOW
5. TALA Solasta sports bra, asos.com
Key details: If you’re keen to invest in more sustainable activewear, TALA’s your best bet. They call it ‘fashion sportswear’, as although it may not offer the most support, the designs are made with your day-to-day in mind, too. Buy for lightweight, breathable support with a eco-conscious edge, too.
Best for: Low impact
£25.60, BUY NOW
6. Brooks Dare Strappy Run Bra, brooksrunning.com
Key details: Brooks spent months designing their ‘best running bra ever’, and they’ve delivered on this one. Super supportive and next level comfy, we’d say it’s a must-buy.
Best for: High impact
£50.00, BUY NOW
7. Shock Absorber Active Shape Support Sports Bra, sportsshoes.com
Key stats: Lightly padded? Check. Breathable? Check. Moisture-wicking? Check. You could wear this bra for anything—HIIT, tennis, pilates, yoga… you name it.
Best for: Non-wired high support
£19.99, BUY NOW
8. Freya Core Moulded Spacer Sports Bra, bravissimo.com
Key details: Freya have long been hailed for the sheer range of sports bra sizes they stock, from support for smaller boobs at 28F all the way up to 38JJ. The Spacer bra is no exception, with breathable support, double lining for extra hold and mesh panels to let air in. Trust us: it’s genius.
Best for: A range of sizes, from 28F to 38JJ
£32.00, BUY NOW
9. Nike (M) Swoosh Maternity Sports Bra, nike.com
Key details: Introducing the Nike (M) maternity range, the first of its kind from the brand. For expecting Mums or those who’ve just given birth, the Swoosh bra looks set to be a godsend. It’s cleverly designed to offer discrete layers for easy access feeding and is made from a moisture-managing fabric to catch any stray milk.
Best for: New mamas or Mums-to-be.
£38.95, BUY NOW
10. Adidas x Stella McCartney, adidas.co.uk
Key details: This collaboration, created by fashion and athleisurewear designer by Stella McCartney, is not only aesthetically gorgeous but also eco-friendly, too. Take this bra, made with 64% recycled content, sweat-wicking and long line, for maximum support. Not bad.
Best for: A designer buy and an eco-win.
£59.95, BUY NOW
11. Maaree High Impact Sports Bra, maaree.com
Key details: Fun fact: MAAREE are the only bras in the world that have an overband, aka a curved panel that runs over the top of the boobs to reduce upward motion. Designed for high impact exercises like HIIT and running, this one’s for you if you’re after extra hold.
Best for: Ultimate support.
£64.00, BUY NOW
The post Best sports bras: 11 to wear for supportive, stress-free workouts appeared first on Marie Claire.