How to Find the Perfect Sports Bra

Finding the perfect bra is difficult enough. Finding a sports bra that checks all the boxes might seem like an insurmountable challenge.

But a good sports bra is an essential part of your exercise kit. It will help keep you comfortable when exercising – and it’ll prevent potentially irreversible damage. 

Wearing a sports bra has a couple of crucial benefits:

Choosing the best option for you from a list can be tricky, but Myprotein’s sports bras for women may give you some ideas. Regardless, here’s what to look for:

A good place to start is with a sports bra in the same size you’d normally pick for a regular bar. (If you have never had a bra fitting, though, definitely get that done first: lots of women misestimate their bra size.)

Bra sizes aren’t standardized, though, so be open to trying larger cup sizes or band sizes. You don’t want a sports bra that’s uncomfortably tight … but you also don’t want one that’s too loose, leaving your breasts free to move around a lot. A good test is to see whether you can get a finger under the band or in the cup once your bra is on. If you can get two or more fingers in, it’s too loose. If you can barely move the band or cup at all, it’s too tight.

Different sports bras offer different levels of support. For running, you’ll likely want a high-impact sports bra, though if you have smaller breasts, a medium impact sports bra might work too.

Avoid low-impact sports bras (which often look like small crop-tops) unless you only plan to use them for stretching and walking. 

Some sports bras are compression bras: they have a single section that goes across both your breasts. These tend to work well for smaller-chested women.

Other sports bras are encapsulation bras. These have shaped cups that support each breast individually. They’re a better choice for women with a larger cup size.

It’s fine to keep running during pregnancy, unless your doctor has advised you otherwise. You may well want to run once you’ve given birth, too, whether it’s to get back into your pre-baby jeans or simply for some much-needed time to yourself.

When you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, it’s important to choose a bra with plenty of support. If you’re buying a sports bra near the start of your pregnancy, make sure you choose one that’s adjustable – your breast size is likely to change as your pregnancy progresses.

Once you’ve found the perfect sports bra, don’t just buy one! You’ll need to replace your sports bra every few months (around 30  - 40 washes). After that, you’ll need to replace it. So make sure you buy a few extra versions of the perfect bra and have them ready.

To help your sports bra last longer, hand wash it or use a lingerie cycle on your machine. Don’t tumble dry it, either.

Don’t let breast discomfort put you off working out. Exercise has lots of benefits for your physical and mental health. There are so many different sports bras available that there’s sure to be one that suits you.