Sports Bras for Big Breasts

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Sports Bras for Big Breasts

The right bra is key to every woman runner’s gear choices. It doesn’t matter what’s on top if what’s underneath isn’t doing its job. Despite the running bra’s importance, there is something about talking about breasts that makes us giggle. Based on the market, not too many designers are taking it seriously either. So, let’s get it out of our system…

Boobs, the girls, ta-tas, the jiggly wigglies, milky mammas, Tits McGee.

Ok, now that we got a little silly out of our system, let’s get serious about what sports bras are good for women with big breasts. Because I can’t speak from experience, my friend and fellow long-distance runner Ronda agreed to share her experiences and her faves. Here’s her take:

“As woman with large ‘ta-tas' who runs, a super supportive bra is an absolute must.  I have tried a number of brands that carry larger sizes like Enell & Anita. However, Moving Comfort's Jubralee® is far and away my favorite because it:

• Compresses really well but also... 
• Separates, reducing the look of a uni-boob
• Prevents bouncing or shifting while running
• Doesn't have an underwire - this is not mandatory and I do have the "coathanger" in my regular bras, I just prefer not when I'm running
• Has padded straps that can be adjusted with Velcro®

Moving Comfort bra w/ adjustable Velcro straps

At about $55, it's a terrific value for the quality, construction, feel and look. 

I especially appreciate that Moving Comfort recognizes that there are plenty of women with large breasts who enjoy running in a well-made quality bra. They also have several comparable styles with underwire. If you can’t fit into a pull-over sports bra, work with a professional to get fitted and then test out some bras to determine your preference.

Lastly, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention my companion accessory – Tri Slide. This aerosol spray has been a lifesaver. With large breasts, chafing is a painful reality. The Jubralee coupled with Tri Slide is a match made in big-boobed, long-distance running heaven!”

As a side note for nursing new moms, a friend of mine says Moving Comfort's straps make easy access for your little one. Another good reason to give these a shot if you're looking.

Many thanks to Ronda for sharing her concerns as a bodacious runner, and her solutions.

Happy running!

Running gear: what to look for when trying on

Buying running gear should be easy but it varies in quality, cut and function so much that it's easy to be overwhelmed. Here's a couple of things to look for when shopping for running clothes.

On the rack/online:

• Function is key
• Shorts - Men: buy shorts with a liner so your junk doesn't jump around. Women: buy shorts with a liner so you don't have to wear your cute underthings and don't give a show while stretching
• Top - Everyone should have a quality wicking top. This is the one area where it's worth spending a little more. A lot of companies claim their shirts wick away sweat but many don't. I recommend Nike, Asics, Brooks, Under Armour and sometimes Road Runner Sports.



Champion sausage bra

• Sports bra - ladies, consider these two things: poke through and jiggle. A lightly padded sports bra will handle poke through. If you don't have much to poke, focus on compression. A tight fit will hold you in place and flatten your pokey parts. HOWEVER, too much compression and you'll be squishing out like a sausage. Check the flesh around your armpits to make sure you aren't oozing out (yep, that's as sexy as it sounds).
• Think big picture
• This is for the ladies. There are a lot of cute tops out there. Many of them have

  

  Cute but bad for layering

  interesting tank styles. This is great looking, until you put your sports bra underneath and most of it shows.If it doesn't have a built in bra, go for a slightly more traditional cut.

In the dressing room

• Comfort is king
• When trying on your gear, hold still for 30 seconds. Can you feel the clothes? Good gear should sit on your body, almost weightlessly. If it feels tight under the arms, it won't get better and may lead to chafing. If it's pinching off the circulation in your thighs, you'll have a hard time running. Don't look in the mirror, just FEEL.
• Now, swing your arms, try to touch your toes and squat. Again, feel the gear. Do the shorts ride up? Does the shirt twist or ride up? Are you already getting overheated as if you were wearing a polyester blanket? If it's not comfortable, you're not going to want to wear it.
• Take look
• Once you know how it feels, see if you like how it looks. Does seeing yourself all geared up make you wanna run? Do you feel faster already? Jump up and down - are you putting on a bouncy show? Hopefully the answers are yes, yes and no.

If the price is right and your gear meets the criteria above, buy! And then get out there and RUN!

Happy trails.

What to Wear Running: Lululemon

I didn't think I would, but I loved running in my new Lululemon "Let It Loose" tank with built in sports bra.

I bought the tank because I thought it was cute and sporty and would "sexy up" my normal hiking outfit. The hikes proved that the sports bra was tough and I thought, why not, let's take this puppy for a run.

If you follow me on Twitter (@whattoweartorun), you may remember that I recently made fun of a woman who was out for a run wearing a strapless tube top. It was cute, but it wasn't, if you know what I mean. She was bouncing all over the place and, as she ran toward me, she kept having to pull the thing up.

That's kind of how I felt as I headed out the door. The skinny shoulder straps and loose fabric (the folks in the naming department were spot on with this one) left me feeling uncovered and unsupported. But, that was just a feeling. The reality was that I was locked down where it mattered and enjoying breathable fabric and the wind on my skin where it didn't. The only thing that I didn't love was the fact that, as you can see in the photo, it shows when you use it as a hanky. Most wick-away tops hide the sweat/runny nose better. Other than that, excellent!

Overall letter grade: A-

External tank scoops under sports bra, creating venting

Who Is It Good For: Women with an A or B cup size who hike, bike, and run; and women who are apple shaped (the loose cut would be flattering)
Who Isn't It Good For: Women with a cup size C or above - I don't think the skinny straps would cut it; and women who are looking for a casual-wear tank - the tight straps make it uncomfortable to wear for more than a couple of hours.
Needs Clarification: The tag says this top is good for yoga but I'm not sure where all that looseness would go while upside down. Will the slightly fitted waist prevent it from sliding all the way down and smothering me while I'm in headstand? I'm also not sure if the tank is going to be for sale much longer. I wanted to include a link to lulu's website for interested buyers, but it wasn't there.

Washing running clothes

As a runner/yogi/cyclist with a day job, I have A LOT of laundry on my hands. If you've landed here because you're thinking about running, consider yourself warned: being a runner is like having a baby in that it generates a lot of dirty clothes and sometimes you'll think "I have no idea what I'm doing!"

I don't have the secret sauce for smell-free running gear but I do have a formula for making gear last and last and last. So, if you're frugal or broke, but love to workout, read on.

1) Hang dry everything, except your socks. Sounds simple until you realize that the image below is what I wore in one week and all of it (except the socks) had to be hung after washing. Every doorknob, chair back and towel rack in my apartment was occupied with drying bits and pieces.

Blurry but you get the gist!

2) Dry before the hamper. If you can, let super sweaty stuff air dry before you throw it into the dirty clothes. At the end of the week, you'll still have a hamper full of funky clothes, but at least none of them will have grown mildew, which is gross and harder to get rid off.
3) Use good detergent. I know, Tide, Win, Penguin, etc. are all expensive, especially if you're on a budget. But buying new gear is costly, too. Thanks to taking care of my clothes, I am still wearing gear from 1998. Can you pick the 13-year-old shirt out of the line up above? Hint, I'm wearing it in the post preceding this one...

Happy trails and smell ya later!

Compression Sports Bra

I've gotten spoiled. I've been wearing sports bras that rely as much on structure as they do on compression for at least three years. They are reasonably comfortable, provide great support and look good.

Recently, a 24-hour trip became a 3-day one.  Luckily, I had running shoes and shorts. Unluckily, I didn't have a top. I dashed to the local Lady Foot Locker and picked up a Champion sports bra and Reebok top.

The Champion sports bras that I have at home are great -- molded cups and soft, wicking fabric. So, when I saw that LFL carried Champion-brand, but not my style, I did something I almost never do with running gear: I assumed it would be fine.

This is me, in the sports bra. A pooch of skin and fat is being squeezed out because the compression on this thing is so intense. The upside, the "girls" aren't going anywhere. The downside, well, just look at that charming flap of flesh and remember, there's one on the other side, too.

Aside from the almost-painful compression, the bra has some nice details:

• Key hole in the back for a little air
• Offset seams for reduced chafing
• Mesh back panel for ventilation and quick dry

From someone who should have known better, this is a reminder: try before you buy!

Happy running!

Sports Bra Details

No piece of gear is more important for a woman runner than a sports bra. Running a mile everyday barefoot may lead to a few callouses, but that same run in a bad bra can cause chafing and tearing of pectoral muscles.

When shopping, talk with the salesperson (or read the catalog) to find the right support for you. Once you have a few options that meet your support, color and cut criteria, make your final choice based on these crucial details:

Straps
I have a small build, so 1/2- to 3/4-inch straps are perfect for me. If you want more support, look for a wider strap but be aware of where it hits your shoulder.

I've circled my ideal zone for the straps to pass over the shoulders. Higher up and they press uncomfortably against the neck muscles. Any lower down the shoulder and support can suffer. The bra above rides slightly too high up my neck and I often catch myself adjusting it.

I love the look of this Nike sports bra and the straps are comfortable going over the shoulder. I also like the way they come together in the back - they don't rub against my shoulder blades as I swing my arms and the wide scoop gives more support than a narrow racer back.

The straps on this Moving Comfort bra are wider than most of my bras, but if you need support, wider is better. Plus, as you can see by the red circle, they are reinforced on the inside. My issue with this particular bra is the front. The material is thin and the design unstructured so there are some high beam issues.

This Lululemon bra is great for yoga but not running because, while the narrow straps leave you free to move, they provide little support and can dig into the shoulder muscles. The black circle emphasizes the very narrow racer back, which doesn't create enough tension for an impact sport. The black arrow gets to my next topic...

Seams
They are small things, but the placement of the seams along the edge of your sports bra is important. A badly placed seam can chafe the arm, sternum or shoulder. I like where Lululemon placed their edge seams because, no matter what I'm doing, I never rub against them.

Brooks also gets it right by combining the edging seam with the racer back meeting point - basically one seam doing double duty. Again, it's completely out of the way, so no chafing. Because I'm prone to painful rubbing under my arms, I picked this bra for my last marathon and finished without issues.

If you like more coverage, Puma has built a moderately supportive bra into its tank-style Run Top. I checked out several Puma sports bras and the Run Top was the only one with an offset seam.

Unfortunately, most Nike bras have a seam directly under the armpit, as is marked here by the black box. This is an almost perfect sports bra: low key but stylish; good support; breathable mesh along the sides; and comfortable fabric covering the elastic along the rib cage. BUT, the armpit seam means I never wear it for long runs.

Poke Through
Unless you like looking like you're freezing or on high alert, look for a bra that either has some padding or is so constricting, nothing is getting out (I usually go for option 1).

I own several of this Champion bra for three reasons:
- The cups are slightly padded, preventing high beaming
- The front also is molded to separate and hold, giving the wearer a more feminine shape
- The seam for the trim is slightly offset, behind the armpit (see circle)

Caveat: the elastic trim on this bra is exposed on the inside and can become rough with use. The black bra recently chafed a red ring around my rib cage.

Materials
As we head into summer, fabric replaces layers in importance. Look for wicking materials that are cooler, stay fresh looking longer and dry quickly. Avoid cotton and thick, spongy padding; both will soak up sweat, chafe and weigh you down.


Style
A few of my sports bras are a tank style, which is great if you want more coverage. The tank is also a great core layering piece in the winter.

Tanks come in all sorts of cuts and styles. The one on the left, above, is longer and form fitting but, as you can see by the post-wearing wrinkles, is made of Lycra and cotton, which means 10 minutes out the door on a hot day, I've sweated through it and am burning up. The tank on the right is a little too short when worn with low-rise shorts or tights but is made of Nike's Dri-fit fabric, which removes moisture from the skin, allowing it to cool.

Puma's Run Top is a tank style that pays attention to the details. The under layer, aside from the bra, is a cooling mesh and the top is soft nylon. It's a good length and the small pleats around the neckline hide poke through (I swear, I'm not obsessed, just aware!). The bra is not very supportive, so it may be best for small frames and mid-distance runs.

Hi Tech: My Puma and Lululemon bras are the only ones I own that use silver thread in the bra to help fight odor. If you really use and abuse your gear, details like this make a big difference.

Good luck shopping and happy running!