Every female runner *should* be running in a high impact sports bra.
Research shows just how much your chest tissue moves around when you run and how much damage is caused if you don’t have some real support, no matter your size.
However, for those of you that have bigger boobs, you know just how crucial that maximum support is (and how risky the wrong bra is when running longer distances).
I am a 32 E (I’ve finally admitted to myself that I’m not the 32/34 DD that I thought I was). I’ve tested a number of high impact sports bras over the years and found my some that work for me…and a lot that don’t!
Personally, I prefer a non-wired sports bra so haven’t included any wired sports bras in these reviews.
I was sent some of these bras from Boobydoo however most of them I purchased myself. Boobydoo are offering you 15% off full price items with code RUNNERBEANS15 (not an affiliate link, just want you to save!).
I’ll keep updating this page with what works (and doesn’t) for me as I test out more bras – but leave a comment or send me a DM on instagram if there are any specific bras you want me to review or think I should try!
Best Running Sports Bras for D+ Runners
Lululemon Run Times Bra
I’m so excited that this bra is back in stock in Navy! Ever since I first tried this bra in the summer it’s been my go-to bra. You can adjust the straps to be H back or cross-back, the hook and eye closure and the perforated panelling at the front of the bra reduces the boob sweat pool. It really is sweat wicking which can also help reduce chafing (as does wearing the right size bra). I also think it gives a nice shape to your boobs rather than just flattening them down!
A big sell for me on this bra, other than the fact that I didn’t chafe (even when doing beach bootcamp with sand, sea and sweat) is that I can wear it pre and post run without it causing shoulder pain (thanks to padded adjustable straps) or irritation underboob/underarm. If this bra goes in the Black Friday sale I will be stocking up (I already have two of them).
Size ranges: 32B – 42H
Price: £58
Triumph Triaction Extreme Lite & Hybrid Lite Sports Bra
This has been my favourite bra for years (although I do need to replace a few of them that I’ve had for a little bit too long and have lost some of their support!). I wrote a big review of the Triumph Triaction Sports bras here
Size ranges: 32A – 42F
Price: £48 – keep an eye out for sales/deals as I can often snag these at a better price
Maaree Solidarity High Impact
I do really love this bra! It has great compression, very little movement it is really comfy to wear. I also really like that there’s the option of making it racer back or not. However, my only issue with this bra is the straps on the side of the bra to adjust the cup size… unfortunately I am prone to chafing on the inside of my arm and on longer runs, the side strap has rubbed. I’d love them to make a Solidarity without this adjustable strap.
Love the range of colours, not just your typical black/white. I have the mint green but I love the bright yellow and coral colourways. I also really like the Maaree Empower sports bra for Pilates and strength training, its really comfy and good medium impact bra.
Size ranges : 32C/30DD – 38H
Price: £68 – plus 25% off for Black Friday
PeBe Impact Sports Bra
I first tried PeBe at the London Marathon expo and was a little shocked when they measured me as a 32E. I found the fit better in the E than the 34DD that I had previously worn in other brands, but found the cup had a little bit of rippling in the fabric as it wasn’t completely filled. I really like the range of adjustability of the straps that means you can change them for pre/post run and change them based on your sizing that day (because remember boob sizes fluctuate throughout the month).
The support inside the bra is unique to PeBe, with almost a double cup for your boobs to reduce the figure of eight movement that happens when we run. Unfortunately I did chafe BADLY on a treadmill long run over the summer (probably the worst chafing/bleeding I’ve ever had) but I was really impressed with the feedback from PeBe, asking for more info on where and why I might have chafed and looking in to how they can make adjustments to this for future iterations of the bra.
Size ranges: 28DD – 38GG
Price: £65
Panache Sport Ultimate Non-Wired Sports Bra
So many of you mentioned how much you loved this when I first put this to the test, and I’ve found myself reaching for it quite a few times for short runs since I figured out that you could make the straps into a racerback (as well as an H strap). I wore it for a 14 mile treadmill workout and chafed really badly in it – however I think that was due to me having it on the loosest chest clasps – I bravely tried it again for a 20 miler (albeit with a spare bra in my hydration pack just incase) on tighter setting and with some of my fave anti-chafe (I swear by Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream) and had no issues with chafing. I do find that the clip to make it into a racerback is quite high, causing some tension across the traps (which is where I hold a lot of tension anyway) and I think contributed to a post long run headache.
Size ranges: 28DD – 40GG
Price: £42
And what hasn’t worked…
Freya Active Dynamic Non-Wired Sports Bra
This felt huge around the chest area right from the off and even clipping it on the tightest fastening didn’t stop serious chafing on a slightly drizzly 4.5 mile run. I had to use some of Bertie’s sudocreme to help with the discomfort post run! I’m going to try a 30E to see if that helps but for now, this gets a no from me…
Size ranges – 30D – 40H
Price – £36
Odlo Comfort High Support Sports Bra
This one looks great and is actually an attractive sports bra (which feels a little rare when it comes to the larger sizes!) but unfortunately too much cleavage and not enough support meant I returned this without even testing it on the run! This would work for something like Pilates or strength training, but wasn’t worth the £45 price tag to keep it.
Size Range – 32B – 42E
Price – £45
Let me know what other bras you want me to test (so that you don’t have to!) Coming up are;
Shock Absorber D+ Max Support Sports Bra, Anita Performance Sports Bra, Runderwear Power Bra and
Shock Absorber Ultimate Run Bra and ON endurance bra.
