Kit review: Two new sports bras

2011/12/23

Sports bras are a vital item of kit for fitness and outdoorsy girls. If you haven’t read about the dangers of exercising without a good sports bra you’ll want to read a couple of blogs that I posted previously. How to find a great fitting bra and Why a sports bra is a woman’s best friend

Basically a sports bra should stops all the bounce… and therefore prevent damage to ligaments that do not recover and if stretched lead to sagging. Whether you’re a smaller or larger lady, a sports bra is an important piece of exercise kit.

But bras wear out. An old sports bra will not be effective at keeping your boobs in place. Added to this, sports bras have come a long way in the last couple of decades. These days a sports bra can look flattering and feel ultra comfortable, as well as giving your breasts the support they require while you’re active.

Here are two new sports bras that have been put to the test.

Triumph Tri-action Powermove Sports bra

I tested a Triumph TriAction Powermove sports bra

Price: £29 from Less Bounce. Sizes: 32-38 A-D. The Triumph TriAction Powermove sports bra has been relaunched in the UK exclusively with on-line bra store LessBounce. It has a racer-style back, underwire support, plus rear fastening. This sports bra is most suited to high impact activities for women with A and B cups only. Suits me since I’m not in the department of well-endowed! For people with larger boobs it’s suggested that this sports bra would be best used for less high energy activities, such as yoga or Pilates.

What I thought of the Triumph TriAction Powermove sports bra

I’m not normally a big fan of underwire bras for sport but this bra didn’t feel uncomfortable when I put it on so I thought I’d reserve judgement until I’d tried a few runs. The bra certainly made my chest look quite good (and that wasn’t just my opinion!) Pulling a tight-fitting running top over the bra I thought my top half looked good enough to go to the pub. The underwire certainly helps in that direction. But, to be honest, I’m not usually too concerned about the lift and shape of my chest when heading out for a run – I just want comfort and support.

In fact, the bra did offer great support. There was o bounce at all while running. The wide shoulders straps felt really comfy and I was actually quite surprised by how comfy the underwire proved to be. I’m still not sure it would be my first choice for a sports bra because I prefer the ultra comfort of non-underwire sports bras but for good looks, support and comfort this Triumph sports bra is a good choice. The price is also reasonable for a sports bra.

Triumph Triaction Hybrid Star sports bra

Super-charged Rachel tested a Triumph Triaction Hybrid Star

Price: £40. Sizes: 32-40 B-E; 32-38F. New and exclusive to LessBounce, the Triumph Triaction Hybrid Star sports bra comes in white or grey with pink trim and, from January, black/red. It is a scoop-back bra with soft rear fastening and adjustable extra-wide and padded shoulder straps. The Triaction Hybrid Star sports bra also comes with air-conditioned cups (?!) and is suitable for high impact in all sizes. I asked S-CR, who is a tad more endowed than me (!) to give this sports bra a test.

S-CR said: “This bra is very supportive and very comfortable. The shoulder straps were impressively comfortable. The bra totally limited the bounce factor while running and felt very secure. I would normally choose a bra with underwire but while this bra doesn’t have underwire it still felt supportive and gave a good ‘shape’. I’d definitely recommend this bra, especially to women who are larger in the chest department.”

When I asked S-CR about the air-conditioned cups she replied: “Oh, I didn’t know they were anything special and I was testing the bra when it was quite chilly but I can’t say I felt sweaty at all. Is that what they mean by air-conditioned?”

Triumph reveals: “Triumph Air-Condition Cup allows air to circulate on your chest.” Perfect for summer running, we reckon.