Choosing the right sports bra is essential for women of any size, shape or activity level. While most women athletes wear a sports bra for support and comfort, many are likely wearing the wrong size. This can result in breast pain and even soft tissue damage. It’s important to make sure you have adequate support so you can lead an active lifestyle without unnecessary discomfort. 

Sports Bra Support

For the best performance and comfort, it’s important to match sports bra support with the type of activity you’re doing. Sports bras are designed to provide three levels of support: low, medium and high support for use in low-, medium- and high-impact sports:

If you participate in many different activities, it’s smart to equip yourself with several different styles of sports bras—ones with more support for high-impact activities and some less constrictive ones for low-impact activities.

 Sports Bra Construction

 sports bras: These bras use individual cups to surround and support each breast separately. There is no compression in these bras (most everyday bras are encapsulation bras) making them generally best for low-impact activities. Encapsulation bras provide a more natural shape than compression bras.

Compression sports bras: These bras typically pull over your head and compress the breasts against the chest wall to restrict movement. They do not have cups built into the design. Compression sports bras tend to work best for low- to medium-impact activities.

Compression/encapsulation sports bras: Many sports bras combine the above methods into a supportive and comfortable style. These bras offer more support than compression or encapsulation alone, making them generally best for high-impact activities.