Best sports bra for HIIT and fairly abundant bust

[Melassa]

My sports bras are all gradually giving up the ghost and the elastic and I desperately need a new one. However, not being able to go around the shops to try on I’m at a bit of a loss and looking for recommendations.

I am an E cup and of late have been doing a few HIIT workouts (eg. Jillian Michaels etc) and really need a bra that gives me support and holds my boobs in place. I also do Martial arts training and am planning on going back once I can access a gym again.

I’ve used Nike in the past as at the time they worked the best, I’ve also tried Adidas (only good for sedate walks and yoga) and Shock absorber (good initially but seemed to lose its elastic super quickly). That said it’s been several years since I’ve bought a sports bra, perhaps technology has moved on?

I looked at options online and was both impressed by the apparent choice for the bustier athlete and dubious about the claims of firm support (the comments appeared all to be from women with max a B cup, not besmirching women with B cups but the challenges are different).

Can anyone give me any pointers?

Check boobydoo website. I like panache ultimate underwired and also wear freya active underwired

What dementedpixie said

Freya epic underwired

Panache underwired

WAtching with interest.

Watching too as I need a good sports bra for running but I ve gone from a small b cup to dd and still breastfeeding (although intermittently now)

Panache or Runderwear

I bought a boobuddy band during lockdown to go over my existing sports bras (which are getting a little old and need to be replaced). It has been fab and has seen me through until the shops open after lockdown. I'm not great at buying bras online and tend to prefer trying a wide range on in the shops.

I can't imagine running without my band now.

theboobuddy.com

Panache

I pop a £6 running bra from Decathlon over my normal bra I am of very ample chest and currently breastfeeding, works fine for me for running/HIIT/general cardio.

I’m an E cup and I swear by these:

www.marksandspencer.com/extra-high-impact-non-padded-sports-bra-a-g/p/clp22272974?intid=mobile_app_pdp_share

Annoyingly they don’t do as many of the nice patterns anymore but they are very supportive, and I’ll be buying more as soon as the ones I’ve got have given up the ghost.

Enell are the best brand for large boobs. They are not pretty, but they are very good quality and absolutely have all the support you need. I'm an E cup too, but you can also find

I’m a DD cup and can also recommend the M&S bra that @sparklesandmoresparkles linked to, i have a couple from M&S and they keep me firmly in place.

Fantastic! Thanks all, some great options.

A quick question to those recommending underwired bras, do they not chafe where the wires are? I’ve always associated underwires with my fancy bras and thought they’d be uncomfortable for sport. I like the look of the Panache one but I’m a bit confused as to which I should go for. The MS one looks pretty good too. The Enel ones look comfy but for some reason very hot. Is the fabric dri fit and breathable?

I’m intrigued by the Boobuddy, but it looks a bit disconcerting the way it wedges over your normal bra. Does it never slide down? Is it not uncomfortable? The reviews look good though.

I am an E cup and have pretty small boobs. What is your back size?

My sports bras are from slazenger and decathlon and are far better than previously bought expensive ones.

That boobydoo website is great! I shall be creating my wish list for some birthday presents.

You say you're an E cup , but what is your band size? If you just say you're an E cup people tend to assume your boobs are massive, but a 30E, for example, whilst definitely needing support is not particularly big, and wouldn't require something as sturdy as the Enell.

@Showifhands I’m a 34E (or some brands 34DD).

I have a Decathlon one but find it uncomfortable, plus I didn’t find it held everything in place, so it’s in my sedate walk/bike ride pile. Never tried Slazenger though.

Shock absorber active multi sport holds my significantly bigger boobs properly in control!

Ff here and I have a shock absorber and it does the trick!!

I'm a 28E. My boobs are small.

The Slazenger ones were recommended by a friend and I'm pretty happy with them. The racer back ones are my favourites but worth trying different styles I suspect. Same as with other bras. I can't wear plunge bras for example.

I find anything with a j hook on the back holds me best. Freya Force are my favourite right now.

@ArtieFufkinPolymerRecords I’m not huge, no. However I really hate having my boobs bouncing around and a lot of the sports brands and high street ones don’t hold them in place. I’ve been looking at the video of the Freya ones, the model has the same size as me and the bra stops the bounce.

Also really thin straps cut into my shoulder, the larger brands have thicker straps mainly, so more comfortable

Yeah, I think with bras you really need to try them on. I can never buy off the peg as the same size in some brands can be really scratchy or tight in the wrong places.

The Enell bra has thick material (which is what makes it so strong), but it doesn't get too sweaty. It seems to be made of material that wicks sweat away from the body. I only had chaffing a couple of times, along the base of the bra, when I was doing a really intensive workout. Fwiw: I'm doing 'PE with Joe' every morning in a room with no AC, but even though I'm drenched in sweat afterwards, my bra doesn't hurt or chaff!

In terms of fit: I found I was actually between two sizes when I measured myself, but when the first one I got was too large it was easy to return it and get the smaller size.