The tried and tested guide to finding the right sports bra for you

Whether you want to run faster or just keep breasts in place, five women share their tips for finding the right fit

If you’ve ever tried to run without a good sports bra on, it can be game over before you reach the end of the drive. Because there's nothing more uncomfortable or distracting – and I say this as a marathon runner – than having your boobs wobble up and down as you plod along.

In fact, lack of support is one of the main reasons girls and women are put off exercise: statistics show that one in five women say their breasts stop them from doing exercise, according to a study by the University of Portsmouth.

Anyone who has tried anything more energetic than a Pilates class knows that a supportive sports bra can ease the discomfort of jiggling. But new studies go further, and researchers at the Breast Biomechanics Research Centre at the University of Memphis found that just wearing the right sports bra can actually help you run faster - with good support you can add 4cm to your stride when running; over a marathon, that's almost an extra mile.

The right bra can even prevent injury, too, and not just to breast tissue: "Increasing sports bra support resulted in smaller knee valgus angles and reduced ankle contributions to landing, both of which are associated with increased risk of ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injury," Professor Douglas W. Powell, director of the centre, says.

But despite an increasingly booming market – sports bra sales totalled $2.1bn in 2021 according to the NPD group, up 54 per cent on the previous year – there has been a lack of innovation since the sports bra was first invented in 1977. Unlike a pair of leggings, there's more variation needed for sizing, materials, construction and support. "There likely isn't a single optimal design, given the wide diversity of female shapes," Prof Powell says.

The problem many of us have is that the search for the right sports bra can be long: I’ve run in little more than a bralette and had chafing from straps and awkward underwire digs in the years I’ve been exercising, before finding a few gems. The key, the experts say, is looking for a bra that can stabilise the breast and stop it moving.

Personally, I love On Running's Performance Bra, £65, which is made from one single piece of material, meaning no seams for chafing, and keeps breasts secure, and Under Armour's Women's UA Infinity High Crossover Sports Bra, £65, which is ultra-supportive and has moulded one-piece padding (meaning it stays put in the wash) and a specially developed band which adapts to your shape; while I wear mine to run in, a friend wears this style for football training. I also recently tried the female-founded brand Pruzan, and loved their sports bra, £75 with its smooth seams – a must if you’re training for long runs and want to prevent chafing.Whatever the brand, you must ensure it fits, by checking three areas: the band, where 80 per cent of the support comes from, the cups and straps. Bands should be firm and stay put, yet allow you to take deep breaths – if the band is riding up, it suggests it is too big or the cups are too small. The cups should fit snugly to the chest, with no gaping or overspill. Ideal strap thickness, the experts say, is 1-2 inches.Ultimately, though, what works for one person might not work for you; the only way to find your perfect match is through trial and error. Which is what these five women have done….

I’ve just run the London marathon and I did it all in my M&S Ultimate Support Custom Fit Sports Bra. I’ve always had a large chest, but after having my daughter 18 months ago, I went up to a 30FF, so the right bra for running was essential.

What I love about my M&S bra is that it's padded and comfortable, with no underwiring, but with its racer-back style that clips at the bottom, is totally supportive. It even looks like a top, so on the odd day where it's been hot enough to strip off, I’ve taken off my top and just run in my bra and Vuori leggings.

It's been a bit of a journey to finding "the one". Even when I started my marathon training, back in December last year, I was wearing a bra that, as my distances increased, I found was digging into my back and causing really bad sores; for me, the racer back style was much more comfortable.

Ultimate Support Custom Fit Sports Bra, £28, Marks & Spencer

I’m a personal trainer, so sports bras are part of my daily uniform. I’m a 36 C or D, depending on the brand, but my back is quite small, so in the past I’ve found that sports bras haven't been supportive enough – either a smaller band size doesn't cover my breasts, or a bra that fits my cup size is too big for my back.

There have been other problems, too, such as padding that isn't right, or when you sweat and the material around the nipples goes transparent, which is not what you want in a crowded gym, believe me.

Now there are so many sports bras to choose from. I’ve got a few favourites that I’ve tried and tested over the years, including Sweaty Betty or Lululemon for gym workouts, or Adidas and Nike for long runs.

I do love the brands that take a fashion element into consideration – it's really important that you feel good in the gym – and my current favourite is a Lululemon design, which comes with a cup and band size, more like a normal bra, that accommodates my shape. I find it's really supportive and you can match it with leggings, so you have a whole outfit ready to go.

Power Medium Support Sports Bra, £55, Sweaty Betty

I have always been sporty and worn a sports bra – I had to, being well-developed even as an 11 year old – but I hated them. I found that most of the ones designed for my chest size were really restrictive and often left me feeling like my rib cage was getting crushed, which was so uncomfortable and didn't let me enjoy playing sport to the maximum.

Exercise is so important for our mental and physical health; I personally have totally relied on exercise to get me back to life after going through a miscarriage. I didn't want that natural boost to be off limits to any other woman.

As a bigger busted woman who felt totally uncatered for - I am a size 28FF - I decided to create my own sports bra. It's taken two years of development to get to a stage where we could test it in a lab, but the bra we created has 85% less bounce than other models. It's so freeing to just go out for a run and not think about your chest being uncomfortable.

IMPACT sports bra, £65, peBe

I was really lucky because my mum, who plays sports herself, knew the importance of a good sports bra and got me fitted for one when I was at school. While lots of other girls were running around in PE lessons in a crop top, holding their boobs when they ran, I could concentrate on playing sport, and not let anything hold me back.

That being said, I had some bad bras along the way, including a time when I was playing rugby and felt a stabbing pain in my chest. I realised afterwards that it was the underwire of my bra that was poking into me; I’ve never worn underwire for sports again.

The style I love is the Shock Absorber Ultimate Run Bra, which has a racerback style and really full coverage at the front and gives a nice shape. It has slight padding, which, having tried bras without, I really like because it means when you sweat, your nipples don't show. A well-fitting sports bra means I’ve got the confidence to perform at my best.

Shock Absorber Ultimate Run Bra, £50, BoobyDoo

After having my third child, I weighed around 14 stone and was so unfit that walking around the block was a struggle. I went on a personal fitness journey that saw me losing around four stone and finding a true love of fitness. I now work out almost every day and it's absolutely essential to my mental and physical health.

I’m a bra size 32D, and having had three children and breast fed them all, I need a lot of support. I’ve tried quite a few brands and I really love Shock Absorber and Lululemon Energy Longline Bra. It has a really wide band at the bottom, almost like a mini crop top, which means it doesn't ride up or show any underboob, and when it gets wet with sweat, it dries out quickly. The material is really soft, it doesn't chafe, and I love that the padded cups are removable: when my period is due and my breast size increases, I take them out to give me a bit more space.

There's a huge psychological aspect to exercise around finding the right clothes that make you feel good. If you go to the gym and feel like you look rubbish, it's much harder to find your motivation.

Energy Longline Bra, £48, Lululemon