The search for Affordable Plus Size Sports Bras
Sometimes when I haven’t exercised regularly for a bit, I find that a little retail therapy helps to get me back in the game. Sometimes it’s a new pair of workout pants, sneakers, or maybe even new headphones. This time I’m on the hunt for some decent plus size sports bras.
Syrokan is not a huge household name in the bra industry, so when I came across this bra at this price point, curiosity got the better of me. I’m always on the lookout for high impact plus size sports bras, so I thought it was worth it to give this bra a shot, and see if it really is as high-impact as promised. Plus, the concept of a racerback bra for plus size women kind of intrigued me.
what do i look for in plus size sports bras?
My first and most important criteria is whether or not it reduces bounce. Next, what I care about is comfort. Having gym outfits that look cohesive has never been something I’ve cared about, so the aesthetics of a sports bra has never been a major concern, and the focus of this review will be on functionality.
Strap
The strap on this bra is nice and wide, and the combination of that with the racerback style means that it provides a lot of well-distributed support. This style also ensures that there is little to no shoulder dig, even for those of us with heavy breasts.
I guess you can’t have it all, but if I could, I would have loved a way to make the strap more adjustable. Because of its construction, there is a very small portion which can be adjusted, making it a little harder to find the right fit, especially if you’re on the petite side.
Cup
The cup runneth large! Be careful with this. My best advice is to go down a size, especially if you do not have full breasts. If you go too big with this bra, you will definitely feel the lack of the support on the bottom part of the cup. This bra has no underwire, so it relies on good lining to provide that bottom support, so if your breast doesn’t fill the cup fully, it won’t do its job well.
The thing with compression bras is that you want them to fit snugly in order for them to do their job, which is to push the girls down. The flip side of that is that the result may be a bit of side boob. Personally, this isn’t much of an issue for me, because my primary goal when looking for this type of bra is to be able to do burpees in a HIIT class without providing an unintentional distraction to others.
I like that this bra, like the Glamorise shows no cleavage. The bra comes up high. If you ever wondered what it would be like to wear a breastplate, this bra might give
you a taste of that experience. The high neckline means that you don’t have to worry about anything coming out the top.
It’s also great that this bra has padding in the front. I don’t have prominent nipples, so this has never really been a deciding factor for me, but for those who do, this is a nice feature.
Band/Back
The racerback style of this bra provides a lot of support and helps to keep your boobs snug on your chest. But plus size sports bras with a racerback combined with little elasticity/give means that you may need some patience to put this sports bra on. I’m a pretty flexible person so putting it on over my head and then clasping it from behind is doable, but you will definitely need to develop your own strategy.
Adding to the learning curve of putting this bra on is the rather unique slide-in clasps. I don’t know if this was a cost-saving decision, or if Syrokan is on to something and they have shown us a glimpse of the future of plus size exercise bras, a future we’re perhaps not ready for. In any case, the clasps are a style that I have never seen on plus size sports bras: they come in a row of three plastic… knobs (?) that need to slide into a plastic holder. I’m not going to sugarcoat it, this design is going to take some getting used to.
The band itself seems true to size and is fairly comfortable although it seems to come down a bit low on the chest. Not a problem for me, but if you’re looking for any kind of lift, this may not be the bra for you.
Overall Fit & Feel
The bra feels light and cool, despite the lining. I love my current go-to bra, the Freya Epic Crop Top, but it is anything but airy, which is important for long workouts or for workouts in warmer temperatures.
There are a few things that are part and parcel of the high-impact plus size exercise bra experience, and one of them is the uniboob. No underwire, combined with compression means that this bra is not going to give you a flattering shape, but it also means that it’s going to fulfill its main goal, which is bounce reduction. Despite its snugness, the bra feels very comfortable, and I would have no qualms wearing it on longer workout days.
Can I do box jumps in this sports bra?
You can. Nothing’s going to pop out, but you will get some movement.
Best For
Low-medium impact workouts. Smaller cup sizes may find it supportive enough for high impact.
The TL;DR
Overall, I’m giving this a bra 3.5/5. The The Syrokan High Impact Full Coverage Wire Free Molded Cup Sports Bra has got good compression, it reduces the bounce, and the racerback provides good support. It loses half a point for the clasps. In the limited world of good plus size sports bras, the last thing anyone needs is a learning curve to put a bra on, but I do believe that the bra is good value for money, and is very decently priced.