Saturday, August 24, 2013

Bra Review III: Shock Absorber

It doesn't look like this on me...
Over a year since my last bra review, I'm finally getting around to number 3: The Shock Absorber.

I asked my running friends for recommendations, and this was one that came up. It's a compression bra with racer back. I ordered it online and waited with great anticipation. 

First the pros. It's made with cooling fabric (big plus for me!) and comes in real sizes. It does have a short length of adjustable strap in the back to customize the fit. It is very supportive with little bounce. I've had it over a year and it's held up well.

Now for the cons. When I tried it on for the first time, I found I had a cleavage bubble popping out in front and extra rolls of "fat" under the arms. It didn't hold everything in. I thought I had gotten the wrong size (UK cup sizing vs my usual European or American) so I exchanged it for a bigger cup. I had the same problem with the bigger size! I realized it isn't the size that's the problem, it's the cut. It's a compression bra that isn't *quite* full coverage. It compresses the tissue right up over the top and out the sides. Not only does this make for a weird silhouette under my shirt, the extra "fat rolls" get chafed if I don't remember to lube them up. This might just be a problem with the particular style I got, but since it's the one recommended for curvy ladies, it's strange that it wouldn't actually have enough coverage for all the curves.

I give this bra a C+. I do love how supportive and cool it is, but I just can't get past the overflow problem. I don't let it go to waste, of course. This is my go-to bra for speed workouts or stair training where I change pace a lot, get really hot, and have high bounce potential.

Note: I received no compensation for this review. This is just my experience and opinion. If you've tried this bra, feel free to share yours in the comments.