Fit: Technically this bra doesn't fit properly (center gore not flat against my sternum, slight quadraboob on one side, some underarm tissue outside the cups). However, I'm not sure I wouldn't order it again in the same size. I don't think I could go down a band size (the first time I ran in this bra I could barely breathe) and I fear going up a cup size but keeping the same band just wouldn't give me the same support. Currently this encapsulation bra is giving me a combination of about 70% encapsulation and 30% compression, and that's great. I've been running much more since I got this bra- ...to minimize bounce with my previous sports bras I tended to keep my arms as close as possible to my body while running, which resulted in neck and shoulder pain. Now I can count on the bra to minimize bounce, so I move my arms freely.
Other issues: I wouldn't like this shape for everyday wear, but as a sports bra the shape is absolutely fine. It doesn't feel too soaked in sweat when I take it off, and after I wash it it dries quickly.
Update: after ~2.5 months I needed to switch to the second hook and tighten the straps. In an average week I wear the bra for 1 running workout (consisting of 20-30 minutes actual running and the balance of the hour stretching or doing strength exercises), one individual run (~20 minutes), and 1 ballet class (~1 hour 15 minutes). (The first month and a half the ballet was replaced with a third run). Next time I'll probably go for a 30 band, and cut off the hooks and eyes from this one to sew an extender to get me through the first couple of workouts. Side note: during ballet I love watching my breasts in the mirror while I jump and seeing how amazingly still they stay!
Update- Another 3 months (5.5 total) and I'm on the third set of hooks&eyes. I'll update when I get to the fourth set. Read more 230 more words
The anti-jiggling powers of this bra are magical, I tell you. I'm currently wearing it with an extender because the band is not very stretchy and I like to be able to take deep breaths during exercise. You might want to size up in the band for that reason. The cups offer a little more depth than I need and so I get mild orange-in-a-glass, causing the gore to not tack which doesn't really bother me. My boobs are pretty shallow, too shallow for most Freya balconettes.
It's really hard to get this sports bra on, as you have to put it on over your head. It's easier to get on than off, but it still feels like a strait-jacket. Once it was on I noticed it gave a great rounded shape, but cut into my underarms/rubbed them (maybe try a 28G)? and the cups weren't lined enough for my tastes (would prefer lightly padded, these are just lined).
Bought 1/2013 from HerRoom for $69, returned it.
The panache underwired sports bra is much bettter!
I heard this bra runs tight in the band, but I had already ordered another Freya sports bra in 36H so I thought I would try my normal band size and my smaller cup size. I usually wear between 34H and 34HH but thought that with a sports bra half a cup too small in the cup might be an improvement over too big in the cup.
The band was painfully tight, and the gore didn't like flat. I will need a 36H, or possibly even a 36HH although it did not seem to run as small in the cup as the other Freya sports bra I just tried.
Of course I didn't get any support with such a small cup, so I am exchanging it for a 36H.
I heard that this bra ran small in the band so I sized up. The 36 band fit comfortably on the middle set of hooks, so I might have been able to squeeze into a 34.
It runs very small in the cup. I normally fit halfway between a 34H and a 34HH, so when I went up in the band I went with a 36H with the expectation that I might not be able to fill it completely. Instead, the gore was pushed out almost as far as my breasts. I looked like the photos you see of women who need G cups but ...have been squeezed into DD!
When I pushed the gore flat, the quadboobing was so intense that I think I might need two cup sizes larger. That makes it about 1.5 cups smaller than I expected. I would probably need this bra in a 34JJ. I seriously wonder if it was mislabeled.
Of course it provided no support with the gore sticking out so much, so I could not say how good of a bra it is. I returned it. Read more 83 more words
This is about the weirdest sports bra I have ever owned. It's also the best, so weird is good in this case. It doesn't seem to compress my chest at all I'm just as large in it as I am out of it. Despite this, it keeps me in place so that there is hardly any bounce. The design is pretty standard for a sports bra, but with the aforementioned cups that don't compress. Instead they are somewhat pointy, like an old fashioned bra. As to the fit the cups and band were too small, but it was the only size available and, sadly, it still fits better than any other sports bra I have ever owned.
The underwire distorts and the cups flatten (get wider and less deep) when the band is hooked securely. Despite that, it's remarkably supportive (better than any other sports bra I've tried), but chafes terribly at the bottom of the center gore due to pulling away from my chest.
I would have loved it so much if this fit. Both the band and the cup were wrong. The moment it came in the mail, I snapped it on and jumped around. When I clipped it, I went straight to the third row out of the four it has. Unfortunately, Freya doesn't go below a 30 for sports bra. The other problem was the cup size. I moved too much for it to be useful. While I didn't move as much as I would bare-breasted and it certainly didn't hurt as much, my breasts would surely get in the way when doing any exercise--be it yoga or running, ...which is exactly what I had intended to do in this bra.
The material of the bra is nice and soft, it felt comfortable. The wires were fine and didn't feel uncomfortable. The center gore didn't lie flat, unfortunately. With that mixed with the way the cups fit too perfectly, I'm unsure what that means. The cups fit just as I think I'd want them for a nonmoulded bra, but not for a sports bra when I need to constriction. Or, as I am new at having a cup sized sports bra, does it fit right and it's just not the right sort of sports bra for me? Read more 107 more words
This is the first bra I've ever had that stopped painful bouncing while working out. I can run and jump in this thing and it feels totally fine. Pretty magical. It's perfectly comfortable with no poking, and has lasted me several months with no signs of wearing out.
I love it but for one thing and that would be the bizarre conical shape it gives my boobs. It's so embarrassing that I actually stopped wearing it to the gym. It flattens my boobs out and makes them pointy. I don't expect to have the most glorious boobs ever when I'm working out but this is a really horrible look. I don't even like seeing myself in it when I'm all alone. It's possible that going up a cup size would help but I would rather try a different, rounder bra next time I'm buying a sports bra.
Previous to having this bra I had always had cheap too big compression bras from wherever.
Even though I'm not big my boobs still jiggle and lurch enough during rigorous activities enough for them to be painful. This bra totally stops them from moving. I'm in awe. I never thought this possible.
On top of all that I don't have uniboob! Profile is a tad like flattened pancake for each boob but the shape is still far better than uniboob. Band is very firm, not firm enough for me to size up as I find it doesn't interfere with breathing, but some may want to size up in the band.
Now ...I have grown a cup size and a bit since purchasing this bra. Technically this bra is too small now in the cup. However, due to the width of the cups being quite wide the underwire still doesn't sit on top of breast tissue. Also since I don't wear this bra for long I don't really see it hurting anything in that short of a time period. I will continue to use this bra. Read more 74 more words
I kept this bra because I needed a sports bra asap, but the pointy profile made me so uncomfortable under tank tops that I stopped wearing this once I moved on to a replacement (the Panache moulded cup sports bra.) It's a really pointy shape because of the horizontal seam around the cups. It's a soft cup, so I was also concerned about nipple show through while wearing it.
The front V-neck shape was odd, because though the cups fit me, the top edge of the cup near my neck cut in just a bit because it's trying to be a flat line from the strap over to the center gore, and caused it to cut in a bit on my full-on-top shape. The wires are very wide and come up in to the armpit, which also didn't work well for me.
I wore this during yoga classes, and the band is very firm to the point of interfering with the breathing exercises, and it didn't relax and stretch as much as I had expected it to.
I got this bra because I needed a sports bra. After reading the reviews on a few sites, I decided to go with 32GG instead of 30H which is my normal size in Freya. Well, the cups are too big and they are like va va voom rocket boob with some wrinkles--but fine for under t shirts!! but got it on sale and couldn't return it. I'm living with it because the cups are ok and mostly prevent the bounce that you need when working out. Much better than a uniboob sports bra that most are. I would have to do more research before buying another bra in this brand. The straps are nice and the band is nice and supportive, stays in place. It breathes well and has fabulous fabric. It washes well in the shower and dries super fast.
I've had a great disappointment with this bra after reading so many great reviews https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_sad.gif" alt=":(" /> I am going to return it, so I haven't used it while exercicing. It doesn't fit me at all. I read the band size was too tight and recommended a bigger size, but that is not right for me. I usually wear a 32, sometimes a 34, and in this case the 34 is too big. I put it on the tightest hook (it has 4) and is fine but not too tight. A 32 would have been much better. I also ordered one cup size bigger than what ...I usually would for what I read on the reviews. The truth is I don't know if it is big or small. The underwires don't sit flat against my sternum, that would tell me the cup size is small, but then I don't fill them on the bottom looking too big for me. The underwires looked too big from the first glance. And their problem is that they are way too wide. They show behind my arms, and at least for my breast shape go too low also. Didn't either like the shape it gave me. Totally pointy https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_sad.gif" alt=":(" /> The bottom of the wires dig in my ribcage badly, probably because they are too low as I already said, but that makes it totally uncomfortable and I wouldn't be able to run with that pain.
As for the rest, it is supportive and beautiful. Looks like good quality and breathable. It is a good point that it has 4x4 hooks. I don't think it is a bad bra, but unfortunately, it is not for me https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_sad.gif" alt=":(" /> Read more 185 more words
I'd read reviews from others who have complained about the back of the bra and how annoying it in to get and out of but I have to admit my first reaction to trying on this bra was to turn it over and think:
REALLY? Are you kidding me?
The back isn't really firm where the hooks are - it's tight as all hell across the racerback meeting point that you can't open up! ARGH
After squishing my boobs down to my chest, wriggling into this and then scooping my sore boobs into place I was really hoping the bra would redeem itself.
It ...didn't.
Because this thing doesn't have underwires I wasn't expecting that it would sit flat against my sternum in the centre (I was hoping, but wasn't expecting it). It didn't. But it did give separation - huge "east / west" style separation.
The bra really cuts in around my underarms and across my back and kind of presses down tight high on my chest. But the bra doesn't actually supports my breasts at all. I wouldn't even want to jump up and down once wearing it.
How is it possible that it's tight in all the places I don't need support and useless where I need it? Lifting and supporting my boobs?!
I don't get this bra and why it wasn't axed by Freya.
They have an underwired Active bra. Lots of people love it (shape doesn't work for me, but that's cool). They also have a soft cup Active bra which I've tried in both 30G and 30FF and the 30FF was a better fit (the first and only Freya bra that I've needed smaller than a 30G so far).
I think I'd need the 30FF in this too. There's way too much room on the side of the "cups" and maybe in a 30FF I'd feel a bit of boob-support. Maybe.
The fit and feel of the soft cup sports bra is identical to this one. The shape this moulded bra gave me reminded me of it exactly and I find that the soft cup bra pushes down on my upper chest a bit too. Like this one.
But the soft cup sports bra felt a bit more supportive than this. I still wouldn't use either for jogging, but for a brisk walk/hiking/cycling I'd wear the soft cup from Freya Active.
There's no need to try this bra. Move on and save yourself the hassle! Read more 300 more words
This bra is definitely too big now. I've had it for a couple years now, although I only wore it a few times the first year.
And then I started running.
The band is big, and the cups also feel big (for a sports bra). I jiggle and bounce in this now, while in the Elomi 8030 I do neither.
This bra is still going to be good for hiking, as it's comfortable, and contains me more than my everyday bras, but it is no good for running or cycling.
I've never owned an underwired sports bra before, but this one is great. I expected it to poke but it doesn't at all and the fit is great. I'm at the smaller end of my cup size and it fits perfectly, so I'd say the cups run half a size or so small. The band is also tight. My underbust measures 25" and in a 28 back this fits nice and snugly on the loosest hook.
I personally don't feel I get quite as much support from an encapsulation bra as a compression bra, but the support is more comfortable and it's nice to have two boobs rather than ...one. Really I'm just nit-picking because the support is still excellent and there's barely any movement even when I'm running - it's more that I'm still aware of my boobs when exercising in this, whereas I can forget about them in my Shock Absorbers.
It covers quite a lot of my chest, which is to be expected, but not as much as the wire free version does. The wires are far wider than on everyday Freya bras, but, despite my shape being quite up front, I haven't found this to be a problem. The cup shape is slightly pointy, but it looks quite natural to me and I am perfectly comfortable wearing it in public. The material wicks sweat away quite effectively, but I find I still get a bit sweaty around the centre gore.
I have two complaints with this bra. The straps are only partly adjustable and I've had them on the tightest setting since the bra was new. This is fine for now, but if they stretch at all I'm going to have to do some sewing. The rest of the strap is slightly cushioned, which I appreciate, but I wish they'd done the same with the hooks because I find these dig in if you do any exercises lying down. Read more 212 more words
The cups on this bra fit just about perfectly. There might be a tiny bit of wrinkling depending on time of the month. The back is VERY tight. I want a sports bra to be tight, but it actually hurts. I have worn it one time to exercise. I am going to wear it with an extender and wash it, and then see how it feels.
There is absolutely no jiggling in this bra! Everything stays where it should. The fabric is comfortable and the colors are pretty together. It's a sports bra, so it's not attractive in style.
