This is my second attempt at the Freya Active Core bra, the first being a 30JJ which didn’t fit right. I didn’t have high hopes for the 30K as I felt the 30JJ wasn’t a full cup too small. Since I was able to try this with Amazon Prime Wardrobe I figured it was worth the attempt, for the data if nothing else.

This bra is an unpadded, underwire sports bra. It comes in a variety of colors/patterns, but I tried it in black as it was the one with the Prime option. The cups are shallow, pointy and definitely East West in nature, but if it does ... the job of holding the breasts in place while running around after my 5 year old for PE time, then the look didn’t matter to me.

Over all I am undecided on this one. My husband hates it, says he doesn’t like the look at all and doesn’t feel it matches my shape. (How did he get to be so bra smart?!?) While I agree it’s not a good shape match, it does feel supportive, separates which will lessen sweat irritation, and feels like a secure fit. Do I feel that it actually fits? Sort of? The bulk of my breast feels tight and secure in the bra without being painful, but the base is too shallow, the cups too wide, the gore too wide and far from tacking, and the straps/armpit curve is horrible. Yet I think if I bend the wires and lower that armpit curve it might work well. Unfortunately I can’t say for sure, and I can’t do bra surgery if I plan to return it, and I am not 100% sure the gamble is worth it at $62….. I will try it on again (or a few more times) over the next 2 days then decide if I should keep it or send it back. Unfortunately Day 2 of my cycle is not a great time for thought needing decisions, especially while I’m nursing the tail end of a migraine.

For the technical aspects:
All measurements are taken prior to trying the bra on to insure no figure is obscured by the body. I also take all flat measurements before taking the stretched cup then band measurements for the same reason.

The band measures 26.75” and stretches to a max of 29.75” so very little stretch to it. It has 4 hooks and 4 rows of eye loops.

Cup Depth as measured by:
1 Hovering the cup between the knees, then placing the tape measure into the cups without any resistance.
This measurement is: 13.75”
2 Placing the cup over the knee and stretching it similar to what a breast would, to the maximum resistance.
This measurement is: 15”

I feel these two figures give you a general idea of the minimum and maximum depth that the cup can accommodate, just like the flat and stretched band measurements do with bands. Since Bratabase only has one cup field, I enter the larger of the two, as it’s this larger number that determines if a cup is going to fit me or not since I am on the max end of the cup scale, but do realize that some may need the lower number to determine fit for their needs, so I will always include both figures in the reviews for full disclosure.

The cups are insanely wide at 8.5” and ridiculously tall at 12” but securing for sure.
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Black colorway

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Updated on Sep 26, 2019 Flag this

All the reviews said that this bra runs tight in the band and to size up. They don’t make a 28 in my size so I did. I have to say that a 30 is not the equivalent of 28. Right off the bat I have it on the tightest hook, and it has 4 columns of 4 hooks. The wires are very wide and the bra is quite shallow. The center gore is very high but does not press against the body, which works for me as it is quite wide. The cups feel a little small to me, as I can see no empty space on ... my smaller side, which is about a cup size smaller. This feels manageable however. The material feels silky and does not cut into my top shallow tissue.

It minimizes bounce, but I still get a little bit of bounce if I jump up and down. I think this would be good for short duration, low impact actives such as yoga and weight lifting. I’m not convinced that it would be comfortable for running.
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White colorway

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Updated on Sep 17, 2017 Flag this

The Freya Active in 28F has an extremely tight band. I would suggest going up a size in the band. It has four sets of four hooks in the back, but I cannot imagine wearing it on anything but the loosest right now, and I'm about 27" around the ribs. Only get the 28 band if you are actually 26" or smaller, unless you want your back muscle and fat squeezed noticeably.

Cups seem true to size, but I can't tell that well due to the ridiculously wide wires and shallow-on-bottom, pointy cups. I assume this design is supposed to both minimize and encapsulate your breasts during ... exercise--and it works well; there's no bounce whatsoever. Other than the tightness and lack of stretch, the bra feels good. The only fabrics that are stretchy are the backs of the straps and the back of the band.

Center gore floats above my sternum, probably because the band is so tight and cups are stretched lengthwise, and it's probably supposed to be that way. The top comes up high, anyway, so you shouldn't have to worry about cleavage.

The bra is very well constructed and sturdy. The wires are very thick and stiff. However, the horizontal seams on the cups show through shirts, but I think it's substantial and good-looking enough to not have to wear anything on top. It gives a slightly pointy, but minimized shape.

I sold this bra because it was too tight and did not suit my shape.
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Updated on Nov 09, 2013 Flag this

The Freya Active Underwire Sports Bra style #4002 is an unpadded, underwired sports bra. I ordered it in Black, but it is currently available on Amazon in White, Beige, and Black.

The band is super firm. Seriously firm. Flat 27" but only stretched to max of 30" firm. No joke. Wires are insanely wide at 8.5". Cups are shallow on bottom and pointy at the apex while measuring. The material is firm in the cup except at the pointy nipple area which is weirdly not as firm, but isn't nearly as point looking while on, although the cups definitely lack immediate projection unfortunately. It's odd. Gore wires ... end short, so the gore is 4.5” to the wire top, 5.5” to the fabric top. While the bra itself is not padded, but the straps are. They only adjust half way-in the back sliding up to loosened and down to tighten.

As for fit, at first try on, the cups felt tight, and cut in a bit at the top. It’s as if it needed to be a bit more open on top since my breast tissue tapers up to my collarbone, but not necessarily too small in the cup. Gore was 2.75 fingers off my sternum, which is a bit much, especially for this type of bra. Side of cup is in my armpit (hello 8.5" wide wires) but wasn't painful or even noticeable really aside from seeing it in the mirror. (I only had it on maybe 10 minutes though, so this could change with longer wear.) When I tried it on in the morning for photos, the cups felt too constricting, and uncomfortable. As if the bra cups shrunk overnight a bit. It didn't feel as comfortable as I knew it should. Band felt good on the tightest hookset. (Thank you 4/4 hook/eye combo-I love you.) Alas, back to Amazon this one went…..

With the wonderful 4x4 band hook-set, I am tempted to try this in a 30K, but don’t really think this 30JJ is a full cup too small, so I am hesitant on ordering up, knowing that the cup width could also increase resulting in a horrible fit altogether…. I am also a bit tempted to try it in white in the 30JJ to see if it fits a bit larger in the cup, though that may just be silly…… Opinions anyone?

The shape isn’t perfect. It’s a bit pointy, and as the photo from below shows, very East West, though I hadn’t noticed that until cropping the photos.

I must gush on this 4x4 hook-set though. I swear it is the perfect combination. With 4 hooks, it really helps to anchor the cups where they should be, and feels 1000x’s more supportive than even a 3 hook bra. Seriously, it puts the support where it needs to be, covering not just at the base of the wire, but practically all the way to the top of the wires, so you are getting full wire support. Seriously, it is perfect support, I am telling you! I remember a Parfait by Affinitas bra that I had (Sophia) also had the 4 hooks and while the bra didn’t really fit me, I didn’t return it due to those 4 hooks. Every so often, I’d put it out and try it, hoping the fit had changed, as I really wanted to be able to wear it! Even with it not fitting, that darn thing was so comfortable. At the time, I was thinking it was so comfy due to the cups being made completely out of full stretch lace, but now I am thinking it was the 4 hooks.

The final details:
Cup Depth as measured by:
1 Hovering the cup between the knees, then placing the tape measure into the cups without any resistance.
This measurement is: 13.25”
2 Placing the cup over the knee and stretching it similar to what a breast would, to the maximum resistance.
This measurement is: 15”

I feel these two figures give you a general idea of the minimum and maximum depth that the cup can accommodate, just like the flat and stretched band measurements do with bands. Since Bratabase only has one cup field, I enter the larger of the two, as it’s this larger number that determines if a cup is going to fit me or not since I am on the max end of the cup scale, but do realize that some may need the lower number to determine fit for their needs, so I will always include both figures in the reviews for full disclosure.
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Black colorway

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Updated on Jul 29, 2019 Flag this

I've been putting off writing this review because I feel like I should wait until I've put this sports bra through more vigorous quality testing first but honestly, if the review has to wait until I start regularly exercising, it will never get written. So here goes.
Beating around the bush for a while: aesthetically, this thing is pretty ugly, not gonna lie. That horizontal seam makes me look more pointy than I naturally am which is impressive and unfortunate. The heavy duty wide straps don't look good peeking out underneath anything. I bought it in white because I'm boring.
Moving on, the fit is actually pretty good and surprisingly ... not uncomfortable. Some days my smaller left boob wrinkles slightly and some days my bigger right boob quads slightly but most days both boobs are happy. The band is tight and has hooks and eyes for daaaays. It will NEVER stretch out at the rate I'm using it.
Now let's talk bounce.
For reference: I snowboard, have recently started hiking up mountains, occasionally drop in at my university's fencing club for lessons and casual bouts, and play dodgeball because that's a thing in residence. I don't run, work out or do anything overly bouncy. I tried to simulate that kind of boob abuse by skipping in my room for a couple minutes, simultaneously reminding myself why I should exercise and why I don't.
Anyway, this bra passes the skipping test, as well as everything else I've thrown at it. So if you're in the market for a sports bra that has all the functionality and none of the aesthetic appeal, I have to recommend this one.

EDIT: I'm surprised it took me this long to notice. The cups on this are actually too separate for me. I can feel the wires sitting on breast tissue in the middle, which makes it uncomfortable if worn for any longer than about 30min at a time. They're also too wide, which is less of an issue. Still, I prefer the moulded Panache one for comfort. More recent discovery: Shock Absorber 4490 is even better at reducing movement AND it doesn't have any hurty wires!
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white colorway

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Updated on Mar 11, 2016 Flag this

VERY supportive. The band is very snug (in a good way- but if you're between band sizes, I recommend you round up instead of down for this one) and the cups are very full coverage. I tried jumping up and down in it as soon as it came in the mail and my breasts barely bounced!

As many reviewers have mentioned on various sites, it is a bit pointy. It's kind of a retro silhouette, but I still feel comfortable about the shape it gives me.

There is a little problem with wrinkling at the bottom of the cups, but it's very minor and barely visible. It doesn't seem to ... effect the support at all.

For people who are short like me, you should be aware that the straps don't tighten as far as might be ideal. I tightened them in all the way to see if it would help with the aforementioned wrinkling, and they didn't go quite far enough. (I wouldn't want to wear it fully tightened anyway- too much strain on the shoulders- but once it stretches it might become a problem.)

The biggest problem I have with this bra is that the underwire doesn't lie flat on the sternum, but I think that might be intentional, as with many sports bras. It doesn't poke my chest or look strange, though. And there is definitely no quadraboobing!

All in all, I'm very happy with this purchase and I think it'll really help me step up my exercise routine!

Update as of February, 2013: I sent the bra back a couple days after I posted this. The problems I noticed just got bigger, and I found after I wore it for a while that the side support dug into my ribs painfully- all of the weight of my boobs was concentrated in the bottom front and sides of the band instead of all around the band. I think I needed a cup size up, but they don't make it in 30HH.
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Updated on Feb 02, 2013 Flag this

This was the first bra I owned that I could jump in. https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" /> I hate running, but it is a nice feeling to be ABLE to run without your arms crossed over your chest. The band is not super stretchy and even felt a little uncomfortably tight to start off with. It took some time adjusting to, but the support is excellent. When I jump there is some very small movement of breast tissue, but it feels totally natural (like how your thigh muscles/fat move in response to the impact of jumping) and not at all uncomfortable. I suppose you could also ... compare it to how much your breasts would move if you held them up with your hands and jumped-- they're not totally immobile and there is a little natural peripheral movement, but they're still supported and not bouncing all over the place.

I've had this bra for a long time, and I can't remember if the gore never fully tacked (it currently fits at bottom only) or if that is the result of my size changing over the years. Regardless, there's still no quad-boob on my larger side, even when I push the gore in, and it does its job. I'm totally held up and in, and unlike any other combination of bras I ever wore for exercise before finding a quality bra like this, it gives me two distinct boobs instead of a uniboob. I love it for that. The wires are the widest I have ever seen, and it does give my breasts a very wide shape, but for a sports bra I suppose you would expect them to be held a little closer to the chest than projected out (my preference for day to day appearance). I'll take two wide boobs over a uniboob any day.

I only wear this for exercise (dance class, zumba, cardio machines at gym) or around the house/on laundry day because I don't find the shape attractive and the center seam on the cup is visible through a lot of my shirts (unfortunately including a thin wicking exercise shirt- which now gets used for only in-home exercise).
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Nude colorway

Updated on Jan 11, 2016 Flag this

This a much tighter band than I am used to. It's good to know that not all 28 bands are ridiculously stretchy.
The cups are a great width. They are a bit shallow, but the construction of the bra makes that a small problem. Because of the shallowness there is a bit of compression helping out the encapsulation, which is a little uncomfortable but doable for the great support. The gore is a bit too wide, but once again, it is doable.
Next time I might get a 30DD or 30E, depending on how it breaks in.

Update: After wearing it a couple of times, the band is perfect and the cups are perfect.

Updated on May 25, 2014 Flag this

The shape is very pointy and definitely not for everybody. The underwires in this thing are crazy wide - one side is fully under my armpit, why? It's quite comfortable, but I don't know that I'd buy another one.

Updated on Sep 16, 2023 Flag this

I always heard on r/abrathatfits that Freya bands and wires are softer than Panache, so I didn't think I'd need to size up to a 30DD.

The band feels really tight, even tighter than my 30 Panache bras (30D - Panache » Envy Balconnet Bra (7285) ). I'm not sure how much this will improve after breaking in the bra. Right now, I need to wear it with an extender, otherwise I feel like the bra is suffocating me.

It stretches to only around 27in/67cm, so maybe this is why it feels so constricting. I also feel the bottom of the wires digging into my ribcage. ...

I wish it stretched an inch more.

I expected the materials to be similar to the Panache Wired sports bra, but the materials are not as soft, the wires and the hook aren't padded.

I feel like the wires are maybe too wide for me, because I get some wrinkling on the outer sides of the cups, though not enough to bother me through a t-shirt.

What does bother me is that the shape the 3 part cup gives is very pointy. I also get wrinkling at the apex, which is visible through fabric. Depending on how much I scooop and swoop and how many hooks I've fastened on the extender, this can vary. I don't know if this is too projected, or if there isnt't enough tension in the band to keep the cups taut.

The wire tends to sit on breast tissue on the bottom part, but when I try to adjust it, it ends up below my IMF. Not sure what's going on here.

The straps are thicker than what I would prefer, and the front of them has a bit of padding. There is no J hook. The back has 4 sets of hooks and eyes, but that´s still not enough for me to be comfortable without an extender.

I might size up to a 30dd in sports bras in the future.
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black and lime twist colorway

Updated on Jan 03, 2023 Flag this