Under-wired Vs Non-wired

Now as a sporty person, there is nothing worse than trying to do sport or exercise in uncomfortable clothes. The worst bit of clothing to get wrong for us ladies has to be the bra. If you are wearing the wrong bra, forget jumping, even brisk walking is out of the question. Researchers at the University of Portsmouth, found that excessive breast movement can result in heavier, injury-promoting landings. But a properly fitted bra can reduce breast bounce by half, making it one of the best investments you can make when embarking on any fitness regime.

I have tried a plethora of sports bras. Most of them have been good at the beginning, but over time most have fallen apart. Whilst I loved my bras, a few years on and most of my wired bras have broken fasteners and as for the non-wired bras, most haven’t even been worn, they are too pointless. The majority of the bras that I do wear have not stood the test of time.

Now it seems to me that to get a really supportive sports bra, it needs to be under-wired. There are so many big brand names that come out with these trendy looking non-wired bras and suggest that you can wear these whilst doing sport. Shame on them. These bras may look good, but I can feel my breast muscles tearing at the thought of wearing one of these specimens. I have loads of them in my cupboard, they are more like fashion bras. My favourite under-wired bra is actually, the cheapest one I have by USA Pro and that’s still in good nick 3 years on.

But sometimes I am doing a fitness discipline or sport where under-wired bras can be uncomfortable, like for example Pilates, Yoga or Pole, but I still need good support. The other day, my under-wired bra had been digging into my ribs and I just wanted a bra with the same level of firmness, but without the uncomfortable wires. So where could I find a super comfortable, wireless, durable sports bra that could not only do the job, but could also rival it’s wired cousin and look and feel just as good? Enter FirmFit

FirmFit have a range of wireless bra’s, they sent me two to sample, so I thought I would give them a try. What I loved about their bras, firstly was that there are no fasteners or wires, secondly that they make your chest look good. I have often found that some sports bras have a flattening effect and can make me look a bit masculine, when actually I do have a good rack on me and I am proud of it. I want to look like a woman when I am exercising.

Because there are no fasteners on the FirmFit bra, sizing is a bit trickier as they come in Small, medium, large etc, so it was tricky getting the right size. I am usually a size 8-10. I found one of the bras was super small, the other was just right, yet they were the same size. This could just have been down to the design. The medium was too big though.

So I put these bras through their paces.

Access – How easy was it to get on and off. Some sports bras are like the Crystal Maze to get into. The first bra, super easy, the second a bit tricky, but I suspect in this instance, it was because it was too small.

Support – I embarked on an energetic Zumba session, a weighted hoop class, some pole sessions and Insanity (not all in a row.. eek!). FirmFit passed with flying colours. Minimal bounce and super comfort and I certainly didn’t notice a difference in support compared to a wired bra. In fact I forgot that the bra was non-wired, which is good. The other day, I actually chose to wear it instead of my wired bra… OMG!!

The wash, how will it fair. I washed it a 40 degrees, it didn’t run and retained its shape and firmness. Some wireless bras can start slacking after a few washes. I have washed mine at least 5 times now and it hasn’t appeared to lose any elasticity. I possibly should wash it at 30 degrees, but for the purpose of this, I made the wash a little hotter.

Design – I love the way these bras look. They actually have a new Team GB styled bra. The bra is designed as the flag of the United Kingdom.. It looks fab. They have the outfit on their twitter page at the moment @lovefirmfit. I want that outfit, leggings as well!! Please, please send me this set.. I will wear it proudly!!

Verdict– All in all, these bras are super versatile and are definitely a staple for every fitness wardrobe. Can be worn for high intensity exercise as well, which makes them super special because they are not under-wired. I would highly recommend these bras, huge thumbs up.. “I’m a Firm Fan of FirmFit”. You can get hold of them at www.dans-ez.com/firmfit. Follow them @lovedansez @FirmFit.