The Very Best Sports Bras

Size range: XXS–6XL | Material: Recycled polyester and spandex | Bra style: Compression with built-in support band

I regularly wear Girlfriend Collective’s Paloma bra with the (unusually size-inclusive) brand’s matching yoga pants and love how minimal it looks — the cut is similar to many tank tops I own, except the bra is obviously much more compressive and supportive. Denton-Hurst owns no less than five of these and says the compression fabric (made from recycled water bottles) and racer-back design make them suitable for just about any activity. Lauren Roxborough, former head of marketing for hot-yoga studio Y7, is also a fan and says the bra is her favorite for an active, sweaty class. Natalie Holloway, co-founder of Bala (maker of our favorite wrist weights), likewise relies on hers for intense workouts and lifts weights in them, too. “They are not restrictive in your movement and show no-to-little sweat, especially when you wear the black,” she says. If black is too boring for you, there are five colors to choose from. And the bra is so comfortable that you’ll probably end up wearing it all the time. Brodie Lancaster, a longtime remote worker, wears it for WFH, saying it stays put, is structural, and supports her chest without becoming uncomfortable. “If anything,” she says, “it encourages me to sit up straighter, for which my osteopath is grateful.”

Size range: Cup sizes B–DDD | Material: Nylon and elastane | Bra style: Hybrid with adjustable cross-back straps

Lululemon is another brand we regularly recommend here at the Strategist. We’ve sorted through dozens of its sports bras (and other stretchy offerings), but this one is ideal for high-impact activities because of its molded foam cups, which add shape and separation to eliminate any jiggle-jiggle. This bra is also liked by Dominique Coleman, another Spiked Spin team member, and Alexa Javens, a fitness manager and coach at the Williamsburg workout studio Session. “It’s great for all activities but especially training and running,” Javens says. As someone who wears a C or D cup, she feels more supported in a bra for high-impact sports and says that even though this one has a hybrid design, it’s still comfortable. It’s made from quick-drying fabric, and “most Lululemon bras are already pretty sweat-wicking,” she adds, though she still sticks to black or navy to avoid showing any sweat stains.

Size range: Cup sizes B–J | Material: Polyamide, polyester, and elastane | Bra style: Encapsulation with three-row hook-and-eye closure

Adada told me that Panache’s sports bras offer “exceptional support for larger cup sizes.” Its sports bras come in 28- to 40-inch bands and B-to-J cups. Kasvikis, who is also a fan of the brand, says this sizing is more helpful than mono-size bras when you’re trying to find the right fit. “S, M, and L are sizes that may be too broad and too ambiguous to fit both your cup and band well,” she says. “You’re going to need the cup and the band to fit well to feel comfy in a sports bra.” This Panache bra is designed to encapsulate instead of compress, which means there are individual cups for each breast to fill instead of being squashed down; Kasvikis, who wears size 32GG, says that works well for larger chests. “It’s great because you still have two boobs under a shirt,” she says. The straps are padded, and thanks to the uniquely curved stitching, the bra has enough lift to give a great shape without wires.