Which is the best balconette bra for large breasts? Read on for the only balconette bra for plus size you should have.

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I love supportive, full coverage, full cup bras. However, there is another type of bra that I also prefer. This is the balconette bra. In this article, I’ve reviewed what I believe to be the best balconette bra for large breasts on the market.

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Photo
Name of Bra	Panache Women’s Tango II Balconette Bra	Freya Women’s Rio Underwire Balcony Bra	Cleo Marcie by Panache Balconnet Bra
Coverage	High	Medium	Medium
Seamed	Yes	Yes	Yes
Score	4.5/5	4/5	4.5/5
Buy	View on Amazon	View on Amazon	View on Amazon

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What is a Balconette Bra?

A balconette bra, also known as a balcony bra, is a bra that typically covers 2/3 – ¾ of your breast from the bottom. Sometimes spelled balconette, the bra can be easy to confuse with a demi bra. However, there are some small differences between these two bras.

Both balconette bras and demi cup bras cover part of the breasts while leaving the top part exposed. However, the balconette bra has more of a sweetheart neckline.

How Can You Determine a Bra is a Balconette Bra?

In most cases, a balconette bra will have a short gore in the middle while its underwires come up higher along the side. Moreover, the bra’s straps are normally sewn on the sides of the cup and are wide-set.

Should You Wear a Balconette Bra?

If you are wearing low-cut and wide necklines, a balconette bra will be a great option from the cut of the cups and the placement of the straps. The bra will also lift your breasts a little bit and push them towards each other. All this is done without compromising on support.

Is a Balconette Bra Suitable for You?

Balconette bras are designed to shape and support women with both small and big melons.

If you have full on top breast and broad shoulders, a balconette bra will be good for you.

If you have full on bottom breasts, you can still wear a balconette bra. However, you may have to search a little bit more to find a cup with the right level of projection to prevent your melons from appearing flat on the top.

For women with sagging breasts, the best balconette bras to buy are the 3 – 4 part cup ones. The seaming of the bra will help to support your melons.

Balconette Vs Demi Bra

Today, most manufacturers use the words demi cup bra and balconette bra interchangeably. However, while these two types of wear are quite similar (partial coverage and wide-set bands), they also have some differences.

Generally, demi cup bras have straighter necklines than balconettes. Where you find a balconette with a little bit of heart-shaped neckline, its level of cup on the inner edge and outer edge will be nearly the same.

Below is a review of the best balconette bras for plus size.

Balconette Bra Plus Size Reviews

Panache Tango II (A Balconette Bra Classic)

The Panache Tango II (3251) is one of the best balconettes bralettes for large melons. This beautiful bra has been around for years but is still worth raving about.

Strap

The bra straps stay on place but can flare out a bit, especially if you have narrow shoulders.

The straps are not the widest out there but are fully adjustable. When wearing the bra, you won’t feel any pain.

Cup and Gore

The Panache Tango bra is quite pretty; it has a nice leaf pattern embroidered on it. However, the design may show in some shirts.

The cup has a T-seam and works well with the other parts of the bra to lift the breasts.

The cup shape is not pointy nor entirely round. I also noticed that over time, when the seams start to soften, the pointiness tends to reduce.

The Panache Tango II cup opens at the top. The way it open is not really ideal if you have pendulous breasts (breasts that have lost volume). The bottom part of the melons will be pushed up nicely but the top part does not look round the way I like.

For people who are full on top, the bra may seem like they push the breasts a little bit too much. If you are a small cup, you will love the cleavage look that the bra projects. For those looking for modesty, this balconette is not really for you as it really highlights the breasts.

Finally, the gore of the bra lays flat on the chest. It is not too high, which makes the bra not versatile enough to be an all-rounded. However, I love the way it separates the melons.

Band/Sizing

You’ll be forgiven for not having a lot of faith when you see the Panache Tango II bra for the first time. The band is not wide and the larger sizes only have three hooks. However, when you wear the bra, you will feel how supportive it is.

I also like the fact that the band sits high enough and makes me feel like I gains a couple of more inches of stomach.

Finally, the sides of the balconette bra for large breasts are well reinforced with boning. The sides provide a lot of support and keep the breasts facing in front and in place.

Underwire

The Panache has quite a strong underwire. Therefore, it may take you some time to break into the bra. The underwire also comes high under the arms. You may want to consider this fact if you are a little bit shorter.

Feel

The Panache balconette bra is sturdy and well-made. Therefore, you can wear it all day long.

The bra feels supportive. At the end of the day, you will not have to deal with any back pain as the weight of the breasts are well distributed across your chest.

However, when you first buy the Panache, the fabric can feel a little stiff and scratchy. The good news is that it will soften after a few washings. If you don’t have sensitive skin, you can start wearing the bra from the first day.

Overall Shape

I have to say that this bra provides excellent fit overall. The bra separates the melons well and its cup is not pointy.

When Should You Wear It?
You can wear the Panache Tango balconette bra for full bust all day!

Final Thoughts

The Panache Tango II balconette provides adequate list and support, even for women with large breasts. The top part of the bra seems to lie closer to the chest than the previous Tango bra model. While the bra offers the push that a pendulous girl would want, its top is not as sturdy as I would have wanted it to be.

I love the way that the Panache Tango II looks. The bra is comfortable and attractive. On a scale of 1 to 5, I’d give it a 4. You can also purchase the bra with matching panties in different cuts. Therefore, I’m sure you will find a bra that matches what you need.

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Freya Rio Balcony Bra

Sometimes, I come across quality bras that are offered at the right price. One of these bras is the Rio Balcony by Freya. This bra is a classic that has been on the market for some time.

As I indicated in the article covering different types of breasts, balcony bras are a good fit for most breast types, especially pendulous ones.

Anatomy of the Bra

Underwire

The Freya bra’s underwires goes pretty far under the arm. The result? There is a lot of support for the sides of the breasts.

Cup

This Freya bra does not have any lace. Its main feature is a perforated design on the cup. The cup also has an extra layer of material on the bottom part that improves its structure and sturdiness. Therefore, the bra is very breathable and can be worn in hot weather.

I like the Freya bra’s cup as it is true to size. When wearing the bra, the breasts manage to fill the top without spilling over.

Straps

The bra has fully adjustable straps that are just under an inch in width. The construction is also good and when you take off the bra at the end of the day, you won’t have deep lines in your shoulder where the straps sat.

Band

The band has two hooks. Most large size bras have three to five hooks to offer maximum support. The band is wide and supportive. However, it is not so wide to the extent that it will show when you are wearing a shirt with big arm holes.

Will the Bra Last?

I usually wear the Freya Rio bra so much. For each bra that I’ve owned over the years, they typically get me at least to years. Taking care of the bra is easy; simply handwash or wash them on a super delicate cycle in a delicates bag.

What I Don’t Like About the Bra

The cup has many textured holes, which can sometimes show through a shirt, depending on the thickness and color of fabric you are wearing. So, depending on your personal style and what you tend to wear, this may be something you want to consider.

Moreover, sometimes the holes can give your breasts an interesting pattern, especially if you have soft tissues. However, the pattern fades away quickly.

With time, the fabric tends to lose its shape. Therefore, the material of the top of the cup may not sit as smoothly on your breasts as it did before when the bra was new. As a result, some visible short lines may be seen.

Overall

I’ve bought the Freya Rio Balconette Bra multiple times over the years. And from the looks of things, I will continue buying them for years to come. I can honestly say that this is one of the best balconette bras for large breasts that is available on the market.

I love this bra because I can wear it all day long and for different occasions. You can wear the bra under a blouse or t-shirt. I also find it excellent for wearing with dresses, even low cut ones.

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Cleo By Panache Marcie Balconette Bra (6831)

Looking for a balconette bra that comes in a larger cup size? Then you may have come across the various Panache models on the market. From all the bra brands I prefer, the Panache seems to offer the best balconette bras for bigger busts.

Their various series have slight differences in cup projection, height, and width. Therefore, I’m sure you will find a couple of Panache bras that would be suitable for your breast size.

The Cleo Marcie is one of the level coverage bras that you should check. This bra comes at an affordable price.

Strap

The Marcie Balconette bra has wide set straps that balconette bras are known for. This may be an issue for some people, but I don’t really have a problem since my shoulders are wide, anyway. However, if you have narrow shoulders, this is something you may want to consider.

The straps of the Panache Marcie feature a nice ribbed texture that keeps it from moving up and down as you go about your business.

However, I found the straps to be a little on the short side. Measuring just 5’7, I had to extend the strap all the way to the loosest setting to get a good fit. I usually don’t have to do this with bras that are correctly sized for me

I also found the strap material to be a bit stretchy than would be necessary. Hopefully, the straps will relax as the bra ages.

Coming to width, the bra straps are a little thin for my liking. I usually prefer bras with wide straps, like those on Elomi bras. However, despite their thin size, the straps did not dig into my shoulders. This is a good sign of how properly constructed the bra is.

Cup and Gore

The gore on the Marcie Balconette bra is quite narrow, which is good for ladies with close-set breasts like me.

The gore comes up a little bit high along the chest wall, and tacks. For a plus size like me, this is no small feat. The gore sits pretty tight on the chest. While I have no issue with this, it is worth considering especially if you have sensitive skin.

The Marcie Balconette bra looks distinctly different from a full-cup bra. The lace on its cups is quite high, providing full coverage. Therefore, this may not be the bra to wear with a low-cut top.

There is also a lace finish on the top part of the cups. The lace is thinner than the material used to sew majority of the cup. The good thing is that the lace is as rigid as the other parts of the cup. Therefore, your melons will not end up being oddly shaped.

However, the difference in texture and the seaming mean that this bra may not be suitable for wearing under sheer clothes or those made of really thin material.

The Marcie will make your melons look appealing, especially if you are fuller on top. If you have soft tissue and are fuller on the bottom, your melons may end up looking flat on top. The good thing is that the breast tissue will fit flus at the top of the cup without leaving any large gapping.

Band / Sizing

One of the concerns I have about the band is that even in bigger sizes, they are only available with two rows of hooks. The side of the bra is well designed to keep your breasts pointing forward. However, the band starts to thin towards the back. I feel that the bra could have used some extra width at the back.

The Marcie balconette bra fits snugly around the band. However, the snugness is not too much for me to consider sizing up. In the short term, I can wear a bra extender as I wait for the material to relax after a few washes.

The Marcie is a UK bra. Therefore, before buying, make sure you convert your sizing to ensure you get the correct size bra.

Underwire

The underwire of the Marcie bra are noticeably high and keep your breasts corralled and facing forward. If you are petit or have a wide torso, you may have some comfort issues because the underwire may not sit where it should be and may even end up poking you.

When wearing this bra, I could feel the underwire when I place my arms flat on my sides. However, the feeling wasn’t really uncomfortable.

Feel

The Marcie bra is comfortable and separates the breasts well. I noticed that the underwires are a little bit rigid. If you are sensitive to underwires, you may want to keep this in mind before buying the bra.

For me, I love bras with underwires. If you find a Marcie balconette bra that fits your size and shape, you shouldn’t really have a problem with the underwire.

Overall

The bra has narrow wires and its cups are slightly projected. This pushes the breasts forward instead of out to the sides. I usually don’t like this look but when I’m wearing a showy dress or shirt, I would not mind having round melons.

Best For

The Cleo Marcie by Panache is one of the best balconette bras on the market. The bra is suitable for everyday wear and can be worn under moderately cut V-necks. I love how the bra is supportive yet sexy enough to wear for a date night.

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So, Which is the Best Balconette Bra Plus Size Option to Go for?

Any of the three balconette bras for plus size will be perfect for full figured women. Just make sure you read reviews to know what people think about them.