Should I Wear Two Sports Bras or a Bra Under a Sports Bra?

Do You Wear Bra Under Sports Bra

Should I Wear Two Sports Bras or a Bra Under a Sports Bra?

Can you wear two sports bras? Or, do you wear a bra under a sports bra? Find out the answers to these questions in our article below.

Most women often ask these two  questions. The simple answer is; yes, you can wear two bras!

Hopefully, you wouldn’t have to.

Do You Wear Bra Under Sports Bra?

If you feel you have to wear another bra when wearing a sports bra, this certainly means the sports bra is not well-fitting. Nobody should blame you if you want some extra protection.

The breasts can become painful when not well supported if you engage in activities that involve a lot of movement. For example, high-impact sports workouts can strain the Cooper’s ligaments, which support the breasts. Thankfully, full figured women that need adequate support for their breasts have many bras to choose from.

sports bra

When I was old enough to start wearing bras, a compression bra was the only option I had. At the time, I played rugby and was also involved in track and field events. To fully support the breasts, I always felt the need to wear more than one bra.

Fortunately, today, there are many sports bra for full figured women, like the Glamorise No Bounce Sports Bra. These bras provide high-level support when undertaking rigorous activities.

Wearing a sports bra that is supportive is important for good breast health.

Research shows that most women don’t participate in high-impact exercises at the gym due to the embarrassment they feel when the breasts keep moving up and down. The breasts usually move because they are not well-supported by the bra.

How to Reduce the Movement of the Breasts

When jogging, the breasts will be moving up and down.

Fun Fact: The breasts not only move up and down when you are engaged in a high-impact activity. Apart from this, they move side to side, and in and out.

The breasts move in different ways, depending on the activity you are doing. When running, the melons will move up and down.

If you want to engage in activities that involve a lot of movements, such as tennis, you should support the melons properly on the sides and prevent them from all other movements.

Wearing a fitting bra, especially if you have large breasts, won’t get rid of all the movement. However, the goal is to minimize the overall movement.

When it comes to sports bras that reduce breast bounce, there are two options to go for:

  • Compression bras
  • Encapsulation sports bra

How Does a Compression Bra Work?

compression bra

Most women are familiar with compression sports bra. When I was playing rugby back in the days, I used to wear this bra with an underwire to get maximum support.

This bra straight-out works. Just like its name suggests, it limits the movement of the breasts by compressing them against the trunk or the chest.

How Effective Are Compression Bras?

Compression bras are practical to a certain level. Remember, the breasts tend to move in all directions exercises. The bra flattens the breasts, and minimize the in and out movement during workouts. However, a compression bra doesn’t do a lot to minimize the side to side and the up-down motion of the breasts.

Compression bras are ideal for low-impact activities, and work well for women with small chests. If you want to engage in vigorous exercises, the bra will not adequately support the breasts.

How Do Encapsulation Bras Work?

Freya Active Epic Molded Sports Bra Crop Top back

Think of the encapsulation sports bra as a regular bra made of reinforced, sturdier material. The bra has an underwire and encapsulates each breast separately.

Since each boob is held in a supporting cup with an underwire, it’s movement in all directions will be minimized compared to what can be achieved with a compression sports bra.

Combination Bras

Freya Active Epic Molded Sports Bra Crop Top

If you engage in vigorous activities and need maximum support for your breasts, try out the combination bra. Most women want the effect of a combination bra when they wear another bra underneath the sports bra.

Like the name suggests, a combination bra combines the snugness of a compression sports bra with that of an encapsulation bra provided by the underwire provides. No other bra matches the level of support these bras give.

Best Bra to Wear Under Sports Bra

bra for Sports bra

The best sports bra to wear will depend on the intensity of the activity you want to engage in.

Women with small chests will find the compression bra to be extremely helpful. On the other hand, the encapsulation bra works better for everyone else since it offers high-level support all around. Women with large breasts have only one option: plus sized encapsulation bras.

For the ultimate support level, get a bra with the features of both a compression and an encapsulation bra.

I prefer a combination bra since it offers all the support I need. The Freya sports bras are a good option of combination bras.

And since sports bras can be a bit pricey, I also recommend some affordable no bounce sports bras.

What to Look For in a Sports Bra

Consider the following to find a fitting bra:

  • Company/Brand

Choose a  company that produces bras for big breasts. Panache, Freya, and Enell have sports bras that provide adequate support and encapsulation.

  • Snug Fit

The best sports bra should fit a little more snugly than your regular bra. However, it shouldn’t feel too tight that you can’t move or such that it will make it difficult for you to breathe.

  • Comfortable Wide Straps

Look for a bra with padded straps. The straps should be broad and have a soft fabric to minimize digging into the shoulders. Wide straps are also comfortable to wear. Ascertain that the straps are neither too tight nor too loose.

  • Cup Should Contain the Whole Breast

The bra cup should encase the entire breasts. It shouldn’t leave any part of the boob protruding either from the sides, close to your arms, or at the top.

Moreover, the cups shouldn’t have any wrinkles. If the breasts do not fill the entire cup appropriately, then the bra will give very little or no support.

  • Underwires

The underwire should fit the shape of your breasts.

Some breasts have a narrow space between them while others have no space at all.

The underwire should not cut through your chest anywhere. Moreover, the breasts should sit comfortably in the underwire.

  • Back Closure

Avoid bras that you can pull over the head. Also, if possible, avoid those with a front closure.

Why?

After some time, bras lose their elasticity. When this happens, you can still adjust a bra with a back closure with hooks to get good support. You cannot do the same for front-closure bras.

However, there are some exceptions to these rules.

Some front-closure bras such as those by Enell are made of a rigid fabric that can stretch a little bit. If you get a fitting bra, the front pair of hooks will come in handy.

  • Good Bra Band

The bra’s band should be made of durable, stretchy material. When you fit the bra, it should stay in position. Moreover, the band should be snug so as not to ride on the back.

Just raise your hands to the level of your head to confirm if the band is of the right size. The band should fit comfortably on a loose hook to give room for stretching as it gets old. Moreover, it should also not ride up the ribcage.

  • Bra Material

Sports involve a lot of sweating. Get a bra that absorbs the moisture off your body and is made of a breathable material.

  • Test It

You can jump up and down in the changing room to confirm the support offered by the bra.

Remember, if you are buying the bra for use when running or other high-impact activities, practice those movements to test its performance.

Sports bra test

Conclusion

There’s no need of wearing another bra underneath a sports bra since there are many fitting bras on the market. Depending on your needs, you can get a compression bra, encapsulation bra, or combination bra.

However, some women find sports bras not to be supportive enough to prevent the breasts from bouncing when engaging in high-impact exercises. For these women, wearing two bras would make sense.

Combining two bras should be your last alternative if you have tried various sports bras and have found they are not as supportive as you would like.

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Jeanette is a certified professional bra fitter. Originally from Lyons, France, Jeanette moved to Houston, TX to head the Brabbly content team. When not talking about bras and underthings, she's usually tucked in her study writing a sci-fi novel.

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