Squish 'em in and hold 'em tight
Written: Jul 05 '01
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Pros: Goodbye bounce!
Cons: Hello sweat!
The Bottom Line: For serious female athletes, this is THE bra.
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| luvrdaisy's Full Review: Champion Full Support Bra |
I ride horses. No, I train horses. All summer, all winter, almost every day. There was a time, long, long ago, when my undergarments didn't matter when I did this. I could sit a trot all day long and not experience any discomfort.
Then one day my fairy godmother came along and "blessed" me with a set of 34D's. The result of this is that my life has turned into a quest to find the perfect sports bra. The perfect sports bra would allow me to ride an untrained horse without stirrups, without any pain in my "chesticles." The perfect sports bra would take care of that annoying "drip" between my boobs on hot-weather days. The perfect sports bra wouldn't be very bulky. The perfect sports bra would be easy to get on and off.
The Champion Full Support Bra, for the most part, takes care of all my requirements. The support it offers is unparalleled, in my experience. It offers interior wire cups covered by darted cotton/lycra blend, so you get the support of two bras in one. I truly believe that hot-weather horseback riding is the best test of a sports bra, and this one held up remarkably well. Bounce was minimal, which kept me a lot more comfortable than normal as the mare I was working with kept running around like a crazed demon despite my best attempts. And there is nothing like a fast trot to induce bounce. So on the Bounce Factor scale, this bra scores a nice fat ten.
The Sweat Factor wasn't quite as good. Obviously, the more layers you have on, the more you sweat, so there was quite a bit here. And those annoying drips "down the center line" were as bad as ever. For the most part, though, the wicking interior material did its job as best it could. Unfortunately, when the test rides were over the bottom edge of the bra was soaked and uncomfortable. Rating: 7 (still better than many I've worn)
Once on, the bra is not particularly bulky and allows for ease of movement. It does not feel heavy (not taking into account sweat factor), and does not stand out under light t-shirts or tank tops. Many bras I've tried are so bulky you can see their outline under sweatshirts. Not so with this bra. It is, however, large enough that it could be worn without a top and a woman would not feel naked. It was not the easiest bra to get off that I've ever worn, but was not difficult either.
The only significant problem I had with this bra was "Hay Itch." This is not a problem to most people who would use this bra for running and playing other sports. But definitely avoid feeding hay on hot days while wearing this bra. The top doesn't lay flat on your skin and hay chaff will fall into your chest area and leave you itchy and uncomfortable, while contributing to chest acne. Not fun.
All things considered, the Champion Full Support Bra is the best bra you can buy for support. If wires make you uncomfortable, you might consider a less supportive zip-front version. While not as supportive, it offers very good support (8 on my scale) for a slightly lower price. For the serious, movement oriented athlete, however, the Full Support is the way to go.
(also, never put this bra in the dryer as it will warp it's shape and make it uncomfortable.)
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 30
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Epinions.com ID:
luvrdaisy
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Location: Baltimore, MD 21093
Reviews written: 58
Trusted by: 23 members
About Me:
The ol'electric cattle prod doesn't work quite as well without its batteries, DOES IT, FarmerBrown?
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