The 14 Best Sports Bras for Every Workout
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The best sports bras have to endure stretching, yanking, and profuse sweating. So we spoke to apparel designers and people who work out for a living — and sweat it out ourselves — to spotlight the very best sports bras worth strapping into now.
Every workout requires a different type of fit, so as somebody who enjoys working out at least four times a week — be it at New York Pilates, Barry’s, SLT Tread, or CorePower Yoga — I made it my goal to find the best sports bras for every workout. Below, find the ones vetted by myself, the Cut team, and experts alike.
So, you’re looking for the best sports bras?
➼ FAQs
➼ Our top picks
➼ More tried-and-true options
➼ Our experts
Our top picks:
The Best Sports Bra for Pilates
TnAction TnaLIFE™ Mini Bra Top
Available in sizes 2XS–2XL.
Don’t be deceived by the name of this sports bra. Well, not if you’re a B-cup like myself. The bra is the right amount of comfortable and supportive, especially for a Pilates class. The girls stay put even when you’re planking and piking your hips in the air.
The Best Sustainable Sports Bra
Girlfriend Collective Topanga Sports Bra
Available in sizes XXS–6XL.
Like its signature leggings, Girlfriend Collective’s Topanga bra is made from recycled plastic water bottles. The top has a high neckline and a low back, with adjustable crossed straps. Girlfriend’s recycled material feels buttery soft against the skin, making this bra a great pick for either working out or just hanging out at home. I keep mine in constant rotation and always has at least one person in her workout class of choice ask her, “Where is your top from? It looks so supportive!” Spoiler alert: It is.
The Super Soft (And Supportive!) Sports Bra
Beyond Yoga Space Dye Slim Racerback Crop Tank
Available in sizes XS–XL.
If you are looking for support and style, make this your new essential bra. Well, technically it’s a tank but it’s so fitting that you won’t need to wear a sports bra with it. I prefer to wear this one when I go to SLT Tread. It provides the right amount of support for a Reformer workout and a treadmill one. Whether you are in an inversion pose or running away your Sunday scaries, this bra will support you through it all.
The Best Sporta Bra for Ultrasweaty Workouts
Spanx High Impact Sports Bra
Available in sizes 32–40.
Our beauty and fashion writer, Asia Milia Ware, hits the gym every morning. One of the sports bras she swears by? This one from Spanx. If you love the brand’s shapewear, then you’ll love its activewear. It holds everything in, providing maximum support.
The Best Weight-Lifting Sports Bra
Gymshark Longline Sports Bra
Available in sizes XS -XXL.
Another bra Ware has on rotation when she hits the gym is this longline option from Gymshark. She loves that it doubles as a sports bra and tank and has great support thanks to its smooth fabric.
The Best Sports Bra for Indoor Cycling
FP Movement Never Better Square Neck Bra
Don’t sleep on FP Movements athleisure. Both the leggings and the sports bra are incredibly soft and breathable and hugged Ware in all the right places. She first tested this out for Barry’s Ride and loved how the square-neck sports bra was supportive.
If You’re In-between Sizes
Nike Alate Minimalist
Available in sizes XS- 3X.
After trying Nike’s bra-fitting experience, I discovered I was in-between sizes, and one of the styles it recommended was this one. I love it. The adjustable straps let me tighten the bra when needed, allowing the right amount of support without digging into my sides.
More tried-and-true options:
The Amazon Favorite
FITTIN Racerback Sports Bra
Available in sizes S–3XL
This simple racerback sports bra has over 60,000 ratings on Amazon, with more than 39,000 five-star reviews. The nylon and polyester construction moves with you but won’t stretch out and lose its shape. The bra comes with light, removable padding and provides ample support in low- and medium-intensity workouts. If you’re looking for the most compression, size down.
The Sports Bra That’s Also a Shirt
lululemon Align Tank Top
Available in sizes 0–20.
If you only want to wear one layer when you work out, but feel a little naked wearing just a sports bra, this longline tank offers the best of both worlds, plus you can wear it with high-waisted jeans on the weekend. The reviews tend to be rapturous, but do note that the fit can run small, so you might want to size up if you don’t need as much compression.
The Best Low-Impact Sports Bra
Alo Yoga Airlift Intrigue Bra
Available in sizes XS–XL.
“For low impact, I opt for skinny straps and an open neckline — and the shape of this sports bra is so flattering,” says Megan Roup, celebrity trainer and founder of the Sculpt Society. She says Alo’s Airlift bra is perfectly feminine and comfortable, and she owns it in multiple colors.
The Strappy Situation
JOJA Topspin Sports Bra
Available in sizes XS–XL.
Jasmine Tookes and Josephine Skriver, Victoria’s Secret Angels alums, created JOJA, a brand that makes athletic apparel that looks — and photographs — as good as it performs. Tookes’s favorite at the moment is the Topspin bra: “The fabric is so soft, cool, and stretchy, and the design is so unique.” She says she mixes and matches it with other pieces in her closet, which basically gives it (metaphorical) legs for days. For something with a bit more coverage, Skriver says JOJA’s Butterfly Top has a double lining that provides all the support you need. (“Even though it looks like a tank top, you don’t actually need to wear anything underneath it.”)
A Great Post-Mastectomy Bra
Anaono Rora Pocketed Front Closure Bra
Available XS–3X.
Recognized as the Best Post-Mastectomy Bra by InStyle, this bra has a unique combination of softness, adjustability, and style. It is made with a softer-than-cotton modal material and provides a comfortable compression for support through your recovery from surgery.
A Great Post-Breastfeeding Bra
lululemon Run Times Bra High Support, B–G Cups
Available in sizes 32B–42DDD
Listen, that first jumping jack post-breastfeeding hits you hard (and almost in the face). What once were perky titties were now what Cut contributor Shanna Shipin once heard described as “tennis balls at the bottom of a men’s sock.” Hers nearly popped over the top of the low-slung bra she was wearing, and she booked it to Lululemon for help. She came away with this ridiculously supportive bra that straps your boobs in without that boa-constrictor feel. The shoulder straps don’t dig in despite doing the heavy lifting, and the hook-and-eye closure back makes it much easier to put on in general, but especially when you’re sore from a tough workout.
The Best Medium-Impact Sports Bra
Years of Ours Ribbed Gia Bra
Available in sizes XS–XL.
Whether you’re going to do a cardio day, an at-home virtual class, or simply run some errands, Nieves recommends this sports bra for any and all medium-impact activities since it’s the ideal silhouette to provide support and doubles as a great top. The ribbed material also makes it the right amount of snug.
FAQs
Our experts: