Product Review: Champion Sports Bra

I received my prize pack from Fit Bottomed Girls a few weeks ago (you know, from when Gina won it for me) and one of the things included was a sports bra. Excitement!

Now, I am a busty lady; I wear a 38DD. I also have slopey shoulders which means that bra straps (sports bras and regular bras alike) sometimes slide down my shoulders more than is comfortable. I've found a great regular bra in Victoria's Secret's Body by Victoria line, but I've struggled to find a sports bra that fit well while minimizing bounce. Because let me tell you, I have a lot of bounce. I've been getting by with these reasonably priced Old Navy bras; they're fine, but after a high impact workout like jogging or sitting trot for more than five minutes, my boobs don't feel great.

The bra I won is the Champion All-Out Support Wireless Sports Bra. Just take a look at this bad boy.

Front

Back

It clearly means business. The bra proclaims it has "the support of 2 sports bras/the comfort of 1", which for me is kind of moot; I've never tried wearing two sports bras at once. (Maybe I should?) It's also "engineered to beat the bounce during your most intense workout" (their emphasis, not mine). Suggested sports include running, basketball, and aerobics.

The straps are wide and adjustable, which is great for my weird shoulders. The back has hook closures like you'd find on a regular bra, and while it's wireless, the bottom band is a thick, wide fabric without a lot of give. You can't tell from the top picture, but the bra actually kind of looks like two bras sewn together. (For a better picture, go to their website.) That's weird, but whatever.

I was super excited to try this thing out. So I put it on. Well. "Wiggled into it" is a more accurate description of what I did. The band at the bottom is very stiff fabric that maybe stretches half an inch. That's great when it's on and keeping your boobs in place, but it makes pulling the bra over your head and shoulders difficult, even with the hooks unbuckled. Once I had successfully put on the bra, I spent a couple of minutes tugging it down and stuffing my boobs in it.

The sides of the bra are fairly low-cut, which means some armpit fat tried to escape over the top. Unflattering, but not uncomfortable and essentially no big deal as I always wear a shirt when I ride.

As for support: should I ever need to pass as a man for a Halloween costume or bank robbery, I will wear this bra. It squashes my boobs down to near-nothingness. That's kind of impressive; however, if you're not into the uni-boob look, this is not the bra for you.

As far as performance goes, I have zero complaints. I've ridden in it several times at all gaits. (I have not jumped in it.) It definitely minimizes/nearly eliminates bounce. It isn't hot or overly uncomfortable and it certainly makes button-front shirts fit better.

I have no idea what its care instructions are. I've washed it a few times in cold water with my other undergarments and dried it on low heat; it's held up just fine with no stretching or shrinking.

Champion All-Out Support Wireless Sports Bra
Sizing: 4/5; I thought it ran a bit small, but that could just be lack of give in the band.
Comfort: 4/5
Durability: 5/5Value: 4/5; While I received this bra for free as a prize, it runs about $35. I'm still adjusting to the idea of paying more than $10 for a sports bra, but compared to similar bras, this price point seems reasonable.
Cool Factor: 3/5; It looks pretty cool by itself, and would probably look pretty cool on a more muscular or fitter person. For your average, somewhat overweight, haven't-seen-the-sun-in-months white woman, I would definitely recommend wearing a shirt over it.