All The Gear: Running bras that work

Because crop tops aren’t bras

I’ve lost count of the amount of times I thought about calling Trading Standards because something arrived through my letter box proclaiming to be a bra when it clearly wasn’t.

There are different types of sports bras - some have cups, others don’t, some have adjustable straps, others don’t, some use compression to keep everything from jiggling and others support in a different way. What works for me might not be what you prefer to run in. But I think we can all agree that crop tops with no supportive qualities shouldn’t be called sports bras.

Why's everyone talking about protein?

Generally I would look for a high impact sports bra specifically designed for running. Brooks has done some really good work in this area and I’ve loved running in some of their bras. Notably the Brooks Racerback 2.0 Sports Bra, which I had several of. It’s a great bra but I found it lost its support quicker than I wanted.

My current bra rotation

There’s always one bra that leaves you disappointed if it’s not clean when you head out for a run and you have to use one of the others. You heard it here first - bra rotation is a thing and these are the ones I currently use.

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• Asics Road Bra Combination Bra (£45) - I was sent this bra to test and then went out and bought another because it was so good. It is sized like a proper bra, as adjustable straps and is comfortable. I’ve worn it for multiple half marathons and a marathon without any issues.

• *Sweaty Betty Zero Gravity Running Bra* (£60) - This was previously my long run bra before the Asics came into my life. When it first launched two years ago, it was £75 but thankfully there’s be an adjustment. The big plus to this bra is that it full undoes so you don’t need to take it over your head. It’s supportive but I’ve found the material a bit thick in hot weather.

• Adidas Techfit Control Medium-Support Bra (on sale £42.25) - This is the only crop-top style bra that I’ve ever found to be supportive enough to run in. I wore this for Hyrox London last year because it’s supportive but doesn’t look like a bra so if I needed to take my top off I’d feel less self-conscious. I wouldn’t wear it for a long run but it’s something I wear for short runs and circuits sessions.