Is it just me, or are sports bras getting cuter and cuter these days? I am loving all the strappy versions popping up all over the place and even though the vast majority of my sports bras have the traditional racerback look, I’ve found myself gravitating toward some new looks.
But today I wanted to share with you my favorite sports bras. Now, as you may know, I have a small chest and am a proud member of the IBTC, so I do not need the level of support that those who are more well-endowed might need, but I do need enough support to keep everything in place. (FYI, if you have a larger chest and are looking for recommendations for sports bras, check out Tina’s post: Sports Bra Recommendations for Busty Ladies.)
When selecting a sports bra, I look for something that makes me feel secure (<—still very important!) and comfortable during my workouts, but I also gravitate toward sports bras that give my chest a little bit of shape. I prefer sports bras with a little lining because when the headlights are on, I’d rather not feel like I’m on display and I also don’t want to be totally flattened out (unless I’m running outside and then I just want something that keeps it all in)!
The following sports bras are bras I’ve loved for quite some time now that I highly recommend to anyone who might have a smaller chest who may be looking for a comfortable sports bra that keeps everything in place but offers a little shape, too!
Best Sports Bras for Small Chests
This sports bra was an impulse buy from Nordstrom Rack for $25 and I was surprised by how quickly I fell in love with it. The strappy design on the back of the bra is super cute but the bra is also quite supportive and the removable pads are flattering. It’s a personal favorite for barre workouts but I’ve also worn it to BodyPump and on a few hikes with Ryan and think it’s great for a myraid of activities. (You can actually find it online right now for $25 in the pink color I have, blue and gray.)
- Balance Collection by Marika
I buy these sports bras at TJMaxx or Marshalls for around $12. They are super cheap and incredibly comfortable. I wear them to work out, travel, run errands around town and more. They are not quite as supportive as some of my other favorites, but they’re great for yoga, barre and strength training workouts.
I LOVE this bra. It’s one of my absolute favorites and I own it in three different colors! The material is soft comfortable on my skin and the skinny racerback is fabulous for mobility. It has removable cups, but I always leave them in. (I actually wish the lining was permanently sewn in because the cups always fall out in the washing machine which is my only complaint.) Just a heads up: I’ve seen this bra pop up on sale for around $20 on RueLaLa from time to time.
If you’re looking for a sports bra that offers support but gives you a little oomph as well, Lorna Jane bras are the perfect match. This sports bra is one of the most supportive I own, making it perfect for running or plyometric workouts. It holds me in and keeps everything in place! I am also majorly lusting after their strappy Technique bra and their Ellenora bra after Katy sang its praises at IDEAWorld.
This is, hands down, my favorite sports bra for running. It’s incredibly supportive and doesn’t chafe along my armpits. It is sold in normal bra sizes (A, B, C, D, DD) rather than small, medium and large which I think gives it a better fit. The bra comes with light cups you can remove, but they actually stay in place better than most when I wash them. I’ve had this sports bra a few years (three?) and it still looks and feels like new which I thinks says a lot about the quality. It’s a favorite for sure!
Question of the Afternoon
- What sports bra is your all-time favorite?
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Disclaimer: A few of the above sports bras have been gifted to me over the years, but I am not being paid to review them or include them in this post. The sports bras featured above are simply bras I absolutely adore!
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I am in the same boat! I have a small chest and finding a good sports bra is a challenge sometimes! I really like Moving Comfort and Victoria Secret. I really like the ones you have from Nordstrom Rack. I was driving the other day, and realized I live close to one now. It’s an excuse to go check it out! 🙂
Moving Comfort makes some great sports bras! Totally agree!
I love this! One of my favorites is the Victory bra by Nike. I’ve run a couple of marathons in them and they are super comfortable.
I’ve never heard of their Victory bra! I’ll have to check it out!
As a fellow member of the IBTC, thank you for this post! Those Reebok Yoga Sports Bras are totally my style, and since my local Marshalls has been out of the Balance Collection line for months now I may have to give them a try! Another favorite of mine is Under Armour’s Seamless Essential Sports Bra – great for strength training.
I’m another proud member of IBTC and a huge staple in my workout closet are Target’s C9 Seamless Compression Bra. They come in great colors that change up throughout the year which allows me to stock up on a rainbow of colors. And the price is great! (Especially when they are on sale, with coupons) I wear them everywhere and they provide lots of support for any activity you choose. I’m excited to look out for some of these bras you recommended to mix things up.
I’m wearing that bra right now!! 🙂 Love Target bras, too! I think I forgot to include it because I am WEARING it and just went rummaging through my drawer to find my favorites. 🙂
I’ve always wondered about how good the Target sports are! I’ll have to check them out! Have you tried any of their other athletic wear?
I really like their C9 Premium Run Shorts. Not too short/long or too baggy/fitted. Great for girls with larger butts and more muscular thighs. I wear them during runs, at the gym, and out on errands. I’m also a fan of their 1/4-1/2 zip pullovers but they don’t always have thumb holes! I actually like the 1/4-1/2 zips at Old Navy a lot. Fun colors, really soft, on the longer side, and they have thumb holes!
Thanks! I think Target may have some of their athletic wear on sale! I’ll have to go check it out now!
I have a load of Nike ones but love the idea of a bit of added oomph! 🙂
Proud member of the IBTC club! I really like Athleta’s Up-Tempo Seamless Bra and Target’s C9 brand. I’ll have to try out Reebok’s sports bras; I LOVE those patterns! That’s the great thing about being small chested. While we still need support, we definitely don’t need as much, and we have lots of variety!
I’ve never tried any of Athleta’s bras but I’ve heard good things about them!
Julie, you are speaking my language! As a small-chested lady myself, it’s hard to find a good sports bra! They’re eaier all compression (which, regardless of size, why would you want that?!) or have no lining, which I feel naked without. I also prefer something with a little lift or oomph (not Wonderbra style), to give me a little extra help when they’re being pushed down a bit anyway. Thanks for the recommendations!
Thanks for the info…I seem to live in my sports bras! I really like the Reebok on you showed, and I found it on sale at Finish Line for 24.99…Not too bad. Thanks!!
Target all the way! I think half of my wardrobe is made up of target purchases, sports bras included. They have great colors, support, the material is comfy, and they’re affordable 🙂
I am a member of the my rib cage is bigger than my bust size club and the headlights are ALWAYS on club. So my only criteria for a bra is that it not be suffocating and MUST have lining. After years of fishing for those horrible removable pads and then trying to make them fit back into those tiny little side cuts in the material, I just refuse to buy a bra that doesn’t have a sewn in liner. My two favorites right now are from Target and Gap.
C9 by Champion® Women’s Medium Support Molded Cup Sports Bra W/Mesh – Assorted Colors
GAPFit just redid all of their bras, and it appears they no longer make their High Impact line, sadly. It actually came in your normal bra sizes, so that was an extra plus!!
Thanks for compiling this!! I have been loving the Flow Y bra from lululemon. It was a Christmas gift, so I’d probably never spend that kind of money on myself, BUT, it’s SUPER comfy, cute thin straps, is padded, and has antimicrobial fabric so it doesn’t stink quite as fast! I also love some of the C9 by Champion strappy padded bras at Target!
I have a medium-sized chest, so this recommendation may work better for those with bigger cupsizes, but I LOVE the Brooks bras for running. However, they aren’t usually lined, (at least those I’ve found) so they aren’t great for anything that is inside where you might be concerned about headlights. However! This weekend I bought a sports bra with cups/lining from Old Navy — I’ve been a fan of their compression leggings/capris for years, but this has been a revelation! It’s super supportive (I only need one, which is definitely not the case with the Target ones), and it’s COMFORTABLE (read: no straps digging into my flesh!). Highly recommend!!
I’m a busty chick who recently got a couple secure sports bras at Cacique/Lane Bryant, and I can’t even begin to tell you the change it’s made in my running. I mean, it’s day and night. Having a good sports bra for your bust size is almost as important as having proper shoes when working out.
Happy to hear you found a sports bra you love!
I read so so many things about bras for full chested women, but never anything for the lonely flat chested girls! (AKA ME!) While I’m definitely lucky that I don’t require a lot of support, a bra still has to be comfy! Especially when it comes to running, I hate when I buy a bra and it rubs me wrong under the arms or across my shoulders. So I’m excited to try out some of your faves because these are all ADORABLE.!
I love this! as a member of the IBTC myself, I appreciate a post like this!
I’ve just been wearing tops w/ built in bras, but I love that now I have some options to check out 🙂
I had to laugh when I read this. As a smaller-chested person, you can wear whatever you want. You can pop into Target for a sports bra and find something that will hold your small chest in and spend less than $20 on it. Having small boobs is NOT a problem when it comes to sports bras. The selection, price, and accessibility you have to the proper sports undergarments is something you should be really thankful for. You might as well have just said, “Go into any store that sells sports bras and you can find something.”
You don’t know the struggle of never being able to find a bra that fits or will hold everything in, of driving out of your way for specialty bra stores and ordering $80 sports bras online from the UK because that is literally all that works for you. You don’t know what it’s like to have people stare at you while you work out, being self-conscious while you run around other people or having to hop up and down like an idiot in the changing room to see if this bra will actually support you. And you can never, ever, find a cute strappy bra in a fun color with a racerback for your sports bra because they don’t really make those for people who actually have boobs.
Yes, I am a large-chested woman, and even as a fit, active, 5’3″, 120 pound female I have size 30G breasts. I ran a half-marathon with those babies and finding the right sports bra for that was an endeavour almost as trying as the half-marathon.
Just hope you realize how fortunate you are to not have to worry about having boobs that are too big when you work out, and how easy it is for you to find undergarments.
Any ladies with large breasts should check out Bravissimo, a UK store, or google around for local bra stores that stock extra sizes and do proper fitting. Finally finding the right bra changed my life.
Totally agree that it’s much easier for smaller chested women to find sports bras — I linked out to Tina’s post in the beginning of this one because I knew this would not interest people with a larger chest. I’m so glad you were able to find the right sports bra for you and your workouts and thank you for passing along the info about Bravissimo for anyone else out there who might be interested!
I look for sports bras called High-Impact for teaching Les Mills BODYATTACK classes and my favorite have been Macy’s brand Ideology, because they even have a clasp in the back for real support.
Oh how I wish I could wear bras like this more often! I do have the Reebok one and I LOVE it and I’ve also recently gotten a Lulu light support one because even bustier I can get away with light coverage in yoga and usually Pump. For me it’s usually a matter of how much cleavage the light support ones end up showing.
Typically though, I workout in Moving Comfort. My big chest needs the support and the cover up.
I recently bought a Fabletics sports bra a couple of months ago that I LOVE! It is my go-to!
I was just going to comment on the C9 sports bras from Target. They are super comfortable and wear great. I’ve tried both the padded ones (which is still a pain when they fold up in the laundry…) for running and the non padded ones for yoga or strength. I work out at home, so the no padding is not an issue for me. Apart from the price, I love that the straps are adjustable and they run true to size. Usually I need to go a size up on sports bras (the ribcage band is sooo tight) and end up with more space in my boob than I need to and a lot more strap as well. The C9 work great!
For me, the broke college student, I really love Forever 21’s sports bras. They’re made pretty well as opposed to a lot of their clothing (definitely made for small chests, the large is still pretty small IMO). Their designs are getting better and better too!! My only complaint for them is that some of the removable cups fall out in the wash and eventually the lining of those little pads starts to peel away. However, i found they could be replaced and even buying another bra isn’t too expensive!
And I agree, sports bras are getting cuter and cuter!!
Those are all so cute. The bottom left one in the first photo you posted, that is black, which bra is that? It looks like its not racer back which is what I prefer but when I went through the links they all looked racer back? I am also not a busty lady but I lift heavy and do gymnastics so my traps are pretty big and racer backs dig into my shoulders. Non racer backs are impossible for find!
Oops I meant to link to that in the Lorna Jane section of this post… It’s a sports bra from Lorna Jane! Their stuff is so cute!
I am about a 30c/d (dont let the cup size fool you – they are small!) and i only ever buy H&M sports bras – they last so long and are amazing value for money. I hate padded bras (sports and regular) and they have unpadded ones.
As a fellow IBTC member, I love Handful Bras! No lie, it actually gives me a teeny cleavage!!
I’m really small up top, too, so I definitely like something with a little padding. I have a great Reebok bra that has sewn-in padding, which is the best because I also hate having to fish out the pads from the laundry and put them back in. Fabletics has some cute strappy ones too.
Oh yes, I’m right there with you in the IBTC! 😉 These are all great suggestions. I am really loving the looks of those Reebok ones! The patterns are so cute. Pads in the sports bras are KEY for me to give me a little extra shape. I’ve been pretty pleased with Old Navy’s padded sports bras as well as Fabletics padded ones (they have a couple styles that aren’t padded, and I’m not as much a fan of those).
Thank goodness! Another ITBC member reviewing sports bras! I feel like the larger chested ladies discuss this issue a lot because they actually need support, while us less endowed chicas get the “Why do you even need a sports bra?” response. No? Just my family that says that? Hmm…
Anyway, I love those Reebok bras! I like anything with a thin strap in back. That means less tan lines, and everyone likes that. My current obsession, speaking of tan lines, is the Naked Sports Gear tan through sports bra. It really works, but only if you have a teeny chest. It’s not super supportive so I think anyone who wears a C or greater would have trouble but it works for me.
I have long been a fan of the Nike Pro sports bras. They’re so simple, but they always work. The new ones have a bit of lining, too, to prevent you from getting too open with your neighbors. I really like Target sports bras for yoga or anything low-impact as well. They come in a ton of cute colors and they go on sale pretty often so you can get them for about $10/piece.
I too have a smaller chest so I don’t need to stress the sports bra as much as I do the right pants that won’t fall down as I run lol…I honestly try to wear the tanks from Lulu Lemon which have supportive built-in bras so that I can avoid the investment in multiple sports bras. I actually survive on just getting mine from Forever 21. I wouldn’t recommend the rest of their running clothes as I would recommend other brands but the sports bras are soooooo cheap, wash well and do their job.
I echo Rebecca’s comment above! I have been putting off buying new sports bras for this same reason. I am a 34d and even me trying to find a maximum support bra is a process. I do the jump up and down test and the bend over and shake test to make sure there is no spillage. champion sold an underwire sports bra called the power back bra. Sadly, they discontinued it. You ladies blessed with small breasts just don’t know how lucky you are. A bra is an accessory not a necessity. Thanks for posting the link above. I will check out her list!
Proud member of the IBTC, represent!
I love my Nike sports bra, it’s held up for years! The Reebok ones are so cute, may be my next purchase.
I really like my Champion sports bras. I have no idea what they’re called, but they’re awesome. I’ve been buying them for years now.
YESSSS MA AA TATAS ARE HAPPY!
I love the Lululemon Free To Be Bra. I’m small chested myself and I find this one gives me a nice shape and a little extra push up on top.
I really like Under Armour too so I may need to check out that running bra you recommended!
Julie, thanks for the great recommendations!
I’d love to see a roundup of other fitness favorites of yours (clothes, shoes, water bottles, gym bags, hair ties, whatever!). This doesn’t quite seem to fit into any of the categories in your menu bar, and I think it would be such a helpful resource! Just a suggestion 🙂
Oops — just found it! Under Faves > Shop > Fitness, for anyone else who might be looking! I am not surprised that you are one step ahead of me 🙂 Thanks for all that you do.
I really need to update that though!!! Thanks for the suggestion!
When I saw this blog article title, I was just thinking “Oh, you have answered my prayers!” Haha. I, too, am a proud member of the IBTC and needed these recommendations as I’m in the market to find a few new good ones. Thank you!
lululmeon athletica’s Free To Be Bra is the BEST for small chests. It’s super cute too so I love wearing it with sheer tops or with tops that show your back! I am loving this one- http://shop.lululemon.com/products/clothes-accessories/bras-light-support/Free-To-Be-Bra-32213
I LOVE THIS. I am always looking for stuff catered to the small girls and on the cheap. In a rare move, I just got a top at Lululemon that had cups. I love the top without the cups — I couldn’t fill the cups so they looks like the boobs were falling into themselves and had to remove the cups. I will try one of your suggestions with the cups and see if I can get mountains instead of valleys, hehe. What does IBTC stand for?
Itty Bitty Titty Committee. 🙂 Ha!
I like bras that I don’t have to try to squeeze into by pulling them over my head, and get my hair tangled (and then all in reverse when I am a sweaty mess), so I mostly look for bras that have hooks. Last spring I stocked up at the Victoria Secret Semi-annual sale and got 4 really excellent ones, 2 high support bras which are perfect for running, and 2 cute ones for medium support, each was between 14.99-18.99 (normally they can be $50-60). The deal!
IBTC all the way! 😉 This was such a good idea for a post — that first bra is adorable!
Great post Julie! I’ve been looking for something padded now that it’s getting cooler and the headlights go on a bit quicker!
I love the way these look and their style. I wonder if any of them restrict lymphatic flow which is one of the main contributors to breast cancer.
THANK YOU. I only have one sports bra that actually hides things, and it’s not being produced anymore! The rest have no lining and I have to be really careful about what top I wear with them.
I’ve been in the market for new padded sports bras, but I haven’t had any luck. This is a great list and I can’t wait to try them out!
Ever tried Moving Comfort Sports bras? I have a pair of Urban X-Overs from them that has given me the best support out of any sports bra I have ever owned.
I’m so glad you wrote this post. I’m also super small chested and because of this I feel like I don’t need to go all out and buy an expensive bra for super support. I’m so happy that I now have a review of options that have just the right support, cute, and comfortable! Thanks!! I love your blog!!
I’ll have to look at Marshalls for the balance collection bras. I love my Nike sports bras. They always look nice and are supportive!
i am loving the new sports bras! i always find cute ones in TJmaxx!
I live in Victoria’s Secret sports bras, literally 24/7. I was skeptical at first but after trying 1, I bought 5 more. The Incredible and the Seamless give great shape and support to small-chested women. They also do well in the laundry if you put them in a lingerie bag. I’ve had all of mine for 2 years and they still are like new (I don’t buy that “no bra should celebrate a birthday,” I think it’s a ploy to get our money and I don’t think it’s as applicable for smaller chested women). I also recently added a nike pro padded bra to my collection and love it so far! This ones also definitely for smaller chested women.
Oh mannnnn do I need some new sports bras! All of mine are the simple Nike ones, but they completely give me a uni-boob, and they definitely do not have enough thickness for when the headlights are on hahah. I’m in a constant battle at the gym of guarding my chest with awkward arm stretches whenever I feel cold or get too sweaty. I will most definitely have to invest in some of these!
I love this post! I’ve been buying the C9 padded sports bras from Target. I also bought a couple from the Reebok brand as well. I hand wash my sports bras with the padding left in. If it’s just one bra, I’ll wash it in my sink, let it soak with 7th generation detergent, rinse, then let it drip dry over my shower head. Lol. If it’s a bunch of them, I’ll throw them in my bathtub with detergent, soak, rinse, and drip dry in the shower. Don’t feel like taking the padding out or have them be crumpled by the washer. 🙂
I got the Juno sports bra from Moving Comfort when I was nursing and it is the most supportive sports bra I’ve ever had! I love it so much that I still wear it even though I’m not nursing. I dropped 4 bra sizes and the size I had while nursing still works and supports like magic. Definitely worth the money!