Have you met our Run Bras?

Working for an athleisure brand was always a dream of mine, so when I started at Brooks, I knew that it was a perfect match.

Whilst running shoes are our forte, our sports clothing range also benefits from the same commitment to performance and focus on the run. In addition to this, our Run Bras are truly one of a kind. Featuring extensive runner research, as well as biomechanics lab work to understand how women’s bodies move while running or working out.

I knew how much time and research went into the shoes and I loved them, so it made me even more curious to see if the bra’s had the same amount of quality and attention to detail. Before I knew it, I was convinced, the Drive Interlace Run Bra was in my cart, and then sitting on my desk in a blink of an eye. Usually, I like to keep it basic with Sports Bra’s, black or white is suitable. But for some reason, BLUETIFUL was my choice of the day. For all my ladies or men out there, who are wondering why you should try these Run Bras, I will break it down into three separate categories. 

Fit, Support & Style.

Let’s start with Fit.

Upon receiving the bra, my first impression was how surprised at how lightweight the material felt. Usually, the most supportive sports bra I’ve owned have had a heavy feel to them. So, at this point, I was thinking, how can something so lightweight provide max support and compression?

The Drive Interlace run bra is made up of our DriLayer® fabric, which is a high-quality, sweat-wicking material designed to absorb your sweat away from the body. Females carry a lot of heat in the chest area so with this enhanced breathability of the material along with mesh in high-heat zones aims to keep you cool when performing at your best. The Drive Interlace also has a high percentage of spandex which allows for high levels of compression but also the Bra to adapt to your shape. So, whether you are completing those HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) Workouts or smashing out a sweaty run this bra is going to work for you making you as cool and comfortable to optimise your performance.

So, on the treadmill, I hopped, starting with a brief walk, and then building up into a medium-paced run. Honestly, when wearing the bra, it felt effortless. The Fit is based around a supportive band in the lower part, then built into a three hook back to reinforce the feeling of compression. Moving up the bra, the crisscrossed straps again maintain and reinforce the compression without feeling rigidness and a tight feeling. 

If you are looking at purchasing a Run Bra, I have recommendations to focus on size. Getting a family member to get a tape measure to help determine your size is crucial to how these Run Bras will fit. 

Overall, I would give the Drive Interlace run bra an 8/10 for Fit. 

Support

Moving into support. When thinking about how I wanted my run bra to support me, I noted that the key areas that have proven to let me down before are under the cups where the wire would sit, the back straps of the bra and the overall the feel of the bra when completing high endurance movements, such as a burpee. I came across Cooper’s Ligaments when reading a blog, something I had never been educated on before. Cooper’s Ligaments are found under the skin of the breast, through and around the breast tissue. They connect to the tissue surrounding the chest muscles (Healthline.com, 2018.)

Why do we care about Cooper’s ligaments? We care because they maintain the shape and structure of our breasts. Throughout life, they can deteriorate over time, but this can be prevented with a balanced exercise routine. Investing in a supportive sports bra can also be critical in maintaining the ligaments.

I was pleasantly surprised by how supportive the bra was, even though it doesn’t have any underwire through the bra. The way the bottom band connected with the crisscrossed straps made you feel supported in a non-intensive way.

A tip of advice with this bra is to get to know the straps. When wearing them, I adjusted them to see how I would complete different exercises, and I noticed that they needed to be pulled up to the top to feel full compression.

I would rate the support an 8.5/10.

Style

Finally, style.

As mentioned above, usually I go for Run/sports bras that aren’t too busy, so something black or white really does do the job for me. However, the bra’s design allows you to wear something supportive and stylish out on a run or at the gym. The Drive Interlace Run bra comes in five different colourways, one for every day of the working week, ha!

I would rate the style of the Drive Interlace Run Bra a 10/10

Additionally, if you love the Drive interlace run bra, but maybe you think something else would suit you better, we can recommend a few other styles.

The Drive range comes in five different styles and is all about compression which helps to hold the breasts compactly.  Whereas the Dare range comes in 13 different styles and is all about encapsulation with moulded cups and a seam free design.

Furthermore, if you are ever in doubt and needing further advice you can always send a direct message on Instagram or Facebook to Brooks Running Australia/ New Zealand or @brooksrunningau.

Thanks for reading along this Bra journey with me!

Written and reviewed by Emma Kornitschuk,  Staff member at Brooks Running Australia.