Support crew: Finding the perfect sports bra

Sports bras are a girl's best friend. Photo / Doug Sherring.

Spring - 'tis the season for the frenzied embracing of extreme exercise in a desperate attempt to get that spongy winter body looking lean, mean and ready for skimpy summer clothing.

All well and good but, never mind the aches and pains that come with throwing yourself into an emergency fitness regime, here's the real horror story for girls: Did you know that the average boob moves up and down about 14cm when you run? Eep!

Think about that for a minute, then to really freak yourself out head to shockabsorber.co.nz, enter your cup size and activity level into the "bounce-o-meter" and watch in horror... Boobs everywhere.

It's enough to make you refuse to take another step without some kind of steel-reinforced, cement casing around your torso.

As that's not entirely feasible for high-impact exercise, I decided to put my body on the line to test-drive some of the best high-impact sports bras available. All the bras tested were a size 12D and all were tested three times, each time for 30 minutes of high-impact exercise such as running and aerobics classes.

1. adidas adishe Nandinia
I admit I was a little sceptical about how adidas would fare in the bra department. Their other technical sports clothing is great, but surely underwear is a different science?

I shouldn't have worried. This is an excellent product. It has great compression though it's really a soft-cup style. With its racer-back it can require a little yoga to get into but it's made with the best moisture-wicking fabrics and offers excellent support, without flattening everything down into a weird mono-boob.

The only gripe is the absence of padded shoulder straps. The wide, soft elastic straps stayed nicely in place but still started to rub a little at the end of a 30-minute run. adidas.com/nz

2. Triumph Tri Action Endurance, $64.99
One of the most comfortable bras tested, especially around the rib cage where the soft elastic strap fit snugly and softly, while holding in place. For all that, it didn't seem to have quite the same support as some of the others tested. Although converting the straps to a racer back made a big difference.

It's a compression style with panelling offering across the bust for support and across the top of the bust, where non-stretch soft fabric meets the gel-padded straps. A good bra, but perhaps best suited to smaller cup sizes. triumph.com/nz

3. Shock Absorber D+ max sports bra top, $108
Voted number one sports bras by readers of UK magazine Runners in 2007, this is one of the best out there - probably a first-place tie with the Freya for this test.

It's a compression style, so takes a bit of contortionism to get into - but just think of that as part of your workout warm-up. Once you're in, nothing's really going anywhere.

It has firm, padded wide straps in a racer-back style. It also has a wide, soft band around the base to prevent chafing. It sits quite high your chest, which keeps the bounce under control, and stays pretty dry thanks to mesh inserts and that all-important moisture-wicking fabric.
A star performer that's also available in a more traditional bra style. shockabsorber.co.nz

4. Berlei High Performance underwire, $69.65
This is standard bra shape, but with convertible straps so you can wear it either conventionally over the shoulder or with a crossover back - as with most of the styles, crossover options seem to provide better support. Terry cotton inserts at the base and in the shoulders ease high-rub areas.

A good option if you want underwire support for a good price. berlei.com.au

5. Bendon Sport Max Out, $69.95
Bendon have been putting out great, mid-priced sports bras for a long time and this is another fine example.

With foam-covered underwire, a high, mesh neckline, wide convertible straps that - even when not crossed over - sit nice and close to the neck to prevent slipping off. Excellent support and good comfort levels with no early signs of chafing after the 30 minutes.

It has gel padding in the side panels and it's made from good quick-dry fabric - so much so it barely felt like it'd been worn after a hard run. A really good sports bra. bendon.co.nz

6. Berlei UltraSports $49.95
Probably the most traditional bra shape of those tested and one of the best-priced.

Mesh strips sit under the bust along the underwire, and across the top for good air circulation and moisture control. Chafing started a little around the bottom towards the end of the 30-minute run. Comes with shaped straps, though the padding is a little thin on the ground, making it less comfortable. Good high-cut neckline and non-stretch cups for better support. Good value for money.

7. Triumph Tri Action Competitive, $52.99
This was another triumph" (ho, ho) in the comfort stakes and this one in particular managed to maintain great support with it. It has the usual padded straps and banded edges for comfort. There's a central panel under the underwired bust for support and panelled cups do an excellent job of holding things down. triumph.com/nz

8. Berlei New Legend underwire, $59.95
Another good standard bra style from Berlei, but with a high-cut cup to cut back the bounce. Comes with a great slim mesh panel at base of the cup, above the underwire, for moisture control and airflow.

Along with comfortable padded straps, this bra also has great moulded cups that let you keep your shape without giving yourself black eyes.

9. Freya Active underwire, $104
Another star performer. The choice between this and the Shock Absorber style we tested comes down to if you prefer the compression style or a more traditional cup style. Another thing to consider if you're headed past the DDs is that Freya is a specialist in larger cup sizes. The D-cup tested worked well, but a quick random survey of a few gym-goers needing larger sizes found Freya was a well-known, highly regarded brand.

Again, this has wide, comfortable and padded shoulder straps. The main support panels are made with moisture-wicking, non-stretch fabric to quash movement and it comes with a wide, four-hook back-strap to anchor everything while giving some scope with size and comfort. The cups are also double-layered for added support. Also comes in a soft-cup option. Available from Smith & Caughey.

The Right Fit

* Buying a sports bra is like buying any bra - fit is everything so always, always try it on before you buy. Sometimes there are small size variations between brands so you may not automatically be the same size as your usual bra. Get advice from the shop assistant - they know what they're doing. Most of all, be honest about your size or you won't be comfortable and the bra won't do the job.

* When you try it on, jump up and down or jog on the spot for a few minutes to get a feel for the bra. Is it pinching anywhere? Are you happy with the level of movement? Are the straps cutting in to your shoulders? Does it fit well while still being easy to get in and out of?

* Think about what you want: compression styles are great for limited movement during high-impact exercise, but can be tricky to get into, especially if you have larger boobs. Encapsulation styles - with two separate cups rather than a bandeau-style, give you a better shape if that's what you're after and still reduce bounce. They usually have wider back straps for extra support, with more hooks that can sometimes cause chafing.