Sports Bra shopping in the bane of my existence. Ordinarily I love to shop, and I love workout clothing, but when it comes to bras….it seems like its always a hit and miss endeavor, and I know I am not alone on that! Boobs are like snowflakes, no two are alike….even when they are on the same body and this makes bra shopping hard. Add to that surgeries, pregnancy, nursing, weight gain, weight loss…and you have a bra shopping nightmare.
The thing about sports bras is that they are more critical than regular bras when you consider what they have to hold up (pun intended) to in order to be effective. Depending on how active you are, the types of activities you are engaging in, and how hard you push, your sports bra can make or break your workout. I speak from experience… lots and lots of experience. A sports bra failure can also turn out to be a workout failure.
I was skeptical about sports bras when I participated in my first online Zyia event. It is difficult to judge how well a bra is going to work for you based on pictures, especially if you are new to the brand. The first bra I ordered I sized up because I am unusually proportioned and I size up my Nike and Under Armor sports bras that run Small, Medium, Large, (as opposed to Victoria’s Secret sports bras that correspond to traditional bra sizes). I ended up returning the bra because it was too big, but the return process was simple and efficient.
So, here is the lowdown on Zyia Sports bras. I currently own the All Star, Bomber, Grid, Parallel Luxe Adjustable, Luxe Strappy bra set, Adjustable Mesh Bra, and the Momentum Brilliant bra. I tend to buy the bras that are listed as having moderate to high levels of support. With my 32DD (which is really a B worth of muscle and an E worth of skin that when artfully rolled up and tucked in rounds out to a DD) I MUST have support. Also worth noting, my preferred workouts include running, spinning, weight training and HIIT, all activities that while vary in impact, all require support for the girls.
The Allstar
I love my Allstar Bra! This is a versatile bra that works for ALL my workouts, but it is my favorite for running. The girls are going no where. It offers snug support that is comfortable and the high neckline and wide straps son’t pinch, cut in or leave marks when I take it off. The coverage is perfect with the mesh and the zip closure in the back. I have this one in a small and it is a just right fit for me. I might say that if you are a D or a DD and have more meat/muscle, or a bigger band size to size up. It comes in a variety of colors so it is easy to mix and match with leggings and shorts. The Allstar bra Retails for $49.
The Bomber
The Bomber Bra is the ‘Go to’ all purpose bra. This one also has high levels of support so I feel comfortable wearing it for all my workouts. It is more of the traditional runner’s sports bra in the front with the party in the back with lace detailing on the racer back. I also take a small in this one, but it has a little more give than the Allstar while still being supportive. It also comes in a wide range of colors, and even some prints! The Bomber Bra retails for $33.
The Grid
My most recent Bra purchase is the Grid Bra. I have wavered on this for months, and finally ordered. The tipping point is the support level- light to moderate- is not enough for me for a workout. I ordered it with the intention of wearing it as a bikini top with more support than a bikini top. For this it is perfect! It is a little showy in the cleavage area, but it is super cute, and in the basic black I have bottoms to match. I ordered it in a small, even though the catalog says to size up. It is a VERY tight fit, and as tight as it is, it isn’t supportive tight. But I kept it because I’m not sure how the fabric will hold up in the water. Ever had to readjust your bikini top straps after they get wet? Yep… some fabrics lose their elasticity when wet, so I want to see how it works out. If it is still super tight when wet, I will pass this one down to one of my daughters and re-order in a medium. The grid bra comes in several colors and a few prints and retails for $49.
The Parallel Luxe Adjustable
The Parallel Luxe Adjustable Bra is hands down my favorite sports bra! The fabric is so soft, I love the thick band that comes a few inches down my rib cage so I feel ok taking my tank off, and it offers good support. It has cleavageless coverage which I like as well. I love that it can be worn with the straps parallel or racer back.The downside of this bra is that it only comes in two color options: neon yellow and slate grey and the Storm (sort of a light blue) with slate grey. I like to wear this one with my leopard scrunchy leggings. I have this one in a small. This bra retails for $59.
The Adjustable Mesh
The Adjustable Mesh Bra is very similar to the Parallel Luxe Bra in strap design; the band is a little thinner and it has a mesh insert between the cups that while not quite ‘peek-a-boo’ does provide a little ventilation. The support is comparable to the Parallel Luxe, but I do find the mesh insert to be a little looser fitting at the top hem. This can be accommodated for when you tighten the straps. I have this in a small. It comes in black and forest camo, and retails for $52 in the solid and $57 for the print.
The Luxe Strappy
The Luxe Strappy Bra set has turned out to be one of my favorite Zyia purchases to date! I was iffy on this one at first because I wasn’t sure how much support I could get given the strappy back, but when I considered the super cute mesh tank that it comes with for $55 I figured I would get my moneys worth out of the tank if nothing else. Turns out that this is actually a pretty supportive bra that I can wear to spin, lift, and even HITT. I haven’t tried running in it yet because well, Arizona girl doesn’t like to run in the cold. So this bra is full coverage in the front with a cute little asymmetrical stap and then cute criss cross strappy details in the back. The mesh tank that layers over is also super cute, with a nice cropped length, a faint dotty pattern and a wide waist band to accent. This would make a cute swim cover as well! It comes in a cute periwinkle blue and black, with the bra having a faint stripey undertone in white. For the $55 retail price you can’t go wrong with this set!
The Momentum Brilliant
Finally the Momentum Brilliant Bra. I originally bought this one because I liked the wide band and camisole look of this bra. I bought it in a small and could have sized up; It gives me a little more top boob display than I prefer so I really only wear this one for weights. There is way to much jiggle for spin, and I might pop right out during HIIT.In the picture it looks pretty structured, but is is loose structure. If you are smaller in the bust, or even medium in the bust with out having nursed a bunch of babies, this bra would probably work out for higher intensity workouts, but not for me. It retails for $49 and comes in black.
Next up on my wish list is the Light and Tight Strappy bra. I have waited on this one because of it is listed as light to moderate support. For me, this would be ok for weights, but probably not my higher endurance and strenuous workouts. Since I have bras for those areas covered, I feel better about trying out something that may or may not be as versatile as my Bomber, Allstar and Parallel Luxe. And since returns are so easy and efficient it isn’t even really taking a chance!
When looking at where you spend your athleisure wear budget a few final thoughts come to mind:
- The cost of Zyia brand athletic and athleisure wear is comparable if not better than Lululemon, Athleta, Under Armor and Nike.
- Zyia has a wide range of sizes to accommodate many body shapes and body types. I love that this is represented in their catalog. They also sometimes give the models height and weight and sizes modeled to give an idea of fit.
- When buying athletic wear, one thing I always consider is washability- I need to be able to throw my athletic wear in the wash every week, sometimes twice a week, so I look at a cost per wear (before wear out). For example, I have had my Parallel Lux for 6 months, and have worn and washed it 1-2 times a week bringing my cost per wear to around $1.50.*
- Zyia operates on the boutique premise so you get unique styles and prints with new releases weekly.
- When you shop with Zyia you are supporting another woman and her home based business. It might be her main source of income or a second job, or maybe how she supports her own athletic wear habit…It kind of goes along with the lines of shopping locally. I’m not going to go buy athletic gear from a chain sporting goods store when I can support a lady friend and get high quality merchandise.
Check out all Zyia has to offer here.
*If you haven’t calculated cost per wear on your clothing- this strategy helps me when I am feeling frugal about paying for higher end items. I have bought a bunch of sports bras at Victoria’s secret that end up coming apart at the seams after 6 months which over the life of the item increases the cost per wear. I have also bought sports bras at TJ Maxx and Target for $20 only to have them lose elasticity, have adjustable straps need adjustment mid workout, ride up…I think about cost per wear with all my clothing and shoe purchases because discount prices are NOT always the best buy in the bigger picture!
