Seeking bra reviews for the larger boobage

[miffy'sFuji]

I used to love the moving comfort athena, but m.c. seems to have discontinued that. I tried the Maia, but didn't like how high cut it was in the front (I've stayed away from the Enell because of that cut). It seemed too hot and it seemed to run large. Then I tried the Fiona. It is okay except the cut under the armpit is a little close. Then, one day I got a catalog from athleta, and they had a decent little comment box about the Glamorise Sports bra. I decided to try it. I wear a 34D. At first the bra seemed odd because I was so used to the standard compression bra. After a week, I was hooked. It is my favorite bra. The support feels so much more uplifting than standard sport's bras.

I stayed away from the Hind bras for two reasons, one is the crossback design and two is that the support rating is medium, and I like a lot of support.

p.s. I found out that JCpenney has the glamorise for a better price.

[Lise]

Hmmm. Good to hear about the Glamorise. I'd never heard of it before, but will check it out.

I am a 36D. The best bra I've found is the Enell. I wear a "small" (size1), which is surely the only time in my life I've worn a small bra! It chafes a bit right at the bottom of the hooks, but if I lube up with BodyGlide there, it's OK.

I wear others, can't think of their names right now, but I bounce in everything but the Enell. I ordered it last fall, 6 weeks before the Marathon, but because Oprah had just promoted it on her show, I didn't get it until months later. My chest was so sore after the marathon, and I was wearing my most supportive bra at the time.

I know people pay big bucks to have breasts this big, but they can be a pain, too. L.

[Susan Otcenas]

>>>>but would like to hear from the ladies who own the Enell, Hind Nexus and and Hind Motion Sensor.

I've got 'em all. For the record, I'm a "full" 36D (not quite a DD, but occasionally get a bit o' spillage out of a D ) I judge the support in a sports bra by how much bounce I get, and whether or not I am aware I'm wearing the bra when I'm running.

Hind Motion Sensor: I DO NOT recommend this bra for high impact activities for larger cup sizes. No way, no how. "Moderate" OK, but for high impact not only would the bra allow too much bounce, it would be painful to have that much movement. Plus I'm self conscious when I feel like the bounce is too obvious. The "weakness" in this bra is that the straps are VERY stretchy, allowing too much vertical motion. Here's a photo of the inside of the Motion Sensor. Note that the straps are "unlined" above the molded cups, ie. just a single stretchy layer of fabric.



Hind Nexus Bra: I love this bra. It provides more support than any other Hind Bra. It's also the snuggest fit. Where the Motion Sensor has stretchy straps, the entire Nexus bra is lined on the inside with a second layer of non-stretchy fabric. It's easy to see here on the inside of the black bra:



The other reason this bra is so supportive is because it has a broader back across which the weight can be distributed. See the back photo here:

http://www.teamestrogen.com/images/p...06-ALL_xlg.jpg

Beware the front zipper. It's a locking zipper, but the zipper pull must be in the down and locked position. Otherwise you risk a spontaneous boobage explosion. Been there, done that. I've never had the bra unzip while running or doing triathlon. BUT I have had it open up while puttering around the office, usually because I've been lifting boxes and stuff and I dislodge the zipper.

The Enell: This bra is really in a class by itself. This baby is BIG. http://www.teamestrogen.com/products.asp?pID=4238 I wear the size 2, and it has TEN, count 'em TEN hooks up the front. However, it is a godsend if you want to eliminate bounce. I wore mine on a run last night. It passes my most stringent test when I'm wearing a bra: That is, I forget I'm wearing it. I most especially appreciated it last night, because on my previous run, I was testing another new Hind bra (more on that below) which was not passing that test at all. What a relief to wear my Enell and be totally comfortable last night.

Hind Flex Bra: This is the brea I tested a few days ago. We don't carry it so I don't have a photo for you. It's a flexible underwire, traditionally-cut bra (ie. not a T-back or crisscross, just plain old over the shoulder with a hook in back). The bra looked great under a t-shirt. (You know what I mean, it didn't look like I was wearing a sports bra at all. Good lift and separate action ) But it was uncomfortable for me to run in. Definitely better than the Motion Sensor, but not nearly as good as the Nexus.

Finally, I agree with Lise. People pay big bucks for big boobs, but I'd rather be a 34B.

Hope this helps.

Susan

[KnottedYet]

Consider the Wacoal CW-X. I never would have believed that such a light-weight bra would have such great support, but it's my favorite. (even more than my extensive collection of Moving Comforts) Now that I've lost a lot of weight the bra I have is too big and I need to move down a size for real support, but I still love it.

[Lise]

Thanks for your extensive review. I will check out the Hind Nexus. I laughed (with horror) at the prospect of spontaneous boob explosion. Good grief. The things we have to worry about! And bounce is no joke--painful and embarrassing.

Thank you again for your help last year this time, when I was freaking out about how to get through a pool swim tri while wearing a good bra. I'm so glad that TE has a woman of your proportions on staff--you gave me excellent advice, relieved my feeling of being "wrongly shaped" for triathlon, and introduced me to this discussion board. Someone with a 34B bra has probably never lain awake worrying about how to get through T1 without getting DQ'd for indecency.

I'm thinking I may get another Enell, in size 2. Sometimes I feel like my ribs, not just my breasts, are being compressed in the size 1!

All best wishes,

Lise

[Susan Otcenas]

Thank you again for your help last year this time, when I was freaking out about how to get through a pool swim tri while wearing a good bra. ....
I'm thinking I may get another Enell, in size 2. Sometimes I feel like my ribs, not just my breasts, are being compressed in the size 1!

My pleasure. Don't know if you saw it, but last year, I wrote a review of the Nexus after wearing it in a tri here in Oregon. Here's the link to that: http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showt...ighlight=nexus Scan down to post#48. The whole thread is worth reading too. Lots of good opinions there.

Regarding the Enell - I would feel too restricted in the size 1, but we are all built differently. You should probably order one for fit comparison, though. If your rib cage can't fully expand, you won't get enough air. I know *I* gasp enough just from the exertion of the run itself! I need all the rib cage expansion I can get.

Tailwinds,

Susan

[miffy'sFuji]

This is a great thread! Thanks everyone for offering your experience. I'm pretty curious about the Enell now. My skin is somewhat sensitive and prone to getting red and itchy if things rub in certain areas. I had that problem with the neckline of the maia. But, I'm one who needs to wear (or rather I just feel more comfortable wearing) a sports bra all of the time. I inherited genes from both my parents - smaller sized ribcage from my mom (who is an A/B - so much easier for someone into athletics to deal with!)...but a generous bust from my dad's side of the family (hehe my dad lucked out though )...It can sometimes be tough to find a band that doesn't ride up with a cup that is large enough.

[colby]

Hind Nexus Bra: I love this bra. It provides more support than any other Hind Bra. It's also the snuggest fit. Where the Motion Sensor has stretchy straps, the entire Nexus bra is lined on the inside with a second layer of non-stretchy fabric. It's easy to see here on the inside of the black bra:

The other reason this bra is so supportive is because it has a broader back across which the weight can be distributed. See the back photo here:

Beware the front zipper. It's a locking zipper, but the zipper pull must be in the down and locked position. Otherwise you risk a spontaneous boobage explosion. Been there, done that. I've never had the bra unzip while running or doing triathlon. BUT I have had it open up while puttering around the office, usually because I've been lifting boxes and stuff and I dislodge the zipper.

Hey Susan,

I have a Nexus and I've been having trouble with the zipper bottom eating into my chest/stomach area when I run. It's driving me nuts. I have been wearing my HRM under it lately, which sometimes helps and sometimes makes it worse. The bra feels great, I really like it, and I don't find myself really feeling like I'm announcing that I AM A WOMAN when I run in it, but this could be a dealbreaker. I don't have this problem on my bike, but it's a lot less up and down, up and down

Is this a sizing problem? Do I need to go up/down in the chest measurement or even the cup size? I really want to love this bra without wearing bandaids. I hate shopping for sports bras, and it seems like my last option is the Enell.

Anyone else with advice or experience with the Nexus, please chime in!

As an aside, I also have similar problems with zippered shirts and running. The zipper at the top eats into my neck/chest area when I unzip it even just a little bit, which really sucks because I love the ventilation effect after you go from "it's a little cold out here" to "this feels nice, but a little toasty." I guess they just aren't built for people who have any chest whatsoever. I wish they'd put some kind of soft lining on the inside of the shirt to cover the zipper. My REI fleece jacket does this right at the neck, and it feels great. Right now, I have two marks on my chest from my latest shirt (I love it, but...). They aren't quite visible when I wear a tshirt, but they are if I wear anything else (or bend over).

[colby]

Is this a sizing problem? Do I need to go up/down in the chest measurement or even the cup size? I really want to love this bra without wearing bandaids. I hate shopping for sports bras, and it seems like my last option is the Enell.

Anyone else with advice or experience with the Nexus, please chime in!

I'm answering my own question, how geeky of me.

I think I figured out my problem. The straps are too long to just put the bra on and go, but if I pull down the back of the bra to make it fit a little better on my body, it seems to stay in place better, too. I went for a 2-hour run (jog, but same bounce factor) this weekend after making that adjustment, and I didn't have nearly as much rubbing by the zipper "end" (maybe none, but I still have a spot from before, so it's hard to tell). I do have trouble with my HRM slipping under the bottom rib of the bra, which means HRM rubbing against skin (OW), but I think I just need to be more careful there, too.

I still wish manufacturers would "protect" the inside of the zipper and the base of the zipper a little better... the skin in these places is so sensitive. Kudos to Hind for at least protecting the inside of the zipper itself with a little flap of soft fabric.

I'm still fighting my zippered collar tops. I have yet to find something that zips across the top of my chest (even just a few inches) that doesn't rub from the top of my collarbone down my chest. I think I will consult my Super Sewing (and Cooking, and Cleaning, and anything else) Grandma and see what she thinks about safely making them stop eating my skin; I'm afraid to sew anything into that fabric and ruin it.