14 Best Sports Bras of 2023, According to Testing

Basic and no-frills, this sports bra earns our top spot because it was rated the most comfortable sports bra by our testers and has medium impact support for a wide range of workouts. Its compressive fit holds you in to prevent bounce, while the racerback provides a good range of motion.

On top of its comfort and design features, the bra aced our Textile Lab’s durability and moisture evaluations, meaning it's built to last and can wick away sweat to keep you dry. Our panel also said it fit well and felt supportive throughout their workouts. A tester who wore it while running said, "It was comfortable, supportive and nice quality. It was also easy to take on and off and stayed dry." A different user noted, "it's not too heavy or bulky," while another one said it was "not too tight or not too loose."

Sports bras can get pricey, but this three-pack costs less than many individual bras. Like the Nike style, it has medium support and a racerback design, but this one also comes with removable pads. Each pack includes assorted colors, and the bra is also sold individually and as a four-pack.

This bra doesn't have as much support for larger sizes or intense workouts. Still, it’s incredibly soft while offering good shape and decent support. Plus, it's an Amazon best seller with tens of thousands of rave reviews from users ranging from A to DD cup sizes.

Ideal for bigger chests, this supportive yet comfortable sports bra has a built-in underwire and padded cups for encapsulation — i.e. it offers separate support for each breast to prevent movement in every direction, not just up and down. The wide straps also increase support without digging into your shoulders.

Our product experts were impressed with how well it wicked moisture, meaning you don't have to worry about staying wet with sweat. Meanwhile, our fitness testers were wowed with its comfort and how well it stayed in place throughout exercise. One told us, "I loved the fit — it was surprisingly comfortable for an underwire bra, and it stayed put, no strap slipping or sliding around. Very supportive." Their only call out was that the hook-eye closure is a bit trickier to put on than other sports bras.

Featuring encapsulation cups, this ThirdLove sports bra is designed for high-impact, sweaty workouts like HIIT, CrossFit and running. The wide, adjustable straps can cross and uncross in the back for racerback support. There's a hook and eye closure in the back for easy on and off.

The bra's full coverage cups are hidden behind stretchy polyester/spandex fabric, which testers appreciated, giving high appearance scores. It showed no shrinkage after laundering in the Lab, but analysts did note that the bottom band stretched out a bit in stretch recovery testing. The inner cup fabric wicked away moisture easily, ideal for sweaty exercises. Testers were impressed by just how supportive this bra is with straps that are "wide and stay in place" and how "easy it was to put on and take off." Testers with larger cup sizes loved that this pick offers band and cup sizing for ultimate support, but testers with smaller cup sizes found it too bulky.

With medium compression and removable pads, this versatile Outdoor Voices bra is ideal for a range of low- to high-impact activities. Its thick elastic bottom band offers good lift and support with a mesh racerback for airflow and range of motion. As the bottom band offers a bit more coverage than a traditional sports bra, many testers loved pairing this pick with leggings, choosing from eight stylish shades.

Testers raved about this pick's appearance and gave perfect appearance scores across the board, loving its "sporty" and "chic" look. One tester raved that "everything stayed where it should, even during high-impact exercises." The bottom band kept its shape perfectly in stretch tests, but it wasn't as moisture-wicking as the main fabric. Note that testers reported that this style created a bit of cleavage, which some testers liked but others didn't.

Head into your favorite studio class like Pilates or yoga with confidence in this low-impact style from Athleta. With a longline design and high neck, it can be worn as a crop top or under a shirt, giving you the comfort and support of a sports bra with extra coverage and stability around the torso. It's made with buttery soft fabric and has a built-in bra with removable pads for additional support. Note that this style is for A to C cups, but the brand also offers a D to DD version that runs up to a size 3X.

Because of its full coverage design, testers were able to bend and stretch without fear of a slip. Users called it "very supportive and comfortable," loving the built-in shelf bra for great coverage even without the pads. The smooth fabric maintained its shape after laundering and in stretch-recovery testing. As it's designed for lower impact exercise, this pick didn't wick away moisture as well as other models.

Designed with the key features for giving larger bust sizes the necessary support, it also has the added benefit of a hook on the straps that convert it into a racerback. The straps are adjustable, thick and supportive. On top of that, the bra has an underwire and molded cups for separate support along with breathable and moisture-wicking fabric for comfort.

This sports bra was a fan favorite from our panel of testers, especially for people with cup sizes D through H. They liked the flattering design and the encapsulation and gave it feedback like, "there was no pain from breasts moving up and down while running, which often happens, even with tight sports bras. I like that it has separate cups (instead of one massive uni-boob)." The downside was that some testers experienced fit issues, including spillage and feeling a bit tight, so you may need to size up.

For smaller bust sizes that don’t need an underwire or padding, this super comfortable sports bra offers medium support. The smooth, seamless fabric stood up to all of our Lab’s durability tests, and it was a panel favorite, especially for B-cup testers. We received feedback like “it gave me the support that I need without feeling tight” and “it didn't feel like I was even wearing anything when working out, like second skin.”

The seamless design means there are no threads or raised seams to cause friction or irritation during workouts. It's a basic racerback design, which is ideal for upper body movement. As a bonus, it’s reversible so you get two looks for the price of one.

This best-selling pullover racerback from Under Armour offers four-way stretch and medium support with a pad-free design. With medium support and high compression, it's great for cycling, strength training, boxing, yoga and more. It has wide straps and double lined fabric for good coverage. It's available in more than 10 shades, including neutrals and bold colors.

Acing every Lab test and outperforming pricier picks, this bra wicked away moisture, held up to laundering and maintained its shape after being stretched. Our testers were amazed that the compression didn't feel restrictive with one tester saying, "I felt completely supported." Some testers said their nipples were noticeable because it's padless and the bra received lower appearance scores, disliking the large front logo.

Running requires a sports bra that'll minimize bounce without chafing, feeling comfortable mile after mile. This sports bra from Brooks is specifically designed for running with a high compression feel and removable cups for additional support. It has pockets on the side and back, but most testers didn't find it comfortable to work out with something in the pockets. GH analysts appreciate the bonded seams and edges to reduce any chafing irritation.

The ultra-smooth, sleek material easily wicked away moisture in Lab tests and testers agreed, with one saying, "I loved the fact that it really wicked away sweat." Testers appreciated the "super smooth material" and raved that they felt "supported even while running." The material is very compressive and doesn't stretch very much (GH pros couldn't even stretch it enough to do stretch recovery tests), so some testers found it tougher to get on and off.

Sometimes when you grab leggings and a sports bra, you aren't actually planning on working out but instead need a casual outfit to lounge in or run errands. This pick from Alo Yoga is the ideal lounging sports bra. It's made with ultra soft, stretchy fabric that has a chic front ruching detail for a stylish touch. The longline silhouette hits right at your waist with a V-neckline, flattering for smaller chests.

This bra is fully machine washable and dryer safe for easy care with no pads to take out either. It stayed in great condition after multiple cycles with no noticeable shrinkage. Testers raved about this bra's "unique style," loving "the somewhat sexy low neckline. This would be really cute to wear as a workout top with high-waisted leggings." All testers agreed that this bra is best suited for low-impact exercise or just wearing it as a top!

Perfect for low-impact exercise like yoga where you won’t need as much support, this Lululemon style has a smooth, stretchy fabric with thin straps and a Y-back — i.e. even more minimal than a racerback — so you can comfortably move between poses. There’s no wire, so it’ll feel less restricting, but it has removable cups that you can keep in if you want the extra shaping benefits.

It's made with Lululemon's signature Nulu fabric that's often used in the brand's yoga leggings and feels both lightweight and buttery smooth. This fabric has stood up to our performance evaluations, especially for its opacity and sweat-wicking capabilities. It’s designed for A to C cups, but reviewers ranging from A to DD all say it’s a favorite (though some recommend sizing up).

Offering an impressive size range from XXS to 6XL, this sports bra from Girlfriend uses recycled plastic water bottles (RPET) and spandex to create the brand's signature comfy, compressive fabric. It has a racerback design that's designed for medium impact exercise.

Testers with both small and large chests agree that this bra offers the ideal combination of comfort and support. "Because I have a larger chest, it is really tough for me to find a sports bra that is supportive and I feel confident in and I fell in love with this one," raved one tester. Another said, "it’s the most comfortable sports bra I’ve ever tried." In the Lab, it washed beautifully with no noticeable changes in appearance or shrinkage (note that this style is hang-dry only). The material did not wick away moisture as well as other styles, so it's better suited for less sweaty workouts.

Designed specifically to minimize breast movement, this high-impact bra is ideal for runners and anyone who has a larger bust. It has unique ladder straps, which means it's designed with slots that allow wearers to adjust without losing support. It has excellent features like molded cups to separate and encapsulate and a seamless and breathable fabric to prevent chafing.

It's designed to reduce bounce and testers agreed, loving Knix catalyst bras for the amazing support. "I love that it has the adjustable bands around your rib cage — a rare find in sports bras and wonderful for someone with a smaller frame but bigger chest," raved one tester. GH pros tested the front zip version of this bra, but most testers preferred not having a front zipper as they feared it would come undone. The sizing works a little differently with this pick so make sure to check the chart, but it’s designed for 32A through 42F.