Best sports bras for running: 11 tried and tested running bras

The Accelerate Bra is a high-support running bra that’s designed to offer breathability and comfort. It has a stylish horseshoe neckline design, which transitions into slim cross-straps at the back that glide easily when adjusted.

The built-in cups are an assuring fit, with padding that moulds really well to your shape. Coupled with a comfortable lower band, this is a bra that offers very good support. The bra's easy to get on, with a pull-on design that offers plenty of flex.

The material is moisture-wicking, with a breathable mesh panel that looks very elegant. The mesh material feels soft and of high quality. I feel confident running in this bra, it’s an accurate fit, super comfortable, and attractive.

The Decathlon Kalenji Classic Running Bra may just look like your basic, run of the mill sport bra, but therein lies the beauty. This was one of our favourite bras to test, ever. It’s clear that Decathlon has designed the Kalenji for function, with its clean lines and comfort-focussed features, but we also grew to really like the style and shape of this running bra.

First off, this sports bra has no underwiring, with instead a relatively thick underband sitting gently against the skin. Further support is added in the thick straps, which have a slight injection of padding and again, feel nice and soft against the skin. It’s flattering how wide-set these are, with the option to clasp the two metal adjusters at the back for a choice of either racerback or scoop back.

When it comes to the cups, there’s padding built into each, with some nice discreet sculpting going on. The bra is relatively high coverage, and feels sturdy with flat seams minimising risk of chafe. Breathability is maximised via a wide mesh central panel and rear close-knit mesh on the back.

While running, the Kalenji feels supremely comfy and light. The padding and comfort features are spot on, without being bulky, and the bra’s adjustability meant we were able to achieve just the right fit.

In terms of support, it offers a medium level, and for this reason it’d best suit A to C cups for running, and all sizes for less high-impact sports. We particularly like how it can double up as an everyday t-shirt bra. For a sub-£15, you can’t get much better value.

If you’re a fan of going sports bra-only when running, or like to don a crop top in the hotter months, the Hoka Elaro Crop Bra could be up your street. The Elaro is a crop top with in-built sports bra, designed with removable cups and an under-bust band to offer a medium level of support when running.

The top’s designed to curve down around the stomach and then dip up at the back, which has stylish racer-back straps. The neckline is fairly high, offering good coverage. While the pull-on bra isn’t adjustable, it still offers a nice level of support while running, with cups that are removable to make the top extra versatile.

The Runderwear Energize Bra is a classic. We’ve run in several generations of the Energize and it delivers every time. For a brand centred around running underwear, we of course had high hopes for the Energize. Designed to be lightweight yet strong, the Energize is a wireless sports bra with a racerback design that’s adjustable via rear eyelet hooks. 

Made with 76% recycled materials, the fabric used is wicking and kind to the skin. The underband has a slight injection of padding, with the main cups having no padded inserts, but rather a sculpted fit with well-shaped material.

We’d recommend using Runderwear’s bra size finder to get the right fit, as they use different measurements for their sizes that seem to align to two cup sizes larger than standard. For example, a regular-sized 34A would fit a 34C in Runderwear sizing. 

Granted, it’s not the prettiest bra of the lot. But the Energize covers all bases when it comes to a well-fitting bra for support up to a C cup. They also make the Power Bra, a high-support running bra with a higher neckline to further reduce bounce, which we’ve tested here.

It’s immediately obvious when you slip on the Under Armour Uplift High Sports Bra, that it’s made differently to your average bra. The sculpting in the non-wired cups stands out, with the foam of the cups being built-in, rather than in the form of inserts. This adds some extra bulk and width to the chest, while at the same time sculpting and shaping.

At the rear, the chest band meets in a wide strap with eyelet hooks for adjustability, a cut-out for extra ventilation, then a racerback leaving the shoulders free. The length of the straps is front-adjustable, which makes finding the right fit super easy. Some reviews have mentioned these loosening on the go, but this wasn’t our experience.

Breathability is boosted as much as possible with aeration holes along the back, and at the sides. The Uplight provides good coverage and sculpting, with medium to high level of support while running. It’s true to size, and made from 77% recycled polyester.

The Energy Bra is a high support running bra that’s designed to provide a comfortable and functional fit. The first thing you’ll notice about this bra is that you need to fiddle around with the adjustable straps to slide into it comfortably. It’s a tight fit that’s only made more confusing by the cross straps at the back that easily get tangled – but once you’re in the hold is good.

The back clasp is easy to secure, which means you can take the bra on and off without a struggle. While in motion, the foam cups of the bra sit comfortably and are very true to size. They contribute nicely to the sleek look of the bra. However, the same cannot be said for the lower band as it shifts a lot during high-intensity exercise and doesn’t offer the high support you’d expect.

Overall, the Energy Bra is certainly high support and suitable for running even for those with larger chests, we’d just do away with the unnecessarily complicated back strap design!

The Salomon Cross Run Bra is designed to be comfortable and ventilated for running. Best suited to those with smaller busts, the Cross Run has a simple front design with no padding, instead there's stretchy material intended to offer enough support while running.

The Cross Run gets its name from its rear straps, which consist of two layers of racerback straps, one of which is in mesh. This translates to a good deal of support, while allowing a wide range of movement in the shoulder blades and lots of ventilation. The Cross Run is a pull-on bra with a good amount of elastane for stretch, however it can be a bit of a struggle to pull off after a workout - especially when you’re tired.

While running, we found the Cross Run a pleasure to wear with the wide chest strap comfortable and chafe-free against the skin. It certainly offers less support than the likes of the Asics Accelerate for example, but not everyone needs max padding and support. The semi-high neckline and scoop style is flattering and offers good coverage.

The Hoka Hupana Sports Bra is a simple, pull-on running bra which offers a medium level of support. The Hupana has a racerback style with cut-out on the back for extra ventilation. Made from 75% recycled polyester with 25% lycra, the Hupana is eco-conscious and has a good amount of stretch so it’s easy to pull on and go.

Material used is thin and breathable, it’s padded so has less structure than others on test. We've been wearing the Hupana for two years now and it's a favourite for a fuss-free bra. The build and support offered is best suited to smaller chests.

The Align Bra from North Face is a high-neck, long-line sports bra that can also double up as a sports crop top. The sporty design includes flattering dual-colour panelling, with a racerback and large rear cut-out for extra ventilation. Size S fits a 34A/UK8 size well, feeling snug enough to offer support while running.

The North Face have used a durable, FlashDry-XD technology in the stretch-woven fabric, which is highly breathable and wicks away sweat well while running. The stretch in the fabric ensures a snug and semi-compressive fit. The Align would best suit A and B cups.

The first thing you notice with the Anita Active Performance Sports Bra is the thing and lightweight material, which is covered in hundreds of small ventilation holes on the outside and breathable mesh on the inner. The bra is structured in panels without involving any padding, giving a good shape to the design while not compromising on comfort, or feeling bulky.

We like the simple back-fasten design, which is easy to put on and off and secures well via the three-strong eyelet hooks at the back. It's stretchy in all the right places and the underband, though relatively thin, is comfortable against the skin.

The Ronhill Seamless Bra is a vest-style knit running bra which offers seamless support. It’s a pull-on design, with removable pads in the cups so that you can choose how you’d like to wear it.

We're more of a fan of built-in cups which don’t get lost in the wash, but with the length of this bra, the cups can be removed and it worn as a crop-top if desired. The racer back has a cut-out for extra ventilation and is made from a wicking, polyester-nylon knit.

For running, the Seamless Bra offers a low to medium level of support, and this is where it’s important to get the right fit to ensure it’s snug and supportive. This bra would be ideal for those with A to B cup size, who are looking for a comfortable and no-fuss sports bra.