Reducing Jiggle By Up To 74% (Shock Absorber Sports Bra B102)

Member Name: wigglylittleworm

Product:	Shock Absorber Sports Bra B102
Date:	14/06/09 (245 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Supports breasts when exercising, nice soft fabric

Disadvantages: Sweat pools in elastic, shoulder straps could be wider

I recently experienced some breast pain and after a trip to the doctors to rule out anything sinister we came to the conclusion that my pain was caused by muscle and ligament strain linked to increasing my exercise. During an aerobics class wearing a normal bra my breasts would be jiggling around wildly and it not only made me feel self conscious but the fact that I was experiencing discomfort made me realise that I needed to invest in a good sports bra. A pair of DD cup breasts can weigh up to 15 pounds and having them bounced about stretches the ligaments and can lead to sagging as well as pain.


I made my way to the Playtex shop in Sterling Mills Designer Outlet where I had seen sports bras on sale before. The main brand for sale was Shock Absorber and I grabbed a number of styles and sizes and headed to the changing room to compare them and ended up choosing style B102, their classic sports bra. The bra fits very snugly and I had to buy a bigger size than I normally do so I would recommend buying from a real shop rather than online if possible so you can make sure you buy the correct size, even within the shock absorber brand I found that I took different sizes in different styles. Buying from a specialist lingerie shop would be even better as the assistants can measure you and advise you on what styles will suit your shape and the type of exercise you do. This bra normally retails between £25 and £28 so I got a real bargain by buying it from an outlet shop for just £12.

When choosing a sports bra it is important to get the correct level of support for your breast size and level of activity. I wear a DD cup and doing aerobics meant that I needed to choose a level 3 sports bra which offered a high level of support. Many sports bras work by squashing the breasts and only limit movement in one direction but buying a bra with separate moulded cups stops movement in all directions.

When I wear the bra it feels very comfortable, it felt odd the first time I wore it as the straps are so wide at the side that they almost come right up to my armpit. I feel a bit matronly when I wear the bra though, my breasts sit very high on my chest and look slightly pointed; this is not a bra that is going to give you a fabulous cleavage so you certainly won't wont to wear it on a big night out. The bra itself is made from coolmax which feels very soft and importantly the seams inside the cups are also very soft so will not cause chaffing in the nipple area. The elastic stretches a lot less in this bra than other brands which is one of the ways that it provides support and the strap around the body is extra wide. The one area of the bra which I feel lets it down are the relatively narrow shoulder straps as I feel if they had been wider they would provide more support especially for those with a larger chest and they can dig into my shoulders when I have been wearing the bra for a long time.


Shock Absorber claim that their bras reduce breast movement by up to 74% compared with only 38% for normal bras. I obviously have not measured the difference myself but when I am exercising I really notice a huge difference when wearing my shock absorber compared to my normal bra. My breasts do not move around nearly so much when I'm moving around and I don't feel that wearing the bra restricts my movement in any way even when exercising the muscles in the chest and back area. The coolmax fabric is designed to draw sweat away from the body and this really works in the cup area but the sweat instead seems to pool in the elasticated band that goes round my body which is always soaking when I have finished exercising and feels horrible and means that I want to change into a fresh bra. I have noticed a big difference in the pain I had been experiencing and I am sure this is due to the fact that my chest is properly supported now and I feel a lot less self conscious about exercising as I'm not worrying about my chest bouncing around uncontrollably any more.

It is recommended that you change your sports bra after a year or 100 uses to ensure that you are being well supported. I have washed the bra probably about 20 times now and I'm pleased that so far it looks as good as new and feels as supportive as it did the first time I wore it. I like the fact that I can just throw it into the washing machine on a cool wash and that it dries quickly.


I'm pleased with my Shock Absorber bra as it has performed well in keeping me supported during exercise and when I come round to replacing it I will definitely be buying from this brand again. The downsides of the bra are minor compared to the positive benefits that it brings. The bra is available from a 28D to a 44F so the majority of women will be able to find the bra in their size and I believe that investing in a quality sports bra is money well spent.

Summary: A good sports bra is a good investment.