Zensah Running Bra Review

Aaah, the quest for the holy grail of sport’s bras is one that every runner girl has embarked upon.  There is such a delicate balance between finding one that fits “just right”…not too tight, not too loose but JUST right.  When I got into running a couple years ago, I still had my sport’s bras from high school.  I won’t even tell you how long ago that was and even worse, the condition they were in.  Embarrassed to admit that I have held onto one lone high school sport’s memory…I actually wore it the other day in protest to the ones I had been wearing.

Until recently,  I’ve worn Moving Comfort’s Alexis sport’s bra…stocked up with four of them and now I’m realizing it’s time to move on.  They’re just not doing it for me–I mean, “mah gurlz”.  I won’t go into every detail about the Alexis but for the sake of the review, I’ll do some comparing.

My current gripes with the Alexis are chaffing around the torso and the permanent, sewn in pads that don’t wick well enough in the warmer months.   The longer I ran, the worse the chaffing became, to the point that I had to take a few days rest in-between just to heal up!  The sewn in pads were nice if the bra didn’t need to be functional but they became (grossy alert) so heavy with sweat that the bra became uncomfortable.

So, when the opportunity to review the new “running bra” by Zensah came up, I jumped at the chance.  Even before trying on Zensah’s Running Bra, I was tickled.  Why, you ask?  BECAUSE IT’S PINK!  Why else?  BECAUSE I ALREADY HAVE PINK ZENSAH CALF SLEEVES.  Result!   I am all about matchy matchy.

As for the functionality of the running bra…I give it an A+.  Initially I was worried that it would be too loose, not lending enough support.  Going on, it didn’t feel tight anywhere and I’m used to such a compressed fit with other bras, I thought for sure I’d be “bouncing around”.  Not the case.  The back & shoulders are made of an almost waffly material that has a good amount of give–but only when pressure is applied.   It’s very springy and almost snaps back into its place.  The gathering in the center gave just enough support that “nothing” crossed the midline.  Ugh, such a touchy subject…

Best part…NO CHAFFING.  When I run, I.SWEAT.A.LOT.  I had no issues with the bra collecting sweat in the “cups” and no issues with any rubbing or hot spots.  This bra is super, super comfortable and one less thing to worry about during a run.  Many times I find myself fussing with my bra during a run, having to tug at it in certain places or pull it down if it has ridden up.  I didn’t have any such issue with the Zensah running bra.  It stayed in place, while holding everything in its place.  One last plus for this bra:  It’s affordable.  It seems to be middle of the road as far as sport’s bra pricing goes but above par when it comes to quality and comfort.

The only things I’d change about this bra have nothing to do with comfort or quality.  First, there are only two sizes:  S/M and M/L.  I’d love to see additional sizing: XS/S, M/L, XL.  My second recommendation would be to have a small slit for a removable insert.  It *is* double lined, which is really nice but not every girl wants the world to know when she’s cold…Last but not least, I’d love to see the dye lots match the calf sleeves.  I’m always looking for race day outfits and to have the calf sleeves match the sport’s bra would be awesomesauce.

Thanks to Zensah for providing me with a running bra to review.  If you haven’t given their incredible products a try, it’s time. Use the code JENNY20 before May 13, 2011 to get 20% off your running bra order.

About Jenny J.

Until 2 1/2 years ago, I swore I’d never be a runner and was even more adamant about never running a marathon.  Those were for crazy people.  I’ve learned never to say never and have since run 18 races with indefinitely more on the horizon.  It started with me watching a friend finish her first marathon.  Overcome with emotion for something I wasn’t even participating in, I was hooked.  Training started immediately and five months later, I was running my first half.   In another five months, that half turned into a full and I haven’t looked back.   Since then, I’ve run just about every distance from a 5k to most recently, a 50k.  Four marathons, two of them qualifying me for Boston, four half marathons, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30k’s, a 197 mile, 12-man Ragnar team relay, pacing a buddy for his 100-miler…the racing hasn’t slowed down and unless I’m unable to, it never will.   As a wife and mom to three kids, finding time to train isn’t always easy but with an understanding family and super early wake-up calls, it’s possible.  We make time for what we love.  A huge part of my improvement this year was due to dailymile.  A year ago I joined the site to log my miles and have found so much more.  What an incredible community of athletes where I have found friendships, encouragement and motivation.   I may not ever win a race, but I run for the joy of it and I will always strive to be my best.