Review~ Freya Active Soft Cup Sports Bra

I have yet to see any reviews for the Freya Active Soft Cup Sports bra. It is the only option Freya has in their active line that goes up to an H in a 28 band. This bra comes in a 32-38C and 28-40 D-H. It is a wire free bra with a support system designed around an inner sling. It is an encapsulating bra, meaning it has two separate cups to keep your breasts separate during high impact activities.  The straps are lightly padded and adjustable. The band is thicker then other sports bras out there currently.

Freya Active Soft Cup Sports Bra set, image from http://www.herroom.com

The photo below is not the best picture of the inner sling, but when it is the same fabric and color it is hard to get a good image. Basically it is a fabric version of an underwire, just wider. It gathers your breasts from the sides and pulls forward to limit the side to side movement of the figure 8 of a bouncing breast while doing high impact activities. The sling is U shaped, so there is no coverage at the top of the bra. The sling is inside the cup, but also extends along the wing to the back band.

The back band and wings are wide and firm fitting. In fact many people find their normal bandsize too tight or uncomfortable. I usually find that I have to wear Freya bras in a 28 on the tightest hook, this I wear on the loosest set of the four sets, and it is tight. There are four hooks and eyes, with four sets each. Given that, I wouldn’t hesitate to order one bandsize up and wear on the next tightest hook if necessary. Also, the band holds firm after several wears so you should not need to move in hooks until the bra starts aging. The fabric is a moisture wicking fabric, so unless you are a very heavy sweater, you’ll be able to wear this a few times before washing.

The biggest complaint with many buyers is the shape of the cup.  It is a three-part cup, but the main seam is right across the front of the breast. The shape of the cup in general is very narrow so a woman with wider breasts or wider implants may not like this sports bra. My husband calls this my Madonna bra because of the shape.

The side view shows just how pointy this bra looks.  If you look carefully you’ll see the end of the inner sling under the fabric.  Just behind that you’ll see the third seam of the cup.  That seam passes along the underside of the breast and does not appear as the same seam type as the one across the front of the breast. You’ll also see the seam where the cup meets the band and the support seam in the wing of the bra.

I won’t lie, I’m not in love with this bra.  It did not make it to a run test.  I did some high impact home work outs and stopped there.  The sling is supportive, but not supportive enough.  I’ll stick to lower impact activities that don’t include running or jumping with this bra.  I’m not a fan of the shape given by this bra, there are other options with a more flattering shape.  So my search for the perfect sports bra continues.

If you are looking for a Freya that provides more support I would stick with the underwire version, but that version also has a pointy shape.  The underwire sizing is a 28D-G and 30-38D-H.  There is a molded cup version available, but it also has no underwire.  It does have a racer back style, one that you don’t see often in band/cup size sports bras.  The molded cup is available in 28D-GG, 30-32D-H, 34-36B-H, 38B-GG, and 40B-G.  I may consider ordering a size down and trying the molded cup, but I’d really like an underwire.

• Posted in: Under wear??
• Tagged: bra fitting, bra fitting with implants, bra reviews, Freya, Freya active, sports bras