2 min readPrice: $49
The right bra for: A/B-cup runners who crave cozy softness
Often, smaller-chested runners believe that they don’t need a lot of support in a sports bra, so they wear pretty much anything. And while it’s true—needing less support means you have more flexibility in the bra you choose—it doesn’t mean you have to settle for a low-quality option. There are also benefits to higher-end options like Patagonia's super-comfortable Switchback.
Support in the Switchback
The Switchback provides the best running support for A/B cups, but does a great job for larger cup sizes on lower intensity cross-training days—think cycling and yoga. The bra’s spandex-polyester fabric makes it lightly compressive, which helps deliver support in combination with its mesh cross-back straps. Plus, the quick-drying bust band fits strong and snug, eliminating any slipping out of the bottom.
How the Switchback Feels
Hands down, the best thing you’ll find in the Switchback is comfort. The bra’s fabric is ultra soft, lined with silky mesh, and fully stitched with Fair Trade Certified sewing. It wicks moisture fast to stand up to your sweatiest runs and rides, and uses Patagonia’s Polygiene technology to keep odor at bay for hours. You'll end up wearing it for your daily workout, and leaving it on for that post-run afternoon snooze. Plus, the open, airy cross-back design makes it easy to forget you’ve even got it on.
Test Impressions
There's a lot to like about the Switchback. The soft material, odor-fighting properties, great moisture wicking. It all adds up to an incredibly comfortable bra and our test wearers overwhelming pointed to that comfort as the bra's standout feature.
“I wore this bra almost daily for my runs and my cross-training boot camp classes. I absolutely love the comfort,” said one. “[There was] no extra squeezing, no pinching, and the bra just FELT right from the first second I put it on.”
Pros
- Fair Trade Certified materials
- Pajama-like comfort
Cons
- Only supportive enough for low impact activity for large cup sizes
Morgan is a gear editor who has been with Runner’s World since 2017. She started as an intern ghostwriting The Warmup, a bygone version of the daily RW newsletter. Now, she tests and reviews anything you might find on runners’ feet-from crew socks and compression boots to carbon-plated super shoes.
A lifelong runner and shoe geek, Morgan has been chasing the perfect pair of kicks since she joined her grade school cross-country team. Since then, she ran as a Division I walk-on for the cross-country and track & field teams at the University of Delaware, where she studied English and Biology. She has one full marathon under her belt, and has raced more halfs and 5Ks than she can count.
