A quality sports bra is an absolute must for me when it comes to any form of training. Whilst I know some women get on well with simple compression style sports bras, for me, only a more structured style with defined cups - either a combination or encapsulation sports bra (see our best sports bras page for detail on styles) - will suit.
As a result, refreshing my sports bra wardrobe has become a rather expensive and time consuming project over the course of my progression through pregnancy, postpartum, and into toddler motherhood, with a 15-month old who still shows absolutely no signs of fully weaning.
Not only are sports bras quite pricey, but sports bra shopping with a baby is extremely not-fun. Enter: Boobydoo. The online retailer offered me the chance to test out its at-home sports bra searching service, whereby via a series of extremely helpful video calls and emails, we selected the Freya Active Dynamic as my new favorite piece of workout kit.
Freya Active Dynamic Sports Bra: construction
The Freya Active Dynamic Sports bra is an encapsulation style - which means that it has completely separated and defined cups. Unlike my long term favorite, the Shock Absorber Multi Sport, it doesn’t have an additional layer on top to provide further compression. This means it can be lighter and dry more quickly, which is a bonus when stopping for coffee and slice of cake on a long ride.
The j-hook option, extremely wide and lightly padded straps and wide elastic underband provide plenty of support, without causing discomfort.
Freya has used seam-soft thread to ensure that there’s no friction against the skin, and the fabric is very lightweight, with mesh sections where less support is required.
The brand offers a wide range of sizes and is one of few options that go down to a 28 back size and up to a 40, with cup sizes C to J available.
A plethora of hook-and-eyes on the band mean you're well catered for as the band begins to stretch over time and through washes, my longest lasting version of this bra has been in my collection for a year.
There are also loads of colors and styles to choose from, usually with a new standout design each season.
Freya Active Dynamic Sports Bra: in use
As mentioned, I’ve found I’ve needed to refresh my sports bras repeatedly over the last two years, and have tested this bra in a 28H, 28GG and 28G. A narrow rib cage means the cup sizes sound larger than they are, but I do still need a fair amount of support - and the Freya bra offers this in abundance (FYI, it's not me in the pictures).
I would note that in other sports bra brands - such as Shock Absorber - I've sized up on the brand vs the size I'd wear in a day-to-day bra, but with Freya, I stuck with the same band size.
I’ve used this bra for road cycling, mountain biking, crossfit sessions (everything from handstand practice to double-unders, e.g. skipping), and running. For anything that involves jumping or running, I use the j-hook fastening, and with that in place, there’s zero bounce.
The bra uses a standard hook and eye fastening, so there’s no pulling a sweaty bra over your head and becoming tangled in the straps, as per some compression styles. Whilst, of course, it does get a little damp after a hard workout, it dries quickly - much more so than my former favorite, the Shock Absorber Multi Sport.
It is recommended that this bra is hand washed only. I'm a busy working mum and so, of course, I have not followed this guideline (the only thing hand washed in our lives is a much loved 'Jellycat Bashful Puppy'), instead washing with my other sports kit at 30 degrees. I'm still regularly wearing one of the four Freya Active Dynamic sports bras in my collection, a year on from purchase.
Freya Active Dynamic Sports Bra: value and conclusion
The Freya Active Dynamic Sports Bra comes in at $68 / £34. Whilst this is expensive when compared with standard sports 'crop tops' - which you can often find in sports shops for $25 / £20 - it's a lot cheaper than some of the more specialist options, for UK buyers.
The Shock Absorber Multi Sport retails at $47 / £42, for example, and a more direct comparison - the Shock Absorber Ultimate Run Bra - costs more, at $70 / £50. High impact sports bras in larger cup sizes can be costly, and this option from Freya compares favorably against the competition to UK customers, and is similar for US buyers.
It’s fair to say that the Freya model is now my go-to sports bra, for absolutely any activity. If you like plenty of support, and your exercise regime sees you run and jump as well cycle, I can't recommend it highly enough.
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