Far from being yet another thing you just throw on, like that much-loved reflective jacket, sports bras are one of the most crucial items of clothing to get right for your workouts.
With prices ranging from £5 to more than £50 it can be hard to know what option is best, so we’ve put some of the latest styles - from high street favourites such as Primark and New Look and sports brands including Adidas and Every Second Counts - to the test.
We challenged women of different ages and sizes to put 11 styles through their paces during 30 minute cardio workouts - running or at the gym - as well as some more chilled yoga.
When shopping for a sports bra it’s important to take note of what type of exercise you’ll be doing and to choose a support level suitable for the activity.
A bra that is labelled as “low impact” is not going to give you the support you need for running or spin. Always try before you buy and jog on the spot or jump up and down in the changing room to make sure your breasts do not feel like they are bouncing.
A sports bra should provide more coverage than a everyday bra to prevent movement, so it’s really important that your breasts are fully covered and you do not have any bulges at the top of the cup or at the underarm area.
To help you decide which is the right one for you, our criteria was anything but basic, with consideration of support, comfort, breathability, practicality and, of course, looks. Click through the gallery below to see what we found: