Patagonia Active Mesh Bra

These are divinely comfortable- got two on sale, and ended up buying another when it went on sale. These likely do not have enough support for bigger chested calls (if you look at the specs, it DOES say these are meant for A/B cups) but I am a 32C and it is enough support for my small-medium chest. PLEASE NOTE- the sizing on these *does* run pretty weird. I initially bought a medium and ended up returning for a large, as I am tall and broad shouldered, and didn't much care for the "squished armpit fat" effect that the medium gave me. I'm not really sure WHO a small would fit (a child, perhaps?) but I'd say if you are tiny (32A, maybe 32B), a medium will probably fit you and if you are anything bigger (34A, 34B, 32C) you should go with the large. I have a tiny ribcage and the large is NOT too big around for me. I suspect that if my chest were to suddenly grow a size overnight, this would still fit just fine, although I don't know that it would provide support for hard impact activities.

I've played soccer for 20 years wearing "standard" athletic bras, which are generally not very stylish, so I appreciate the cute v-shaped straps on the back, as well as the cute patterns this comes in. And, while the material feels thicker than some other sports bras, this is because it is double layered- which I also appreciate because it keeps my nips from being obvious, while other athletic bras don't always! (Sorry... inappropriate, perhaps, but truly a plus so had to be mentioned!) The back is quite open and airy because of the cut, so you don't feel suffocated by the material, and it is excellent at wicking away moisture.

Just for reference, I bought a small in the Patagonia Active Sport 24-7 Bra (A-B) and that felt looser/less supportive than the large in this bra. That one does have much thinner fabric, if that is a concern for you with the Active Mesh (for me, the thin fabric/lack of support makes it unwearable for anything except walking, really).

Sports bras generally bug me - the discomfort, smushed feeling they give is less than desirable. But hiking in normal bras....not so good either. So I bought this one. I bought a medium, which mostly fits correctly. The waistband is a little loose, but the rest of the bra fits perfectly. I'm especially pleased with the strap length. I'm a 32B which is kind of a rare size. My main complaint is that I really wish sports bras would be sized more like normal bras. Yes there isn't a "cup" but you can have a small waist and a larger chest.

POSITIVE: I was a little worried about the looseness. But I went hiking using this bra for the first time last weekend and it worked great. Usually bras are irritating - but this one I didn't even notice. I was crawling over some rocks and realized what an amazing job it was doing and how comfortable and breathable it felt. I will probably buy this bra again and suggest it to friends who have the same comfort issues. I'm hoping the bra won't stretch out and will stand the test of time.

I was skeptic the first time I tried this bra out. I'm not very big (5'4'' 125lbs) but have big boobs (30 DD). Needless to say I have big problems finding bras and sports bras. If the girls fit in the bra it is not tight enough around my back and if it's tight enough there is not enough fabric in the front. Now, I never expected this bra to be something I could do high or even medium impact sports in and I can't. But it is so comfortable you barely know you are wearing a bra and support is good enough for low impact like climbing or just walking or chillin around the house. I got the medium and it actually works. Again it could be tighter around my back, but it is enough for low impact and even when I raise my arms it doesn't ride up under my boobs. I have two and they are cute too so if the show under tanks or tees , no problem! :)

... I'm buying two more today. Although this seems to confuse the sizing issues other reviewers have mentioned even more, I got the medium and it fits me great, even though I'm 5'1", 34B, 122lbs (yeah, I'm a bit "stockier" than most of the ladies who are brave enough to put their sizes out here, but hopefully the info will help someone else determine their size). I wear mine to climb in and LOVE it. It moves with me but stays put around my rib cage and doesn't ride up under the girls like all the other bras do. I don't know if it would be supportive enough to run in, but for climbing, it rocks... no pun intended. The only down side is that I still get the unaboob with this bra. That said, I haven't found a solution to that in a non-separated cups sports bra yet, so I'm not going to worry about it. Definitely recommended, especially at such a great sale price.

I have tried so many sports bras. I'm like a 34b, and I bought one of these Patagonia Active Mesh Bra's one or two years ago and since then..well I have like 5 now. The wicking is 100% fantastic. I use them for climbing, training/gym, running, river trips, ice climbing, mountaineering, travel, you name it. They dry fast, wear very comfortably, and look great. The only con is the uniboob effect but who care's when you're out there doin it, and I usually choose a more relaxed sports bra for hanging around camp, etc. I mean, these are comfortable but I do get an XS vs a S which is tight for 34b but it's great for high impact sports. Maybe do a size that fits for comfort, one size down for a solid fight like when you don't want them going anywhere.