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Reviews > Clothing > Base Layers and Undies > My Inspire Wear Sports Bra > Test Report by Lori Pontious

My Inspire Sports Bra
Test Series by Lori Pontious

INITIAL REPORT - March 2, 2012
FIELD REPORT - May 15, 2012
LONG TERM REPORT - July 17, 2012


Tester Information

NAME: Lori Pontious
EMAIL: lori.pontious (at) gmail.com
AGE: 45
LOCATION: Fresno County, California, USA
GENDER: F
HEIGHT: 5'7" (1.7 m)
WEIGHT: 165 lb (75 kg)

I've backpacked, camped and fished all over the lower 48 states with my family as a kid, and then life happened. I've restarted these activities about four years ago - I dayhike or backpack 2-6 times a month. I am between light and ultralight. I have a hammock system and own a Tarptent. My base weight depends upon season and where I go.


Product Information


Manufacturer: My Inspire
Manufacturer URL: www.myinspirewear.com
Listed Weight: not listed
Actual Weight: 3.1 oz (88 g)
Color: purple
Size: medium
Sizes Available: small, medium, large, XL, XXL
Colors Available: black, white, purple, pink
Material: 67% bamboo, 28% organic cotton, 5% Spandex
MSRP:
$29.99


Initial Report

Product Description

The My Inspire Sports Bra (hereafter "the bra") arrived in a clear plastic box in new condition, with no visible flaw in the seams. The bra is a racerback with no tags, and can be worn on its own or under clothing for low to medium impact sports.

IMAGE 1

The bra has no snaps, hooks or other fasteners and must be pulled on over my head. The bra is advertised as being moisture wicking, hypoallergenic, naturally antibacterial and UV resistant. The fabric is soft against my skin. It fits me without binding or constricting. There are no abrasive seams.

My initial impressions after trying it are that it's one of the more comfortable bras I've tried. I appreciate that the My Inspire line is Eco-friendly and made of a bamboo-cotton blend - I like cotton, but it doesn't wick moisture as well as other fabrics. The bra doesn't feel as though it will cut into my flesh under my breasts the way some bras have done in the past. I like that I received the purple "achieve" bra - I have some achievements planned for this year.

FIELD REPORT

Field Conditions

Henry Coe State Park, California, USA, March 2 - 4. Temperature Range: 38 - 70 F (3 - 21 C)

Hite Cove Trail, Sierra National Forest, California, USA, April 8. Temperature Range: 70 - 80 F (21 - 27 C)

Pinnacles National Monument, Paicines, California, USA, April 27 - 28. Temperature Range: 45 - 75 F (7 - 24 C)

Laurel Lake, Yosemite National Park, California, USA, May 5 - 6. Temperature Range: 45 - 80 F (7 - 27 C)

Mist Trail, cross country hiking and climbing, Yosemite National Park, California, USA. Temperature Range: 45 - 85 F (7 - 29 C)

Field Report

I wore the bra on the above trips, as well as two search and rescue trainings and one fishing trip. I have used the bra only under garments. I also wore it when I went dancing one night with friends and took it climbing.

I have no issues with the comfort of the bra - it has never been binding or chafed in any way. I've had a little difficulty getting it on and off, but no more so than any other athletic bra I've tried. It's just right - it hasn't loosened, bunched or sagged since I started wearing it. It gives me just the right amount of support while I'm active. I really like wearing it - I forget that I am wearing it, and I've worn it continuously for three days straight on one trip to Henry Coe.

Odor hasn't been an issue with the bra. I haven't noticed any lingering smell at any point. This is pretty impressive; I sweat a lot, especially as the temperatures rise.

What has been an issue for me was the way the bra stayed damp after a day of hiking. I had to remove it while camping or backpacking and getting ready for the night. I tried to wear the bra to bed. However, when it got colder at night, I found that the damp bra was causing me to feel cold until I removed it. On one outing I removed the bra when we set up camp, and draped it over the peak of the tent in the late afternoon sun to dry. It was still damp at bedtime. The worst example of this was my first outing to Henry Coe, when I was hiking in the continuous rain on the second day and wearing a rain jacket. With the jacket on, climbing steep hills, I sweated harder than ever and both bra and shirt were soaked. I had to remove both and put on a dry shirt in camp. The shirt dried overnight; the bra was still quite wet in the morning. I could wear the bra to bed and be comfortable, if not for this. I think this may be a combination of the thickness of the material and my copious sweating. It doesn't seem to matter that it's cold or that I'm not working that hard. My body seems to want to convince me I am really active and wets out the bra.

The bra appears to be pretty durable. I've really worked the seams getting it on and off. Sometimes I am a little nervous about the way I stretch it while pulling it over my head, but it remains the same as when I got it. The color is not fading, and I am still "achieving" in letters as bold as when it was new.

LONG TERM REPORT

Field Conditions

Kaiser Peak Loop, Sierra National Forest, California, USA, June 10. Temperature Range: 65 - 80 F (18 - 27 C)

Jennie Lake, California, USA, June 2 - 3. Temperature Range: 40 - 75 F (4 - 24 C)

Ostrander Lake, Yosemite National Park, California, USA, June 29 - July 1. Temperature Range: 45 - 80 F (7 - 27 C)

Long Term Report

For the past couple of months, I continued to enjoy wearing the bra. It's still very comfortable, and unless I soak it during the day (either by perspiring or by swimming), easy to sleep in. I particularly like that it manages to provide adequate support while being so comfortable.

I've worn the bra on numerous day hikes in addition to the above trips. It's no problem spending a long day with the bra on; hiking the Kaiser Peak loop trail took most of the day and the GPS had us at 14 miles (22 kilometers) by the time we reached the cars. It was a sunny day, warm in the afternoon, and we were a well-matched group for pacing, so we were hiking at a good brisk rate without many breaks. The bra as usual did not make its presence known in any way - just what I would want from a sports bra.

Summary:

The My Inspire Sports Bra has inspired me to strive to find more comfortable underwear. I had given up on ever finding the magical brassiere that would accomplish the seemingly-impossible task of providing support while being comfortable enough to wear day in and day out. I wish that it did not get so soaking wet some of the time, but since this is easy to remedy by not wearing it to bed when it's damp, it seems petty to complain about it, considering what a difficult time I've had with finding support and comfort in a single bra. I shall be wearing it for many trips to come, and possibly getting one or two more as well.



Likes:

* Comfortable

* True to size

* No tags

Dislikes:

* Does not dry out very fast

Thanks to My Inspire Wear and BackpackGearTest.org for the opportunity to test the My Inspire Sports Bra. This concludes my review.


Read more gear reviews by Lori Pontious

Reviews > Clothing > Base Layers and Undies > My Inspire Wear Sports Bra > Test Report by Lori Pontious



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