cheap sleep/leisure bras for small band, big breasts

October 26, 2019 5:49 AM

I wear something in the range of 32DDD/34DD and I'm looking for an affordable sleep/around-the-house bra that will be big enough in the cups and small enough in the band, especially something doesn't create uniboob.

I have great bras that fit for outside the house, but I want something soft and unconstructed for lounging/sleeping when PMS is making my breasts sore. Most sports/leisure/sleep bras are sized only by band size, or small/medium/large, and if I go up to a large enough size to fit my breasts, the band is too big and it's not supportive enough (even to the minimal extent that I want a lounging bra to be.)

I tried a cotton wrap/crossover style bra from Motherhood Maternity (most of these seem to be sold as maternity bras, which is fine with me) which seems like it would be good for not creating uniboob (I don't like the sensation of having my breasts mashed together or touching each other) but the small definitely wasn't big enough and the medium had the problem described above. The brand Kindred Bravely seems to have a similar style that comes in regular and "busty," but $30 for a cotton sleep bra is more than I can spend.

(I asked this on r/ABraThatFits and didn't get many suggestions, unfortunately.)

posted by needs more cowbell to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (18 answers total)

I'm your size. This Natori sports bra is pretty comfy and supportive. This Panache nursing bra was what I slept in while nursing; no underwire and very comfy.
posted by damayanti at 6:03 AM on October 26, 2019

I'm the same size as you. I've either settled for poor fit in a cheap, sized up bra. Or done something like True&Co that is way out of your price range. I need support, and I hear you about cycle fluctuations. Maybe someone else will know the answer.
posted by Kalmya at 6:25 AM on October 26, 2019

Doesn’t meet your price requirement of under $30, but I can highly recommend Decent Exposures Un-Bra for when you’re more flush.
posted by ocherdraco at 6:31 AM on October 26, 2019

I am also 34DD/32DDD and my house/sleep bra preference is anything wireless from Warner's in a 34D. The cups seem to run large, and they meet my requirements for both shape and lounging comfort. They have a cheaper line available at Walmart & Target that's worked for me, or sometimes I can find the higher-end line at a place like Ross's or TJ Maxx - like you, I'm not willing to pay $30 for a house bra.

I also used to have wrap-style sleep bras like the one you linked and had the same experience. The only thing that made them work for me was using the larger size for the cup coverage and then taking them in at the side seams to make the band snug enough to support. I wouldn't buy one specifically to alter it, but it salvaged the non-returnable ones I already had.
posted by Ann Telope at 6:33 AM on October 26, 2019 [1 favorite]

I like the Bali Comfort Revolution bras. They have them at JC Penney's for $21.99 right now.

I've also gotten Fruit of the Loom cotton bras at Walmart, and then cut a slit and pulled out the underwire.

They sell clothing at Dollar General, and I've gotten bras there once in a while, the pullover kind. I had to pin the straps, as they weren't adjustable, but they weren't any worse than a cheap bra from Kmart. Kmart also has one from Hanes called Comfort Revolution. Pretty sure Walmart would have that as well, if you need to try it on first.
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 6:44 AM on October 26, 2019 [1 favorite]

Oh! Didn't add, for the "cheap" bit: Nordstrom Rack, and ebay. Both of the styles I linked to above were last year models, so it's relatively easy to find stuff in the $15-20 range on Ebay. This is my general mode of operation for bras: get fitted at Nordstrom, buy one new, search later for cheaper ones, just because "cheap" and "supportive"/ "lasts" are non-overlapping sets.
posted by damayanti at 6:47 AM on October 26, 2019 [4 favorites]

Response by poster: (I do the ebay trick too, which--aside from being somewhat broke--is why I have such a hard time spending the cash on Kindred Bravely or Decent Exposures, which aren't very ebay-able. I've been buying new with tags Wacoals for $30 a piece for years.)
posted by needs more cowbell at 6:52 AM on October 26, 2019 [1 favorite]

So, I’m appx the same size as you, and I’ve had great success with the Auden brand at Target. I’m nursing and didn’t want to shell out $$$ for bras that might only fit for a few months. The no-wire structured nursing bras are good to wear during the day (surprisingly supportive even without wire). I haven’t tried any night bras, but the line is SO cheap you can really try a few and see what works. Next time I need a non-nursing bra I will probably look here first.

Sizing may be a bit inconsistent, but that also might be my nursing changes. Just you many want to buy and try on some sister sizes to find something that works well for you.
posted by kellygrape at 6:54 AM on October 26, 2019 [1 favorite]

A thing I’ve been doing the last few years is to sleep in a tank with support - I’m currently liking the Prana Becksa Tank, sized up so it’s not at compression levels of tightness. It has a shelf bra with removable cups/pads and a 1-inch mesh seam down the center to provide some separation. It’s pretty pricey direct from Prana, but you might find it cheaper elsewhere. Depending on where you are, REI had some colors in stock so I was able to try it on in person.
posted by kittydelsol at 6:58 AM on October 26, 2019 [1 favorite]

This is pricey for what it is, but this is amazingly comfortable, and I don't want to wear my regular bras anymore. It's got just enough support that I wear it out of the house if I'm wearing something loose, and don't feel self-conscious. I'm a 30F/G in UK/EU bras, and the XS in the full cup sizing fits perfectly (true&co has a different set of sizes for non-full cup styles, a bit confusing.) The thing I love about it is that the straps (and band) do not dig in anywhere. It has removable pads that I don't use.
posted by wens at 7:12 AM on October 26, 2019 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: For anyone else following, I just spent awhile being confused on the True & Co site mentioned above until I realized that they don't offer the option to choose between regular and full cup versions until you add the bra to your cart.
posted by needs more cowbell at 8:13 AM on October 26, 2019

As a large breasted person, depending on your boob shape, they might just fall out and lie on each other in the maternity/nursing sleep bras. That's what they did for me.

I also hate the feeling of having my boobs touch and this bra works pretty well for a lounging bra and is generally great in sensory terms--straps that don't move, padded hooks in back, just generally doesn't move. Your boobs are just kinda more strapped down in them, against your body, instead of pushed together.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 8:47 AM on October 26, 2019 [2 favorites]

Also apparently "encapsulation sports bras" are a thing and they apparently keep your boobs separate but I haven't tested any on my big (34F) boobs yet.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 8:50 AM on October 26, 2019

Urgh, true&co made their website even more nonintuitive. It looks like when you click on the size you want, it asks if you want the A-D or DD+ range before you add to cart. The true body lift full cup bra used to be a separate item with separate sizing, which was confusing enough, but at least it had a different name, and the A-D version was in a separate section.
posted by wens at 9:33 AM on October 26, 2019

Yes, I have the Bali bra PhoBWanKenobi linked in medium and it is comfortable to sleep in. It's way too big in the band size, but still offers a bit of protection and support.
posted by Kalmya at 10:25 AM on October 26, 2019

People have different bra needs, I hated being without one at 32FF and I hate being without one at 34D. I don't know why anyone would expect every breast-haver to be a unified monolith of preferences.

I wear crappy front-closure surgical bras to sleep in and when I'm at home, they're like $30 or so, so idk if that fits your version of cheap, OP. I prefer the front closure ones to the smaller hooked ones in the back only because of chronic pain issues (tiny hooks rubbing against my stupid spine, ow) which are less of a problem now but I'm too lazy to buy new bras. The racerback style gets hot in the summer, though, bc it's like wearing a half tank top under your shirt.
posted by poffin boffin at 11:59 AM on October 26, 2019 [1 favorite]

I'd suggest Aerie's wireless bras. I have the Sunnie in a 30D and it's really comfortable, like 90% as comfortable as a sports bra but with the look of having a real bra on. They're very soft and I think as supportive as you need. And they do go up to 32DDD, and very often have some kind of sale on where you can get their bras for like $20-$25. (FWIW, I like their wireless push-ups - it's not vavavoom, it just basically gives you that underwire shape without the discomfort. I think you might not want the push-up because you don't want your breasts getting pushed closer together. But they do have free returns so it's low-risk to try a couple.)
posted by mandanza at 1:45 PM on October 26, 2019

I also came to suggest checking out Aerie. They're one of the only places I've found that have reasonably comfortable bras with small band/ large cup sizes that aren't insanely priced.

These aren't quite as tight in the band as I'd like, but are better than all the similarly-styled bras I've seen in that respect, and are so cheap it might be worth trying. I'd recommend a size large. (The pads are removable.)
posted by metasarah at 7:10 AM on October 28, 2019