Reviews: 3 Comfy Wire-free Bras You Can Wear Outside the House

Although comfort is always a priority, I haven't found wire-free bras to necessarily be more comfortable than wired bras. Often, I find that the band - which will be more substantial as it is the main support - can be stiffer and less stretchy; I actually find a constrictive, more rigid band around my body to be less comfortable than most underwire. Of course, that is a personal preference and greatly influenced by shape and body type, skin sensitivity, and other issues. 

I wear wired bras 80% of the time; and 90% of the time for my desk-intensive work day. But for times when I find even soft, flexible underwire isn't comfy - for instance, PMS swelling, or when I'm coming down with a cold - I have found a couple of wire-free bras that I feel OK about actually leaving the house in. This means the shape they provide under clothing is not hideous. No uni-boob; no undefined boob-loaf. 

These are bras that give a reasonable amount of separation (by wire-free standards, of course) and an acceptable amount of lift, and in two cases, quite a good shape. And most important: If you're uncomfortable, and just need something that works - right now - they can be found at your local Wally's, for around $15. Even when you're on the edge of the wilderness, like me.

Just My Size Satin Wirefree Bra

Although the size range is technically only up to a DDD, while the band sizes continue on up into the heavens, in practice, the band runs tight and the cup runs huge. Making this a very viable option for much larger cup sizes. I am a 38GG and I own this in a 40DDD, which actually fits like a 38H. When I buy this again, & I will, because it is indispensable for  certain situations, I will buy it in 40DD. The cup capacity is really that vast. 

What makes it Princess & the Pea friendly?

• Fabric. It is a smooth satin with a lot of stretch. 
• Cup capacity. It can accommodate vast lower fullness, and a lot of upper fullness as well; that diagonal fabric along the top of the cups is very smooth and lies flat, adjusting to full on top boobs really well.
• Straps.  Center-pull and wide, so weight is distributed on your shoulders more evenly. The strap material is not padded or especially soft compared to the satin simplex cup fabric, but it is decent.
• Shape. The diagonal seam on the cup gives surprising lift and a very rounded shape. It also accommodates upper fullness better than other seam shapes and it is not visible under knits. Here is a pix (with my trademark bad photo quality) that shows this really well. You can see that it gives a very nice, rounded shape. And how the top of the cup adjusts to my natural, full-on-top shape:

Compromises:

Separation.  As with the great majority of wire-less bras, you are not going to get much. However, it's better than most because the cups are quite deep. Still, I rearrange a couple of times throughout the day. 

Band.  The seaming/edging on the front underband is not the softest. It's not enough to make it uncomfy for me, but enough to mention as a slight flaw.

When Do I Wear It? Overall, I reach for this bra for travel, or PMS time. It's especially good under knits that don't have open necklines, as it does not cause a boob-tent. As the lift is quite good, it looks nice under clothing.
Size:  40DDD or 40DD

Just My Size Cotton Comfort Bra

This is a very comfortable cotton bra. There is similar sizing leeway as the bra above, however in this case, the band runs even snugger, while the cup is about right. So in this bra, I can actually go up to a 42 band, which fits like a loose 38 or a snug 40.

Comfort Profile:

• Fabric:  It's soft cotton. And seamless. Not easy to find.
• Unstructured:  It's literally a single piece of cotton (with a seam down the center); it resembles a sports bra, but there is depth.
• Band:  Very low sides. Which I like. But some may not. For me, it means zero chance of cutting at the side or underarm. Also, the band has a slightly grippy silicone feel, so it anchors well.
• Straps:  Built-up slightly, but not particularly wide. They do not dig.

Compromises:

Lift.  'Uhhh, what lift?' I hear you asking. Well, there isn't much, as you can see in the pix. But there is lots of bottom cup depth, so your boobs are kept completely away from your chest and encased in nice soft cotton.

Low Sides.  You can't see in the pix, but they are quite low. Not much containment on the side-boob, if you're into that. I enjoy it for the range of motion and tank-top friendliness.

Edging.  You can see that rolled-seam edging that runs along the sides of the cup. That will actually irritate me after quite a few hours, especially if I'm actively moving a lot. 

Non-color.  It only comes in white, of which I am a non-fan.  And it can get grainy-grubby looking. I line dry on the rare sunny days here, so the bleaching effect of the sun helps.

When Do I Wear It?   When I need really free range of motion (those wonderfully low sides) or, it's very hot, or, I need breathable fabric. So, for gardening, or a hot day, or  because I'm recovering from surgery and laying in bed. 
Size:  42DDD

Gemm Microfibre Non-Wired Embroidered Bra

This one you will have to head over to eBay for. I'm not actually certain of where the brand originates. Eastern Europe is my best guess. This also has a very snug band. The 40 fits like my Freya 36s, and the cup runs quite large, so this is another one that, although it stops at a European F cup, in reality, you have a lot of sister-sizing leeway here. 

Comfort Rundown:

• Fabric.  Luscious, buttery-soft microfiber, with a high level of spandex. It feels wonderful on the skin. 
• Cup. Also nice & low sides. Not specifically full-on-top shape friendly, but low enough to allow expansion, and the edge is smooth and stretchy enough for there to be no pillowing.
• Keyhole. It's pretty, but it's actually there to provide ventilation.
• Separation.  For a softcup, it's quite good.

Compromises:

Lift.  Yeah. Pretty much as above. That is not this bra's strong suit. However, it looks fine under clothing.

Band.  The front underband is rigid, non-stretch microfiber. Very soft, but I find it not all that comfy when I'm sitting. It's obviously supposed to add to the support, but because the cups have a lot of stretch, that's a bit pointless. It's enough of a factor that I reach for this bra less often that I otherwise would.

Breathability.  The fabric basically is not breathable. But the low cut, and the keyhole offset this for all but really muggy, humid days. 

When Do I Wear It?   When I will mostly be doing a lot of standing or walking. For sitting a desk, or long drives or plane rides, I find it less comfy than I need, due solely to the underband issue.
Size:  40F