There’s nothing worse than an uncomfortable bra. How many days have been ruined by straps that won’t stay up, wires that dig in and fabrics that rub and itch. So, several months ago, the GHI experts set out to find the comfiest, most supportive bras on the high street. And the results validated what we already suspected: wired bras are out and supportive, comfy bralettes are in.
‘Comfort is no longer a nice extra; it’s essential and, importantly, widely available,’ says the GHI’s senior wellness tester, aka queen of bras, Kim Hawley. ‘Of our top five highest-scoring designs, three were bralettes,’ she adds, saying she wasn’t surprised.
‘Women spend long days working, travelling, exercising and generally being held hostage by their clothing, so the last thing they want is a wire digging into their chest for no reason.’ She also points that for women going through perimenopause, increased tenderness and changes to skin sensitivity mean softer fabrics and wire-free designs are essential.
So, where should you go if you want a comfy, wire-free bra? Well, our panel's best-in-test bralette is from Next. And it's a super affordable pick.
Next Non Padded Non Wire Cotton Blend Ultimate Comfort Bras 3 Pack
Next Non Padded Non Wire Cotton Blend Ultimate Comfort Bras 3 Pack
The Non Padded Non Wire Cotton Blend Ultimate Comfort Bras (catchy) are £26 for three and they come in a range of colour combinations, including on-trend cream, pink and brown. They scored 91/100 in our testing (making them the runner-up overall) and panellists loved the feel of the soft cotton fabric against their skin, as well as the moulded feel. They have wide straps that are adjustable and an eye and hook fastening, which means you can also customise the fit (something you can't always do with bralettes). “As someone who hates underwires, I loved these bralettes,” one tester told us.
Kim adds that this adjustability is key to the bralette's popularity. ‘So few women can confidently say what their bra size is, which perhaps isn’t a surprise – hormonal and weight changes can mean shifts in size,’ she says. ‘I think that’s another reason why the bralette is popular – they come in small, medium and so on, so they offer a decent margin for error.’
If you want a more luxe option, our next top scorer was this seamless, non-wired style from Intimissimi.
With a score of 90/100, our testers said it felt ‘like a second skin’. It's buttery soft, seamless (so looks invisible under clothes) and the straps are adjustable for a better fit. The straps can also be crossed at the back for extra support and they come with insertable pads if you want a bit of a boost. Note that our testers did find this bra was better for smaller boobs, which is a challenge with bralettes.
However, if you're looking for a non-wired design for larger boobs, we have found those too.
This Wacoal Non Wired Bra goes up to an E cup and feels 'moderately' supportive, making it a good option for more relaxed days. ‘It’s one of the comfiest bras I've worn in a while,’ said one of our testers. The straps were a little tricky to adjust (meaning it scored slightly lower at 79/100), but once you've got that sorted, it shouldn't be a problem, and it looks smooth under clothes.
Welcome to a wire-free future.
Alison is head of content for the Good Housekeeping Institute, responsible for product reviews across homes, beauty, wellness, family and food & drink. She lives by the William Morris quote that you should “have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.”
Alison has over 15 years' experience as a lifestyle editor and has written features on everything from misophonia to how to dress like Claudia on The Traitors. She has also interviewed everyone from Dame Joanna Lumley to the Kardashians.
In her spare time, you'll find her hanging out with Monty the cocker spaniel and refreshing the Sezane website every five seconds.
