![]() Those removable pads serve a purpose in the running world after all. “Removing that cup can give you added capacity when your natural volume is increasing,” Ruckman said. ![]() “Some women want to smooth out their shape, so they’ll use them on one side.”Īlso, our breast size often changes depending on the time of the month. “We haven’t ever met a woman whose boobs are perfectly aligned,” she said. We’re all different.Ī lot of people have two different sized breasts, and having the option to pad one side might make a runner more comfortable. RELATED: 20 Sports Bras Runners Swear By 4. “How you wash your bras, what else is in the load, and what cycle you’re using will all change the outcome,” Ruckman said. It’s not a perfect design, but the tests revealed it worked better than most. Brooks, for example, has started manufacturing a foldover opening and tested the washing process to see how it holds up. So, if you’re purchasing a bra with removable pads, look for one that has a big enough opening to make it easier to assemble, but also designed to keep them in place during the wash. “In addition, the women who hate them also say getting the cups in and out is a high point of frustration,” she said. “Women ultimately highly dislike removable cups because they fold up, they get lost in the wash, they can’t keep track of one-it’s like the ‘Lost Sock Monster,’” Ruckman said.Īnd while the nipples might be covered, depending on the size and tissue makeup of your breasts, the removable pad creates other uncomfortable seam lines showing through, like rings or triangles. The makers of these bras know that the design isn’t flawless. It’s still true that we get frustrated with the removable pads on laundry day. ![]() “When it comes to sport, a lot of women related padding to a sense of safety and less attention being drawn to them,” Ruckman said. Most of us grew up thinking of “padded bras” as devices to make our boobs look bigger, but that’s not actually why sports apparel makers started producing padded running bras. “Most women who wanted coverage talked about not wanting padding or extra bulk, but a reduction of attention by not having their nipples showing.” “We have lovely triggers in our bodies and hormones that change nips showing when it’s cooler out or after you’re sitting in your sweat after a run,” Ruckman said. On a colder day? They go back in the bra to cover the nipples (we recognize the “free the nipple” movement, too, but we aren’t all there yet). The biggest reason women choose to use the pad or not? The weather. Women choose bras with removable cups because their needs change from day to day. “We have 10 different bras in our product line-out of those 10, we have two that have removable cups…when you think about 20 percent of our line having removable cups, that statistic for us seems pretty low, but it’s also very aligned to the women’s preference on removable cups.” 2. “There are so many parts of a bra that are preference driven,” Ruckman said. Different size women (who run different mileage) want different features when it comes to their bras-different band widths, different cups and compression, different padding. I mean, go figure-we shouldn’t rely on Twitter to give us the complete picture. My anecdotal evidence doesn’t hold up to the focus groups and other evidence that the industry relies on to create product lines. The research says enough of the market wants running bras with removable pads. It turns out there are four very good reasons manufacturers still include removable pads in their bras. Julianne Ruckman, senior manager of apparel/run bra product line management, gave me an education on all the reasons why running bras with removable pads exist. Actually, I decided to call my friends at Brooks to find out why on earth the entire athletic industry has conspired against all people who wear bras. Does anyone ever take them out on purpose? Would someone ever need to adjust the pad? So many questions…” replied Jonathan Kisch. “As a husband who does the laundry, I’ve never understood why they are removable. It seemed like everybody had something to say-even men. And I quickly realized I was not the only one who had so many questions (and opinions) about padded running bras. Do I toss them in the trash so they can live forever in a landfill? Do I repurpose them somehow? Why do they exist in the first place?Īs any angry woman does in 2021, I tweeted about it. They pile up in the closet and I lament the waste. Usually I take those pads right out after buying a new bra. Who thought removable pads were a good idea?! ![]() As I was gathering a bunch of running bras, I was frustrated that I had to take the time to put them back together. I had a day to unpack from one trip, do my laundry, and pack for the next trip. Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! ![]()
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