Calvin Klein Performance Reversible Medium Impact Sports Bra Review
This bra is super-comfortable—provided you don't move around too much
Calvin Klein Women's Performance Moisture Wicking Medium Impact Sports Bra
By Angela Lashbrook
Price: $19.75 to $53
Where to buy: Amazon, Zappos, Macy’s, Walmart
Size range: XS to XXL
Style: Compression
Adjustable straps: No
Adjustable band: No
Straps style: Racerback
Other features: Reversible
When I put this bra on, I was shocked that it is listed as “medium impact.” While it’s certainly comfortable—I’ll be spending plenty of time hanging around the house in this—it will not offer support for medium-impact activities for anyone bigger than a B or C cup.
To its credit, it has less spandex than many of the lower-support bras we tried for this story, but nevertheless, it’s still pretty stretchy; my 30DD bust felt like it weighed heavily in this bra, instead of feeling lifted and supported the way it is in a proper medium-impact bra. I did vinyasa yoga in this bra, and because it has full coverage, I experienced no spillage and therefore found it comfortable for that exercise. During power yoga and HIIT, however, I experienced some bouncing. When I had to run down the stairs to get a package, well, forget it. I may as well have been wearing no bra at all.
Small busts, though, may find this bra comfortable and a good option for medium-impact activities. One evaluator, a 32A, really liked this bra for her BodyRok workout class. “I felt like I looked hot in it,” she says. Just don’t put it in the dryer—this evaluator did and says her bra shrank dramatically and no longer fits as comfortably as it did when she first got it.
Though the bra listings proclaim its fabric-wicking capabilities, one of our evaluators noted that it has “zero wicking,” so this might not be a comfortable choice for summer workouts. It comes in only a handful of colors, but it is reversible, which extends its suitability to multiple workout looks, if you’re the matching type. It’s 95 percent nylon and 5 percent spandex, and feels very stretchy. This makes it easier to slip on than other, less stretchy pull-on bras, but it does mean that once you’re in it, you’re not going to get as much support.
I’ll definitely be wearing this bra for reading on the couch, gentle yoga, and hopping over to the grocery store. I just hope the UPS delivery person doesn’t get upset if I can’t rush down the stairs while wearing this thing.
Other Sports Bras We Evaluated
• Adidas Don’t Rest Alphaskin Sports Bra Review
• Adidas Powerimpact Luxe Training Medium-Support Sports Bra Review
• Athleta Solace Bra
• Champion The Everyday Sport Bra
• Girlfriend Collective Tommy Cropped Bra
• Lululemon All Powered Up Bra
• Nike Dri-Fit Swoosh Medium-Support Non-Padded Sports Bra
• Outdoor Voices Circuit Bra
• Panache Medium-Control Wire-Free Sports Bra
• Shefit Flex Sports Bra
• Under Armour Infinity Mid Sports Bra
This product evaluation is part of Consumer Reports’ Outside the Labs reviews program, which is separate from our laboratory testing and ratings. Our Outside the Labs reviews are performed at home and in other native settings by individuals, including our journalists, with specialized subject matter experience or familiarity and are designed to offer another important perspective for consumers as they shop. While the products or services mentioned in this article might not currently be in CR’s ratings, they could eventually be tested in our laboratories and rated according to an objective, scientific protocol.
Like all CR evaluations of products and services, our Outside the Labs reviews are independent and free from advertising. If you’d like to learn more about the criteria for our lab testing, please go to CR’s Research & Testing page.
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