BRANWYN Essential Racerback Sports Bra

Review by Erin Trail

Features

• Compressive, seamless, 4-way stretch knit support utilizing our proprietary POWRspun Merino tech, consisting of 76% extra fine ZQ Merino, 14% nylon, and 10% elastane.
• A soft, wide waistband offers comfortable coverage that won’t dig in or slip down.
• Super-stretchy fabric holds its shape as you bend, twist, run, and stretch.
• Sweat-wicking Merino pulls moisture away from your skin to keep you feeling dry and comfortable.

The Merino wool is ZQ certified, OEKO-TEX 100, and REACH compliant, showing BRANWYN’s commitment to environmental sustainability, animal welfare, social responsibility, and a traceable supply chain from sheep to shop.

Fit and Performance

Testing Conditions:

• A few medium distance runs
• Many weight lifting sessions
• A hot yoga class (95 degrees)

The BRANWYN Essential Racerback Sports Bra is the second iteration of this item.  This version has a smaller front profile: the neckline isn’t as high or as wide and the shoulder strap design has been modified, making for a better fit across the front.  I have both versions of the Racerback Sports Bra and I think the new version is much improved.  The previous version fit me very high on the neckline. I have a very short torso and small cup size, so this meant I had a lot of extra room and gapping.  The updated version hits me at approximately 3 inches below the collarbone and I find that the shoulder straps fit more narrow on me than the previous version. The vertical extent is also smaller, making it fit more like a sports bra and less like a crop top.  The previous version was more like a crop top, extending far below my rib cage.  The improved version still hits lower than most of my other sports bras, but it’s still comfortable while not being too tight.  Still, the overall footprint of the sports bra is quite a bit larger than other sports bras that I wear for triathlon.

The BRANWYN Essential Racerback Sports Bra is made from Merino wool with a proprietary 4-way knit that is moderately compressive. My definition of “too compressive” is if I can’t breathe and “not compressive enough” is if the straps move and if I bounce around when running.   I felt that the sports bra fell into the “just right” category, where it was stretchy where I needed it to stretch and compressive in the spots where I needed more support.

The BRANWYN Essential Racerback Sports Bra has a seamless construction, meaning there are no seams to irritate or chafe.  The front panel has body-mapped contours, which provide support where it’s needed most.  The bra also has sleeves for removable pads, if you need a little more coverage (pads not included).

I personally prefer wearing the BRANWYN Essential Racerback Sports Bra for yoga, weight lifting, colder outside activities like skiing or fat biking, or lower sweat/impact kinds of activities.  The fabric is a bit heavier than other sports bras I own, and while I never got too hot, it does feel like I’ve added a base layer to my kit.  The Merino is soft and itch-free and never developed a funk after multiple workouts in a row.

The BRANWYN Essential Racerback Sports Bra is available in sizes XS through XXL and in 4 color options.

Erin Trail