Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Bra Review: Lynx Sportswear


Ok not really. But I have 2 tops from Lynx Sportswear that I would like to review for you.

First is the Sports bra. I ordered blue. Amber is very proud of me for not getting black.

not black!
Now the pics online showed black trim, and I got white, but I can live with it. They are measurement based, much like Enell. You get a number and a letter. The letters stand for their 3 size ranges, Sprint, Dart, and Zoom. My measurements had me in a 3, and kinda between Dart and Zoom. They actually contacted me (via email) on Christmas day after I placed my order and offered to send both a dart and a zoom for me to try on, with a pre-paid envelope to return the one that didn't fit. The Zoom went on well, but had some extra fabric in a few spots. It doesn't help that I have such a short torso! The Dart is a snug fit, but I prefer snug.

over the shoulder boulder holder view
At first I was worried that the band wasn't tight enough. Again, I prefer a snug fit. But I decided to not make snap judgments. The elastic has 3 loops in the back for some adjustment options. I set it on the loosest and made sure everything was adjusted in there. Then I tested. I jumped, I ran down the hallway, I sat, I stood, I wiggled. It actually felt rather secure. The band does roll up when I sit down, but I get that on all my bras and believe it's the short torso coming into play again.

ignore the weird look on my face. self-portrait curse.
I did a short run in this first. I was very conscious of the band at first, but by the first mile I was distracted and didn't think of it again. I don't notice the bounce, which means there is very little. The white on the front and back are a very fine-weave mesh that gives ventilation. This will be amazing when it warms up.

I also got their support tank. In black. Because they didn't have blue and I like black. This option does not have the Zoom sizing yet, but I'm sure it will happen. Basically, they took the bra and added an extension of the same fabric to cover your stomach. It covers the band and has a keyhole in back. Same clasp design in back. 

these are my snug jeans, hence a slight muffin-top
The fit is the same as the regular bra. Like I said, they just put an extension to cover your stomach. The stomach-cover could be a couple inches longer. I could see someone with a long torso having issue with this.  I, on the other hand, get some bunching in the back because of el short torso.

yeah, i'm short
I wore this under a cold weather top for a long run (10 miles). I will NOT be wearing these on cold days. I thought my nipples were going to have frostbite. (Just what you wanted to hear, no?) That is where the double-layer Enell comes in handy. As for support, I have no complaints. I didn't feel the need to adjust anything. And no, I didn't get frostbite on anything. I did have a couple small chafe spots right where the seams from the middle mesh panel are. I chafe in the Enell on long runs, too. Bodyglide take care of it.

yes, i'm sucking in the gut
I am happy with these. I am looking forward to wearing them this summer when the temperature rises. I will probably also be wearing them to yoga, especially in the summer. And maybe even to belly dance. The company had great customer service. It's a young company that is growing, and I look forward to seeing where it goes.

I know when I sports bra shop, I compare them to what I know, and what I know is Enell. So what makes these different from Enell? These tops are designed for an even larger size range. While Enell goes up to "DDD," Lynx goes up to G, H, I, even J. On the Enell size chart, my bust measurement is one size and my rib cage another. On the Lynx size chart, I fall into a 3 Zoom, but just barely. Knowing that, A.) I sometimes measure just a bit bigger than I fit (even with regular bras), B.) I was wearing a molded bra, which doesn't add much but does add the tiniest bit, and C.) I'm still losing weight, I figured the Dart would be a happier fit for me. I was right. 

I would love to see these carried in stores someday. I don't see them being at the big chain sports stores, but maybe the specialty running stores. Oh, just like buying my Enell! 

Finally, this is a real lynx. And a baby lynx, because adorbs.