Review | Anita Active Air Control Sports Bra – No Underwire, No Rubbing

I’ve never really had a problem with my sports bra being too heavy, so the fact that this one claimed to be the world’s lightest sports bra wasn’t all that important to me. However, the fact that the Anita Active Air had no underwiring yet was still the shape of a normal bra with hooks and eyes had its appeal.

The bra cups are made of two layers of fabric: one solid pink which has almost no stretch to it, and an outer mesh layer which also does not stretch. The straps are wide over the tops of the shoulders and slightly padded, and taper into where they join the bra at the front, and into the wide elastic at the back.

A wide elastic band goes round the body, with a slightly textured, almost fluffy inside against the skin. Side panels are made of a different grey mesh to the cups, and are very stretchy. Where the cups meet the underarms, there is a vertical stretch strip, which stretches along the length but not the width of the strip – presumably providing some of the support.

The bra opens out completely at the back – this is not an over-the-head bra or crop top. There are three bust circumferences positions each secured with three hooks and eyes, making it quite substantial feel but distributing the weight across a broader area.

The Fit

This sports bra has very little stretch in it and the cups are rather Madonna like in their shape. Both myself and Amanda found there was some puckering and loose fabric that neither of us filled out – maybe we both just don’t have quite the right shaped boobs. That said, the model on the sales website seems to have the same issue (and kudos is due to the sales website for featuring ‘real’ shaped women of various ages). It seems to be a case of either it fits your breast shape, or it does not. The bra does not really mould around you. If like me you find your breast size and shape changes with your hormones and perhaps how many cakes you’ve eaten, you may well find that this bra does not fit at all times of the month.

It does seem very supportive, however both of us agreed this is achieved more through compression than anything else. There is no ‘lift and separate’ with this bra – you’re kind of squashed into place and held there – which for physical activity is probably a good thing, though you’re not likely to be posing in the gym with a low cut top and cleavage. But then why would you want to do that anyway?

The lack of stretch and moulding to the body feels a bit odd in a day and age where we see all kinds of claims about 2-, 3- or 4-way stretch, laser cut technologies and memory foam or whatever. This is by and large a fairly traditional bra but with sports level support – or should that be strapping? However, for all that compression, I found it to be comfortable with no hot spots, tough seams, or rubbing points. The wide bust band with that slightly fuzzy internal texture and the broad straps don’t dig in, despite the compressive nature of the bra. The shoulder straps in particular gave neither of us any trouble, with the broad padded shape seeming especially comfortable, even under a ride pack. It wicks well and is cool to wear – perhaps more important if you have a greater boob surface area than I do, but still I appreciated that it didn’t feel like I was wearing an extra baselayer.

Mine has been worn and washed many times and the fabric and stitching have held up well, so in terms of longevity I think you’ll get a good amount of time with this bra for your money. It does seem like it’s on the pricier end of things, but then it is a wireless sports bra that doesn’t fit over your head – which I think is a little harder to find than the crop top variety. Oh, and its weight? 51g for a 34B.

Overall

If it fits your body shape then I think the Anita Active Air is a comfortable sports bra for those wanting something wireless that doesn’t go on over the head. If it doesn’t fit your particular boob shape, there’s not a lot of moulding or flex in the cup fabric and you’ll need to look elsewhere.

Review Info

Hannah Dobson

Managing Editor

I came to Singletrack having decided there must be more to life than meetings. I like all bikes, but especially unusual ones. More than bikes, I like what bikes do. I think that they link people and places; that cycling creates a connection between us and our environment; bikes create communities; deliver freedom; bring joy; and improve fitness. They're environmentally friendly and create friendly environments. I try to write about all these things in the hope that others might discover the joy of bikes too.

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