Fitta Mamma is a UK company that produces pregnancy-specific fitness clothing, and while its Ultimate Maternity SportswearTop may not be cycle-specific, its certainly more than up to the task!
- Best women's saddles: a buyer's guide
- Women's cycling news, reviews, advice and more on BikeRadar Women
Finding pregnancy-specific cycling kit is almost impossible, so BikeRadar Women went on the hunt for kit that works well on the bike for women who want to keep riding while they're expecting.
I tested this supportive top from Fitta Mamma between weeks 24 and 36 of my pregnancy, and found it accommodated a growing bump well. I tried it in a size small, which fitted well — my usual dress size being a UK10/12 (US8/10).
Ultimate Maternity Sportswear Top
The product is specifically designed for pregnancy and a bump and the tag suggests 'look good, feel great and enjoy the support Fitta Mamma Activewear provides', and the overall design and look of this top is lovely!
It's designed with a sports-bra type inner and a highly elasticated racer back second layer over the top. There is a wide panel at the bottom of the Sportswear top around the pelvis that seems to compress nicely over your sacro-iliac joints (SIJ) and pelvis.
The front panel has extra material built in to accommodate the bump and stretch as you grow, and I found it fitted my developing bump well.
The inner bra element is made predominantly of a bamboo-based fabric and is very soft and wicking against the skin. It does a good job of wicking sweat when working out.
My grumble with this part however is that due to the softness of the material it does not offer good support if you are a larger bust size. This is important during running, jumping and dynamic exercise but of less importance for cycling specifically.
If doing a work out in the gym or a class it does not offer much bust support. This could be tricky when boobs grow during pregnancy, and for comfort. More support from this bra would be better if the plan is to wear it for running or similar dynamic activities.
The outer material is a polyamide/elastane mix which allows for good stretch and support, and fits really nicely to the body with clever panelling details ensuring a good silhouette front, back and sideways. It is very flattering to the changing body shape experienced during pregnancy and I enjoyed wearing it.
The stretch and elasticity of the outer fabric did make getting it on a little tricky initially, but once negotiated over a growing bump and in position it was a comfy fit.
My gripe with the outer layer was that during movement on the bike or in the gym the whole outer element tended to ride up a lot. This would mean that the tighter band, which should sit around the pelvis/SIJ area for support, actually rides up on to the bump and can get uncomfortable on this sensitive area.
I've decided that what it lacked was a grippy material like silicone on the inner side of this band, this would better grip the top to your skin or leggings.
The back panel of the outer top was a thinner and more breathable material, and did a very good job of keeping me cool during harder exercise sessions. It was black too so didn't show sweat easily, always a plus!
Great early in pregnancy, not quite so comfortable in later stages
The top performed well in earlier weeks of pregnancy when pressure on the bump was not so much of an issue, but the riding up that happened was uncomfortable and annoying.
Once the bump had grown in size, this riding up became quite uncomfortable and put me off wearing it. The potential for the design was excellent as the stomach panel itself gave plenty of room for bump growth when compared to a normal sports top.
I really liked the overall look of the top, very flattering for a pregnant body and a high quality look and feel. The colours are lovely as well.
Verdict
It is not easy to find pregnancy specific tops on the market, particularly in shops, with maternity ranges mostly online, so trying them on over a changing body shape becomes tricky.
I liked the branding and quality of the fabric and design. With a few tweaks to future design around the bottom band it could be a total winner.
I would recommend this product for the very early stages of pregnancy. This does mean it is a relatively expensive investment for only a few weeks of wear, although I am sure it would look good for non-pregnant women too. If you wish to wear sports gear but not exercise hard in it then this could be the item for you as it performs well in all others areas.
Prices, sizes and availability
The Ultimate Cycling Top retails at £64.99 / $79.99 / AU$109.99 and is available in sizes XS to XL and in black, pink or a black/pink combination.
Fitta Mamma retails and ships overseas, and you can buy direct from the Fitta Mamma website. The company also produces fitness leggings, capris and trousers, though these do not have a chamois pad.