Cycling and skiing brand Sportful sells two bras, with the Pro W Bra offering more support, while the Doro Cardio Bra prioritises freedom of movement with a little extra stretch.
The double-layered front provides great coverage and a moderate level of support that's suitable for cycling. However, issues with the fit let this model down.
The Sportful Pro W sports bra is priced at £58 / $70 / €55.
Sportful Pro W Bra specifications and details
The Sportful Pro W Bra features four main elements: the double-layered front panel covering the chest, the single-layer shoulder straps above it, the rear mesh panel and the wide elasticated chest band.
The straps use a racerback design, and are laser-cut on the front panel and hemmed with an elasticated trim on the rear mesh panel.
The chest band is wide and features a soft, absorbent backing, with flatlock stitching employed throughout the bra to minimise skin irritation.
A silver Sportful logo is placed on the left strap.
Sportful Pro W Bra performance
Like a couple of other sports bras I’ve had on test from cycling brands, I had to size up from a medium to a large, as recommended by Sportful’s sizing guide. For reference, I’m a size 36B in traditional bras.
While the medium was too restrictive in the shoulders and around the sides, the large generally fitted better.
However, it cut in a little on the back under the shoulder blades, due to the stitching on the trim of the back panel being less elastic than the mesh panel itself.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t try a larger size to see if this would alleviate the issue, because the size large is the biggest on offer in Sportful’s limited range.
Interestingly, the fit of the bra felt quite short in the torso, with the elasticated ‘underbust’ band not quite sitting under the chest on the ribcage, but rather working its way up a little to cradle my chest.
This meant the seam between the cup section and elastic band rubbed on my chest a bit, causing a little discomfort.
On top of the band, the thicker, foamy cup section worked well for modesty, giving a rounded profile without any uninvited nipple appearances through thin layers.
The stretchy front panel above this was great too, with laser-cut seams offering no irritation and a close fit.
The combination of the close fit and thicker front cup panel meant the support offered was ample for road cycling and strength work in the gym.
If you have a larger chest, you may not find this level of support enough, although it’s unlikely you'd be able to wear the Sportful Pro W Bra anyway because this is the largest size.
The mesh of the rear panel worked well for enhancing breathability.
How we tested | sports bras
Our sports bras were tested over a range of road, gravel and mountain biking rides at different intensities.
Expert tester Katherine Moore measures a British size 36B in conventional bras, with sports bras selected for testing based on individual brand sizing guidelines and recommendations.
Bras on test
Sportful Pro W Bra bottom line
While I admired the zonality of the Pro W Bra, offering breathability where you need it most, and likewise for support and coverage, niggles with the fit and narrow sizing range let it down.
On top of that, you pay a premium for this model compared to many bras offered by major sport brands, many of which perform better, or would suit a greater range of riders.
Product
| Brand | sportful |
| Price | 85.00 AUD,55.00 EUR,58.00 GBP,70.00 USD |
Features
| br_availableSizes | S, M, L |
