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Champion The Smoothie High Support Sports Bra Review
March 12, 2013The Good
- Incredibly soft, supple material
- Scoop-back can easily change to crisscross style
- Hook and loop closure is padded, reducing chafe
- Good for running/high-impact activities
- Customized band/cup sizing
- Plastic loops dug my shoulder blades in scoop-back mode
The Bad
- Double layer material is quite heavy
The Smoothie is surprisingly supportive, despite its deceivingly thin straps and luxurious fabric; our C cup tester reported it as one of her top picks. We felt it's best for medium to high impact activities, though it was not our top pick in that regard. Our only significant gripe was a pair of plastic strap loops that can scratch some backs.
Comfort
The silky fabric on this bra is seriously praise-worthy. My fellow tester and I both considered this one of the most comfortable bras in the lineup. I did have some trouble with the plastic adjustment pieces digging my shoulder blades, but this can be avoided by crisscrossing the straps. I also appreciated that the interior is completely tagless.
Fit/Mobility
We loved that the Smoothie has customized band and cup sizing, which noticeably increased comfort and support on high impact runs. The straps are also adjustable which allows you to really dial it in to your body shape. The bra moved relatively well with body movement, although the skinny back straps have a tendency to shift around more than thicker racerback style straps.
Functionality
The Smoothie has traditional style hook and loop closures in the back, and adjustable straps that can be switched from U-back to crisscross easily. Getting the bra on and off was effortless. The seamless cups are also lightly padded, reducing headlights.
Support
The Smoothie performed very well for high impact activities like trail running, although less so than the CW-X VersatX and Moving Comfort Juno. Our C cup tester gave it a thumbs up for high support.
Breathability
This bra has minimal coverage in the sweaty middle back area, keeping me cooler and drier than other full coverage bras, like the Adidas Techfit or Helly Hansen Pace Sports Bra. The material was thicker than most of the other fabrics, which felt stuffy, but it wicked moisture well.
Value
At $38, this bra is a steal. We thought it was the best value out of the 20 bras we tested.