High Impact Style and Support - lucy Women's Perfect Core Bra II

lucy Women’s Perfect Core Bra II, www.lucy.com, $55

The Good: I had a damn near impossible time finding anything to change about the Perfect Core II.

The Bad: See above. Though if you prefer neutral colors for your workout wear, you’ll have to look elsewhere for now.

The Expensive: You’ll be dropping $55 on this bra, unless it’s on sale.

I consider myself a talented bargain shopper, which I know makes my mother proud. I’ve found some of my favorite workout apparel at discount stores like TJMaxx and Marshalls, and I have trouble paying more than $16 for a sports bra as a result. But when you spend at least ten hours a week drenched in sweat and dirt at a CrossFit gym and spend the rest of your spare time playing outside like I do, bargain workout wear doesn’t always cut it.

On the flip side, if I can’t trust that an expensive sports bra will last, whether I’m doing burpees or hiking in state park, it’s not worth the investment. Though lucy’s Perfect Core Bra II has an MSRP nearly three times my discounted favorites from Marshalls do, it’s quickly become one of my go-to options for CrossFit and outdoor adventures.

I picked up the Perfect Core II under the premise that it would be great for high impact activities like CrossFit, which it is. It fits true to size; I’m right in the medium range on the size chart and the medium fits me perfectly. The bra provides good support without cutting off circulation or inhibiting my ability to take a deep breath. I have a wide ribcage and back, which can result in a bra’s band being too tight, but I got the Perfect Core II on without any trouble. It provides good support for A/B sizes, but if you’re a C-cup or larger, it might not be supportive enough.

The fabric combination itself is ideal for girls who like to sweat. lucy’s powermax™ fabric, a supplex nylon/lycra blend, is soft and comfortable while the nylon/spandex mesh panel on the back helps with moisture management. The flat locked seams prevent chafing and though I’ve put it through the wringer during countless CrossFit workouts and a few hikes, and it still looks brand new. The Perfect Core II has more fabric than I normally prefer, but for the first time in my sports bra-wearing life, I’m okay with it. lucy gets bonus points for designing adjustable straps that don’t move while I’m working out I do seem to have to adjust them after I pull them out of the wash, though.

The Perfect Core II also looks good on. It provides good coverage and the Curacao color is beautiful. I’m typically quite anti-padded sports bra, as they tend to look completely ridiculous on me. But somehow, lucy designed internal cups that are shaped like they should be. Given they’re internal, they don’t move around in the wash, which is a big plus.

Overall, lucy’s Perfect Core II bra is stylish, comfortable, durable, and meets all of the must-have criteria I outlined in my sports bra buyers guide. I’d love to see it available in black and white, or more neutral colors, but that’s about the only tweak I’d make. Well done, lucy.