This is not a comprehensive list of everything we’ve tested for previous iterations of this guide, just what’s still available.
Underwire bras
The Cacique Smooth Boost Plunge Bra and Cacique Smooth Lightly Lined Balconette Bra both come in a truly impressive range of sizes: The Plunge is available in cup sizes B to G and band sizes 34 to 50 inches, while the Balconette comes in cup sizes B to K and band sizes 34 to 54 inches. However, our testers said the fabrics on both felt rigid.
The Cosabella Soire Confidence Molded Underwire Bra is available in a dazzling array of 15 colors, but our 36D tester found the material scratchy and the shape unflattering.
The sheer mesh fabric of Cuup’s The Balconette bra felt slightly rough, and most of our testers didn’t find the shape sufficiently flattering.
Nearly every source we consulted on bras for larger busts mentioned the Elomi Matilda Plunge Bra. Our testers gave this sheer, unmolded bra high marks for style, but they complained that the mesh cups felt stiff and itchy.
The Goddess Keira Banded Underwire Bra (in solids) and the Goddess Kayla Banded Underwire Bra (in prints) are well-priced full-cup options with the same design. They’re sturdy and supportive, and they come in cup sizes from DD to O and band sizes from 34 to 46 inches. But testers were not crazy about the fabric, which looks and feels cheap.
Like our Harper Wilde Bliss Triangle Bralette pick, the Everlane Invisible Bra has a plunging triangle cut and adjustable straps, and it’s made from a similarly smooth, stretchy material. But it comes in fewer colors and in a much more limited size range (from XXS to XXL, roughly equivalent to 30AA to 40D).
We tried two unlined lace styles from Journelle: the Isabel Balconette Bra and the Romy Demi Bra. They’re lovely, but they aren’t as comfortable as our Anais Plunge Bra pick.
The Soma Vanishing 360 Perfect Coverage Bra comes in a wide variety of sizes (B to G cup, 32- to 42-inch band) and nine colors. However, in our tests the cups showed through tops more obviously than those of other full-coverage bras, and the materials felt bulky and inexpensive.
Wire-free bras
The Aerie Sunnie Wireless Lightly Lined Bra delivers the shaping and definition of a more-structured bra, but it wears like a bralette. Alas, we found the non-adjustable and not-that-stretchy band tight and uncomfortable.
The stretchy, unstructured Bali Comfort Revolution ComfortFlex Fit 2-Ply Wireless Bra and the pull-on Bali Comfort Revolution Easylite Wireless Bralette are basic, comfy, and inexpensive, though plain. But we couldn’t quite wrap our minds around the dated aesthetic of the adjustable, softly shaping Bali Double Support Wireless Bra.
The Cosabella Soire Confidence Bralette and the Cosabella Soire Confidence Curvy Bralette are available in a wide range of colors (15 and 14, respectively) and sizes. But their fabrics were among the roughest we encountered, and their triangular cups were unflattering.
The Hanky Panky Supima Cotton Padded Bralette comes in a narrow range of colors and sizes, topping out at a size medium (approximately 36B). Plus, its thin straps and band provided hardly any support: A representative for the company told us that even the large-size bras were not supportive enough for those who wear anything above a B cup.
We didn’t like how the seams on the front of the Lively Mesh Trim Bralette and the Lively Busty Bra showed through most tops. Still, most of our testers found them comfortable and easy to wear, and between the two variations, there are plenty of size options to choose from.
We were intrigued by the Molke Original Bra, a 100% cotton bralette that comes in a more-inclusive size range (cups sizes A to M, band sizes 26 to 54) than any we’ve ever seen. Alas, this bra got uniformly dismal scores from our test panel. The sizing is confusing, the fit is awkward, and the design is unflattering.
The Natori Bliss Perfection Contour Soft Cup Bra is terrifically soft and smoothing. However, the lace wasn’t attached securely enough to the band; during testing, we noticed that it started to pull away from the bra. The sizing (A to DDD cup, 30- to 38-inch band) is also fairly limited.
The Soma Enbliss Racerback Bralette was especially comfy, and its fabric was soft and stretchy; we also liked its removable pads. However, its high-cut neckline was strangely ill-fitting on all of our testers, and the sizing ran very small.
We had high hopes for two wireless models from ThirdLove: the smooth nylon-spandex ThirdLove 24/7 Classic Wireless Bra and the lace-covered ThirdLove All Day Lace Wireless Bra. Unfortunately, both felt uncomfortable, with prominent, itchy interior seams and too-short adjustable straps. We also found their cuts to be overwhelming, with entirely too much material (especially at the sides).
The True & Co. True Body Lift Scoop Neck Bra is a stretchy seamless bralette with removable padding. But it’s not as flattering—and a touch more expensive—than our Harper Wilde Bliss bralette pick.
The True & Co. True Body Wirefree Push Up Bra is a comfy, seamless style that subtly highlights curves. It has pillowy-soft padded cups, but it doesn’t create much of a push-up effect. Sizing is very limited—it comes in cup sizes A to DDD and band sizes from 32 to 36 inches.
The Victoria’s Secret Lightly Lined Wireless Bra comes in a fairly wide range of sizes (A to G cup, 32- to 44-inch band) and more than 50 colors and prints. But our testers gave it a relatively low overall average score of three (out of five), reporting fit and flattening issues.
This article was edited by Ingela Ratledge Amundson and Jennifer Hunter. A previous version of this article was written by Sarah Witman.
