Compression vs cup
Topic 01
Why most sports bras fail above a C cup
The compression-versus-encapsulation question, in plain English.
Free fitting manual ยท Updated 2026
The sports bra fitting manual.
How to spot the signs of a bad fit, take your real measurements at home, and stop wasting money on bras that ride up. Written by sports engineer Mari Thomas-Welland. Free, on us.
- Six signs your sports bra is the wrong size, with the fix for each.
- How to measure your band and cup at home, in under five minutes.
- Why most compression bras fail above a C cup, and what to look for instead.
- A printable size chart sized 28 to 38 back, C to HH cup.
- A fitting check you can run in any changing room.
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No spam. One PDF, straight to your inbox.
Sports Bra of the Year 2025
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4.6 ยท 1,600+ reviews
Free expert fittings
90-day chafe-free guarantee
What you'll learn
Everything you need to stop guessing your size.
The same fitting framework Mari used as a paid sports bra tester, before MAAREE existed. Distilled. No padding.
Six red flags
Topic 02
Six signs your bra is the wrong size
Spilling, riding up, digging straps, gaping cups. With a fix for each.
Tape and mirror
Topic 03
How to measure at home in five minutes
Just a soft tape measure and a mirror. No partner needed.
Size chart
Topic 04
The full size chart
28 to 38 back, C to HH cup. Plus UK, US, EU and AU conversions.
Try-on test
Topic 05
The changing-room check
Five things to do before you walk out with a new bra in your bag.
Get a real fit
Topic 06
When to ask for a real fitting
A guide is a guide. Sometimes you need eyes on the bra. We do those free.
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One PDF, yours forever. We'll also send the occasional Girl Gang email โ a fitting tip, a new colourway, a heads-up before things sell out. Unsubscribe in one click whenever you want.
- 24-page PDF
- Printable size chart
- Fitting troubleshooter
- Free expert fittings
By downloading you agree to our privacy policy. We don't sell data and we don't share your address. Ever.
Why this manual exists
Written by a sports engineer. Not a marketing team.
Mari Thomas-Welland used to test other brands' sports bras for a living. She'd write the report, file it, and then go home and put on a different bra because the one she'd just tested didn't actually hold her own chest. The first Overbandยฎ came out of her kitchen table, not a corporate R&D lab. The company became MAAREE in 2018. The manual you're about to download is the fitting framework she used as a tester, written down for the first time.
"I'd been writing reports about products I wouldn't buy myself. The fitting rules in this manual are the ones I wish someone had handed me at the start, instead of after a decade of trial and error."
Mari Thomas-Welland ยท Founder, MAAREE
A taste of what's in the manual
The short version, while you wait for the PDF to land.
How should a sports bra fit?
A correctly fitted sports bra sits flat against your sternum, with the band staying horizontal across your back and no breast tissue spilling over the cup edges. About eighty per cent of the support comes from the band, not the straps.
The band is where the engineering happens. If you can pull it more than two inches off your back, it is too loose. If you cannot fit a flat hand under it, too tight. Straps are there to stop the bra falling forward, not to do the lifting.
The Overbandยฎ, the curved panel that runs across the top of the chest in every MAAREE bra, sits flat against the skin without digging. If it is rolling or gaping, the cup size is wrong, not the band.
How do I know if my sports bra is too small?
Six things to check, in order. Any one of them means the bra is the wrong size, and they almost never travel alone.
- Spilling at the top of the cup. Cups too small. Go up a cup, not a band.
- The band rides up at the back. Band too big. Drop a back size, go up a cup.
- Straps dig into your shoulders. Almost always a band problem, not a strap problem.
- Gaping cups. Either the cup is too big, or the bra is the wrong style for your shape.
- The Overbandยฎ sits forward, not flat. Cup is too small. The panel is being pushed off the body.
- You take it off the second you get home. The most honest test. If it hurts, it's wrong.
How do I measure for a sports bra at home?
Three measurements, a soft tape measure, and a mirror. Wear an unpadded bra. Stand normally โ no breath holding.
- Underbust. Tape directly under the breasts, snug but flat. Round to the nearest whole inch.
- Bust. Tape across the fullest part of the chest, level all the way around. Don't pull tight.
- Subtract underbust from bust. The difference in inches gives you the cup. One inch is an A, two a B, three a C, and so on. Eight inches is a HH.
The full method, plus the conversion to UK / US / EU / AU sizes, is in chapter three of the manual. There's also a printable cheat sheet you can stick on the wardrobe door.
What if I'm between two sizes?
Go down a band and up a cup. Always. The band carries the support, so a snugger band with a roomier cup is the safer of the two compromises.
If you've measured a 32 back with a DD cup but you sit between a 32DD and a 34D, the 32DD will hold you better for high-impact training. The 34D will feel comfier on the sofa and let you down on the run.
Solidarity comes in 28 to 38 back, C to HH cup. Empower and Uplift come in XS to XXL. If you're between sizes in either, take the fit quiz or book a free fitting and we'll talk it through.
Want the full version? The manual covers the same ground in proper detail, plus the size chart, the troubleshooter, and the changing-room check.
Get the manualFrom the Girl Gang
Why people who downloaded the manual ended up in MAAREE bras.
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4.6 from 1,600+ reviews across MAAREE products on Stamped.
Still not sure of your size?
Book a free fitting. About twenty minutes, with a real person.
The manual will get most people to the right size. For the trickier cases โ between back sizes, deep cup-size jumps, post-baby changes, post-op changes โ we offer a 1:1 fitting with a MAAREE expert. Virtual or in person. No purchase required, even after.
- 1:1, around twenty minutes, with a real fitter
- Virtual over video, or in person at a MAAREE event
- You don't have to buy a thing afterwards
- 90-day chafe-free guarantee on every order
"This is the sports bra of the future." Claire Sanderson ยท Editor, Women's Health Magazine
Sports bra fitting ยท FAQ
Quick answers to the questions we get most.
How do I know if my sports bra fits?
A correctly fitted sports bra sits flat against your sternum with the band staying horizontal across your back. No breast tissue spills over the cups. Straps don't dig. The Overbandยฎ on a MAAREE bra sits flat against the skin. About eighty per cent of the support should come from the band, not the straps.
How should a sports bra band feel?
Snug, not tight. You should be able to fit one or two flat fingers under the band, but not pull it more than two inches off your back. New bras are designed to soften slightly with the first few washes, so a band that feels firm on day one is doing its job. A band that already feels loose at the till is going to ride up by week two.
Why does my sports bra ride up at the back?
The band is too loose. Almost always. People reach for a smaller cup when their bra rides up, but the fix is the opposite: drop a back size and go up a cup. So a 36C that rides up usually wants to be a 34D, not a 34C. The size that holds you flat at the back is the one that does the lifting.
How do I measure for a sports bra at home?
Take three measurements with a soft tape: under the breasts (band), across the fullest part of the chest (bust), and the difference between the two (cup). One inch difference is an A cup, two is a B, three a C, and so on up to eight inches for a HH. The full method is in chapter three of the manual, alongside a UK / US / EU / AU conversion table. If you'd rather have eyes on it, book a free fitting.
What size sports bra should I get if I'm between sizes?
Drop a band size and go up a cup. The band carries the support, so a snugger band with a roomier cup is the safer of the two compromises. The looser-band version will feel comfier on the sofa and let you down on a run.
Can I wear my regular bra size in a MAAREE sports bra?
Usually yes, but always check the size chart. Solidarity is sized 28 to 38 back, C to HH cup, so people in larger cups often find it sizes more accurately than their high-street equivalent. Empower and Uplift are sized XS to XXL. If you're crossing from a different system or you've not been measured in a while, the manual has a full size chart and conversion table.
How long does it take to download the manual?
About fifteen seconds. Drop your email into the form, the PDF lands in your inbox, and you can save it to your phone. No app, no account, no payment. Print the size chart and stick it on the wardrobe door if you'd rather not faff with the file every time.
Do I have to buy a MAAREE bra to use the manual?
No. The fitting framework works on any sports bra you own. We'd love it if the right fit eventually pointed you at a MAAREE bra, but the rules apply whether you end up in Solidarity, Empower, or whatever you've got in the drawer. Free is free.
Where to next
Already know your size? Here's where to go.
Solidarity sports bra
The original. High-impact, with the only adjustable Overbandยฎ in the range. Sized 28 to 38 back, C to HH cup.
Shop Solidarity โFull size guide
The interactive version of the manual, with UK / US / EU / AU conversions and a fit troubleshooter. Saves a download.
Open the size guide โFree 1:1 fitting
About twenty minutes with a MAAREE expert, virtual or in person. No purchase required, even afterwards.
Book a fitting โOne last nudge
Take the manual with you.
A short read. A long shelf life. Yours forever, even if you never buy a MAAREE bra.
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