The Shock Absorber range is available in different levels of support, and just like different levels hold available in hairspray you use them for different things. The Shock Absorber ‘Level 3’ is probably the equivalent of a ‘natural hold’ in the hairspray world: something for use for lower-level impact sports. I’ve used this bra kickboxing and found it a good level for that – perhaps other than when Muay Thai instructor had us running and high-kicking simultaneously. It’s perfect for a brisk walk, yoga, dancing, roller blading down the promenade and even cycling over pot-holes, but I’d probably suggest you upgrade to a level 4 for aerobics or a stint on the running machine.
I wear shock absorber bras in a 30 band as I find their 28 bands extremely tight or in some cases (the Shock bsorber level 4) I can’t even fasten it. This is great for me since 30 bands are so much more readily available – hooray! I have the Level 3 SA in an E and an (more recently) F cup and find I really needed the extra space of the F (see photo above of me in the E cup and check out the fleshy overspill under my arms – something I get a bit of frequently but even more so in my 30E SA – I will be donating this to a 30E friend of mine!) Review of the new MMA Kickboxing Academy in Bournemouth for my local DV8 Magazine. The great thing about the Level 3 Shock Absorber is that the soft cups and gentler support increases the comfort factor and the ‘compression’ technology is not so brutal.
As a personal preference, I find a high level of compression can feel a bit restricting for lighter exercise, but can be essential when there is a high level of impact; it’s all about weighing up the ‘tightness to lightness’ ratio and choosing your Shock Absorber accordingly. This is both a negative and a positive when it comes to review purposes, it’s great that Shock Absorber offer such a wide variety of choice and they have not achieved their multi-award-winning status for no reason. Their sports bras are certainly some of the best available on the market, but if you want a bra for every level you probably would want to buy both the level 3 and 4 or one of the styles created to suit a particular sport, eg: the Racket Sports bra, the Run bra, the Ball Sports bra.
On the other hand, if you regularly play one particular sport, there will be a Shock Absorber for you, but you’ll hypothetically need to but more than one bra. Looks wise, the Shock Absorber isn’t the cutest but it certainly isn’t the worst. It definitely looks more like a bra than a crop top to me so not completely wearable as a top to the gym. The shape reminds me a little of a 1940s triangle bra which actually used the similar idea of ‘strapping down’ the breast to prevent movement and therefore preventing damage. This design has been around for decades and has remained ever-popular even with the increased amount of competition on the market. The Shock Absorber is a golden oldie and may it long reign supreme.
