Sports Bra Review: Marika High Impact Sports Bra

I’d never even heard of Marika before purchasing this bra but ended up buying several items they had available at Marshalls. After conducting some research on sports bras, and realizing that there are so many different types, I decided to purchase another high-impact sports bra and write a review to help other ladies out there looking for a sports bra that does more than just create uni-boob and store sweat like a bowl holds soup.

One of my favorite places to shop for fitness gear is Marshalls. I can find great brands at great prices; those obnoxious commercials are actually legit!

This time around, I spent significantly less. I purchased a Marika sports bra. I was originally attracted to the color and style of the bra, but after I tried it on, I was sold. (The $15 price tag didn’t hurt either…)

Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty, shall we?

Comfort

This sports bra is extremely comfortable. I don’t have to mess with the sides or back during my workout, and it never feels like a boa constrictor on my chest. The bands are comfortable as well.

Design

I’ve decided that I am now officially in love with sports bras that provide separate cups and a racerback. It’s become my weakness. I never thought I would like racerbacks, because the idea of something running down my spine while I worked out was just never very appealing. Plus, my motto was always “comfort over fashion,” which is why I used to look a hot mess while working out in my dad’s old t-shirts. (I’ve since realized that I can be comfortable and look good, which makes checking out my muscles in the mirror at the gym even more fun.)Support: This bra is pretty supportive. Minimal bounce, no slippage, and the girls stay at attention. I will note, however, that the cups are a little more padded than I’d normally prefer. This could be because it comes in letter sizes (e.g. S, M, L) versus cup sizes, like the Vixen by Moving Comfort.

Colors

This is difficult to answer. I haven’t been able to find the exact bra I own online. Mine is turquoise with white trim, and the back is black. It’s such a cool design! However, I haven’t found any colors as vibrant as mine online. They have Sizzling Coral, which is pretty nice, I was able to spend $15 on this sports bra, but only because I found it at Marshalls.

*If I purchased a similar version online, I would’ve spent $50, or $43 with a sign-up discount. That would’ve bumped this sports bra up to $$$$!

Pros

Great fit, extremely comfortable, and a cool color. Mesh racerbacks are starting to be my jam. I love the way they handle sweat! Separate cups are my new must-have.

Cons

The padding in the separate cups seems to be just a tad excessive. If you are like me, the last thing you want is to make your bust look even bustier. Now, here’s the main concern I have after my 2 1/2 hour volleyball marathon on Monday: BOOB SWEAT = EPIC. Maybe I never noticed it before with this bra because I didn’t interact with other humans during my last workout while wearing it. I’m not sure. But I am sure that this bra stored tons of boob sweat that drenched my shirt — and I’m not even a sweaty person! (True story: My teammates in college teased me about my lack of sweat. One practice, my coach said he was going to make us run until everyone was pouring sweat, and everyone looked at me and said, “NOOOOO!!!!!” That was a rough practice, needless to say…) This was a definite negative on this bra. I suspect it’s because of the material they use for the cups. They don’t know what to do with sweat. 🙁

Availability

I have scoured the web for the exact model I have, and I can’t find it anywhere! The Marika website is a little hard to search, which didn’t help. Marika has other models in different colors, which you can find in the sports bra section of their site (which is oddly listed under tops). The closest version I could find is this one, which comes in a charcoal gray. It can be hard, when purchasing things at Marshalls, to find the same item again in the store. If they don’t carry the high-impact Marika bras at your local Marshalls or TJ Maxx, they are available on the Marika site, but the only other reliable store I spotted them on was eBay.

TL;DR: This is a pretty good high-impact sports bra in an awesome color, but I’m not sure I would have spent $50 on it. If I hadn’t purchased it at Marshalls, I might not have purchased it at all.