September 6, 2022 |  By Mary Murphy

Comfortable, supportive, barely there: Lume Six set out to fix one of the most technically annoying pieces of apparel out there.

Lume Six company founder and lead designer Margaux Elliott has over a decade of experience developing technical and performance apparel for cycling and snow brands like Giro, Pearl Izumi, and Sessions. And, she’s an accomplished cyclist who, in 2020, became the first woman to climb a million feet on a mountain bike in a year.

Somewhere along the way, she realized that sports bras (and women) weren’t getting the same level of attention and innovation, and set out to change that. Back in 2021, we met Elliott and her brand, and began putting Lume Six to the test.

Last month, Lume Six took home one of GearJunkie’s coveted Best in Show awards at Outdoor Retailer for its innovation and design.

In short: This sports bra is unlike anything on market. Uber-lightweight materials and feel aside, it also wowed our testers with its extended and thorough sizing options, fit, comfort, and durability over a span of several months. It is expensive, but with fit, comfort, and longevity factored in, we think it’s a great deal.

We tested this sports bra while skiing, trail running, mountain biking, hiking, backpacking, running, and more.

One of the first things Elliott told us about was her goal to offer support and durability — without thick, bulky materials, removable pads, noticeable seams, and inaccurate sizing.

Basically, she set out to solve the sports bra conundrum for women who want to run, hike, mountain bike, horseback ride, and anything else — without feeling uncomfortable and annoyed by their bras.

Need more support? Usually, the answer from brands is to add more fabric. How about more comfort? Again, the answer is usually to add more fabric or padding.

Lume Six pared down the sports bra as much as possible, while still retaining the essential components: a well-fitting band that will stay put during exercise, coverage around the chest (multiple options here), and a fabric light enough to breathe, but strong enough to last for years.

First, the fit. This Lume Six Bra is amazing in every way. The fabric is truly lightweight and thin, making it ultra-breathable and fast to dry after, say, excess sweating or going for a swim.

I’ve worn this bra on countless trail runs in multiple states, and have gone for a swim in it twice. It dries very fast. Even after lots of use, sweat, a few swims, and several gentle washes, my Lume Six maintains its look, feel, and support.

On to performance: This bra stays put; we checked with three different testers. It’s comfortable, and the stay-flat straps, plus the band, make sure everything’s secure while you run, bike, or exercise.

Finally, the sweat test — a factor that can knock down even the greatest pieces of apparel. We wore this bra on its own, under a variety of running shirts and apparel, and with vests and packs. There have been no sweat spots, thanks to the bra’s lightweight fabric and construction.

Our Lume Six has proven great after months of strenuous activity and testing.

I’m not sure why this isn’t the standard by now, but Lume Six put the seams/threads on the outside of the band, rather than the inside. The elastic band is comfortable and stays put, and the seams on our various samples remained strong.

The fabric is a synthetic, Italian fabric, made with a percentage of recycled materials. Both bras have bonded seams.

Obviously, the lightly lined version is slightly more in weight than the ultralight unlined, but not by much. We found both to be super light, and as we already mentioned, quick to dry.

At first look, yes, the Lume Six bras are expensive. But the quality of fabrics and durability after testing has us happy to invest the dollars in one (or another!).

We took feedback from three staff testers who wear three different bra sizes. At the end of testing, here’s what they had to say about the look, feel, and performance of the Lume Six sports bras.

“The ability to purchase a sports bra that you know will fit you and your comfort levels while keeping you cool and dry, without the annoying straps and stink is a game-changer. It’s the small, meaningful details that matter most! Mad props to Lume Six for doing it for women of all activity levels.”

“I’ve been testing the Alta Medium Impact and Cirra High Impact for a couple of months. I’ve been wearing the bra from running, to yoga, to simply working from home. What I love about it is that it doesn’t stretch out. I can wear them multiple days without the bra stretching or losing its form. And most importantly — the bras are comfortable! No chafing over here.”

“For those like me with bigger chests who may need extended sizing, the Lume Six Cirra High Impact/coverage bra is the only real solution I’ve found so far. I went with one size for the chest, and another for the band. I also tried a standard size (same chest size and band size) to compare. The Lume Six, after months, has proved supportive enough for me, comfortable, and best of all, durable enough for activities like hiking and running. I can’t wait to continue wearing this bra!”

Shop Alta Medium Impact Bra at Lume SixShop Cirra High Impact Bra at Lume Six

Mary is the Managing Editor of GearJunkie and is based in GearJunkie's Denver, Colo. office. She has a degree in English and journalism, and has a background in both newspaper and magazine writing. Her outdoor interests span from running to sport climbing, from landscape photography to skiing to pack-paddleboarding. If she's not writing, you can most likely find her at the top of a fourteener, or in a local bakery.

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