Very short, projected, slightly narrow, even, close set, center-full breasts....

Woo! Hoo! I had not realized how much bouncing breast tissue was encumbering my want to exercise. I'm happily encapsulated, not overly compressed, and bounce-free. This will never win a beauty contest because the fit is....lumpy. Intriguing. I was concerned my very short roots would find too much unoccupied space in the cups. I'm overjoyed with the support I feel from this bra. And, an air gap is present between my two breasts which should improve cooling and reduce perspiration. Because I am extremely flexible, I have no problem fastening the upper hooks. Tall roots may not be happy in this bra because it is very shallow near the neck. Finally, I feel no pain in this bra that is omnipresent in an underwire bra. Thank you Shock Absorber!

Dark Pink colorway

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Updated on Aug 08, 2016 Flag this

Wow this is a tight one.
My 28F - Shock Absorber » Active Multi Sports (4490) stretches to 26" and I can wear it because my BTT is 26. This one, this 30 band, I could barely get to 25" and I had to PULL.

The color is a bright coral red, (I wouldn't call it dark pink like they did, but whatever) with a charcoal gray piping on the trim. The materials are smooth and sturdy. Two band clasps in the back, straps are only about 1/4-1/3 adjustable. Sliders are sturdy and adjust easily, the front of the straps are wide, thick, and cushioned.

This particular color would be good for someone with a 24" underbust, it just isn't going to happen on anyone larger.
These are great sports bras, I'm really disappointed that I couldn't even hook this because I'd love to have a second one.
Times like this are when I really appreciate free returns with Amazon Prime.

Dark Pink colorway

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Dec 29, 2015 Flag this

OK so when people say this bra runs tight, they mean it runs TIGHT. I can only just do the band up on my 25.5-26 inch ribcage, even with the cups on my back so it's not a problem of the cups being too small. I would recommend ordering a band size up. I think it also runs fairly small in the 'cups' (not that it really has cups). I usually wear 28FF and I would probably order this bra in a 30FF next time, depending on if the band stretches out on this one. The bra is very supportive when exercising, though admittedly I guess I'm comparing that to my 4 year old 32D sports bras, so I'm not sure how it compares to other decent sports bras. I'm very happy with it though!

EDIT: The band is really tight. Like, really, really, really tight. If your ribcage is any bigger than 26 inches don't order a 28 band. I just heard stitches rip when I inhaled and I'm sitting at my computer hardly moving.

Updated on Jul 13, 2013 Flag this

First, I just want to preface this review by stating that I ordered this size being fully aware that the band would be too big for me. My best fitting size right now is actually 30JJ or 32J (I am wearing most of my 32 banded bras on the tightest hook), but there are very few options for sports bras above HH cup. I have tried the Freya Active underwired sports bra before, but the shape was too pointy and spread east/west for me to feel comfortable wearing it. I decided to give this one a try because: 1) I read reviews that the ... band was quite snug and 2) this bra relies on compression rather than encapsulation, so I figured that'd give me a little wiggle room to work with even it if didn't fit perfectly.

So, the fit.....well, the band is definitely too big. I tried it on the tightest hooks immediately and still could pull it from my body. It did feel comfortable, though. The cups may even be a tad bit on the small side as well; after I scooped and swooped, I had quadboob (and my boobs felt like they were up to my neck.) I love the straps, though. Every bra I own is guilty of having straps too far apart, so I immediately fell in love with the pulled in straps on this bra.

I jogged in place for a minute to test the bounce control, and it actually wasn't too bad, considering the band was too large. I can imagine in the proper size, this bra would allow NO movement! I think for now this bra will work fine for my purposes, and if I don't get tons of life out of it, I'm not too disappointed since I didn't pay much for it. I'd much rather wear this one bra than 2 or 3 cheap Champion stretchy sports bras like I have been doing for the past few years. I'm in terrible shape, so it will probably be some time before I will graduate to needing anything for really high-impact activities anyway.

Did I mention it was pretty? I am soooooooooo sick of black and white bras, so I love how fun the colors are. It might make me actually want to exercise!

Also, I wanted to add that it was refreshing to see a company actually put the correct US size on their label (since most companies seem to put the US & UK size as the same when they're clearly not!)
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This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Jul 08, 2013 Flag this

Best sports bra I've ever used - I have it in 2 colours and it fits wonderfully. It has pretty high coverage and keeps me pretty much wobble-free. There are 2 sets of 2 hooks at the back, which really improves the support given - I have another sports bra that just has the usual one set of 3 hooks, and it's definitely not as supportive.

It does fit pretty tight, but if it was any looser I don't think it would provide as much support. It's still pretty comfortable though, despite being very tight, partly because of the wide straps and two sets of hooks at the back ... which spread the tightness out a bit rather than being concentrated in just one spot. Also, no underwires means I could happily wear it all day (and night) if I wanted to.

This would probably work well as a minimiser under higher-necked tops too, it flattens me out quite a bit!

I've had my white one for some time now and it's stood up well to being worn 2-4 times a week and being washed (in a machine) on a regular basis. It's still just as supportive as when I first got it.
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Updated on Feb 24, 2013 Flag this

I am normally around a UK 30F, but this bra seems to fit pretty tightly, especially in the band. There's no way I could get into my usual band size, seeing as the 32 band was about right on the biggest hooks. Unfortunately, the department store where I buy my bras (The Bay in Canada) doesn't carry any bras in double-letter sizes, so I couldn't find the 32FF I would've preferred.

The bra is very comfortable, although because it's a sports bra, it doesn't really separate the breasts. It's also very good at controlling bounce during activity, and the styling is unique. It's ... made so you can wear it as gym outerwear, so be aware that if you want to wear it under clothing, the seams will likely show a bit. It's also thicker than a regular bra, so before you get used to it, it can make you feel a little too hot.

I've got three bras of this model and size, all of which I've taken in a bit at the back. The oldest two are two years old and I still wear them, although I've had to take them in more at the back to compensate for the stretching of the band. They're very high-quality bras and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them.
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Updated on May 25, 2011 Flag this

When I first was given this bra, I wore a 28E Cleo Lily as my only fitting bra. That's about five years ago, and at the time, this could have in theory been a bralette sort of thing - but it was too tight for lounge wear, and the cups were too big. So it hung out in a drawer until i tried it on for a fit check half a year ago - and what do you know, it fits?!
So now that this fits, it is my only sports bra. And boy is it GOOD.

COMFORT:
So I set the comfort to "Good" because it is a ... sports bra, and it's not comfortable to wear outside of excersise. The band hurts my ribcage/underbust when I'm not actively focused on the excersise. That being said, it is the optimal sports bra for my current activity type and level. It holds everything in place, there's no jiggle, there's no finnicky straps or mechanisms that rub the wrong place, etc. The person that gave it to me did hardcore martial arts with this bra, and today it's a perfect fit since they stretched out the band just enough by wearing it for high intensity excersise. I tried a brand new 32F shock absorber and I could barely breathe, so this being a perfect fit all these years later is magnificent.
Since this is a compression and not an encapsulation sports bra, the breasts are squished together and onto the chest wall. Excellent for support! I love it! No bounce! But not good for sweaty excersise boobs!! My only real issue with this bra is the boob sweat. Ho boy, the boob sweat. I'm considering getting a cookie (removable pad for evening out the fit in bras) of sorts, or making one, to have between the boobs so they're not wet when I take off the sports bra.

QUALITY:
Absolutely solid construction. Wide elastic band at the bottom, all cup edges are elastic, wide straps, several different pieces of fabric for maximum hold and support. And the thing that drives it home for me: the 4 hooks in sets of 2. The support isn't only relying on your IMF and underbust/ribcage, but is distributing it to between the shoulder blades as well. I will admit that it's not always the easiest to hook this bra, but the shoulder hooks are about as hard as the underbust hooks - I have flexible shoulders so the top hooks aren't super hard, but it's an awkward angle. The bottom hooks are actually a little difficult to clasp, because the band is so tight.
When it comes to the straps, I have no issue with them not being fully adjustable. I have a relatively long torso so I don't struggle with straps not adjusting short enough. I really like the thicker part of the straps since it's that part of the straps that rest on the top of my shoulders, and it's that spot that bears the most weight.

DESIGN:
I'll admit also that I don't super enjoy the fabric color choices of this bra. The dark floral pattern isn't really my thing, and the blue is too dark so it's not a very satisfying color combination. I like flashy and bright colors, so this bra is just a little plain. It looks okay when I'm wearing though, and honestly the fit is really the most important thing about this bra. Fit first, design second, when it comes to sports bras.
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Blue/purple colorway

Updated on Nov 24, 2020 Flag this

I have a watermelon red with grey trim colourway and the tag says S4490 which is the newer version of this model. B4490 is the older but it still floats around eBay too.

My measurements are 26" and 34" leaning. Even to FOT, shallow, average width, close-set, tall roots. Usually wear 28E in lieu of easy-to-find 26Fs.

So this is a 30DD. But this bra model is notorious for running very snug in the band. And I know that oddly some colourways run even smaller. And I used to own two B4490s in 28DD that were veryyyyy tight. So I chose to size up but I should not have. I bounce up top a little more than I'd prefer. Also the straps don't shorten as much as I need. I should have got a 28E or F. I wish it were an inch taller too for my really tall roots but I wish that about every bra.

Red with grey trim colorway

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Updated on Sep 12, 2017 Flag this

Third try is a charm! I've tried this bra in 30FF, 32F, and now in 30G... and I have a perfect fit! I have Love4Pollinators to thank for this bra! My shape is soft, lower set, even to FOB, narrow, and slightly centre full.

This shock absorber is a poppy red (almost coral orange) with grey accents. It is a compression type bra, and it has two rows of hooks on the back band (two upper, two lower, in a split band). The band is firm and has some stretch but doens't stretch to 30", which offers a lot of support without movement.

This bra encloses all my breast tissue without letting any escape with the bouncing, which I appreciate, and it also compresses without making me feel too squished (the smaller 30FF I tried allowed tissue to escape and I felt very squished). Although the bra squishes across my tail of spence, I don't find it uncomfortable at all because the bra doesn't slide around when I exercise.

Updated on Apr 12, 2017 Flag this

This bra is great for my omega-shaped, center full, close-set breasts.

It pulls a bit too tightly across the top of the cup and 1/8" of my breast escapes out the top while jumping. I'll need to wear this a bit longer to determine whether or not I can tolerate the tightness across the top. Generally, my breasts/lymph nodes/tendon protest loudly after a few minutes when a cup pulls across the top near the strap/underarm.

However, the discomfort I often feel in the bottom of sports bras' cups is not present here. It feels like my breasts have enough space in the bottom. https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_smile.gif" alt=":-)" />

It is likely I may need the 32FF, but this may work well enough for my needs during my two smaller weeks. One exercise session will reveal the answer https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_wink.gif" alt=";-)" />

This is a workhorse of a bra!

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Updated on Apr 12, 2017 Flag this