As someone who has big boobs, bra shopping has never been my favourite pastime, especially when I was growing up. I remember my mum trying to herd me into the lingerie section at M&S, where she would hold various (enormous) bras up to me, trying to make an educated guess on what would work, because I refused to get fitted properly. I had absolutely no idea what constituted the best bras for big boobs – and neither did my mum, clearly.
Now that I'm an adult and (hopefully) able to shop for a bra without feeling embarrassed or throwing a tantrum, I felt it was time I went for my first proper bra fitting. My realisation? How important it really is to have a bra that fits properly. For too long I have put up with granny bras, four-boob bras and bras that leave red marks on my skin, so when I was invited for a fitting with Empreinte I jumped at the opportunity. I needed a comfortable bra. And as bra sizing can be confusing, I wanted expert help.
I came in wearing my favourite T-shirt bra – super comfy, but lacking support. As I looked in the mirror with my fabulous fitter, Victoria, she instantly pinpointed the areas that were a problem with my bra sizing (I was wearing a 34GG bra). The back was too loose, the straps were too tight, and I was slightly spilling out over the top (i.e the dreaded four-boob situation).
I was saddened to hear that what I thought was my most-trusted bra had in fact betrayed me. In particular, Victoria focused on my shoulders, which already have permanent indentations in them, and pointed out that they would only get worse if I were to continue to wear ill-fitting bras.
Usually, shopping around for bras for big boobs is a very unhappy and stressful experience for me, but not this time. Victoria brought in style after style for me to try, from a wireless bra to bras with lace details to full coverage bras, all beautifully designed. The conclusion: I’m actually a 32H, meaning I’m smaller around the back and fuller in the cup.
If you do have a larger bust, it's easy to feel a bit confused as to where to actually buy your bras. The average UK bra size is 36DD, so it shouldn't be a struggle to find great bras which fit properly. Luckily, I've found that there are so many excellent brands offering sizes ranging from AA-H cups, in all manner of styles.
Now, all that’s left to do is share my new-found expertise with you all. So, here are the best bras for big boobs, as chosen by a woman who actually has big boobs. That's me. And thanks to bras for big boobs that actually fit, I'm saying it loud and proud.
Shop: The Best Bras For Big Boobs
Best balcony bra for big boobs
www.simplybe.co.uk
The Figleaves Pulse Lace Balcony bra lifts and supports the bust up to a GG cup - yes a GG cup bra really can be this sheer and sexy yet supportive. Underwired and made of pretty lace, I found this bra gave me a great shape and was really comfortable, too. It's also less than £10, which is almost unbelievable.
Best strapless bra for big boobs
www.johnlewis.com
I've gone through a lot of strapless bras in my time, but none have been as good as this Panache one. Trust me, if you buy it you'll never look back. Available from sizes E-J, I find this stays in place, offers great support and is far comfortable than other strapless styles I've tried. It's also available in three different shades.
Best bralette for big boobs
Available in up to an H cup (XL), this Fantasie bra is ideal to wear as a T-shirt bra, or even as a sleep bra. It includes a wide elastic under-band and thicker straps for support – I discovered this when I started working from home and now I wear it most days.
Best plunge bra for big boobs
www.annsummers.com
I used to think I couldn't wear a plunge-style bra with my H cup boobs but then I discovered this bra from Ann Summers and realised I was wrong. Available in an incredible 12 different colours, the reason this style tends to sell more quickly than others is down to the fact that it's comfortable and supportive while also feeling sexy. You can take the padding out if you want to and it's available up to a G cup.
Best full cup bra for big boobs
www.simplybe.co.uk
If you like more coverage from your bra, this full cup style is a great option and available up to a G cup. I tried this under T-shirts and it worked just as well as my usual T-shirt bras, but felt a little bit more special. The straps give extra support without being too thick and I found it to be really comfortable in general.
Best lace bra for big boobs
www.marksandspencer.com
Of all the lace bras I've tried, this is the nicest. Available up to a J cup, this fits really well and is super-pretty, proving that you don't just have to resort to really practical styles when you have bigger boobs. The cups are non-padded, which I personally really like, but it's still underwired to give that extra level of support.
Best affordable bra for big boobs
www.marksandspencer.com
It can sometimes be difficult, I've found, to discover really great bras for bigger boobs that don't have a bigger price tag to match. Thank goodness for M&S, then, which has great styles for all budgets (and sizes). This pretty minimiser bra comes in four colours (the pink is almost sold out, it's that popular), offers brilliant support and is less than £20. It even has matching pants, so you can get a whole lingerie set for under £40.
Best sexy bra for big boobs
www.agentprovocateur.com
For underwear which feels really luxurious, Agent Provocateur is hard to beat. It's certainly more expensive than your average, wear everyday bras but this style manages to combine sensuality with practicality in a way that is difficult to find usually beyond a D cup. This one is available up to a G cup and will make you feel fantastic every time you put it on.
Best T-shirt bra for big boobs
skims.com
SKIMS really is as good as you've heard, particularly when it comes to brilliant basics like this T-shirt bra. Designed to really fit every body, regardless of shape or size, there's an inclusive range of shades and sizing ranges from 30A to 46H. It's really comfortable, so you can wear it all day, every day and not have that horrible feeling of your bra digging in.
Best bra for big boobs with matching pants
www.bouxavenue.com
Boux Avenue has a great selection of underwear but one of the things I love most is that, with some bras, you can get matching pants for free. So, you could buy this pretty pink bra (available up to a G cup) and then choose between a matching pair of briefs or thong for no extra cost. The bra itself is unpadded and underwired but is super comfortable.
How do I choose a bra size for heavy breasts?
It's always a good idea to be measured by a professional in order to determine your correct bra size. M&S has a great in-store service on the high street, as does Victoria's Secret, where you can easily make an appointment to be fitted properly. Alternatively, you can use our step-by-step guide to how to measure your bra size at home, which is filled with expert tips on how to get it right.
Which bra brand is best for big boobs?
There are now lots of brands which cater to larger bra sizes, I'm happy to say. M&S has some great options, as has Boux Avenue, Bravissimo and SKIMS. Most of these brands also have DD+ categories, making it even easier to find your favourite styles in your size without endless scrolling.
What is a large boob size?
As we know, boobs come in all shapes and sizes – there's no 'right' bra size in any sense. The average UK size is 36DD, so you'd hope that any lingerie brand catered to an inclusive range of sizes. Sadly, this isn't always the case but there has been much improvement. SKIMS is particularly great when it comes to offering underwear in a fantastic range of sizes (and shades for that matter) while on the UK high street, M&S still leads the way in terms of affordable bras which really do fit well.
Lillian Sesiguzel was Grazia’s social media & video producer, working across fashion and beauty. Previously assistant to celebrity stylist Elizabeth Saltzman, Lillian now works for Business of Fashion as social media editor. She is also a blogger, focusing on fashion for women with bigger boobs. Find her on Instagram and Twitter.