KayakGearReviews.org

Item Review by Kathryn Doiron

Edited by Ken Bigelow

May 4, 2009

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Product Information:

Manufacturer	Ibex Outdoor Clothing
Website	http://www.ibex.com/
MSRP	$55
Material	17.5 micron Merino with 10% Nylon, 4% Spandex
Colors available:	Alligator, Ivory, Warm Green, Violet Haze, Triathlon Red, and Black
Sizes available:	Small to Extra Large

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Product Description

Ibex has a Balance product line that contains different underwear and support layers. The Balance Sports Bra is one such piece in the Balance line up. The Sports Bra is a mostly seamless next-to-skin support layer that offers mild to moderate support. The Sports Bra offers wide support straps that cross in the back to avoid interfering with shoulder blades during sports and activities. The bottom support band falls just under the breasts and is a wide soft band with the Ibex logo on the outside and text on the inside. The care instructions are printed in the middle of the Sports Bra just under where the shoulder straps meet in the back. The only seams for the Sports Bra are two small seams were the straps meet with the back panel of the Sports Bra. The seams are a flatlock seam. Other features of the Sports Bra include a pucker stitch in the front offering some separation and form-fitting as well as merino wool with a spandex and nylon mix for fit and elasticity.

Impressions

This Sports Bra has been very comfortable right from the beginning. Not only does it work well with my other wool base layers, but it fits well, breaths well, and is easy to care for. It is machine washable and air dries well. I really love the red color too. The Triathlon Red color is a nice deep red that is pleasing in shade. The Sports Bra is made with a nice thick knit material that provides low- to mid-level support. The thickness of the material is quite nice. The wool works as I expect wool to work and when the bra gets wet from sweat or water, it has been able to keep me warm. The straps are nonadjustable but this hasn’t been a problem. The little tuck in the material in the front does help prevent some of the issues associated with getting uni-boob. While not 100% effective I like the effort.

I have found the support to about right for the level of support I need for the types of kayaking I am doing. The website says it is for A, B, or C cup sizes. Being just outside of this range on the large end, I wasn’t sure the top would work for me, but it has. The fit isn’t 100% perfect but there is enough give to the material in the Sports Bra to tug it into place for good coverage and comfort. It doesn’t offer me as firm a support as it might have if I was within the range but my intensity level doesn’t require total firm support. I found the sizing true, and the medium fits nice and snug without pinching. I do find that the top can be a little difficult to pull on without having it roll around itself and sometimes it can be difficult to pull off due to tightness, especially when I am tired.

On Water Use

I have used this Sports Bra on quite a number of trips and will detail a few from over the last few months. Trips have ranged from wearing the sports bra around the house, to simple practice trips, to longer touring and surf paddling.

I used the Sports Bra during a paddling festival down in South Carolina. I wore the Sports Bra over three days, drying it on a line between trips. The temperatures were in the mid 70’s F (23 C) starting off brisk in morning than cooling in the evenings. The water temperatures for the lake were around 65 F (18 C) with the ocean temperatures being a little cooler then that. I spent about 4 hours on the water the first day, about 3 hours the second day and about 6 hours the third day. The second and third days saw lots of ocean action and I was almost totally soaked through by the end of the session. The Sports Bra did a good job of giving me support as well as keeping me warm in the cool ocean waters. I never felt as if the Sports Bra was chaffing me either due to the salt water or due to the paddling. The Sports Bra did get mostly dry when line dried and I did manage to wear the Sports Bra dry on the second day.

Another two trips out was for almost 3 hours of playboating practice in Class II rapids on the Potomac. Water temperatures each time were around 58 F (14 C) with air temperatures about 65 F (18 C). I wore a wool shirt over top the Sports Bra and a dry top each trip. I did end up rolling several times and water eventually worked its way into the dry top to wet my shirt and the Sports Bra. I never found the Sports Bra riding up in any uncomfortable fashion when I was practicing various moves and maneuvers.

I took the Sports Bra to another 3 day festival which saw me getting a lot more water time than the last one. I spent about 6 hours per day on the water each day and wore the Sports Bra from wake up to just after the last paddle. I hung the Sports Bra to dry each night and wore it the following day. Nothing ever really dried out due to the high humidity and lack of air circulation within the building. After three days of wearing, the material of the Sports Bra had relaxed a little but still seemed to offer me adequate support. Water temperatures were around 60 F (16 C) and air temperatures started at 70 F (20 C) then dropped to 60 F (16 C) the last day. Winds were variable from calm to about force 4-5. I spent quite some time in the water on the second and third days and was mostly soaked through.

Another recent trip saw the Sports Bra being used for play boating practice at Wide Water near the Potomac in Maryland. The temperatures were in the mid 60’s F (around 16 C), the water temperatures were about the same. I wore the Sports Bra under a lightweight wool base layer which was under a dry top. While I did have some water leakage, I wasn’t soaked. I played for about 2 hours before a group of us hiked down to see the high water levels on the Potomac which were at 8 feet according to the gauge, almost flood conditions. I did find that the Sports Bra didn’t ride up when wet nor did it stick to my body in an uncomfortable manner. It also kept me feeling warm whether on the water or off.

Wear

I have been wearing the Sports Bra over the last few months sometimes several days in a row and in spite of all the wear, the Sports Bra still fits snug to my body. The Sports Bra has been washed numerous times and the material still looks new with no signs of wear or pilling. The material is still soft to the touch and comfortable to wear against the skin whether wet or dry.

Wrap-up

Over the last few months, I have been using the Sports Bra both in every day wear as well as on the water wear. The Sports Bra is nice to wear against the skin, being comfortable and soft. There have been no riding up issues no matter how much I twist or rotate my body. It has wicked the moisture away from my body and even when the chest band became wet with sweat or river water, it has still kept me warm. The Sports Bra does not offer me total support, but for a soft cup sports bra, there is enough support to do low impact activities like kayaking, boat surfing and play boating. I have even found that the Sports Bra is quite comfortable to sleep in.

Summary
Pros

– comfortable, as well as soft on the skin

– stays in place wet or dry, even after several days

– wicks sweat away very well

Cons

– red color bled into another light colored layer

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Personal Information:

Name	Kathryn Doiron
Age	33
Gender	Female
Height	5′ 8″ (1.7 m)
Weight	150 lb (68 kg)
Email	kathryn ‘at’ kayakgearreviews ‘dot’ org
Website	http://kayakergirl.blogspot.com/
Location	DC, MD, VA area

Paddling Bio: I started seriously kayaking in summer of 2007 and bought an Impex Force Category 4 as my first real boat that fall. I started white water kayaking in the summer of 2008 and now have a Jackson Classic Fun. I now enjoy white water, flat water, ocean surfing and sea kayaking and look forward to getting more into rafting. I tend to get out on the water several times a week during the height of the kayaking season. I have even paddled with the Ice Pirates at the height of winter. I am hoping to do a three month expedition trip in the following year.

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This concludes my review on the Ibex Balance Sports Bra underwear. Thank you for reading this review and I hope you have found the information contained useful and valuable.

Read more posts by kathryn.

This entry was posted on Monday, May 4th, 2009 and is filed under Underwear.