woman in bra looking in the mirror

Measuring Your Bra Band | Why a band should feel firm, but not too tight…

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The right bra band is key for getting the best-fitted bra. Most support comes from our bra band. How tight should the bra band be? Check your Bra Band

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Can I measure my bra size at home?

woman holding bra measuring tape for underbust size

Sure! It’s perfectly fine to get a bra fitting somewhere. If you do I advise you to write down the measurements as well (you need them to compare sizes in a chart or calculator).

Anyway, you’ll feel a bad-fitted bra all day long.

Measuring yourself at home can be done easily and as many times as needed.


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Ask a friend or partner to help you if needed.

  • measure around your body, underneath your breasts
  • write down the inches or centimeters
  • secondly, measure your bust size
  • look up your bra size in a size chart or in my bra calculator

A slightly different measurement can change your bra size altogether. Wearing the right bra size will make all the difference in the world.

A well-fitted bra does give you more confidence and makes your clothes look better.


How tight should a bra band be?

woman looking in the mirror fastening her bra band

Your bra band should feel a bit tight, or you might say firmly. But it sure mustn’t feel too tight.

The elastic fiber of your bra will relax a bit when it gets warm. So if you put on a bra it may and should feel quite firm for about 10 minutes. After some time the fabric will respond to the warmth of your body.

Remember that the most support from our bra comes from its band. If the band is too loose the cups won’t feel good as well.


What if I’m in between two possible band sizes?

strapless bra cup aa push up

DOBREVA Strapless Padded Push-up AA – DD cups | See Amazon.com


If I measure myself and check the size chart I would usually go for a 34 band size.

I’m however quite close to a 36 band size also. For years I bought 34 bras in a cup AA. Lately, I started wearing some 36 bras in a cup AAA. I find the cups to be a bit wider set and the bra cups look more natural on me. The cups of a 34AA and a 36AAA are the same in size, however, positioned a bit wider.

Also depending on the brand or bra style you may vary in bra sizes. Different bra sizes may fit you just fine.


Do I need another cup size when changing my band size?

calvin klein t shirt bra different band sizes

Calvin Klein Women’s Perfectly Fit Lightly Lined Memory Touch T-Shirt Bra A-DDD | See Amazon.com

Remember when you change your band size up or down, your cup size volume will change too.

Best explained with a few examples:

 40B – you want a bigger band and choose 42A (if you want to keep the same cup volume)
 34A – you want a smaller band and choose 32B (if you want to keep the same cup volume)


Other articles you might like

Full guide on measuring small breasts
How to measure a small cup?
Teens bra cups AA-B
9 Boob types what’s yours?
Bra sister sizing explained
A cup vs B cup, the difference
The average cup size US


AAA, AA, A cups | Shop at lulalu.com



Her Room Banner

See my bra calculator or shop for bras at:

Herroom D+ 30% off Sale Comfort Bras
Lulalu Small Bras AAA, AA and A
Amazon Best Sellers in Everyday Bras
60+ sizes & half cups ThirdLove