As I have large, heavy boobs and quite soft skin it is quite normal for my bra straps to dig in somewhat. I know that professional bra fitters will say this should not be the case but I can assure you that it is unavoidable with boobs as big as mine. Apparently bra straps should only take 20% of the breast weight, with the band taking the remaining 80%. Unfortunately this is not the case with my bras, despite how I have sized down in the band to get better support. Sizing down band-wise has definitely helped but I would need bras with incredibly thick straps to comfortably take the weight of my boobs without affecting my shoulders. Having straps that sometimes dig in is something I have come to accept and indeed become used to as they are not usually uncomfortable but I was nonetheless interested to have a go with these bra strap cushions to see if they made any difference.
Julie gave me the Magic Bodyfashion silicone Comfort Bra Strap Cushions. They were available in 'clear' or 'skin'; I went for the skin colour as the clear was actually slightly white and I didn't think it would work as well against my skintone.
As you can see, the Comfort Strap cushions are oval-shaped and about 9cm in length. They are made of silicone so they are very flexible and feel soft and squidgy and kind of rubbery to the touch. They have two layers: one that sits underneath your bra strap to offer some cushioning and the other that covers the top of your bra strap and creates a channel for your strap to sit within.
The Comfort Strap cushions are really easy to put in place and there are probably a variety of techniques to do so. My way is to put my bra on as normal and put the straps on my shoulders. I then lift the straps and insert the Comfort Strap cushions underneath, and slide the two top sections over the top of my strap. Hope that makes sense!
Once in place, the Comfort Strap cushions do not usually move, although I do find that if I have not placed them centrally, i.e. exactly on top of my shoulders, they can slide down the front or back of my straps over the course of the day. Due to the fact they are made from silicone, they are ultra-flexible and simply fit to the shape of your shoulders.
I have never found that the Comfort Strap cushions rub or cause me any problems but I know they can do for others. Some people are less tolerant to silicone on their skin and it can cause excessive sweating underneath which can lead to chafing, thus defeating one of the purposes of the cushions. I occasionally get a touch of sweat underneath the pads but I don't notice it until I take them off at the end of the day.
The 'skin' colour is a bit light for me as I always wear gradual tan (a moisturing tanning lotion) and/or have a suntan so the colour of the cushion does not blend in at all. However, this is not a problem for me as I don't really mind how the cushions look, just as long as they are comfortable.
I was wary that the Comfort Straps might peek out from my clothing and reveal my secret but so far I have not had this happen. I don't wear them every day but tend to if I will be driving long distance and not moving around much, or if I will be carrying a heavy bag on my shoulder. Additionally, I have some bras that have less forgiving straps than others so I'd tend to wear my Comfort Straps with them.
I think the Comfort Straps are a great solution to bra straps that dig in and I have already got a good deal of wear out of mine. This item is no longer available at Leia Lingerie but I find that Magic Bodyfashion has them on sale on their website here.
