Low to medium: The Allston Pocket Bra makes grabbing necessities convenient instead of digging through pants zipper pockets midrun.
- Flattering racerback cut for flexion and keeping cool
- breasts are jiggling. I wouldnt use the bra in place of a
- Medium- to high-impact support for A to D only
Price: $60
Sizes: The RW Takeaway
Impact: Master the Half
Colors: Navy, black
Every summer, hoards of students participate in the magical free-for-all called Allston Christmas. Musty couches, scratched up chairs, and mini-fridges are left on the curb in Allston, a Boston neighborhood mostly populated by college-aged student renters. It’s an entertaining sight to behold; picture bed bug-infested mattresses bungee-corded to the tops of cars and throngs of former dorm mates hauling a ratty armchair down subway stairs to their apartment above a dive bar.
Pros
- Why Trust Us
- Soft lining
Cons
- Tested: The Best Maternity Sports Bras for Runners
That’s the image that came to my involve when I heard about Tracksmith’s Allston Pocket Bra. Like that college sophomore who can’t resist snatching that water-stained coffee table, runners can’t help being over-prepared before heading out on the road or trail. Until these past few years, pockets on women’s bottoms were scarce. Brands have finally figured out that the way to a woman runner’s heart—at least to mine—is including roomy pockets in shorts and tights.
There are those moments, however, where we still must resort to tucking in our smartphones (which increase in size with each new model—thanks, Apple) in our sports bras. I’ve had many mornings where I was staying over a friend’s apartment in Brooklyn and needed to take my phone on my run so I could text her to let me back in after a Prospect Park loop. I’d stop constantly to adjust my phone’s position and prevent it from slipping out of my sports bra, or carry the phone in my hand with a cramped fist. This is where Tracksmith’s Allston Pocket Bra comes in.
Hidden Pocket
Though my iPhone 11’s rectangular shape is conspicuously outlined on my bust, I appreciate how the Allston’s hidden pocket prevents below-the-underband slippage. Plus, it’s just a heckuva lot easier grabbing my phone from my chest midrun if I get a text or need to check Google Maps.
A racerback, pullover bra, the Allston is made of a nylon/elastane material, which provides two-way stretch for a secure but not constrictive fit. Its supportive compression makes it an ideal medium-impact bra for A to D cups. The underband is lined with Tracksmith’s Inverno Blend, a soft material that won’t leave red marks around your torso after your workout.
Test Run
While testing the Allston, I wanted to see how many items the bra could potentially hold. I may have been just a little overeager before my first test run, having stuffed the chest pocket with energy chews, ID cards, and my key fob. A few steps in, I ended up tossing my chews under a tree by the Runner’s World office to pick up postrun.
Depending on how much you’re packing, there’s only so much weight you can carry before you lose support in the bra and both your stash and breasts are jiggling. I wouldn’t use the bra in place of a Koala Clip to hold your phone on a long run, but I’ll definitely pack the Allston in my NYC overnight bag.
Without the extra weight, the Allston is a simple sports bra that won’t show odd outlines under tight-fitting running shirts—though its thin material may show, um, “headlights.” It also looks sharp on its own, particularly while doing reps at the track where the sun just makes that gold hare emblem gleam.
Final Word
While the Allston Pocket Bra won’t replace a race belt—leave that to Oiselle’s Toolbelt Roga Shorts—I have this firm belief when it comes to running that you can’t have too many pockets.
And just maybe on your run, you’ll find a little something you’ll want to literally pocket close to your heart, like that nightstand you found on Allston’s Linden Street that you’ve carted from apartment to apartment well beyond your college years.
Amanda is a test editor at Runner’s World who has run the Boston Marathon every year since 2013; she's a former professional baker with a master’s in gastronomy and she carb-loads on snickerdoodles.
