So when size-inclusive and sustainable brand Kinflyte offered to send me a couple of bras made with its patented Posture System, I immediately said yes. Before I delve any deeper into my experience, it’s important to go through what the bra claims to do. The goal, according to Kinflyte, is to “cue a women’s body into better alignment” through a combination of its extra supportive construction, non-slip straps that are meant to eliminate some of the weight from the shoulders, and comfortable compression fabric. To completely validate the posture-correcting promises would require vigorous testing and monitoring over a few weeks that is not plausible for me. That said, I’ve been wearing the Freedom Bra whenever I’m at home (which, between the recent COVID-19 surge and the debilitating cold weather, is all the time), so I do have some insight. My overall impression of the bra is good (more details on that later) but there are a couple thorns on this rose. The actual aesthetic of the bra is very utilitarian, and it’s not clunky, per se, but it is a lot of fabric. I also found the sizing to run large, but the addendum here is that I am notoriously bad at choosing the right size when shopping online. I personally prefer bras that keep my breasts separate—otherwise I get boob sweat, as I did with the Kinflyte—but if you spend a lot of time in athleisure or sports bras, you’ll like that this has a similar fit. On to the good: It is very comfortable. The fabric feels like my softest T-shirt hugging my chest. Because I’m a 38DD, I don’t find the braless lifestyle to be comfortable; in fact, I prefer the opposite, so the sports bra-like design of the Kinflyte makes it a great at-home bra for me (more about function than fashion). As I write this, I have worn it for at least 14 days while going about my usual work-from-home routine: switching between standing and sitting on the couch to work, cleaning, walking down six flights of stairs to pick up my mail, etc. To buy: $119; kinflyte.com The best part about this bra is that it’s helped immensely with the back pain and shoulder tension I was near-constantly experiencing. I realized three days into wearing it that I hadn’t taken my hardwood floor rest that day, while another time, as I was FaceTiming my sister, she remarked that I looked “relaxed”; I can ony assume this meant my shoulders were no longer purely mounds of tension framing my face. I was curious how this could be possible, but according to the brand, the wide straps are designed to reduce pressure on the shoulder blades by redistributing the weight of your chest—thereby explaining the amount of fabric. I’m going to continue wearing the bra since I’ve felt a noticeable change in my lower back pain and the way my shoulders sit, which could all point to improved posture, but I can’t say that for sure. And while the Freedom bra is the only option I tried, Kinflyte offers many other wire-free bras in a variety of styles and support levels. Plus, its entire inventory is incredibly size-inclusive and ranges from XS to 5XL. Head to Kinflyte to find the right style for you, or shop my new favorite alignment-helping bra below. To buy: $119; kinflyte.com
