About.com Rating

Updated November 09, 2012.



One of the things that no one tells you in pregnancy is that you're most likely going to have to buy new bras. Not only does your cup size change, your ribcage expands as you progress further into your pregnancy. This can mean that you spend a ton of money buying new bras every trimester or it means that you find a bra that works for multiple sizes. The Genie Bra helps eliminate the need to buy multiple maternity bras by stretching to fit a multitude of sizes.

The Genie Bra comes in sizes XS/S-4X, providing lots of options for women of all shapes and sizes. I was immediately impressed by how easy it was to find a Genie Bra that fit me. As my pregnancy progressed, I found that the Genie Bra continued to fit when my other bras had to be put away. This makes the already affordable Genie Bra a real cost savings because anything that lasts you longer is a winner in my book.

The Genie Bra comes in twelve colors, divided by four sets: The Classic Set, The Pastel Set, The Neutrals Set and the Brights Set. The product that I tested was nude colored and I loved how easy it was to conceal under a variety of clothing fabrics. One thing I noticed was that the straps are set fairly close together, so the straps showed near my neck on some of my blouses. The Genie Bra is structured much like a sports bra, so if you find that style of bra doesn't suit you, this might not be the product for you. The product has a full cup design, so a properly fitting Genie Bra will contain your bust without causing unsightly lumps or bumps.

One of the major selling points of The Genie Bra is the quality of the fabric used. The bra is constructed of 96% Nylon and 4% Spandex and is incredibly soft and smooth to the touch. I found this to be very comfortable on my sensitive pregnancy skin. The Spandex does a great job of giving support but at the end of the day I found that my ribcage was a bit uncomfortable from the shape of the bra. More frequent use helped me get used to the feeling of The Genie Bra, which is much different from a traditional clasp and hook bra. The Genie Bra is more about support and less about bust enhancement, unlike a pushup bra. This undergarment is meant to be worn for long periods of time, like an all-day or t-shirt bra. If you find that your breasts are uncomfortable during pregnancy, especially when fabrics rub them, The Genie Bra is a great solution. The soft fabric and gentle support can help you find relief day or night.

If you buy a size bigger than your maternity size, I think the Genie Bra would be a nice sleep bra for after the baby is born. To nurse my babe I simply moved one side of the bra over my breast and placed it back down after feeding. Obviously, this bra was not specifically designed as a nursing bra, so it's probably best to use the bra for this function at home.

The Genie Bra is completely machine washable and dryer safe, which is great for the end of pregnancy when you may find yourself leaking colostrum and needing frequent washing. During my testing phase, I threw the Genie Bra in the washing machine and dryer many times and I was impressed with how well it maintained its shape after washing. The fabric didn't pill or lose elasticity, which helped the integrity of the bra. Because of the optional removable modesty pads, slight breast leaking can easily be concealed. You could even add a breast pad without anyone noticing. The makers of Genie Bra suggest that it can even be used as a camisole, which with the number of color options available, could provide you with lots of bra/camisole choices.



Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.