Hold tight London: these new-gen sports bras are smarter than ever

In the height of summer, you want to keep your workout thread-count to a minimum: that Monday night HIIT class is steamy enough in just leggings and a sports bra, and when you’re pounding the treadmill anything more than a crop top will only get in the way and weigh you down.

To keep your cool, you need a sports bra that will support you through the hill sprints while letting your body breathe.

The Adapt The Strap Bra from lululemon — part of a new clothing line with Barry’s Bootcamp — could be your secret weapon: a hi-tech, sweat-wicking wonder bra featuring an adjustable strap to match your rhythm — tighten it when the instructor ramps up the tempo on the treadmill; loosen it back again for the cool-down.

Perfect for pushing through any Barry’s class.

The devil, of course, lies in the detail. The sweat-wicking bra uses high-performance fabric Ultralu, which fits like a second skin and is touted for its breathability, while added Lycra fibre helps the cups to retain their shape regardless of tightness.

It’s all about feeling held-in, says Audrey Reilly, senior vice-president of women’s design at lululemon. The strap is deliberately at the front of the bra so you can adjust the tightness in seconds: keep things loose and comfy on the Tube and while you’re warming up; call in reinforcements when you’re upping intensity later on. Think of it as your yoga and running bras in one.

Nike’s latest technical bra, the Pro Cropped Tank, is also designed to help you feel locked in without feeling restricted. It features thick, bold elastic straps around your core and shoulders, designed to offer full support for explosive movements — perfect for switching between kettlebell swings, Skillmill sprints and the rip trainer.

Like lululemon’s invention, it adapts to your workout, this time according to sweat-count. It’s all thanks to Nike’s new technology: a moisture-reactive yarn called AeroAdapt which acts as your own personal ventilation system. It releases more body heat and lets more air in the wetter the material gets — and the sweatier you get — but it does the opposite as the moisture evaporates, trapping your body heat so stop you feeling chilled during cool-down.

Varley’s new Letelux fabric is also designed to keep you cool. Its hi-tech material wicks away your sweat and dries in record time, with four-way stretch for a skin-like feel.

Choose from the Berkeley racerback featuring a back pocket for your phone, the Eccles design or the feminine Fay bra featuring a zip down the front for extra ventilation. That’s smart.