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11 best push-up bras that offer lift, support and comfort

From a light lift to a super boost, these styles have got you covered

Emily Dawes,Lauren Cunningham
Wednesday 12 June 2024 13:20 BST
From small chests to big busts, we’ve found a push-up bra to suit every body and budget
From small chests to big busts, we’ve found a push-up bra to suit every body and budget (The Independent)
Our Top Picks

There’s no doubt relaxed bralettes are super comfy, strapless styles work for fashion-forward fits and sports bras offer unparalleled support when running or doing any form of exercise. However, for some of us, there’s also place in our underwear drawers for the best push-up bras, to help create cleavage and, in turn, sometimes confidence.

Seen by many as a wardrobe essential, a push-up bra can be nothing short of a miracle worker for those who desire some extra lift to make the most of what they have (or even boost to a bigger cup size).

Whether you love a push-up for its support or how it makes you feel, it’s undeniably great for creating that enhanced shape. Although, it’s important to remember, when searching for the best push-up bra for you, it’s not a case of one style suits all.

The effects can range from subtle to extreme and, depending on your preferences, you’ll want to consider whether you want light padding or wireless options for increased comfort, or more significant stuffing and support for some serious lift. It’s important to work out whether you’re best off with a smooth surface for sitting under T-shirts, or pretty lace detailing for that extra feel-good factor. 

If you’re still undecided, or are simply looking for some tried and tested recommendations, keep scrolling to see what our team of experts have to say when it comes to the best push-up bra options for every body and budget.

How we tested the best push-up bras

Finding a perfectly fitting bra of any sort requires a lot of trial and error – although every body is different, here, we’ve done a lot of the trialling for you. Of course, we tried the classic brands that have a reputation for a reason, such as Wonderbra and Victoria’s Secret, but we also found some interesting lesser-known options along the way, making sure we catered for all budgets and bra sizes.

The best push-up bras for 2024 are:

  • Best push-up bra overall – Boux Avenue Mollie bra: £28, Bouxavenue.com
  • Best budget push-up bra – Peacocks women’s lace push-up bra: £7, Peacocks.co.uk
  • Best push-up bra for bigger busts – Tutti Rouge daley lace bra: £15, Tuttirouge.com
  • Best push-up bra for smaller chests – Wonderbra ultimate silhouette wireless T-shirt bra: £25.60, Wonderbra.co.uk
  • Best push-up bra for comfort – Calvin Klein seductive comfort push-up T-shirt bra: £41.99, Amazon.co.uk

Boux Avenue Mollie bra

Boux Avenue Mollie bra
  • Best: Push-up bra overall
  • Size range: 28A – 44G
  • Colourways: Black, white, strawberry, grape, orchid, turquoise, hot pink, neon coral, cobalt blue
  • Removable padding: Yes
  • Machine washable: Yes
  • Why we love it
    • Soft fabric
    • Customisable
    • Lots of colour and size options

Boux Avenue’s Mollie bra has received so much attention that we did a full IndyBest feature on it, and it’s safe to say our expert was impressed. With thousands of five-star reviews from customers, this bra is without a doubt one of our favourite finds so far. Its soft fabric couples with fully adjustable straps and three hook-and-eye fastenings to ensure you get the perfect fit, and the padding is also removable, meaning you can tailor the look. Once everything’s in place, you’ll have a lifted, fuller-looking chest and the bra alone is also rather beautiful, with its lacy fabric and scalloped edges. It comes in a huge range of sizes, too.

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Peacocks women’s floral lace push-up bra

Peacocks women’s white floral lace push-up bra
  • Best: Budget push-up bra
  • Size range: 32B – 38D
  • Colourways: Black and white
  • Removable padding: No
  • Machine washable: Yes
  • Why we love it
    • Sculpting
  • Take note
    • Not the softest

If you’re after a bargain buy, take a look at this Peacocks pick. While it certainly isn’t as soft or supple as some of the other options in this list, it’s actually one of the most padded, truly giving that push-up effect. While some will love the rigidness of it’s fit, which truly does sculpt your chest into it’s smooth, rounded cups, our tester found it quite restricting. Although, coming in at less than £10, it really is a bargain buy that does what it says on the tin.

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Tutti Rouge daley lace bra

Tutti Rouge EZ-T lace bra
  • Best: Push-up bra for bigger busts
  • Size range: 30D – 38G
  • Colourways: Blue coral, black, amethyst, cherry, bluebird blue
  • Removable padding: No
  • Machine washable: No, hand-wash only
  • Why we love it
    • Great lift
    • Designed specifically for bigger chests
    • Incredibly comfortable

For bigger busts, you most likely want a push-up bra with particularly good lift. Luckily, Tutti Rouge has a huge range of options designed specifically for D-cups and above, and there are no ugly shades, too-thick straps or XXL fastenings in sight. The EZ-T bra is one of the brand’s bestsellers, available in a range of shades, and, after a week of use, it was easy to see why.

It’s incredibly comfortable, thanks to a microfiber lining, a generously sized back strap and thickly padded hook-and-eye area. As it’s not necessarily padding you’re after when you have a bigger bust, there’s only a small amount around the outer edge of each cup, to help create a smoother, fuller cleavage without adding too much volume. The main focus really is on shape and support.

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Wonderbra ultimate silhouette wireless T-shirt bra

Wonderbra ultimate silhouette wireless t-shirt bra
  • Best: Push-up bra for smaller chests
  • Sizes range: 32A–38G
  • Colourways: Black, beige
  • Removable padding: No
  • Machine washable: No, hand-wash only
  • Why we love it
    • Seemless
    • Great for the everyday
    • Natural looking lift
    • Durable and high quality

Wonderbra has consistently produced some of the best push-up bras on the market since the Nineties, so, of course, we had to include the brand in this list. This everyday style is perhaps the perfect padded T-shirt bra – super-soft, seamless and wireless, meaning it creates a really nice natural lift without any discomfort. With other wireless styles, it’s easy to lose some of the push-up quality in favour of comfort but, here, Wonderbra seems to have perfected both. We’d say this added at least a cup size, so, if you’re here for a serious boost, don’t overlook this one.

As with all of the brand’s products, you can tell a lot of thought has gone into the technical design and quality and it certainly feels like this one would last for years. As someone with a smaller chest who usually errs on the side of a non-padded bralette, our tester was well and truly swayed into wearing this style.

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Calvin Klein seductive comfort push-up T-shirt bra

Calvin Klein seductive comfort push-up t-shirt bra
  • Best: Push-up bra for comfort
  • Size range: 30A to 40F
  • Colourways: Black, green, ivory
  • Removable padding: No
  • Machine washable: Yes
  • Why we love it
    • Stylish
    • Comfortable
    • Seemless
    • Versatile

Calvin Klein certainly knows how to design great lingerie. This pretty style combines the brand’s famed comfort with technicality that makes for an excellent push-up bra. The super-smooth microfiber jersey not only creates a seamless look underneath clothes, according to our tester, it meant this style was comfortable to wear all day. If it’s a more natural lift you’re after, we’d recommend this style, as the cups are only lightly padded and not too restrictive.

Don’t get us wrong, there’s still plenty there to create a seriously flattering and enhanced shape, with a perky but not unnatural cleavage. The delicate lace trim kept it feeling more feminine than Calvin Klein’s usual everyday pieces, and there’s also the option to cross the straps or wear it as a halter, for added versatility.

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Victoria’s Secret very sexy shine strap push-up bra

Victoria’s Secret very sexy shine strap push-up bra
  • Best: Glamorous push-up bra
  • Size range: 32A–38DDD
  • Colourways: Black, black monogram, white, blossom pink, purest pink, orange,
  • Removable padding: No
  • Machine washable: No, hand-wash only
  • Why we love it
    • Fun style
    • Supportive
    • Soft and squishy

Victoria’s Secret is famous for being sexy, and this bra is the perfect example of why. Across the thick straps are silver and back diamantes, which spell out the brand name on both sides. This, for some, is sure to stand out as a must-have style but what makes the dynamic design even more impressive is the fact it’s actually comfortable, too.

The straps are thicker than any other option on this list, making them more supportive, and the fabric is soft and silky, adding to the comfort level. In terms of padding, there is a generous amount built into the cups. It’s soft, squishy and feels quite close to a natural boob when touched, so you won’t be able to tell where the bra ends and your chest begins (well, almost). The brand claims this bra adds one cup size, but our tester would lean more towards two, and it sculpts the breasts up and in, to create more cleavage.

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Intimissimi pretty flowers Gioia super push-up bra

Indybest (13).png
  • Best: Beautiful push-up bra
  • Size range: 32B – 44F
  • Colourways: Deep blue/vanilla, black/ivory, black, pink silk, ice grey/talco, white, dusty lily/ivory, green/ivory, blue/ivory, pink/ivory
  • Removable padding: No
  • Machine washable: Yes
  • Why we love it
    • Beautiful design
    • Feels as good as it looks
    • Heavily padded

If it’s a beautiful bra you’re after, look no further than this Intimissimi option. In a dainty design focused on flowers, it truly is a treat-yourself purchase that’s sure to put a smile on your face every day. Crafted from stretchy lace with contrasting colours, its intricate designs look as good as they feel.

Aside from looks, the shape is also incredibly impressive, living up to its claim of adding two cup sizes as soon as it’s pulled on. Of course, this means it is quite heavily padded, so may be best for those with smaller chests, and there’s no underwire, making it more comfortable yet not quite as supportive as some other options. Although, on aesthetics alone, it certainly was our favourite.

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Wonderbra ultimate strapless bra

Wonderbra John Lewis Strapless.jpg
  • Best: Strapless push-up bra
  • Size range: 30D – 40E
  • Colourways: Black, beige
  • Removable padding: No
  • Machine washable: No, hand-wash only
  • Why we love it
    • Versatile option
    • No slipping, tugging or drooping

This bra was named the best in our strapless bra guide, and our push-up bras tester was impressed, too. Named the ultimate bra, it has a lot to live up to, and trust us when we say it truly does. As well as being strapless, the bra features hand-shaped polycarbonate padding, giving it a real natural lift, as if you were holding up your chest with your hands. Silicone dots then hold the bra in place without the need for straps, so there’s no slipping, tugging or drooping at all.

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Gossard women’s superboost lace plunge bra

Gossard superboost push-up bra
  • Best: Push-up bra with removable padding
  • Size range: 32A–36H
  • Colourways: Beige, black, lemon, orchid, rose red, white
  • Removable padding: Yes
  • Machine washable: No, hand-wash only
  • Why we love it
    • Versatile
  • Take note
    • Not the most supportive

If you’re looking for a bra for every ocassion, it’s worth trying Gossard’s superboost plunge bra. While removable padding may not seem like a necessity, it actually plays a very important role when tailoring the look to exactly how you like it. Luckily, this option enables you to play around with easily removable padding that transforms the bra from a standard everyday shape to a fuller push-up style. While there’s not a lot of support from the straps, the size range is pretty impressive, although, we aren’t too confident that a D cup or above would get the desired support, so this may be another one best suited to smaller chests.

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Lounge comfort push-up T-shirt bra

Lounge-bra-indybest
  • Best: T-shirt push-up bra
  • Size range: 30A–40G
  • Colourways: Latte
  • Removable padding: No
  • Machine washable: No
  • Why we love it
    • Prioritises comfort
    • Incredibly soft

A good push-up bra should provide a nice amount of lift, but it should also be comfortable, especially if you’re planning on wearing it all day. With that in mind, Lounge specialises in underwear and everyday loungewear (surprise, surprise), and this aptly named comfort push-up T-shirt bra reflects that, with its buttery smooth, pillowy feel against the skin. The straps are relatively wide, which means they don’t start to feel tight after hours of wear, while the clasp around the back also makes use of a small amount of padding.

This bra didn’t fail to impress when it came to lift, either. The cups are designed with two zones of padding, which we found provided a decent amount of support, while creating the look of a fuller-looking bust. The design is nothing special – there’s pretty picot trimming around each cup but, apart from that, the bra is super streamlined and smooth – which is exactly what you want from a T-shirt bra.

  1.  £30 from Lounge.com
Prices may vary
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Intimissimi bellissima ultralight microfibre push-up bra

Intimissmi-push-up-bras-indybest
  • Best: Lightweight push-up bra
  • Size range: 32B–38C
  • Colourways: Black, soft beige, pink silk, white
  • Removable padding: No
  • Machine washable: Yes
  • Why we love it
    • Flattering design
    • Comfortable
    • Great for everyday or special occasions
  • Take note
    • Limited size range

This Intimissimi push-up bra is a standout addition to any lingerie collection. Crafted with precision and designed for comfort, it features underwire support and lightly padded cups for the perfect lift and enhancement. The adjustable microfibre straps ensure a customised fit, while the smooth, lightweight fabric feels luxurious against the skin. Perfect for everyday wear or special occasions, this bra offers both elegance and practicality. With its soft fabric and flattering design, it’s sure to become a favourite, no matter your bust size.

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The verdict: Push-up bras

Picking the best overall push-up bra was no easy feat, every body and bust is different, after all. However, coupling our own review with that of 2,000 others, Boux Avenue’s Mollie bra had to be named our best buy, and there’s a wide range of shades and sizes to suit all tastes.

For bigger busts, the Tutti Rouge daley lace bra impressed, with its strong support and seamless design, while smaller chests will benefit from both a boost in size and comfort with the Wonderbra ultimate silhouette wireless T-shirt bra. If going for looks alone, the Intimissimi pretty flowers Gioia super push-up bra was by far the prettiest option on test.

We’ve taken the stress out of finding the right fit, with the best online lingerie shops

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