Front Fastening Bras: A Complete Guide. By Bra Fitter, Pat

If you’re thinking of transitioning in to Front Fastening Bras, or keen to give one a go, then this Complete Guide to Front Fastening Bras is a great place to source reliable information.

The advantages of Front Fastening Bras

Easier to put on
Easier to take off
Often designed with full coverage backs, for a smooth line under clothing
Often designed with wide +/or padded straps
Built with comfort, support + practicality in mind
Available with a broad range of fastening options, useful for arthritic or aging fingers

Things to be aware of with Front Fastening Bras

Of course, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows – there are some downsides to consider with front fastening bras. It always pays to be aware of both sides of the story.

Often designed without room to adjust the bra as it stretches over time. Resulting in a reduced lifespan.
Although easier to do up, they can require some strength to get the front closure mechanism to close.
There are lots of poor quality products on the market. You get what you pay for with a bra, so it's always best to avoid the "cheap and nasty" or product backed by social media viral ads that seem just too good to be true

Which type of clasp if best on a Front Fastening Bra?

The type of clasp used to fasten the bra can “make or break” your experience with a bra.

Zips are great, but need to be of high quality to last and sit well under clothing. They also need to be backed up with an additional hook or two under the zip. Because of the cost of adding good quality zips to a delicate bra it’s rare to find front fastening bras with zips. And if you do – they will be expensive (if they are to be trusted!).

A Single Bar Clasp is easy to do up and usually a durable option, however don’t usually have any ways to adjust the bra in as it stretches. This means you either have to buy a super dooper firm bra to start with, or you may get a reduced lifespan or compromised support out of your bra sooner than ideal.

Magnets are in theory also a great ideal, especially for ageing hands. Because of the risk of magnets interfering with pacemakers this is also an option we see rarely on the market.

Snap or Press Studs can also be found in front fastening bras. Again a rare option, likely because of the difficult ageing hands may have with being able to apply a firm force to multiple press studs before tiring.

Velcro or Hook and Loop bras also make a lot of sense. With the major issue being washing of the garment. Hook and Loop fastening bras requires extra care and can’t simply be thrown in the wash. These are certainly an easy on and off option as less precision is required to adhere.

Traditional Hook and Eye fastening systems still seem to be the most popular on front fastening bras. Although still “fiddly” for some hands, bras can be built with multiple colums of hook and eye fastenings to allow for stretch in the garment. It’s also familiar making it less likely to be met with resistance from potential buyers.

FAQ about Front Fastening Bras

Are Front Fastening Sports Bras good?

Front Fastening Sports Bras are hard to design really well.

For a Sports Bra to offer the strong support required the bra needs to fit firm, for the life of the bra. This means we either have to had lots of adjustability OR the material needs to be super strong and stretch resistant (like in the Enell Sports Bra).

As mentioned, adjustability can be an issue with front fastening bras. So be careful not to choose a front fastening sports bra that doesn’t keep this in mind.

→ Here is more detail about Front Fastening Sports Bras.

Are Front Fastening Bras easier for elderly women?

Generally speaking Front Fastening Bras are a great option for elderly women than have reduced shoulder range of motion or issues with dexterity.

Keeping in mind, that for a front fastening bra to be super easy to put on, it will likely have to be fitted looser than ideal. This isn’t the end of the world for most older ladies, but for those with a big heavy bust it may not be the best option as a loose bra can’t offer strong support.

→ Here is more detail about Front Fastening Bras for Elderly Women

Why are lots of Post Surgical Bras Front Fastening?

Front fastening bras after surgery are a great idea, and this is why then most post surgical bras are front fastening.

Post breast surgery ones arm range of motion is often limited due to sheer pain and discomfort &/or wound sites. This makes it hard to do a bra up around your back.

Add to that, that while you are recovering in hospital, nurses and surgeons will need easy access to conduct their review and wound dressings.

Comfort, ease of use and support are paramount in a post surgical bra. That’s three big ticks for front closure bras.

→ Here is an article on my favourite Post Surgical Front Closure Bras

Can Front Fastening Bras be wirefree?

Absolutely! Wireless front closure bras are very common. In fact, I would say that *most* of the products I review on this site are wireless (or non-wired) bras. The Front Fastening design really lends it self to wireless support.

That being said, there are some really fabulous underwire front fastening bras too.

→ Here’s some info on the benefits of wireless bras

Do Front Fastening Bras come in all sizes?

Yes, these days Front Fastening Bras are available in a really broad range of sizes. Of course the “hard to find” sizes will be just that – harder to find. Much less so in retail stores than online.

One of my favourite brands, Enell, produce their bras up to a size 52; and cup size J equivalent (their sizing isn’t in usual bra sizes). Enell also do custom made bras for people that fall outside of their size range.

Front Fastening Bras are also available in petite sizes and small band / big cup sizing. You just need to do your research to find what brands are available for your specific “hard to find” size.

→ Some brands I think are covering a great range of sizes include Enell, Royce, Wacoal and Glamorise.

Where do you buy front fastening bras?

One of the most frustrating things about our fabulous lingerie industry is that it is *really* hard for retail stores to carry broad ranges of stock in “fringe” or less demanded lines – like front fastening bras. This is due to the huge range of sizes, colours and style options needed to be able to do a range well. For this reason, most retail stores will carry one of two options in store but not a big range.

As a Bra Fitter we almost always send customers enquiring about front fastening bras to shop online, so they can get a broad range to choose from. If you are shopping in America, Canada or the UK then Amazon will serve you the broadest range of front fastening bras. Glamorise are also a site that offer a broad range of options and sizes.