[mitchtbaum]

Since the interest here comes from the engineering angle, there's another interesting tool to bring up, Reusable Adhesive Silicone Nipple Covers. If I had breasts, I'd probably wear those instead, for better freedom of motion and heat dissipation. afaict, bras don't prevent breasts from sagging anyway[0]. Looking at the top results just on Amazon's store, there appears to be huge interest developing in using those and I see lots of reviews of women saying they're so happy not to have to wear a bra anymore.

0: https://www.thelingerieaddict.com/2013/11/last-time-tribal-a...

[kaitai]

I gotta say, you are speaking as someone who doesn't have a lot of experience.

1) Freedom of motion? I wear a sports bra that flattens out my boobs for many reasons. First is prevention of pain while running, etc. -- that vaunted 'freedom of motion' is highly undesirable as the actual runner, thanks. Second, the flattening effect is honestly pretty helpful for cleans, snatches, and other movement that involve keeping a weight close to the body. My boobs significantly affect bar path and sports bras lessen that effect.

2) Heat dissipation. Dude, it's winter! I want to keep my boobs warm! Cold breasts are truly uncomfortable.

3) Ever been a breastfeeding mom? This is not something that's been brought up in this HN discussion, but remember that people who are breastfeeding are often pretty leaky and have sensitive nipples. Bras allow milk shields to be held in place or are by themselves sufficient to contain small leaks, depending on the type. No one wants to have a meeting with a lady leaking through her shirt, least of all the lady in question.

4) Clothing fit. Clothing is generally mass-produced for a certain set of silhouettes in the US. If you have larger breasts and want to wear mass-produced clothing, wearing a bra will improve the set of options that fit well.

[mitchtbaum]

I already said I don't have boobs. How much experience could I possibly have? That doesn't make me an idiot though, and I certainly like boobs. I grew up on 'em. :)

1) sports bra != bra. They're different tools. Many women have brought those up for running, so the point is done and proven. I have no counter point to it.

2) I'm from Florida. But that's really interesting. Tools for body heat retention is an interesting topic. Do you have any other tips for this use case?

3) No. But that's another interesting use case. But wouldn't a nipple only device be simpler and more effective? I just found a tool called LilyPadz which seems to suggest that possibility.

4) You're basically saying that this use case is as a workaround/hack, not a permanent fix. The article is about custom clothing anyway. Maybe an Alvin Toffleresque prediction about mass produced, custom clothing would fit here.

[Bangbangles]

I have larger boobs. And live in a humid climate. I have more boobsweat that you can imagine when nude. My boobs need to stay up and away from my waist skin or eventually it will chafe and die. Also without a good bra I can have severe backaches and migraines.

[kleinsch]

Which is the more likely scenario?

1. Women everywhere are spending tons of money on uncomfortable garments to cover their nipples, because they don't realize nipple covers exist

2. Bras serve a much bigger purpose than covering nipples (hint - what's a jock strap used for? imagine needing that all day, not just when you're running...)

[ryanmercer]

>Bras serve a much bigger purpose than covering nipples (hint - what's a jock strap used for? imagine needing that all day, not just when you're running...)

This doesn't work. Jockstraps were designed for protection a century and a half ago with mostly flawed logic. Today they're mostly used to hold protective cups and not for support.

You'll find the vast majority of men that have played sports in school or pursue an athletic sport as an adult have never owned or worn a jock strap. A properly restrictive sports bra would be the female equivalent and will make a world of difference.

I can run flat out and don't care one bit about my genitals flopping around, my 'moobs' however flop around considerably and in a jarring fashion which actually causes pain and they are considerably smaller than many women's breasts. Watch a woman running with an adequate sports bra, you'll see minimal movement of 2 pieces of tissue wearing considerably more than any man's genitals.

[novia]

Hi, I'm a woman. #1 is definitely the more likely scenario, based on conversations I've had with other women without large breasts. The only people who like wearing bras are people who feel like they need support for whatever reason. For everyone else, they are complicated nipple covers that you are expected by society to wear.

[nicoburns]

I'm a man, but this reflects what I hear from women too. Those with larger breast really appreciate the support from a bra. Those with smaller breasts mostly prefer not wearing them (from a physical comfort perspective at least).

[elliekelly]

These work great if you don't want to have any support. You just have to make sure you don't move around too much or make any sudden movements of your torso because they'll come unstuck. Also, you can't sweat. And don't have sensitive skin, because there's nothing worse than itchy nipples in public. And that's to say nothing about the hassles of cleaning, storing, and reusing them.

Those Amazon reviews are probably fake.

[novia]

I owned a pair. They were not difficult to clean. You'd just wash them with soap and water when you were some wearing them, and leave them out to dry. The next morning they'd be ready to wear again.

[novia]

done* wearing them. Would edit but it's too late now.

[knicholes]

My wife says that running without a bra is very uncomfortable.

[kaybe]

Glue on your skin every day? Bah!