What is a Push Up Bra: All You Need to Know [2023]

Many women aren’t satisfied with the size and shape of their breasts. If this is you, a push up bra can lift your breasts up and make them appear larger and fuller.

In this article, we’ll discuss what is a push up bra, what it does, how it does it, what are some common types of the push up bra, how it differs from a regular bra, and what are some great options for a push up bra on the market.

Let’s dive in!

What Is a Push Up Bra?

A push up bra is a type of bra that lifts and brings together your breasts. In this way, it makes your boobs appear larger by about 1-3 cup sizes. A push up bra is able to accomplish this look due to the extra padding in its sides and the bottom.

This type of bra is designed to enhance the appearance of your cleavage in a way that looks natural. It’s generally regarded as one of the most flattering and sexiest bra types. Due to this, it’s also one of the most popular bras out there.

Usually, push up bras are linked to women with smaller breasts. That’s because this bra type will add a few cup sizes to their regular size. However, push up bras aren’t only for small-chested women.

What is a Push up Bra
A push up bra

In fact, a push up bra can flatter women with larger breasts as well. That’s because this bra type doesn’t just increase the cup size. Instead, a push up bra also makes your boobs look rounder, fuller, and perkier.

Apart from its appearance, a push up bra provides great support and is very comfortable.

Depending on the amount of padding, there are push up bras on multiple levels. Level 1 push up bras have the least amount of padding. These bras provide a slight, more natural uplift, as well as great support. They’re ideal for women with breasts on the larger side.

Level 2 and level 3 push up bras have much more padding. These are able to significantly enhance how large your boobs appear. Given this, they’re best suited for women with smaller breasts.

If you consider yourself having medium-sized breasts, you can go for level 2 push up bras. On the other hand, if you consider your boobs as small, you can go for level 3 push up bras.

A push up bra is quite similar to a plunge bra, in the sense that both of these bra types have a deep v-line cut at the center. However, a push up bra has more padding than the plunge bra. In that way, it’s able to provide much more lift than the plunge bra.

On the other hand, push up bras are essentially the opposite of something like a minimizer bra. If minimizer bras are designed to reduce your cup size by a few cup sizes, push up bras instead increase your cup size (more specifically, its appearance).

Owing to their immense popularity, you can find push up bras in all types, sizes, materials, and varieties. Plunge push up bras, strapless push up bras, convertible push up bras, demi push up bras, and longline push up bras are only a small part of all the varieties.

What Does a Push Up Bra Do?

Push up bras are pretty versatile, and are ideal for many different breast types. Some of the boob types for which a push up is a great choice are side set boobs, east west boobs, athletic boobs, as well as many others.

This type of bra looks great with low-cut dresses and outfits with plunging necklines.

Another instance when a push up bra is useful is if your breasts are fuller on the top than at the bottom. In this case, the push up bra will help to fill out the bottom.

Push up bras are great for a wide variety of situations. They’re great as an everyday option. But, they’re also perfect whenever you want to look your best, such as at parties, dates, nights out, and so on.

Types of Push Up Bras

As stated already, push up bras are one of the most popular bra types overall. So, it’s no surprise that there are actually quite a few different types of push up bras.

The most common type is the demi push up bra, which is a combination of a demi and a push up bra. Since it’s demi, its cup is shorter (essentially a half cup), but contains padding which will lift your breasts up. A demi push up bra is another perfect option for low-cut outfits.

If you have a strapless dress and don’t want your bra straps to show, you can go with a strapless push up bra. It will lift your breasts from the bottom, and allow you to wear a strapless, low-cut dress.

Plunge push up bras have a deep v-line cut at the center (like plunge bras) and extra padding on the sides and the bottom (like push up bras).

Other varieties of the push up bra are the balconette push up, longline push up, push up bralette, backless push up, convertible push up, as well as others.

How Does Push Up Bra Work?

A push up bra comes with an underwire and extra padding, often made with foam or silicone gel. The underwire and the padding combine to lift your breasts upwards and inwards, thus enhancing your cleavage.

The role of the padding in the push up bra is to provide volume for your breasts. On the other hand, the role of the underwire is to lift the breasts. Together, they enhance the appearance of your boobs and they support them.

Push Up Bra vs Normal Bra

A question I used to get asked frequently is what is the difference between a push up and a “normal” bra (although I don’t like this term).

In essence, the main difference is that a push up bra has extra padding in the bottom of the cups which lifts the breasts from the bottom upwards. The extra padding can add about 1-3 cup sizes to your bra size.

Push Up Bra vs Padded Bra

Since push up bras come with padding, a common question that arises is what is the difference between push up and padded bras.

It’s important to understand the role of padding in these bra types. In push up bras, the extra padding is in the bottom of the cups. Its role is to lift the breasts upwards.

On the other hand, padded bras have padding stitched into the cups, giving the breasts shape and providing them coverage.

Conclusion

A push up bra is designed to lift your boobs up, bring them together, and make them appear larger. Here, we talked about what is a push bra, what’s its purpose and how it accomplishes it, how it differs from other types of bra, and what are the best push up bras on the market.

FAQ

What Is the Difference Between a “Normal” Bra and a Push Up Bra?

The main difference between a “normal” bra and a push up bra is the existence of extra padding in the bottom of the push up bra. This extra padding provides significant uplift to the breasts. Therefore, the push up bra is very flattering, comfortable, and supportive.

What Are the Benefits of Push Up Bra?

Some of the numerous benefits of a push up bra are that it enhances the appearance of your breasts, supports them, is comfortable, is very flattering and simply sexy, and is very versatile.

What Is the Difference Between Push Up and Padded Bra?

Although both push up and padded bras have padding, the difference is in its role and the thickness. With padded bras, the padding is lined in between the cups. On the other hand, push up bras come with extra padding in the inside of the cups, at their bottom.