Bra Packing Guide: 15 Tips for Packing and Traveling With Bras

The impact that bras have on our lives, whether it be a sports bra, molded bra, or even just a regular bra, can’t be overstated. They provide confidence, support, and comfort in the times we need it most. While our bras are our heroes in nearly every situation, there may be no time where they come to the rescue more than when traveling. As you leave the comfort of your home behind, the last thing you want to feel is the added vulnerability of going braless or being removed from your full personal bra collection. That said, bra packing isn’t always easy.

Due to bras’ fragility and particular shape, it can be challenging to correctly pack bras in luggage. If packed poorly, you run the risk of arriving at your destination with stained, crushed, or torn bras – complications you’ll want to avoid at all costs. Let’s take a look at some creative ways you can pack your bras, no matter the type, to ensure that they get from point A to point B looking pristine.

How to Pack Bras for Travel

Before tossing your loose bras into your luggage wherever they seem to fit, consider putting them inside something that will help keep them safe. There are several types of containers that make storing and packing bras for travel much easier. Let’s review some of the most popular options.

1. Use a Bra Case

What better way to keep your bra safe than packing it in a travel bra bag that’s designed specifically for bras? To be honest, bras come in many different shapes and styles, and don’t fit very naturally in most travel bags and suitcases. Travel bra cases are made to hold bras and maintain their shape.

While they may take up a bit more room in your luggage than you’d like, you can feel confident that your bras will stay safe when stored in a bra case. If you plan to pack more expensive bras, this is definitely an investment worthy of consideration.

2. Use a Packing Cube

Packing cubes are great tools for organizing and protecting everything you need for your next trip. Since bras are so fragile, consider dedicating a cube just for your bras, underwear and socks.

A packing cube is a great way to give yourself peace of mind that your bras will reach your destination undamaged. For added confidence that they will maintain their shape, try stacking your underwire bras and placing them along the corner of your packing cube, which should be similar to the shape of your bra cups.

3. Use a Plastic Bag

If you’d rather not invest in a packing cube or plan to pack light, you can get creative with how you pack your bras. If you have gallon-size sealable plastic bags around the house, consider using one to store  bras.

You may be wondering how a thin plastic bag could protect your bras at all. As it turns out, a little creativity goes a long way! By adding some air to your bag before sealing it, you can create a protective bubble-like barrier around your bras. Just be sure not to add too much air if you plan to fly, as the pressure of the altitude may cause your bag to burst.

4. Use a Bra Wash Bag

If you plan to wash your bras while you’re away from home, you may consider bringing a bra wash bag. Bra wash bags are mesh containers designed to carry bras to the laundry room and protect them in the washing machine, which can help you tremendously when washing bras. This is a great way to consolidate your bras and pack them away safely.

If you’ve used the bag to hold your dirty bras recently, just be sure to wash it before you fill it with the clean bras you plan to bring on your trip.

How to Fold Bras for Travel

Aside from storage vessels, there are a few folding methods that make packing bras in a small suitcase or bag much more convenient and space-saving.

6. Try the Clam Fold

One unique bra folding technique that’s great for travel involves lining up the edges of each bra cup, creating a clam-like shape. While it might sound counterintuitive to make a ball out of your bra, this shape is great for storing other small articles of clothing, like tightly folded underwear, undergarment pieces, or socks.

While you don’t want to stack anything on top of your clam folded bras, they’re a great shape for storing in the corners of your luggage as you travel. Use your other clothes to provide a protective barrier that supports your bras.

7. Try the Tuck Fold

Another great folding method for travel is the tuck fold. This method requires you to grab the middle of your bra with two fingers, twist it, and place one bra cup into the other. After folding multiple bras using this method, you can stack them all and create a heap of neatly tucked bras that are ready to pack away.

8. Stack Them

Whether you plan to pack a really nice bra or you just want to avoid messing with your bra’s fabric at all, the thought of twisting the middle of your favorite bra may concern you. Good news – you can still stack your bras together without needing to twist anything.

Stack the cups of one bra into the other in order of biggest to smallest cups until you have a stack of all the bras you plan to travel with in a pile in front of you. Just remember to fill the cups of the bottom bra with other small articles of clothing to help your bras maintain their shape.

Additional Bra Packing Hacks 

Before you begin packing your bras for your getaway, there are some tips and tricks you should keep in mind that will help you save space and keep your bras safe as you get from point A to point B.

9. Tuck in Bra Straps

Bra straps are essential to the functionality of bras. That said, the strap can be a nuisance when packed with other clothes, as the hooks can get snagged on other fabric. To avoid this, remember to tuck your bra straps inside of the bra’s cups.

If you’re stacking bras together, use the bra under it to hold the straps in place. If not, keep the straps held in place by putting them between the inside of the bra cups and the socks or underwear you use to keep the bra’s shape.

10. Use the Corner of Your Suitcase

Several of the bra packing methods above have encouraged making use of the corners of your luggage. This is because packing your bras in most other parts of your suitcase – unless they’re protected by some type of container – may damage or dent your bras.

Since bras are such a unique shape, they can also take up significant space if not packed strategically. Keeping them in the corners of your luggage will save you space and allow you to pack more clothes without filling up your bag.

11. Always Stuff the Cups

If you’re wondering how to keep bra pads in place, the easiest answer is stuffing the cups. Nearly every folding and stacking method can be improved by filling bra cups with socks and underwear. Not only is this great for supporting your bra’s natural shape, but it also saves you space as you don’t need to fill up any more of your luggage with socks and underwear.

Mindful Bra Packing Habits

Some bra packing habits require a little foresight. If you don’t keep them in mind from the beginning, you may need to restart your packing process to correct any mistakes. Before you start adding your clothes to your suitcase, remember to practice the following tips.

12. Pack Bras Last

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again – bras are fragile and need to be handled with care. While packing bras can be annoying and you may want to get them tucked away as quickly as possible, you’ll want to set your bras aside until you’ve packed everything else so that they don’t get crushed. They’re safest on top of your luggage rather than anywhere in the middle or worse – the bottom of your bag.

13. Pack Fewer Bras

When it comes to traveling with bras, the fewer the better. Even if you take precautions, travel can be messy, and you may end up ruining some bras in the process. Once your bras have a few days’ wear on them, just wash them to be worn again the next day.

We get it – nobody likes doing travel laundry – but bringing as few bras as possible and washing them at your destination is the best way to save space in your luggage and keep your bras safe while you’re on the road.

14. Avoid Traveling With Nice Bras

At this point, it should be a given to leave your fancier bras at home. With travel comes some risk, so only bring what you’d be okay with getting a little damaged.

Prioritize packing wireless bras if possible, as these options offer comfort and are less likely to lose their shape if packed with other clothes.

15. Remove Bras Upon Arrival

Once you arrive at your destination, remember to remove your bras from your luggage as soon as possible to ensure they remain in good shape. The longer they stay compressed in a bag, the more likely they are to lose their shape.

Once you take them out, be sure to hang them up in a closet or lay them out in a drawer for the duration of your trip.

Bra packing can be one of the most challenging travel preparations, but with the help of the tips above you have everything you need to keep your bras safe as you explore the world!

If you’re looking for the best bra for travel, whether by plane, train, boat or car, check out our Second Skin Wireless Bra, the perfect bra for ultimate comfort and easy packing.