BRANWYN Essential Busty Bra and Essential Bikini Review

When I am out on the trail, the last thing I’m thinking about are my boobs. As someone who was not blessed with the gift of curves, I don’t have to spend time contemplating how much support my girls really need.

For my well-endowed friends, the issue of support vs. comfort is a constant battle. Add in a little sweat and you’re stuck with a stinky, chafing mess. A similar conundrum can be happening downstairs, especially when you get your panties in a wad. All around, it can be difficult to find a bra and underwear combo that holds up well in the backcountry. Enter Branwyn, an Oregon-based company whose “Performance Innerwear” is dedicated to providing comfortable and sustainable underwear for women.

Branwyn Essential Busty Bra At-a-Glance

• MSRP: $58
• Available sizes: XS-XXL
• Available colors: Black, Luna Gray, Light Nude, Warm Nude, and Dark Nude
• Materials: 81% Merino wool, 14% nylon, and 5% Elastane
• Weight: 3.1 ounces (according to my kitchen scale)

Branwyn Essential Bikini At-a-Glance

• MSRP: $36
• Available sizes: XS-XXL
• Available colors: Black, Luna Gray, Light Nude, Warm Nude, and Dark Nude
• Materials: 81% Merino wool, 14% nylon, and 5% Elastane
• Weight: 1.4 ounces (according to my kitchen scale)

Merino for Everyone

In everyday life, most women are expected to wear bras and underwear. Branwyn offers undergarments, or what they call “performance innerwear”, specifically for women of all shapes and sizes. Their products are made from a majority of Merino wool. This material is popular in the backpacking community because of its moisture-wicking and temperature-regulating properties. Many gear companies use Merino wool in everything from socks to base layers. If you are a lady in the market for Merino wool undies, Branwyn has got you covered.

Panties in the Wild: Circumstances of Review

I work as a backpacking guide in the southeast United States. During the fall, I tried out Branwyn’s Essential Busty Bra and the Essential Bikini during a four-day long trek through the Big South Fork National Recreation Area in northeast Tennessee. The weather was warm for October, with the highs in the 60s and the lows in the 40s. We covered 40ish miles, traversing gorges, natural rock arches, river beds, and plateaus. I got hot and sweaty and even took a dip in the river. Through it all, I was wearing the Essential Busty Bra and Essential Bikini. 

When I am backpacking I always wear a bra and underwear, which makes me feel most comfortable. Many times these items double as a swimsuit if the opportunity arises. I typically bring a change of underwear when guiding so that I can be less smelly for clients, but on this trip, I only had the single Branwyn bra and bikini underwear. I wore these items for the entirety of the trip except for while I was sleeping.

Since this excursion, I have been wearing this combo religiously to get a well-rounded sense of these garments for this review. This includes wearing them running, at the gym, while practicing yoga, working, and relaxing at home.

Branwyn Performance Innerwear Features

Essential Busty Bra

• 2.5” wide band offers support from the bottom up
• 0.75” wide adjustable shoulder straps
• Straps can be arranged either long ways or in an “X” across shoulder blades
• Mostly comprised of Merino wool for moisture-wicking

Essential Bikini

• Lowrise underwear
• Snug, close to the body fit
• Stretchy enough to provide flexibility in just the right places without becoming baggy
• Mostly comprised of Merino wool for moisture-wicking

Comfort

I found both garments very comfortable. They were both stretchy enough to conform to my body without feeling constricted. They are also both seamless and do not have tags which are frequently itchy or irritating. Neither the bra nor the underwear moved around much, meaning I wasn’t constantly having to pull my bra straps back into place or pick wedgies. Most of the time I forgot I was wearing them. That said, I don’t usually have a habit of dwelling on my undergarments.

Stink Resistance

The longest I went between washes with both the Essential Busty Bra and Bikini was four days. I did a sniff test each day of my backpacking trip to detect lingering odors, but all in all, I was pleasantly surprised by how little they smelled (and I am a heavy sweater). One of the properties that makes merino wool appealing is its ability to reduce smell. According to Branwyn’s website, “the fibers move odor-producing sweat away from your body, and they capture bacteria, preventing it from mixing with the air and giving off a smell.”

Durability

In my experience on long trails, wool items don’t hold up as long as synthetic items. On the Arizona Trail, my husband’s merino underwear developed holes after just a few weeks on trail. On the Appalachian Trail, my friends with merino socks had to replace them much more frequently than those with a blend of wool and synthetic materials. I haven’t taken the Essential Busty Bra or Bikini on a long trail yet, but I would wager that they would share a similar fate to other merino wool-based clothing. 

Still, in the weeks I have been wearing these items, they have shown virtually no wear and tear from everyday use. I think it would be interesting to see how these items held up for months on trail. The Busty Bra is fairly thick, so I do think it would hold up well with a pack rubbing against it for months on end. The Bikini is the same material but thinner, so I could see it developing holes more quickly compared to a synthetic material.

The Big Debate: Natural vs. Synthetic Fibers

When looking into outdoor clothing, it’s important to understand the difference between clothing made with natural fibers versus synthetic materials. There are pros and cons to both. One may be better suited for an adventure based on weather and climate.

Generally speaking, natural fibers (such as wool, or merino wool, more specifically), can help to regulate your body temperature more effectively, helping to keep you warm when it’s cold out and cool when it’s hot out. Merino wool is also known for being moisture-wicking, a property that helps to regulate body temperature and keep you dry when it’s wet outside. 

On the other hand, synthetic materials are significantly cheaper while offering similar performance to natural fibers, just not always as efficiently. Synthetic materials are typically more durable, but can also lock in odors and can become smelly quickly. Most often, gear companies opt for a blend of natural and synthetic to create garments that are functional and longer lasting. For more context between the two materials, I suggest reading The Trek’s, Gear Wars: Merino Wool vs. Synthetic Base Layers.

Pros of the Essential Busty Bra and Bikini

• I liked the adjustable straps on the Essential Busty Bra. This is something I don’t often see on sports bras, and I think it adds to the overall comfort because it can better fit to your body type. Branwyn’s Essential Bralette also has adjustable straps with a slightly cheaper price tag ($48).
• I felt like the merino wool made both the bra and the underwear feel light and breathable. They didn’t seem to trap heat as I was sweating going uphill, and their stretchy material didn’t feel restrictive.
• Both items are machine washable with hang dry recommended. This made cleaning very simple. I have accidentally sent both the garments through the dryer and they have held up fine (no ripping or shrinking), but I recommend letting them air dry to increase longevity.
• The Essential Bikini didn’t ride up, staying in place throughout hours of hiking. No constant readjusting or picking wedgies.
• Both garments have flat seams and stitching so there aren’t tags or seams that scratched or irritated my skin.
• Branwyn as a brand is dedicated to sustainability. They use renewable materials (merino wool) that are ethically sourced and aim to have a product line that is 100% compostable by the end of 2024. Even their packaging is biodegradable and recyclable!

Cons of the Essential Busty Bra and Bikini

• Depending on the weight and weave, merino wool can be quick drying. However, this wasn’t my experience with either the Essential Busty Bra or Bikini. I went for a swim during lunch using these undergarments as my bathing suit, and I figured they would dry during the afternoon hike into camp. I was wrong! I hiked for 4+ hours after swimming, and when I reached camp my bra and underwear were still very damp. Sweat could partially be to blame here, but dry times are long even at home.
• The Light Nude color really shows stains. This was especially noticeable in the underwear. All of Branwyn’s color offerings are on the lighter side, except for black, so stains should be expected. Using bleach is also not recommended due to its damaging effects on the wool fibers.
• If you aren’t XS-XXL there isn’t a product for you at this time, which is true across many outdoor clothing brands. The sizing isn’t inclusive of bigger bodies.

Prices Got Your Panties in a Wad?

Overall, I think Branwyn offers a high-quality product. Because of this, it does come with a higher price tag. These products are better made than cheaper alternatives, but I don’t necessarily think having “the best” undergarments will make or break your hike. If you’re building your thru-hiking kit and trying to cut costs, I think you could get away with using lower-quality synthetic underwear. 

However, if you’re willing to spend extra cash for better quality and more sustainable products, Branwyn has cornered the market with their merino wool performance innerwear. In my opinion, this brand is slightly more affordable than other wool-based options and offers a higher percentage of merino in each garment. It just comes down to your priorities and what you’re willing to spend. 

Shop the Branwyn Essential Busty Bra

Shop the Branwyn Essential Bikini

Comparable Items to Consider

Exofficio (has both men’s and women’s undergarments)

Women’s Give-N-Go 2.0 Bikini Brief 

• MSRP: $20
• Materials: Synthetic material (89% Nylon, 11% Elastane)
• Available sizes: XS-XXL
• Available colors: Ink, Buff, Black, and Cadmium Camo Leaf

Women’s Give-N-Go 2.0 Bralette 

• MSRP: $26
• Features: Synthetic material (89% Nylon, 11% Elastane), flat seams, not adjustable  
• Available sizes: XS-XL
• Available colors: Buff and Black

Smartwool (has both men’s and women’s undergarments and other clothing items)

Women’s Intraknit Hipster 

• MSRP: $40
• Materials: Mix between Merino wool and synthetic materials (Outer: 65% Nylon, 24% Elastane, 11% Polyester. Lining: 28% Merino Wool, 28% Lyocell, 24% Nylon, 20% Elastane
• Available sizes: XS-XL
• Available colors: Lead, Copper, Black, Almond, and Sandstone

Women’s Intraknit Strappy Bra 

• MSRP: $65
• Materials: Mix between Merino wool and synthetic materials (Outer: 65% Nylon, 24% Elastane, 11% Polyester. Lining: 28% Merino Wool, 28% Lyocell, 24% Nylon, 20% Elastane)
• Available sizes: XS-XL
• Available colors: Lead, Black Heather, Sandstone, Almond, Copper, Ultra Violet

Disclaimer: This product was donated for the purpose of review.