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Cosmo staffers sacrificed their sensitive boob skin for the universal benefit of womankind. Matte Silicone Bra
If you want to wear stuff with cool necklines but don’t want your nips to pop out or your chest to feel totally unsupported in thin or semi-sheer fabric, your boobs kinda have to get used to the concept of sticky bras. But, sticky bras are…painful to take off, not friendly to sensitive skin, and sometimes make your ’fit look worse than if you just went braless. Wardrobe malfunctions are le worst, and that means we’re sorta forever in search of the perfect sticky bra. Does she exist?
With so many options out there—and such varied results depending on boob size—12 Cosmo staffers sacrificed their nips at the adhesive altar of the highest-rated stickies on Amazon and other major retailers so you don’t have to. Scroll on to find out what they thought.
And if all your other bra-finding struggles just hit you like a truck since we’re on the topic…your brain is probably like: Where can I find reliable strapless bras? Wireless bras? Padded bras? Bras for big boobs? Well, I gotchu. Like I always do. Promise these links have your back. :)
A note on our review process and parameters:
Cosmo employees self-identified their chest sizes (small = A and B cups; medium = B, C, and smaller D cups; large = larger D cups and higher). Then they each tried on around four sticky bras, wearing them for a full night’s or day’s worth of activities unless they were too complicated to figure out, caused skin irritation, or fell off. If styles were re-wearable, they’d do a day-two retest on the power of the adhesive.
Underwire Bra With Sticky Tabs
Plunge Bra With Sticky Tabs
You’ve probably tried nipple covers before, but these are backed by more than 14,000 stellar reviews on Amazon and have a smooth, silicone feel. They come in three different matte skin tones in a finish that doesn’t reflect light (unlike the fabric petals you often see out there), so you don’t have to worry about the flash from that group dinner pic accidentally highlighting your choice of ~underthing~.
Because they’re basically pasties, you can pretty much wear them with any type of complicated outfit, from totally sheer styles to strapless, low-cut, and backless ones. See what our reviewers had to say below!
“These are my favorite little guys ever. I wore them under a bodysuit to get a haircut (where the A/C was BROKEN!) and then to a friend’s place for drinks and then to karaoke. These lasted the entire 80-degree day, from 1 p.m. to 1 a.m., and they didn’t even need to be pressed back on. I basically forgot I was wearing them. I have A cups, so the smallest size almost covered my entire boob, which was actually really nice because it rounded them out. These are definitely my new go-tos for any dress or top with a deep V. I’ve worn them at least three times (without washing them because I’m a monster) and they still stick.” —Ashley, 32AA
“These were totally lovely nipple covers that feel like actual fabric. They come super highly rated on Amazon (79 percent 5-star reviews!). I wore them with a maxi dress that has built-in underwire and was super pumped about the look (support from boning + nipple covers = A+). I could barely feel ’em at the end of the night, and they came right off without leaving my chest red or irritated. If you’re not looking for support and you just want to cover your nipples, this is definitely the way to go.” —Jessica, 34D
“These were my favorite of all the sticky bras I tried. I really like that they came in two sizes in case you wanted more or less coverage on any given day. I like to wear these under tops I would normally not wear a bra with, to avoid a nip slip. When I’ve tried other nip covers, they’ve folded or fallen off, but I didn’t have any problems with these. I’d definitely buy these again because they’re reliable and affordable (especially given how many wears you get per pair)!” —Shannon, 36D
Awww, aren’t these sweet? Guessing these lil rabbit-shaped guys have blessed your Instagram feed with their adorable design and their promise of gravity-defying “ear” tabs. In case you’re like, Huh, but why? here’s the thought behind ’em: Stick the circle portion on your nipple and use the ears to lift your boob a little, then stick them flat, closer to your collarbone.
Because their lift process requires sticking so close to the clavicle, they’re not great for strapless pieces. Instead, use them with deep-V designs or something backless with plenty of coverage in the front. Bonus: If you don’t need the sag prevention, you could theoretically cut off the upper tabs and just wear them as nipple covers. Editor's note: the exact style we tested is currently out of stock, but here's another highly-rated pair of bunny-shaped pastiesto try!
“These were confusing and I didn’t know at first if the ‘bunny ears’ were supposed to go to the side or up. Eventually, I figured out they were supposed to go upward, to lift the chest a bit. I guess I like where the idea of these are going, but this particular version seems to have some design flaws. It is not sticky along the edge, so it shows the silhouette of the thing through your shirt, and it comes up along the seam throughout the day. I wore this out with a blazer and no shirt and I’d say that’s the only combo I’d ever try it with because you’d want a thicker material to hide the shape.” —Katie, 34B
“I did not like the texture on these. They didn’t stick well on my boobs and I didn’t trust them enough to actually leave the house with them on. I felt if I lifted my arms up over my head, they would fall off. Didn’t wear!” —Taylor, 36B
“I attempted to wear these to work, but they were like oversize pasties that did not form to boob shape. The edges all the way around did not lie flat. I only wore them for about two minutes. As soon as I started putting on the second one, the elongated strip up near my collarbone on the first one started peeling off. The stick didn’t have enough stick. Thumbs down for me.” —Kara, 34D
Like the bunnies above, these also cover nips and lift the breasts—and they do it a bit better, according to Cosmo staffers. They reported that these teardrop-esque adhesives really helped give them a nice shape in plunging styles, like blazers worn without tops underneath.
They’re relatively see-through, but calling them ~invisible~ is a stretch for anyone with a darker skin tone, for whom these would absolutely show up as lighter than the rest of the chest. Last thing: These also only come in one size fits all, so if you have significant cups, these may not work as well.
“These are nice! I like that the upward tabs give me a little extra lift. The one downside is that it doesn’t really work with strapless necklines because the top tabs would show, but it stayed in place for hours. I re-wore it a couple of times and it was easy to wash and maintained its stickiness nicely.” —Katie, 34B
“This puppy is a one-size-fits-all situation, which isn’t necessarily amazing if you’ve got a full C or larger cups (ahem, hi). Sure, it was sorta comfy (as in I wore it with a linen dress and after an hour didn’t think much about it), but lift, it did not. If you’re naturally perky, this would be an ideal option, but if you’re looking for a lot of lift, not sure about these guys.” —Jessica, 34D
“This was the first sticky bra I tested out and I am OBSESSED with it. I’ve never actually successfully worn a sticky bra before (I have tried plenty) and I wore this out to a party and it stayed on all night, even though it was a million degrees outside. It fit really well and comfortably and didn’t make my boobs feel even heavier. It stayed VERY sticky. Like, to the point that I didn’t even know how to store it because it just sticks to everything immediately. Still stayed sticky after a wash too! Gonna wear this forevs.” —Hannah, 32DDD
Why are so many sticky bras petal-shaped? Ain’t nothing natural about flower-outlined nipples, but I digress. This design has been reviewed by more than 300 Amazon users and has a solid 4-star rating. They have a definite pink color to them, so don’t expect that to blend in with the rest of the skin on your mammaries.
These work well with anything that isn’t sheer or strapless, due to that blush shade and tab situation. So stick with backless pieces and low-cut necklines for this one unless you want to cut off the tabs.
“These were my favorite! I liked the clear top that could be cut off depending on your neckline. These had great coverage and stayed in place all day long. They were also easy to wash and rewear.” —Katie, 34B
“This one was good, gave a great shape to my boobs, and I felt free, almost like I wasn’t wearing anything! After a couple of hours, though, it did start to feel like it was peeling off on the bottom, which made me keep touching my boobs hoping they’d re-stick. I washed and tried again the next day and the glue seemed just as sticky, but I decided not to wear them because I didn’t want to be touching my boobs all day long. I’d say these are great for a special event where you’d be wearing them for only a few hours.” —Liesl, 32C
“I did not wear these out of the house. They are pretty thick and just made it look like I had insane floral nipples. Maybe if I wore them with a thicker top or something padded, it would make more sense, but…I will never unsee how weird my nipples looked through the dress I tried to wear these with.” —Hannah, 32DDD
Alrighty. You want cleave and lift? These triangular pasties with another clear tab claim they can do it for you. Stick the nip-cover parts onto your areolae, then lift your breasts using the tabs, like the ones above. Once they’re symmetrical and in place, you’ll hook a secondary clasp thing to each separate adhesive cup in the center. Sound complicated? It kinda is! A few Cosmo editors had trouble sorting this one out.
Worn with the clasp and tabs, this is better for a plunging—but not tooplunging—top or dress or something with a low back. The clasp part comes separately, so you don’t have to take your girls to Cleave Town if you don’t want to or if you were hoping to wear something more down-to-there. When we first picked this style to review, it had a solid 4 stars, but after our trial period, that number’s gone down to 3.3 out of 5 stars. That’s pretty much where our editors landed too.
“Immediately, this bra was a little confusing, as it came with some hooks that I wasn’t entirely sure what to do with. Instead, I just wore it nipple-pasty style under a fairly loose but low-cut romper. The night in question was a show I was performing in, which meant a 15-minute walk with heavy equipment and then a performance under hot lights. I began sweating and felt the bra coming loose. It did technically stay on all night, but I didn’t feel particularly supported or comfortable. After washing, the glue’s integrity was a little worn down, but I wouldn’t have worn it again anyway.” —Natasha, 34B
“Oh, man. This bra…is not a bra. It is a puzzle. One I thought I solved, only to learn halfway through wearing it that I deeply, deeply did not. Let me explain: I brought this to the beach, where I intended to wear it with a backless cotton sundress, but when I pulled it out of the packaging and tried to put it on, I couldn’t. It comes with no instructions, a removable clasp that connects the cups, and two freaky flappy plastic tabs that can either go…up? Down? Out to the side? A mystery. It seemed like the flaps were intended to go up, but when I wore them that way, you could visibly see thick random plastic that looked like huge clear Band-Aids. I adjusted the flaps to then stick around my sides, which was uncomfortable, but with the clasped cups, my cleavage was gorge. All was fine for about two hours, until midway through a rowdy dinner, I heard a pop, looked down, and saw the clasp had pulled apart, taking the adhesive hook from one cup with it. So…it broke. When I later looked at the listing online, I learned the flaps were indeed intended to go up, so you can really only wear this with a halter or deep-V situation. Hard pass for me.” —Jessica, 34D
“Okay, trying on this bra made me feel like there’s a conspiracy that sticky bras just aren’t for me. IDK what about my boobs makes them so not about adhesive designs. I was fully committed to wearing this bra out to dinner and a party one night because I was going to wear a strapless dress that had a deep V-neckline, but the tabs you’re supposed to use on this bra were literally so freaking long, I didn’t see how you could wear it with anything but a crewneck T-shirt. I’m not even exaggerating when I say the strips went up to my collarbone. Plus, while I was getting ready, I think the humidity or maybe my body temp or something caused it to peel off—I would have been pissed if that had happened when I was already outside the house.” —Shannon, 36D
Um, 752 customers on Amazon have reviewed this bra, and 78 percent of them gave it 5 stars. With ratings like that, it was easy to get excited about this wing-shaped adhesive bra. That goes on semi-vertical. And then clasps together to create cleavage.
With no crazy tabs sticking up toward the collarbone, this bra can easily be worn with most necklines, including sweethearts, strapless, backless, and some plunges (not too deep, though, or you’ll see the closure in the center).
“As a small-chested gal, I was immediately drawn to this bra because of its push-up claims—even if I was highly skeptical. The instructions were a touch unclear, as there was a ‘pull’ step that I’m not entirely sure I nailed. Basically, I just stuck the cup onto each boob and then clipped it together at the front. I was shocked by the results: Finally, I had a perfect line of cleavage! I wore the bra under a summer dress for work and, if anything, felt my breasts might be a tad showy for the occasion. Admittedly, the bra isn’t the most comfortable, as it did feel a little like I was physically holding my boobs together. Still, it held up all day and I decided these breasts couldn’t possibly be contained to the night of Netflix I had in store, so I hit up a bar. I ended up rewearing the bra on another occasion and found the quality to be same. This is definitely the best bra I’ve used for creating cleavage, nonstick or otherwise.” —Natasha, 34B
“This bra did a great job of creating cleavage and covering nipples, but I did feel as if the edges of it puckered a bit more than I wanted it to, and if you wore it under a thinner fabric, that would show. It lasted the whole night but did start coming up at the edge after a bit of sweating. I think other bras are better.” —Rachel, 36B
“I liked this one! For not having very long strips at the top, I really felt like these lifted me up and held me in place pretty well. They lay flat against my chest and had a nice cup shape to them. I have only one complaint: Because the nipple covering was already placed inside the cups, you didn’t have much choice of where you put them, which is both good and bad. I may have needed a larger size—I couldn’t get them to clasp together with that placement. I ended up just wearing them to dinner unclasped and still liked them! They lasted the whole dinner long. In the future, I’ll probably use my own nipple cover and move them over or just cut off the clasp and wear as is.” —Kara, 34D
Similar in shape and vibe to the winged contraption above, this minimal sticky bra has a rounded shape and center closure that is supposed to create that cleave. Cosmo staffers enjoyed that this one didn’t have any gimmicks, like laces or tabs, to it—it was easy to slap on and stayed right where they put it all day long.
It works well for strapless, slight plunge, and backless designs, but I wouldn’t go full J.Lo’s green dresswith this on. One reviewer noted she may have needed a larger than usual size, so keep that in mind.
“The Nubra is different from your standard nipple-cover adhesive in that it promises to boost your cleavage. You’re given two individual cups with clasps in the center, and once you apply them to your breasts, you pull the two cups together toward each other and fasten the clasps to create ~boob shape~. This cleavage-enhancing bra was not as sticky as others, but this was fine by me (at first) since it took me a few tries to get the cups well aligned. After they were set on my chest, the cups didn’t feel very secure even though they fit my breasts well. I was at work and didn’t want to suffer a wardrobe malfunction, so I checked on them periodically to make sure everything was kosher. About eight hours into wearing the bra, I entered a scenario I didn’t anticipate: My nips started to itch like hell during a meeting. Inconspicuously patting them or rubbing them with my forearm did NOT help. I was trapped and there was nothing to do but pray. When that subsided, the Nubra clung to the chest for the rest of the day and they weren’t too painful to remove. I wore them a second time after I gently washed and dried them and they grew on me. I experimented with a little more cleavage, and it totally worked. This bra was def my sleeper favorite.” —Mia, 34A
“These were…interesting. Easy to put on, but the cup size didn’t seem to fit me correctly, and for this reason, I didn’t wear them for long. They went out to dinner and drinks with my girlfriends on a Saturday night and the adhesive stuck to my chest and stomach well. The bra kind of protruded outward, so it probably wouldn’t work for anything skintight. When I washed and tested again, the adhesive lasted a long time.” —Taylor, 36B
“This bra combined everything I want in a sticky bra. No gimmicky ties and no crazy-long tabs that make me want to cover up with a turtleneck. I like how this one had full-coverage cups and managed to stay on throughout the day while I wore a regular tank. This is an old faithful.” —Shannon, 36D
Okay—this bra is really different from the other options in this list so far. The front of the bra has no adhesiveness because the stick is all in the clear side tabs. You can also swap out these tabs for clear straps if you’d rather!
Because the tabs on the side can reach pretty far back to counterbalance the nonsticky action in the front, this bra isn’t great for backless styles but does work well for strapless pieces, spaghetti straps, and slightly low-cut necklines.
“I liked this one, but it takes some getting used to after the other allover-sticky bras that I tried because it’s adhesive only on the sides. For this reason, I kept feeling like it was falling off, but it actually wasn’t! I didn’t love that feeling, so I think I’ll stick with the other types of bras out there.” —Katie, 34B
“I went to work in this one wearing a backless summer dress that I’d typically wear without a bra so I could take it off in case it didn’t work. Glad I did this because it fell off on my walk to the job! Probably important to mention I have a 20-minute commute. When I got to the office, I took it off and didn’t know where to put it so I stuck it to the underside of my desk. It did stay there all day, but I probably would only wear this one with the clear straps it also comes with, not with the adhesive sides.” —Liesl, 32C
“Although the sticky sides of this held in place throughout an entire lunch out with friends, it didn’t do a whole lot of supporting. Part of it may have been me not putting the side straps up quite high enough? Regardless, though, the top part of this bra tips away from the body and therefore doesn’t do much in terms of support. This also makes the top edge poke in a line through my shirt. I initially liked that this bra didn’t have sticky cups, but it didn’t help in the end.” —Kara, 34D
This bra is similar in theory to the one above, but it is sticky All. Over. Including inside the cups and all along the sides. It’s padded, so it gives your chest some real oomph, and it has a dramatic plunge, so it works with more low-cut styles than other cleavage-boosting options do.
The side tabs mean it’s not great for anything low-backed or backless, but any other complicated neckline situation should work well! Just so you know: This worked well for medium- and small-chested reviewers, but D cups and above were like, “Nah.”
“I wore this to work under a silk V-neck cami and then to a post-work event—it lasted at least 10 hours, but I had to squish it back to my chest as it became loose all day long. I liked that this had round-shaped cups so that I didn’t look too flat-chested. The clear tabs on the sides reached around too far on my back for me to wear this with something backless. For the amount of work it took to keep on, I’d rather just wear nipple covers than this with a deep-V top.” —Ashley, 32AA
“I biked to work in this bra on an 80-degree day. I had a lot of physical work to do that day, carrying things and moving a lot, and this bra never moved or made me feel like it was going to fall. It has become my favorite sticky bra ever. I even rode my bike back home from work that day, and when the moment came to take it off, I really had to pull! I washed it with a little soap and left it hanging, per its reuse instructions, and wore it two days later. I had the same experience as the first time—it never moved or felt like it was unsticking. I thought it had a great shape, was comfortable, and was the perfect size.” —Liesl, 32C
“I fooled around with this bra for, like, 15 minutes before I decided to just change my outfit. I would literally rather try to figure out health insurance than learn how to stick this thing to my body in a way that makes sense for my boobs. Pass.” —Hannah, 32DDD
You’ve absolutely seen a version of this bra as an ad on social media. You know the one, where the girl has it on, then smoothly zips the lacing together to boost her cleavage, puts on her top, and goes out the door? Anyway, this particular design comes with silicone cups has a drawstring lace-up center detail.
It works with most strapless and backless designs but isn’t great for anything super plunge-y. Quick bottom line: This guy isn’t as efficient and nice as it seems on the ’gram. The silicone in it is heavy and can weigh your boobs down and give them a shape you’re less than happy with.
“I got major Renaissance torture chamber vibes from the string down the center of this bra. It took me five days to get the courage to try it on. When I finally did, I realized it was a clunkier approach to the cleavage-enhancing front-clasp adhesive styles. The cups are bigger and heavier than other sticky bras and you can see the center string under any tight or slightly sheer fabric. It did stay on during the particularly hot and sweaty weather, but the removal process was more painful than all the other bras I tried. It remained hella sticky during my second wear too, but given the choice between this and a regular strapless bra, I’d go with a strapless bra.” —Mia, 34A
“I used to have a bra like this and I loved it but it was lighter than this one. This one was heavy and made my boobs look like they were hanging when I wore them under a shirt. I decided not to wear it at all.” —Liesl, 32C
“I always see bras like this on Instagram, and as someone with D cups but no cleavage, I have been curious if it actually works or not. Sadly, it didn’t for me. No matter how many times I tried to reposition the cups and play around with different levels of tightness, nothing seemed to make my boobs look natural. The bra smashed my boobs down and pushed them unnaturally together. I tried to make it work so I could wear it out of the house, but I ended up wearing it around the house instead to test the stickiness and hold. It held up nicely for around four hours.” —Shannon, 36D
The bras below didn’t make the final cut of our expansive photo shoot, but reviewers online absolutely swear by them. Take a peek to see if they might be a fit for you too!
Brides swear by this particular adhesive bra, which is actually sticky on BOTH sides. You stick it to you and then it sticks to the dress, top, whatever that you're wearing. Customers say it truly doesn't budge, plus there's extra padding that adds at least two cup sizes, if you're interested in that.
Rave Review: "I did a lot of research for my wedding and ended up ordering this and a few other brands to try in my dress. This one is by far the BEST! It's the only one that actually has NO buckles at all in the middle so that you don't have to worry about it showing. It's the only one that actually looks good from the front and the side AND it actually freaking stays in place. I did not have to adjust one time throughout the night even as I was dancing and sweating. I cannot recommend these enough, they are seriously the best sticky bra I have ever used. Oh and they did not hurt to remove at all!"
Another boob tape that gets huge accolades from its customers, who love that they get to choose the shape, coverage, and shade of their adhesive solution!
Rave Review: "I was skeptical at first, as some boob tapes can be terrible, but this was unbelievable. I sweated, exercised, and it had also rained, and the boob tape stayed put! Also great support, feels like you're wearing nothing. Top tip: put a plaster over nipples before applying. But 10/10 would recommend, VERY impressed. Can't wait to buy more!!! Thank you!"
For extra coverage without a ton of extra hassle, try out this pair of XL covers that also provide a slight cuppage, according to reviewers.
Rave Review: "Wow this is an upgrade! I finally ran through a plenty pack of nipple covers I purchased some time ago; they were good but these are amazing."
Like the ones above with tabs, this pair is supposed to give your chest a little extra lift, and reviewers generally agree. Pro tip: Some reviewers say to size up for this pair.
Rave Review: "I have sensitive skin and was worried these would irritate after a few hours. I've worn them for 10+ hours and they were so comfy that I forgot I even had them on! Another big plus is the outline of them dont show under my shirts. 10/10 highly recommend."
For when you want too make sure people see your nipples, here you go! This brand makes pairs that are completely smooth, ones with enhanced nips (like the ones here) and even ones that come pierced!
Rave Review: "I love my Perkies nip enhancers! They are perfect to wear when I don’t feel like wearing a bra, if I want to spice it up with a body suit, or throw on a white tee. I highly recommend these as they will last you a long time and will make life a little more fun ;)"
If you want precision and tons of lift, instead of going for an adhesive bra, go for boob tape. There are lots of kinds on the market, but this one has a 5-star rating from 430 reviewers who say they can't get enough. Customers also love how many shades of nude it comes in.
Rave Review: "Only boob tape I’ll wear. Holds really well and I sweat a lot! And it stays without peeling off—just be careful when taking it off it’s very strong!"
Rachel Torgerson is the fashion features director at Cosmopolitan, overseeing fashion coverage online, in print, and on our various social media platforms. She has over a decade of experience in the fashion and media industries, musing on style through multiple lenses, including cultural, celebrity, and bridal. Her ultimate focus: making fashion less exclusive and more relatable. Before landing at Cosmopolitan as a digital fashion editor in 2016, she worked at Us Weekly, The Knot, and Fitness Magazine, among others. When she's not discussing runway trends, you can definitely catch her trying (and, in many cases, failing) a new crochet cardigan pattern or in a spirited debate about the difference between the Bridgerton books vs the Netflix series. Follow her on Instagram and TikTok: @RachelTorgs
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