Mammae nursing bra review

Mammae promises a stylish, elegant bra with a difference, which gives discreet breastfeeding “thanks to a never-seen-before patent-pending ‘eye’ opening feature”. Its underwired and lightly padded.

The two-part underwired inner cup opens like an eye, with a lower section that is ‘powernet’ lined to give additional breast support. So much support, in fact, that it keeps everything in place while you’re feeding. Mammae also have luxurious, removable pads.

As well as the different size range, the Classic and Plus have different colourways – the Classic comes in Purple Promise, Black Balance and White Wish while the Mammae Plus comes in Taupe Treasure only.

What we love

The words “sexy” and “nursing bra” are all too rarely seen together, but the Mammae Plus is a real stunner.

It keeps its promise of good support with a formed cup, and the bra looks great under T-shirts as it’s plain. The material is quite hefty, so it gives a smooth line, too.

If you’re after glamour, you won’t be disappointed. Although it comes up quite high (well, the Plus I tried was at the H-cup end of the scale), it’s so pretty that it doesn’t matter if you catch a glimpse of it under a vest top. The straps are nice, too, so you can flash them with confidence.

What to watch out for

The Mammae bra’s “eye” technology means you unhook the top layer and you’ll still be covered by a sort of peeping layer, which you can then open up and unleash a nipple. It’s true the public won’t get to see much, but if you’re used to a more standard style nursing bra you could find it’s fiddlier. The top layer unhooks in the middle (in your cleavage) rather than on the shoulder like traditional bras, so it may take some getting used to.

Some people will appreciate the discreet nature of the Mammae bra. For me, I don’t mind who I flash as long as it stops the crying when my baby’s hungry! I found the clips on either side of the cleavage harder to open than the average drop-cup, and tricky to do one-handed. Once open, there's the other layer of material to part before my baby can get to my nipple. You push the outer layer to one side, but I found it flapped back onto my baby's head (a bit like a hat). I don't think this would be so much of an issue with smaller sizes, but as I’m a H cup, there’s a lot of material.

In terms of comfort, it does support well, but also feels a little restrictive. I found it did dig in towards the end of the day, but I’ve found that's often the way with nursing bras that aren't soft cup. It’s OK for a couple of hours, so may be better for special outings.

Who is the Mammae Classic/Plus nursing bra best for?

Mums who want glamour and an extra-discreet feed.

MadeForMums verdict

This is a gorgeous bra, offering good support and it works well under t-shirts, too. For those prepared to get to grips with a new type of nursing bra in order to have discrete feeding, the cost may be worth it. For those used to drop cups or on a budget, it may not be quite so deserving of the price tag.