ThirdLove vs Soma Compared

ThirdLove has become a very popular go-to lingerie brand for daily wear bras, while Soma is a tried-and-true intimates brand that offers affordable garments at all of the big clothing stores you could dream of.

But how do their bras measure up side by side? As an unapologetic bra hater, I’ve spent way too much time and money searching for bras that are actually worth wearing (and won’t have me ripping them off halfway through my day), so I decided to put these two companies to the test. 

I did my best to order the most similar items between the two brands so I could give an honest evaluation. Here’s how my experience went as a 32DD.

The Quick Answer

ThirdLove beats Soma in most categories for me. In terms of quality, sizing consistency, and comfort, ThirdLove wins most of the time. Soma has some cute options that I preferred to the comparable items from ThirdLove and is generally $10 to $20 cheaper, but the sizing runs small, and the bras are usually less comfortable. For reliability, quality, and comfort, go with ThirdLove. For cheaper and a larger variety of styles, go with Soma.

ThirdLove vs Soma: Head to Head

Size Range

Breasts come in all shapes and sizes, and any good bra brand will offer solutions for as many boob-havers as possible.

Looking at traditional cup/band sizing, Soma offers band sizes from 32 to 44 and cup sizes from A to H. ThirdLove offers band sizes 32 to 44 and cup sizes A to H as well, but they offer half sizes (A ½, B ½, etc) for in-betweeners to get a bra that actually fits.

For things like bralettes that follow different sizing standards, Soma and ThirdLove both offer XS to XXXL, but ThirdLove offers more customizable sizing (SM, SM+, MD, etc.) with a calculator tool where you can input your band and cup size to find the right size for you.

Winner: ThirdLove

Variety of Styles and Colors

When it comes to the variety of offerings, both are pretty solid. 

ThirdLove offers a variety of fabrics, colors, and styles, including traditional underwire t-shirt bras, organic cotton wireless bras, cute embroidered lace and mesh styles, and everyday bralettes in different colors and prints. They’ve also branched out into some swimwear and loungewear, but there aren’t a ton of items in those categories just yet.

Soma has been around longer, and this is reflected in their catalog. They offer more styles and prints overall, with multipacks of bralettes and a few different types of nursing bras. They also have a larger catalog of swimwear, lounge/sleepwear, shapewear, and even dresses.

Winner: Soma

Price and Value

When it comes to price, Soma wins every time, averaging $10 to $20 less than the direct ThirdLove competitors.

Side by side:

• Classic T-Shirt Bra from ThirdLove ($72) vs. Bodify Demi Bra from Soma ($68)
• Form360 Fit Wireless Bra from ThirdLove ($68) vs. Stunning Wireless Push-up Bra from Soma ($49)
• Wireless bralette from ThirdLove ($48) vs. Triangle bralette from Soma ($39)
• Deco Lace Unlined Bra from ThirdLove ($98) vs. Framed Embroidery Bralette ($78)

However! The quality is often incomparable. I cannot get over how weird Soma’s sizing is, and the fact that I can’t wear half of the bras that I bought (in my size, mind you!) makes the value lower for me. The ThirdLove bras also feel sturdier and higher quality. 

Winner: Both. Soma is cheaper, but ThirdLove offers better value for its price

Fit and Sizing

I actually ran into some snags here for both. While Soma’s band/cup sizes run objectively small, I had trouble locking in my size for ThirdLove’s customizable straight-sized items.

According to their bra calculator, I’m supposed to be an SM+, but I ended up exchanging them for an MD+ after noticing how tight they were. (Luckily, the exchanges were super easy). 

In my opinion, Soma’s miscalculation was far more egregious, so I’m giving this round to ThirdLove. I couldn’t even get close to fitting into the bras in Soma’s Bralette 2-pack, despite them being the same size as everything else I ordered. 

I think fit really depends on your unique breast shape and the type of bra you choose, but the demi styles always fit my particular shape best. 

Winner: ThirdLove

Overall Comfort

Every time I talk about bras, I preface with the fact that I’m a bra hater, though I see the benefit of them on certain occasions and know that they aren’t optional for many, many people.

However!

ThirdLove’s bras were comfortable far more often than not. The only style that was not super comfy was the lace embroidered style, which was just a texture thing for me. The T-shirt bra from ThirdLove and Form360 Fit were two of the comfiest bras I tried on in this whole haul.

Soma, we have some beef. The push-up and demi bra were so uncomfortable, I don’t think I’ll ever wear them again. However, that triangle bralette and embroidered one are already in heavy rotation. 

ThirdLove for daily bras, Soma for bralettes (but be careful, that 2-pack was useless.)

Winner: It depends! But mostly ThirdLove

By the Bra

I did my best to order the closest comparison for each, but these are not going to be exact. Styles differ from bra to bra, so I did my best to compare the most similar ones.

ThirdLove Classic T-Shirt Bra vs Soma Bodify Demi Bra

I put these two together because they were the daily wear traditional underwire options, and this one had an easy winner.

I ordered my usual size in both (32DD) and was shocked to notice how differently the two fit. I saw this again with the other band/cup-sized option with Soma, so I think something is off with their standard. The ThirdLove Classic T-Shirt Bra fit exactly as expected and gave me a classically round shape with no digging or pulling, and was super supportive and only showed a little under my tight shirt.

The Classic T-Shirt Bra comes in 10 different shades, including matches for a variety of skin tones, and three different lace colors. The straps are fully adjustable, and it’s made from nylon, elastane, and microfiber. You can machine wash it on cold in a garment bag and hang dry.

The Bodify Demi Bra was tight everywhere, which makes it hard to give an accurate reading on how it would fit if I ordered whatever my size is in their weird system. I like the demi shape as it’s the style that generally doesn’t dig into my chest, but this one was not it. It wasn’t super visible under my shirt, but I also didn’t feel supported.

It comes in five different colors, has fully adjustable straps with a spandex gripper to keep them in place, and is made from nylon and spandex. It also has mesh side panels for breathability. Unfortunately, it is a handwash situation.

Winner: Classic T-shirt Bra from ThirdLove

ThirdLove Form360 Wireless Bra vs Soma Stunning Wireless Push-Up Bra

Another easy winner and another L for Soma.

The Form360 Wireless Bra from ThirdLove is made from a soft cotton material. Sizing on this one was tricky, as I’m supposed to be a SM+ according to their calculator, but I found that one to be pretty tight. The ML+, however, is one of the comfiest bras I’ve ever worn and will be my go-to when I need a padded bra that gives me some shaping.

It comes in 7 different colors, including 3 cute limited edition colors, but they only have a couple of skin tones. It’s made from a super soft combo of nylon and spandex and has fully-adjustable straps and is machine washable on the cold cycle in a delicates bag, though you have to hang-dry.

The Stunning Wireless Push-Up is the most uncomfortable of the ones I tried in this whole haul. It’s crazy tight and, while it does give me a crazy push-up effect, it’s more strangulation than anything else. It’s also shiny, which isn’t going to work under a white shirt. The shape it gave me was kind of weird, but that could be attributed a little to the push-up element.

It only comes in 4 colors, which isn’t very inclusive. It has the same grippy straps as Soma’s other bras and is made from a nylon-spandex combo. It’s also another handwash-only situation.

Winner: Form360 Wireless Bra from ThirdLove

ThirdLove Wireless Bralette vs Soma Triangle Bralette Lace

My daily-wear babies here: the bralettes. I’ll be honest, I’m not upset with either of these. Both the ThirdLove and Soma are comfy and supportive enough (for me, at least) for chill days or running errands. Both are breathable and soft and don’t dig in. 

This was another one that I had to exchange for a new size with ThirdLove, but the larger size was giving what it needed to give. I got the super cute Sorbet color, but they have 5 colors available. You get removable padding cups and adjustable straps that let you convert it into a cross-back style.

The material is silky smooth and lightweight, making it a breathable option for daily wear in the hottest of summers.

The Soma bralette comes in 8 beautiful colors with lace and a split strap design in the back that has partially adjustable straps. This one was super lightweight and smooth, not scratchy, which is always a concern with lace. 

All of Soma’s bras seem to be handwash-only at this point, which I’m realizing now I’ve simply not paid attention to, and to be fair, they’ve held up fine. 

While both of these bras are incredibly cute and doing what they need to do, the Soma one is lace and my very favorite shade of blue, so Soma wins due to personal biases (hey, this is my comparison, I’m allowed to pick favorites).

Winner: Triangle Bralette Lace from Soma

ThirdLove Deco Lace Unlined Bra vs Soma Framed Embroidery Bralette

It feels unfair-ish to compare these two, but I couldn’t find an underwire embroidered bra when I was on Soma’s site.

The Deco Lace from ThirdLove is relatively comfy for what it is, which is more about a sexy look than daily comfort. But it really does look good and boosts my confidence. The mesh and lace combo does get a little bit itchy, but I’m a very sensitive gal when it comes to fabrics.

It doesn’t look like it would have adjustable straps, but it does, which I appreciate. It’s unlined and unpadded for a sheer look that I like, and comes in black and vintage blue. This is a rare one that they want you to handwash (probably because of the fabric), but oops, I machine washed it anyway, and it’s fine.

The embroidery bralette from Soma is definitely comfier because there’s no wire and less material overall. The support isn’t quite as good (which is expected from a bralette), but I liked the dainty little flowers and white lining.

It only comes in one color, but it’s a cute one. It has a wider band than most bralettes, which gives extra support, and has fully adjustable straps. Another handwash, lay flat to dry bra, but I think it’s worth it for the look.

Winner: Framed Embroidery Bralette from Soma

So, Which One Wins?

In general, when it comes to comfort and quality, I have to go with ThirdLove as my favorite overall. 

While Soma is generally $10 to $20 cheaper, it often shows in the material and quality. The sizing with both was off for me for different reasons, but ThirdLove seems more consistent with traditional band/cup size. Still, Soma won my favorite spot half the time. 

If you want a reliable daily bra that fits right and will hold up over time, go with ThirdLove. If you want a cheaper option with some cute styles, go with Soma.