Bra extender: how to use it to add band room

The extender that comes with your bra hooks onto the clasps on the inside of the band. That adds extra hook positions and makes the band a couple inches bigger. So you can keep wearing your bra a little longer when the band feels just a bit tight, instead of ordering a bigger size right away.

What is that little piece that comes with your bra?

Every Monavida bra comes with a bra extender in the box: a strip of fabric with hooks on one side and loops on the other. You clip it onto the hooks already on your bra, and that gives you two or three extra hook positions in one go. The result is simple: your bra opens up a bit more and the band gets roomier.

In reviews, customers sometimes call it a "band extender." Same thing, just a different name. It comes loose in the packaging, so you have to attach it yourself before it does anything. Skip that step and it just sits uselessly in the box.

Every bra also comes with an extender to make the band bigger.

How do you attach the extender to your bra?

Lay your bra flat in front of you with the clasp open. Hook the loops of the extender onto the outermost row of hooks already on your bra. Then close your bra the way you normally would, just with the extender in between.

• Hook the extender onto the outermost row of hooks on your bra
• Check that the hooks line up straight across from each other, so the band doesn't pull crooked
• Put the bra on and close it on the inner row of the extender itself

If the band feels loose enough now but still snug, you've got it right. If the band rides up at the sides or sits away from your back, that's a bit too much slack. Go back a hook, closer to your original clasp.

Take your time with this step. A lot of women try to hook the extender on while already wearing the bra, but that's trickier than it sounds. You can't see well whether the hooks line up straight, and the band can end up twisted. It's easier to do this flat on a table or bed first, so you can see everything lines up before you put the bra on.

How much room do you gain, and is it enough?

An extender usually gives you two or three extra hook positions, good for a couple extra inches around the band. That doesn't sound like much, but on a band, that's often the difference between a red mark on your skin by the end of the day and a band you don't feel at all.

Quick test: slide two fingers under your band at your back, right between your shoulder blades. If that's easy with no effort, your band is already loose enough and you don't need an extender. If you can just barely fit one finger under it with a bit of effort and it feels fine, you've got the right fit. If you have to push and the band already digs into your skin before you've even added the extender, one extender usually won't be enough. At that point you're probably just in the wrong size.

Do this test at the end of the day, not first thing in the morning. Your body swells a little over the course of the day, especially after eating or in warm weather, and that's exactly the moment that shows whether the band has actually been too tight all day without you noticing.

When does an extender help, and when should you size up instead?

An extender is meant for small, temporary changes. Not for a bra that was simply ordered too small or that you've outgrown. Your body shifts a little all the time, and that's exactly what this little piece is for.

• You've gained a few pounds since you bought the bra
• You're in the week before your period and your band size swells up a bit temporarily
• Your bra is brand new and the fabric still needs to break in after the first few wears
• You've washed the bra many times and the band has lost a bit of its stretch

Of the nearly 2,900 women we asked about their biggest bra frustration, 8.2% named the wrong size or cup. Very often it's not a completely wrong size, just a couple inches too little room in the band. That's exactly where an extender fixes something that would otherwise call for a whole new bra.

If you still feel the band digging into your skin even with the extender on, or a line showing under your clothes, an extra hook won't fix that anymore. That means the band itself runs too small, and you're better off sizing up. If you want to know how to report that after you've already ordered, read how to let us know the right size.

Does your cup size change when you widen the band?

No, and that's an important thing to remember. An extender only widens the band, the cup stays exactly the same size it was. If you actually feel like your cup is too roomy, with folds in the fabric or a cup that doesn't quite fill out, this extender won't fix that.

That's a different problem with a different fix. Read how to use the extender for a cup that's too big instead, since that works a bit differently than widening the band.

Why does this come standard with a wire-free bra, and not with every bra?

With a wire-free bra, like the Daily Essential, the band does most of the work. There's no underwire catching the weight of your breasts, so the band has to do that job on its own, snug and fitted just right. That's exactly why a little bit of give in that band matters so much: too tight, and you feel it all day; too loose, and the bra just slides down.

The extender gives you that small margin without having to order a different bra right away. It's exactly the kind of detail customers often mention in reviews: not flashy, but genuinely useful on the day you need it.

Does the extender stay in place when you wash the bra?

Yes, as long as you leave it hooked on during the wash. Wash your bra in a wash bag on a low temperature, so the hooks on the extender don't get tangled up with other clothes or get damaged in the drum. Just leave the extender attached while washing. Unhooking and reattaching it isn't necessary and only raises the odds you'll lose it.

Check every once in a while that the hooks on the extender still click in securely. Just like the hooks on the bra itself, they can lose a bit of their spring after many washes. If the extender feels loose or doesn't click in firmly anymore, it's time to replace it instead of using it when it's not holding up well.