Heart and courage—that’s the root of triathlon at its core. Sure, athletic ability is important, too. But without these two things, you’d fall flat. Coeur is a company that gets that. In fact, the word “Coeur” is French for heart and the root of the word “courage.” So it should come as no surprise that we just had to learn more about what Coeur is all about.
Coeur founder Kebby Holden began the company after almost 10 years in endurance sports because she could never find triathlon and cycling gear that fit well and looked good. And many of our fellow female athletes can relate—it was time to bring better fit (and fun!) into women’s triathlon gear.
According to Kebby, she doesn’t have any fashion background. However, take one look at the Coeur line and you’ll beg to differ. While all of Coeur’s designs are eye-catching, we happened to fall in love with Supernova. So Coeur hooked us up with a pair of women’s tri shorts, tri top, and a sports bra.
When we originally researched the company, we learned that wearers of Coeur’s tri shorts consistently rate them as some of the most comfortable on the market. And we can see why. Coeur’s tri shorts are designed with a anti-microbial Poly/Spandex blend and feature a wider, yoga-style waistband, three small rear pockets, as well as a seam-free chamois.
When we took a look at the chamois, the first thing we noticed was the extra-soft texture. Coeur utilizes a quick-wicking fleece pad here, which extends down the inner leg hem. To be honest, at first, we weren’t exactly sure about this. It looked completely different from the chamois we’re typically used to finding in tri shorts. However, we soon realized that completely different was definitely a good thing in this case. After several rides in the shorts, we’ve never experienced any hot spots or chafing. Our only complaint was that the shorts were a tad shorter than we typically prefer, which of course is more of a personal choice than anything else.
And as for wear and tear, the shorts have held up well through multiple washes. We toss them in the washing machine with the rest of our gear, line dry, and we’re ready for the next ride or run.
In addition to the tri shots, Coeur gave us a tri top for testing as well. Like the shorts, the top is made from an anti-microbial Poly/Spandex blend and features anti-friction seams and rear pockets for additional storage. One of our favorite features of the top was the fact that it was constructed with a longer torso—there was no riding up going on here! Overall the top was supportive and comfortable. It also looked awesome with the matching shorts!
Both the shorts and top run for $84.99 each on Coeur’s site.
Coeur’s sports bra was equally as comfortable and functional as the shorts and top, but it also had a hidden surprise in store for us. Coeur included a hidden pocket inside for storing a gel or house key without chafing. What a brilliant idea! Our multisport editor has tried for years to stash an extra “emergency” gel while out on course only to end up with skin irritation. Problem solved! The bra is also constructed with anti-microbial fabric and utilizes the anti-friction seams similar to the tri top. Coeur’s sports bra is available for $39.99 on their site.
After a few months in Coeur’s gear, we couldn’t be happier. And we’ve said it before; sometimes looking and feeling good can translate into a little extra pep in your run stride or pedal stroke.