Women's Jock Straps: Everything You Need to Know to Pick the Right One and Use it Properly
The Athletic Cup for Females
Jock straps aren’t just for the guys anymore. Female athletes are using women’s jock straps in a variety of sports that call for a little extra protection in one of the body’s most delicate areas.
In contact sports where athletes are vulnerable to painful hits in the groan, female athletes are arming themselves with women’s jock straps, commonly called “jill straps” or simply “jills.” While hockey is the most common sport to employ the women’s jock strap, women in martial arts, kickboxing, rugby, and even paintball are suiting up with jills.
So what do womens’ jock straps look like? They’re pretty similar to the male version, but made specifically to fit and protect a woman’s anatomy.
Women’s jock straps come in three basic varieties: with compression shorts, with briefs, or as a plain pad with straps that can be fitted inside an athletic uniform.
Compression short and brief varieties are the most popular types of jill straps. Each of these types fits the female body snugly and includes a front pouch where a hard plastic cup or pad can be inserted for protection.
Most first-time jill strap-wearers complain that the device is uncomfortable. But any initial discomfort is far worth it considering that groin injuries from trauma can result in a fracture, impede bladder function, or at the very least leave a nasty bruise.
Fitting Women’s Jock Straps
Since women’s jock straps are the best and only protection against painful groin injury, it is essential to ensure proper fit.
Women’s jock straps are fitted according to waist size. As waist size increases, so does the size of the protective plastic cup to accommodate a larger body. It is important that the athlete chooses the appropriate size cup to ensure the most effective shock absorption.
Women’s jock straps should fit like a pair of regular brief underwear. The jill should be tight enough that the protective cup doesn’t move around as the athlete moves. But at the same time, the jill shouldn’t be uncomfortable. The device should never chafe or impede movement.
Female Jock Strap Maintenance
To maintain women’s jock straps, air them out after each sports session. Always remove the plastic cup from compression shorts or briefs and hang it up. Wash the compression shorts or straps regularly.
In models where two elastic bands attach to the protective cup, the bands often deteriorate over time. As soon as these elastic straps begin to break down, it’s time to buy a new female jock strap.
The same goes for compression short and brief varieties. If any part of the fabric tears or loses its elasticity, throw away the jill. A loss of elasticity could mean that your protective cup is free to move around.
Likewise, if the plastic protective cup on your female jock strap breaks, toss it and buy a new one.
