Gabrielle Chase/Business Insider
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As a small-chested person who doesn’t require much underwire support, I wear nipple covers almost daily instead of a bra. But even if you do have a large cup size, you’ll still find them useful for wearing under unlined bras or with a backless dresses.
In either case, these nude pasties should sit flush against your breasts in a similar tone to your skin, so that they’re invisible under your clothes. We tested different kinds of nipple coverings to find which stayed put all day, even while sweaty, and were still easy and painless to peel off.
The best nipple covers we tested:
These round, reusable pasties come in four skin tones and two sizes. They’re made with thin, matte silicone and are totally invisible, even under sheer clothing.
If you wear a 38B-36D and want nipple covers that give you a slight boost, this invisible set comes with easy-to-use pull-tabs to help you get the exact right placement.
This sweatproof lifting boob tape is made with hypoallergenic medical-grade nylon and adhesive. You can trim it so it hides under tops with plunging necklines.
This pair is smaller in diameter than the other stick-on nipples covers on our list, but they’re a solid affordable option that wear smoothly under tight clothing.
Best nipple covers overall: NOOD No-Show Nipple Adhesive Covers
Gabrielle Chase/Business Insider
I wore NOOD nipple covers at least a few times a week, and it took about 6 months before they started to lose their stickiness around the edges. In the meantime, I completely stopped wearing bras because these are so much more comfortable. Once they’re on, they’re on — and they don’t hurt to peel off in the slightest or leave leftover glue residue. The thin silicone is equally invisible under tight tops as it is under flowy, sheer fabrics.
They started to get slightly smelly after a few wears, so I just washed mine with an antibacterial Dial soap and let them air dry overnight before putting them on again. They come with two Saran wrap-like circles to stick them onto when not in use, which prevents them from picking up lint while in storage. If you know you’ll be sweating in these consistently, they might not last as long as 6 months. Still, they’re more reusable and come in more shades and sizes than your average drugstore store nipple covers. These are the only kind I’ve consistently repurchased since trying them the first time. — Gabrielle Chase, associate style editor, Insider Reviews
Best lifting: NOOD No Show Extra Lift
Gabrielle Chase/Business Insider
After trying and loving NOOD’s standard nipple covers, I wanted to see how their lifting counterpart worked. These look and work about the same as the original, but have an extra pull-tab on the top which you can lift and stick to the upper part of your boob to give them a slight boost. I’m a meager 34B and I didn’t notice a significant volume-enhancing effect, but their adhesive lasts long and the pull-tabs makes them easy to apply. For this reason, I consider these the best nipple covers for those who wear a 38B-36D and want something reusable with more support than a simple pasty. Anything larger will benefit from using a boob tape instead. — Gabrielle Chase, associate style editor, Insider Reviews
Best boob tape: Threads Lifting Breast Tape
Threads
If breast tape seems intimidating to you, I get it. But after trying Threads’ version, I feel like this will definitely be my go-to “bra” when I’m wearing formalwear with a tricky neckline. It’s made with hypoallergenic medical-grade nylon and adhesive, which stretches up to 150% of its original length. This makes it very comfortable to wear and easy to shape to your body’s unique curves.
Admittedly, it takes a bit of practice to understand how to best lay the tape for your body shape and desired outcome, but once you get the hang of it, it’s super easy. At nearly 3 inches across, this sweatproof breast tape (available in beige, brown, and black) is wider than most on the market, which means you get better coverage with a single strip and you can use less tape overall. It also makes it more suitable for breasts of all sizes. If you’re especially sensitive around the areolas, I recommend wearing silicone pasties under the breast tape to for a smoother removal. NOOD also makes a citrus-scented “Boob Savior” adhesive remover that’s specially formulated to make lifting the tape easier. — Talia Ergas, freelance writer, Insider Reviews
Best budget nipple covers: Intimissimi Silicone Pasties
Intimissimi
Small but mighty, these 100% silicone stick-ons stayed put on my breasts throughout the day. They adhered nicely to my skin, but removing them was easy and completely painless. In between wears, I wash them with soap and water, and once they’re dry, they’re good as new. They’re under 2.5 inches in radius, which is smaller than the other stick-on nipples covers on our list. For this reason, they’re better suited as extra support worn underneath a non-padded undergarment or worn under breast tape. I wore them to a recent fitness class under my sports bra for extra coverage, and they kept me smooth and concealed as I worked out.
Unfortunately, these only come in one shade of beige, so we’d like to see the brand offer these in a more inclusive color range. However, if you plan to wear them under an opaque shirt and need something that’s affordable yet effective, Intimissimi is your best bet. — Talia Ergas, freelance writer, Insider Reviews
How we tested to find the best nipple covers
Once I tried a pair of Hollywood Fashion Secret’s Silcone Cover Ups that I’d hastily grabbed from a bin at Walgreens, I realized there had to be a better solution. I liked that they come in a compact case, but they weren’t reusable enough to warrant buying a second pair, as silicone takes an infamously long time to biodegrade.
After conducting in-depth research of the best nipple covers on the market, we selected four standout sets for at-home testing. We wore them in real-life situations (such as a dinner date in warm weather and fitness classes) to see how they stuck in sweaty and humid conditions. They passed the invisibility test if they were impossible to see under sheer, white, and tight-fitting clothing. We also gently hand-washed our nipple covers with soap and water to see how well they retained their stickiness after they’d air dried.
Talia Ergas is a writer and editor covering fashion, beauty, lifestyle, and entertainment. Her work has also appeared in Travel + Leisure, HuffPost, Us Weekly, BestReviews, Bravo, Elite Daily, and more. She graduated from New York University with degrees in Journalism, Sociology, and Creative Writing. You can follow her on Instagram.
Gabrielle Chase
Associate Style & Beauty Editor
Gabrielle Chase is an Associate Style & Beauty Editor at Business Insider. She applies a healthy dose of skepticism to the fashion trends on her For You Page — still, she’s never above a good designer dupe. Gabi started her career climb as a fashion intern at Interview Magazine. Before Business Insider, she wrote for ELLE Magazine’s online series “The Launch.”Gabi graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a double major in journalism and Spanish. She lives in Brooklyn, models, loves K-pop, and frequents her local movie theaters.If you’d like to ask a question— or just want a girl’s girl to talk about cool clothes with— you can reach her at gabriellechase@businessinsider.com.Learn how the Insider Reviews team tests style and beauty products here.
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Disclosure: Written and researched by the Insider Reviews team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our partners. We may receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at reviews@businessinsider.com.
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