Braave launches iPhone body-scanning solution for the perfect-fitting bra

Braave, a femtech company making custom-fit bras, has launched a solution that enables customers with an iPhone X or later model to scan their body using the company’s app, BreastID, to create a 3D map of their breasts.

The app uses the same depth-mapping camera that enables iPhone’s FaceID, using sensors, cameras, and a dot projector to create a detailed 3D map of each person’s body. The 3D scan of the  user’s upper body takes one minute to complete. The user’s face is excluded from the scan, and the image which is obtained is a three-dimensional depth map, not an actual photograph, so Braave employees only see numerical data and digitally-rendered images, and no actual images are retained.

The scan contains more than 100,000 data points and creates measurements to the millimeter. Using each customer’s exact breast map, Braave says it is able to create a custom-fit bra that fits perfectly. It uses 3D printing to create flexible plastic underwires that perfectly follow each woman’s unique ribcage to provide ultimate support without the discomfort of traditional underwires.

Braave’s mission is to eliminate industry-standardized sizing and replace it with client-centric design that empowers women to love their bodies as they are. Until COVID hit, the company was using 3D scanning mirrors to measure customers in-person, which required significant time and resources. As retail outlets closed their doors as the pandemic hit, Founder Claire Chabaud realised the company needed to innovate to develop a technology that would give customers the same custom-fit experience from home.

Braave said its technology is significant because it allows women to get a bra that fits perfectly on the first try. This is a departure from the norm, where 80 per cent of women wear the wrong bra size, and it takes an average of 40 tries to find the perfect fit. As one indication of the problem, it notes that there is a subreddit forum called “abrathatfits” has over 350,000 members.  

Braave was founded by Chabaud in 2017. She plans to build a portfolio of breast health businesses, including bras that can detect breast cancer early and help increase survival rates. After suffering from bullying surrounding her body in high-school, she became determined to build businesses that would help women to love and feel comfortable in their bodies. The Braave bra is her first product, and is available for sale for $75 with a $15 discount running until the end of December.