The baby is six weeks old, you are at a cousin's sangeet in a long anarkali, and she wants a feed now.
A nursing top, or feeding top, has a built in opening so you can breastfeed without undressing or lifting the whole thing. The main openings are zip, button down, lift up, wrap and side access. Zips are quickest when you are out, and buttons look smartest at work.
That anarkali opens only from the hem, which is the whole problem a feeding top solves. Colour and print are the easy part. What decides whether you reach for a top every day is the opening, so this guide goes opening by opening, then by price.
Table of Contents
Which Type of Nursing Top Opening Is Best?
No single opening is best for everyone. Vertical zips are the fastest and most discreet in public. Button down tops look the most formal and are the easiest for pumping. Lift up and wrap tops have no hardware, so they feel softest at night and in the newborn weeks. Side access suits thicker winter layers.
| Opening type | How it works | Best for | Typical price in our range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twin vertical zips | Two concealed zips run down the front, one for each side | Feeding in public, travel, everyday wear | Rs. 1,399 to Rs. 1,499 |
| Single centre zip | One zip at the centre front, under a V neck or gathers | Quick feeds, anyone who finds two zips fiddly | Rs. 1,399 to Rs. 1,499 |
| Button down | A front placket with buttons or snaps | Office days, pumping, doctor visits | Rs. 1,199 to Rs. 1,499 |
| Lift up | The outer layer lifts and the inner layer opens or pulls down | Home, sleep, keeping your tummy covered | Not really in our range |
| Wrap or crossover | Front panels overlap and pull aside | Newborn weeks, lounging | Rs. 799, very few left |
| Side access | Zips sit in the side seams | Winter layers, feeding under a shawl | Rs. 1,299 to Rs. 1,499 |
| Horizontal zip | One long zip runs across the chest | Sweatshirts and thicker knits | Rs. 1,899 to Rs. 1,999 |
Prices are what our site shows at the time of writing.
Zip Nursing Tops
Two slim zips sit along the front, hidden in a seam or under a fold of fabric. Open one side, feed, close it. Nothing else moves, so your stomach and back stay covered. That matters, because the first feed outside the house is nerve racking enough without also feeling exposed.
Our embroidered cotton tops, Gul Paisley, Neel Paisley and Mehendi Ease, have two nursing zips, a round neck and puff sleeves in 100% cotton, sizes S to 3XL, at Rs. 1,499. Stripe Ease has a single centre zip under a V neck at the same price.
Before you buy any zip top, from us or anyone, check that the zip opens fully with one hand and that there is fabric behind it, so nothing scratchy touches the baby's cheek.
Mom's pick
Gul Paisley Embroidered Maternity and Nursing Top
Two nursing zips, puff sleeves and 100% cotton. Rs. 1,499. View product
Button Down Nursing Tops
A button down top looks like any smart shirt. Undo two or three buttons to feed, or open the front fully for a pump. And yes, a regular cotton shirt you already own does the same job at home.
What ours add is length and room for a bump: shirt collar tops with side slits such as Pink Lagoon, Marigold Muse and Indigo Island at Rs. 1,299 in S to 4XL, oversized shirts with a high low hem at Rs. 1,499, and short kurtis with snap buttons from Rs. 1,199. The cost is speed. Buttons need two hands and a few more seconds than a zip.
Mom's pick
Pink Lagoon Maternity and Nursing Top
Shirt collar, full sleeves and a button front, in S to 4XL. Rs. 1,299. View product
Lift Up Nursing Tops
Two layers. You raise the outer one, and the inner one opens or pulls down, so your tummy stays covered and no hardware presses on you when you lie down.
We do not really make these. Our current range is zips and buttons. The NHS describes a free version in its advice on breastfeeding in public: wear two stretchy tops, lift the outer one and pull the inner one down. At home, a loose tee over one of our crossover sleep bras does much the same.
Wrap and Crossover Nursing Tops
The front overlaps like a kimono or an angrakha, and one side pulls across. We carry very few: a couple of crossover tees at Rs. 799, in whatever sizes are left.
Side Access and Horizontal Zip Tops
A pair of zips down the chest can look bulky on a sweatshirt, so winter styles often move the opening to the side seams or into one long zip across the chest. A few of our sweatshirts have side zips, from Rs. 1,299. Maritime Muse uses a horizontal zip, at Rs. 1,999. Our cotton terry hoodies keep two front zips, at Rs. 1,999 to Rs. 2,199.
A word on the kurta you already own
Most everyday kurtas and anarkalis open at the neck or the hem and nowhere else. To feed in one you lift a metre of fabric to your chin, usually with a dupatta held in your teeth. It is undignified and annoying, and it is the real reason feeding tops exist. The exception is a kurta that unbuttons to the waist. If you own one, wear it.
How Much Do Nursing Tops Cost?
In our range, nursing tops run from about Rs. 599 to Rs. 2,199. Everyday cotton tops with zips or buttons sit between Rs. 1,199 and Rs. 1,499. Winter sweatshirts and hoodies mostly sit between Rs. 1,899 and Rs. 2,199. The opening type changes the price very little.
| Price band | What you get | Opening types | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under Rs. 1,000 | Crossover tees and a few older zip and button styles | Wrap, zip, button | A first top to try, home wear |
| Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 1,499 | Cotton tops, short kurtis, oversized shirts and a few sweatshirts | Twin zip, single zip, button down, snap, side zip | Daily wear, outings, office |
| Rs. 1,500 to Rs. 2,199 | Sweatshirts and hoodies in cotton terry | Twin zip, horizontal zip | Winter, travel, cold offices |
How to Choose a Nursing Top: 4 Quick Checks
Match the opening to your bra. Zip and button tops line up best with a clip down bra, while lift up and wrap tops work with a crossover bra. Our nursing bra buying guide explains both.
Try it with one hand. The other will be holding a baby.
Check the length. A top that covers your hips keeps your stomach hidden when you sit.
Check the size chart on the product page. Our tops come in S to 3XL, and several go up to 4XL.
Mom tip: Practise opening a new top at home before you wear it out. Two minutes in front of a mirror makes the first feed in a cafe or at a family function far less stressful. |
For the bottom half, our maternity leggings have a wide belly band and side pockets, at Rs. 1,199. Heading back to the office? Button down tops and nursing friendly sets are in our maternity workwear guide.
Buy two tops with different openings before you buy five of one kind. The one you reach for after a fortnight tells you what to order next, and every opening we make is in our feeding and nursing tops collection.
