1. Physix Gear Flight Socks
2. SB Sox Flight Socks
3. CharmKing Flight Socks
4. Go2Socks Compression Socks
6. CompressionZ Compression Socks
7. Travelsox The Original Patented Graduated Compression Socks
8. Acel Comfort In Action Designer Compression Socks
9. Wanderlust Travel Compression Socks
Flight Sock Buying Guide & FAQ
How We Chose Our Selection Of The Best Flight Socks
Even though we feel very much so in the 21st century, we still couldn’t find any flights with WiFi to test these socks out and live-report until we reached our destination (plus, we’d have had to turn straight back around, so there was the little point). However, all was not lost, and instead we focused on these 3 factors to help us make our selection.
Brand - Finding the right brands is essential for ensuring we select only the best quality products around. Through our research, we identified which brands are worth bringing to you to guarantee you end up with right flight socks for your next adventure.
Price - We know socks, even fancy compression socks, aren’t that expensive, but the price is still worth considering, especially if you’re looking for a bargain. Another reason to think about the price is for identifying quality, but while you’re not always guaranteed top quality when paying the highest price, you can still expect to get an excellent product.
Reviews - Reviews are excellent for gauging how well a product performs long after the initial excitement of buying it dies down. Through these reviews, we discovered the good and the bad about our initial long list of flight socks so we could narrow it down to the 10 superb products you see above.
Features To Look For In Flight Socks
There are still a few minutes before takeoff so hold tight on deciding on the best flight socks for you right now, here are some important features to think about when making your decision.
Pressure Rating - Your compression socks are measured in millimeters of Mercury, which is identified with mmHg. There is a variety of pressures, ranging from 8 mmHg to as much as 40 mmHg, but with such a range, it means you should find the pressure that suits you.
Not everyone will need the biggest pressure rating, and it’s only in extreme cases where you should go to those lengths. Typically, 8 to 20 mmHg suffices to encourage your blood flow.
For frequent flyers or those who suffer from deep vein thrombosis, 20 mmHg is enough to keep the blood flowing on flights lasting longer than 3 to 4 hours, but you should complement this by taking a walk around the cabin and doing stretches.
Size - Flight socks which are both too short or too long are not effective, so you must find the right size to get the full benefits. Depending on whether you’re wearing knee or thigh-length flight socks, you can measure yourself to find the best size for you.
Sitting down with your feet flat on the floor, use a tape measure to get a measurement of your ankle, your calf, and from heel to the top of the calf. These measurements will help you find flight socks that will fit perfectly, other than merely guessing and maybe getting the right size, but also maybe not.
For thigh socks, follow the same steps of knee socks, and when you’ve done that, measure the width of the highest part of the thigh before standing up and measuring the length of the heel to the top of the thigh.
Comfort - As with most items of clothing, comfort is a massive thing to consider. If your socks aren’t comfortable enough to wear all day, wearing them will feel like a chore more than anything else. You want to feel comfortable when on a flight, so socks which are soft, not too tight, and with no abrasive seams will enhance your experience and allow you to focus on getting through the flight and not the discomfort around your legs.
Flight Sock FAQ
Q: What are flight socks?
A: Flight socks are also known as compression socks and they help to encourage and regulate circulation by applying slight pressure to the feet and the legs which reduces the distance between veins to keep the blood pumping.
On long flights where you get little chance to stay active, flight socks are useful for preventing issues such as deep vein thrombosis, edema, or phlebitis, and potential blood clots which may be dangerous. They stop the blood succumbing to the pesky law that is gravity (even when you are defying it) and pool in your soles.
The pressure is not painful, and anyone who wears flight socks often can not tell the difference between these socks and slightly tight regular socks. However, not any old socks will do, so if you’re concerned about DVT or other issues, you can’t just pull your old soccer socks out of the back of the drawer.
Flight socks are useful for more than wearing on flights, too, which is why you see the local running gang galloping down the street in long socks. They are also useful for people with poor circulation, even if they’re not flying and pregnant women.
Q: Do I only need flight socks for air travel?
A: Flight socks are a useful option to have during air travel, but you shouldn’t wholly rely on them to solve all your potential circulation problems, and they are certainly not magic miracle workers. To ensure a healthy flight without issues, you need to mix it up.
This means you should still get up out of your seat even if you’re wearing flight socks, as there’s only so much these can do and they are no substitute for legitimate movement.
Depending on the size of the cabin, you can get quite a circuit in if you want to stretch your legs and feel you’re doing something other than staring at the back of someone’s head. Just make sure you get this stroll in before (or after) dinner is served.
Also, wear loose clothes to prevent restricting your movement too much. We know anyone who wears joggers and baggy hoodies onto airplanes can soon feel like the scruffiest person at their destination, especially after a long flight, but no one will care how you look and you’ll feel better for it.
Doctors also recommend staying hydrated, but not too hydrated, otherwise, you’ll end up running to the bathroom every 10 minutes, much to the chagrin of your neighbor. Instead, try to balance your liquid intake with electrolytes like Gatorade. It’s important to stay hydrated, as staying still for too long coupled with a lack of hydration can lead to blood clots, which few people know.
