最好的Compression Socks of 2021

The primary fiber in Smartwool’s 20-30 mmHg compression socks is merino wool, which makes them softer, thicker, and warmer than most other pairs of socks. All testers thought they had the right amount of compression, but some didn’t love the texture of the woolen fabric. Still, the inherent warmth may make these a good option for preventing swollen feet and ankles during cold-weather activities, like skiing, hiking, shoveling snow, or even just walking to work in a colder climate.

Our Smartwool socks got a little pilly after five consecutive wash and dryer cycles, but I don’t think this would have been the case had we air-dried them (in the name of expedient testing, I put them through several hot-setting drying sessions).

Smartwool socks come in sizes medium to XL and fitmen’s sizes6 to 11.5 andwomen’s sizes7 to 12.5.

Vim & Vigr socks, made of nylon and spandex, feel more like a stocking than socks—they’re thin, stretchy, and don’t have a lot of extra padding. They also have only 15-20 mmHg level of compression, which meant I felt the squeeze, but it didn’t feel aggressive. The toe area sagged and slipped around a little throughout the day, especially when I was working out, possibly because of the stocking-like material.

If you’re OK with the thin material, they’re a good choice for plane rides and general comfort—but not for physical activity. Vim & Vigr socks are also available in cotton and nylon and several colors and patterns.

Vim & Vigr socks come in sizes small to XL and fitmen’s sizes3.5 to 13.5 andwomen’s sizes 5 to 15. The socks also have three wide calf options.

Once they’re on the feet, Pro Compression’s 20-30 mmHg socks feel really great, with a tight—yet not oppressive—grip that testers loved. “They brought my dead feet back to life,” one tester says. They are also, however, really hard to wrangle into. “Definitely the most difficult socks to put on out of all that I tested,” another tester says. “They were pretty easy to get off, but others were far easier.”

Also, at $50 a pair, they are the most expensive option we tried. They feel fantastic—seriously, once they’re on, I doubt anyone would regret their choice to buy them—but you can get a similar experience with less expensive socks that are also less difficult to pull on.

Pro Compression socks come in sizes XS to XL and fit男人的鞋的大小5 to 13 andwomen’s shoe sizes5 to 14.

These socks have 20-30 mmHg of compression, but I thought they felt tighter than other socks with similar numbers. They’re also pretty thick, but somehow don’t offer a ton of support in the arches, so they took up a lot of room in shoes without a tangible benefit. Still, they had good things to offer—despite being tighter than other socks, they didn’t dig in as much. They also weren’t easy to put on, but they were easier than some other pairs.

SB Sox come in sizes small to XL and fit男人的鞋的大小6 to 14 andwomen’s shoe sizes7 to 13.

Charmking socks are the cheapest option we tested —a pack of eight goes for about $30— and it shows. They’re made of a thin material with a white ribbed fabric that showed up beneath the sock’s patterns.

不过,他们仍然工作得很好。他们有15 -20 mmHg of compression, come in a ton of different colors and patterns, and I thought they felt nice, both during my workout and throughout the day. I don’t feel great about their ability to maintain compression after several washes, because they seemed to get thinner and looser after each of our five launderings. But at their price, and the quantity in which you receive them, wearing out faster might not be as much of an issue. On the flipside: You may notwantseveral pairs of compression socks, and with the Charmking socks, which come in packs ofthreeor eight, that’s the only option.

Charmking socks come in sizes small to XL and fit男人的鞋的大小5到14women’s shoe sizes5.5 to 14.

2XU’s nylon and elastane socks are tight—the brand doesn’t give a pressure measurement, but I’d guess they’re in the 20-30 mmHg range—but still pretty comfy, and hold up well to exercise. They don’t look great to me—similar to socks you’d wear over shin guards, which is weird if they peek out over a pair of boots. And, at $49 a pair, they are much more expensive than other socks that reside in the same looks and feel range.

2XU socks come in sizes small to XL formenandwomenand fit most.

汤米·库普er socks are made of a soft, luxurious-feeling fabric that makes them easy to slide onandextremely comfortable—for a regular pair of socks. Though they are described as compression socks, Tommie Copper doesn’t list a mmHg measurement on its website, and when I reached out to them, they told me this: “While our products do offer ‘comfortable compression,’ they are not medical compression and are not assigned a ‘medical grade.’”

Which makes sense: My experience with them was fine, but compared to other compression socks, the Tommie Copper ones offer little noticeable compression. The socks also hit at a weird part of my leg—mid-calf, rather than below the knee, where the brand says they are supposed to reach—so they slipped down the leg during the day, and, if theyhadoffered much compression, probably would have been pretty uncomfortable.

汤米·库普er socks come in three sizes that fit男人的鞋的大小6 to 14.5 andwomen’s shoe sizes4 to 12.5.

I became aware of Comrad compression socks throughKarlie Kloss’ Instagram, when the model/TV host/coding entrepreneur posted a photo of her Comrad sock-covered feet hanging out of a window that overlooked the New York City skyline. Effectively influenced, I put in a rush order for some Comrad socks to test out.

Unfortunately, Karlie led me (somewhat) astray. The nylon and spandex socks look cool—they come in a wide array of colors and patterns, like stripes and ombre—and hit at a nice spot right below the knee. But they’re also hard to pull on and felt much tighter than other socks I tried, despite having a light 15-25 mmHg measurement.

Comrad socks come in small to large/wide calf and fit男人的鞋的大小4 to 13 andwomen’s shoe sizes4 to 12.

When you first take the CEP socks out of their package, they look alarmingly tiny—like, socks made for a small child or doll. They then stretch to fit the feet, but it takes some effort to yank them up over the ankles. They’re alsoreallytight (rated at 20-30 mmHg and made of polyamide and spandex), which I found uncomfortable after a few hours. They’re designed for wear during running, so they’re probably OK to wear for periods of intense physical activity, if that’s what you’re looking for. But for all-day wear, there are better options out there.

CEP socks come in three sizes formenandwomenthat fit most.

Despite their lighter 15-20 mmHg compression, the Zensah polyamide and elastane socks are difficult to pull on and off, especially after being washed. I felt fine when I wore them, but when I pulled them off, I had large red welts on my calves. I experienced some kind of skin depression with all the socks I tried, but this was the most extreme—so, like the CEP socks, they could be fine for exercise (which is how they are marketed), but aren’t a great bet for all-day wear.

Zensah socks come in sizes small to XL and fit男人的鞋的大小4 to 13 andwomen’s shoe sizes5 to 14.