Bamboo Compression Socks – For Travel and Long Days
Short answer: If you are looking for bamboo compression socks, light bamboo support socks are the right place to start. They give an even, mild pressure that can counter heavy and swollen legs on flights and long working days, without compromising on softness and breathability. They do not replace prescribed compression in a pressure class.
Compression, support and the difference
Medical compression stockings are divided into pressure classes and measured by professionals from the leg circumference at several points. Our bamboo support socks sit at the light end: they give noticeable, mild support for everyday use but do not replace prescribed compression. If you have varicose veins or circulatory problems, follow your doctor's advice before using them in place of a measured stocking.
When light compression makes a difference
The classic situations are flights, long drives and standing work, where blood pools in the lower legs because the calf muscle is not working. A light pressure at the ankle helps the fluid on its way up, so the legs feel less heavy at the end of the day. The effect is greatest on days when you sit or stand still for many hours at a stretch.
Why bamboo rather than synthetics
Support socks sit close, and that makes the breathability of the material decisive for whether you put them on at all. Bamboo viscose wicks moisture away and feels dry against the skin, where a close fitting synthetic sock quickly turns hot and clammy in an aircraft cabin. See the rest of the range under bamboo socks for men and bamboo socks for women.
How to use them on a journey
Put the socks on at home, before the legs swell at the airport. Keep them on for the whole flight and preferably a couple of hours after landing. Get up and walk around the cabin at regular intervals, and pull your toes towards you a few times while seated. The sock supplements movement and does not replace it.
Size and fit
A support sock should sit close without folding anywhere, and it should roll on without you tugging at the cuff. Too big and the pressure disappears, too small and it catches in one place instead of spreading out. Measure the calf circumference if the manufacturer states it, and buy by that rather than by shoe size alone.
When to ask a doctor
If you have known circulatory problems, painful varicose veins, swelling in only one leg or pain in the calf, talk to a doctor rather than buying a sock. The same applies if you have had a blood clot in the past. A measured compression stocking in the correct pressure class is then the answer. See also bamboo and temperature regulation.
Frequently asked questions
Are bamboo support socks the same as compression stockings
No. Our support socks give light, even pressure for everyday use. Medical compression stockings have fixed pressure classes and are measured by professionals.
Can support socks be used on long flights
Yes, that is one of the classic situations. Put them on at home and combine them with getting up and walking at regular intervals.
How long can you wear them
An ordinary day from morning to evening is fine. Take them off at night, when the legs lie flat and the fluid drains back on its own.
