I Fly Across the Atlantic Every Month and Couldn't Do It Without These $20 Socks

Travel + Leisure

7 days ago

I'm a travel writer, and last month's rose was getting to spend six glorious days sipping rosé and playing with free-range pigs at Spier Wine Farm in South Africa. The thorn? The swollen ankle I had when I arrived. Admittedly, it was my fault, and was the result of an experiment: What would happen if I only wore one knee-high compression sock on the 15-hour flight from Newark to Cape Town? On my other foot, I would wear a regular ankle sock in order to see just how effective compression socks can be for improving circulation while in the air. Surely, after 10 years of flying across the Atlantic on a monthly basis for my career, my body has acclimated to spending hours at high altitudes—right?
Spoiler alert: I couldn't. As it turns out, you can have million miler status and will still want to wear compression socks on long-haul flights, and my inflamed ankle was proof. In a few weeks, I'll be flying 30 hours to Nairobi before embarking on Micato Safaris' 14-day Hemingway Wing Safari (which involves another five domestic flights while inside Africa). For this trip, I'll be embracing my inner flight attendant. Compression socks are among the items cabin crew can't live without, and after trying them out for myself, I know that I can't, either. That's why the first thing I pack in my carry-on is my beloved Charmking Compression Socks from Amazon. Here's how both of my legs and feet looked prior to my flight.
Instead of scrolling through Amazon's endless pages of compression socks with a fine-tooth comb, I bought the Charmking compression socks because they were the most popular. With nearly 10,000 pairs purchased in the last month alone, they're ranked No. 1 on Amazon's list of Best-ellers in Medical Compression Socks. These socks offer a targeted compression grade ranging from 15 mmHg to 20 mmHg—there is more compression at the ankle than the toes and shins—which Dr. Diana Levin Valencia, DPM, previously told Travel + Leisure is a great starting point if you're new to compression socks. Left: After wearing a compression sock. Right: After wearing a normal ankle sock.
They're made with a moisture-wicking nylon and spandex blend that is surprisingly breathable. I wore them while flying 60 hours round-trip to the Maldives in March, and the seaplane flights to and from the resort were especially hot. Still, my feet didn't sweat. These socks aren't quite as soft as my Vuori Performance Joggers (which are so soft, I'd wash my face with them). However, they don't feel scratchy or stiff, despite the no-slip cuff that keeps them from sliding down.
Speaking of shoes, I love that my Charmking compression socks are thin enough that my feet can still fit comfortably in my snug On Cloud 6 Sneakers, which I like to fly in because they're so easy to take on and off. Because these knee-high socks aren't bulky, I can even comfortably wear them under my Lululemon Align leggings. That said, these socks are definitely tight; like skinny jeans, I can't take them off without them turning inside out. But, in my opinion, that's just an added bonus: Washing your socks (or any item of clothing, really) inside out helps to preserve their color. As you can see, the swelling on my non-compression sock foot was no joke.
These socks are available in more than three dozen color combinations with tons of patterns to choose from. You can choose solid colors like I did, or play around with florals, polka dots, stripes, and fun, eye-catching prints. These socks come in two sizes: Small/medium and large/extra large, and as a size 9, the small/medium size fit me just fine.
These Charmking compression socks also have far more five-star ratings than similar products: We're talking nearly 62,000 five-star ratings and nearly 13,000 five-star reviews, many of which come from frequent fliers and flight attendants. 'These are easy to put on and make my calves not ache from a long day on my feet in the air,' wrote one flight attendant. 'The nice designs are an added bonus that get compliments regularly,' added another flight attendant, and one reviewer who travels for work reported that they were 'very helpful' for staying comfortable on recent trips to New Zealand and Australia.
At around $3 per pair, these compression socks are a steal. If you do want to shop around, and not just go with the presumed GOAT like I did, below are a few more best-selling compression sock options on Amazon, starting at $15.
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