It’s hard to take those “avoid deep vein thrombosis” pages in the airline in-flight magazine seriously. After all, whose fault is it that we’re crammed in so tight our knees are hitting the seat in front of us? How can we move around to keep the blood flowing if there’s no space to actually move within?
There’s a little help though in the form of what you’re wearing. I’ve tried out a few different pairs of compression socks over the years and have always found them to make a noticeable difference in circulation. The basic idea of gradient compression socks is to deliver pressure that is greatest at the ankles and declines as you move up the leg. That promotes better blood flow and, in my experience anyway, cuts down a bit on the natural foot swelling that occurs during a long flight.
This Core-spun version I’ve been trying out from Therafirm goes one better than others I’ve tried though: they’re actually comfortable to the touch and feel like real socks. Usually these things look like something that should be on an old man or lady in a retirement home, on someone suffering from a medical condition. These feel like regular socks. They also feel less grabby at the top, the heels are thicker than many others, and they use Micro-cool wicking technology. Therafirm’s also boast an attribute you don’t see very much anymore with socks: “Made in the USA.”
Therafirm compression socks come in three different grades of pressure and ten colors that vary by model. The standard ones for flying are knee-high with moderate support, but they come in a variety of lengths for men and women.
This is not the most glamorous or sexy item we’ll ever review here at Practical Travel Gear, but it’s something I am putting on for every long flight to another continent. I never seem to make elite level at any airline to get upgraded and I’m not holding my breath for coach to get more spacious. So these Therafirm socks will at least keep the blood flowing as I sit in my tiny space.
The sample pair I tried out lists for $35, but they’re currently selling for $28 at Amazon. See more at Therafirm.com.
