I Wore 1 Ankle Sock and 1 Compression Sock on a 15-hour Flight-and the Difference Shocked Me

"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 wore a regular ankle sock to see just how effective compression socks can be for circulation while in the air. Surely, after 10 years of flying across the Atlantic monthly for my career, my body has acclimated to spending hours at high altitudes-right?"

"As it turns out, you can have a million-miler status and still want to wear compression socks on long-haul flights, and my inflamed ankle was proof. After my experiment, I had an upcoming trip that would require 30 hours of travel to Nairobi before embarking on Micato Safaris' 14-day Hemingway Wing Safari (which involves another five domestic flights within Africa)."

An experiment wearing only one knee-high compression sock on a 15-hour flight resulted in a swollen ankle, showing that compression socks aid circulation on long flights. Frequent flying did not prevent the inflammation. A subsequent 30-hour travel itinerary to Nairobi and a 14-day safari with additional domestic flights motivated consistent use of compression socks. Charmking Compression Socks were chosen for popularity and convenience, ranked No. 1 in Amazon's Medical Compression Socks with nearly 10,000 pairs sold in the prior month. The socks provide targeted 15–20 mmHg compression, with stronger compression at the ankle, and are now packed in carry-on luggage.

Read at Travel + Leisure