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review

Craft Compression sock

7
£18.00

VERDICT:

7
10
Good value for money, effective muscle support
Weight: 
42g
Contact: 
www.craft.se

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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It's sometimes hard to get excited about socks. Sure, you need them to wick moisture away from your tootsies and keep everything a comfortable stable temperature, but that's about it really. Compression socks though are a different ball-game. Designed to compress muscles and reduce vibration, their goal is to enhance power delivery and help muscles recover more quickly from exertion.

These from Craft are a fairly average price for compression socks, but a good price for cycling orientated ones. Made from 94% Polyamide/6% Lycra these are fully synthetic and super super stretchy, allowing them to give full support to the muscles from foot to knee. There's a comfortable cuff that fits around the top, and a supportive arch band to keep them in place. Available in a variety of sizes (XS-XL) they cater to feet between an EU34 and EU48, which should cover most cyclists.

In wear, the fabric doesn't feel especially nice, with a distinctly plasticky feel to it. But, the fit is excellent, with no feeling of pinching or binding in any way, even with the knee length. The ribbed nature of the fabric is intended to assist in airflow, helping to keep legs and feet cool and dry, however, there is a definite heat penalty to be paid in wearing these. They would very soon be over warm and sweaty in summer. As far as muscle compression goes, it's hard to quantify such an effect, but there was definitely a feeling of sprightliness in the legs at odds with a few preceding days of hard effort. The best way to describe it would be to say the leg muscles felt supported. The foot area is comfortable, with no intrusion from seams whatsoever. Craft intend their socks to be worn during cycling, but also for pre/post-race travel and recovery. In spring and autumn I'd be happy to wear these for a protracted period (although feet do get a little sticky) but I'd probably reserve them for pre or post-event use in summer or winter.

Verdict

Good value for money, effective muscle support.

road.cc test report

Make and model: Craft Compression sock

Size tested: 4-6UK

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

94% Polyamide/6% Lycra

Tight compression fit over calves

Channel stitched structure to assist airflow

Wide lycra cuffs at the knee

Ribbed lycra arch support

Sizes XS-XL (EU34-EU48)

Black or white

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10

Well made with virtually undetectable seams.

Rate the product for performance:
 
7/10

Hard to quantify compression effect but supportive and comfortable, and legs felt more capable.

Rate the product for durability:
 
5/10

The compression effect of these is going to relax slowly as time passes and the lycra content ages. Also, the fully synthetic fabric means they may well start to smell on a long-term basis.

Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
8/10

Excellent light weight.

Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
8/10

Very comfortable, even around the trouble spot of below the knees. Stay put at the foot too.

Rate the product for value:
 
7/10

In comparison with other cycling specific compression products, these are a pretty good price.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

The socks were comfortable and supportive. They did help legs feel perkier, but not sure about enhanced power delivery.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Comfort, fit.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Overly warm, slightly platicky feeling fabric

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes.

Would you consider buying the product? Possibly.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Probably, if they were looking for compression socks.

Anything further to say about the product in conclusion?

Well made and comfortable, giving good support to the calf muscles.

Overall rating: 7/10

About the tester

Age: 37  Height: 1.65m  Weight: 67kg

I usually ride:   My best bike is:

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, touring, general fitness riding, mtb,

 

Lara has been riding bikes for longer than she'd care to admit, and writing about them nearly as long. Since 2009 she has been working as part of the road.cc review team whilst championing women's cycling on the side, most notably via two years as editor of the, sadly now defunct, UK's first and only women's cycling mag, erm, Women's Cycling. 

Believing fervently that cycling will save the world, she wishes that more people would just ride a bike and be pleasant to each other. 

She will ride anything with two wheels, occasionally likes to go fast, definitely likes to go far and is always up for a bit of exploring somewhere new and exciting. 

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4 comments

Avatar
CliveDS | 13 years ago
0 likes

Been using these compression socks for some time now and can't live without them. Travel, post ride, office all good.

Avatar
Simon_MacMichael | 13 years ago
0 likes

I think the socks I wear on the rare occasions I get the kilt out pretty much do the same job...  3

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surreyxc | 13 years ago
0 likes

unless your a teenage girl then no no no on the grounds of taste no

Avatar
Rob Simmonds | 13 years ago
0 likes

I didn't know Norah Batty had joined the testing team!

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