Compression socks have become the Brussels sprouts of the travel gear world. Everyone knows they are good for you, yet most people try to avoid them. Sure, they might not seem very glamorous ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Allison Olmsted covers lifestyle for active women as The Gear Diva. Once mainly aimed at older people with poor circulation ...

Some turn to prescription pills, others to pashminas or paperbacks. I prefer compression socks. I got my first pair about a year ago and was so delighted I bought my second a month after that.