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Compression Shopping Guide

Compression Shopping Guide

At BrightLife Direct we give you many different ways to find the compression garment that’s right for you. You can shop by men or women, low price, and perhaps most importantly...compression level: 8-15 mmHg, 15-20 mmHg, 20-30 mmHg, 30-40 mmHg and 40-50 mmHg.

Before you begin shopping, you need to know what compression level is appropriate for your condition. If you already wear stockings, hopefully you know your compression. If this is is your first time, your doctor or therapist should have told you what compression level you need. If they have not, our compression guide can help, but this is not a substitution for medical advice. We highly recommend that you talk to your doctor or health care provider before beginning compression therapy above 20mmHg. 15-20 mmHg is the perfect starting level.

Once you’ve determined the proper compression, you need to decide on the style or length of the garment, that is, a knee high, thigh high or waist high (pantyhose). Remember the stocking has to cover the area of your body where the problem exists. If you have an aching varicose vein in your thigh, a knee high isn’t going to help. If you’re traveling and don’t have any existing venous problems, a knee high should do the job.

Now that you know the compression and style, the rest is easy. Picking the weave or fabric you prefer and deciding if you want an open or closed toe.

The three main fabric choices are sheer, opaque and ribbed. Sheers look great, but are just a bit more delicate than other fabrics. Opaques offer the widest range of prices and sizing options. Ribbed are very durable. All three fabrics are usually woven from nylon and spandex. Opaque and ribbed fabrics are available in cotton, wool, and silver blends.

The toe style does not affect the therapeutic benefit of a compression stocking, and is usually a personal preference. Open toes are great in warm weather, with sandals or flip-flops and if you have problems like corns or hammer toes.

Now it’s time to shop. Let’s say you need a 20-30mmHg compression thigh high, and want a sheer fabric with a closed toe. Mouse over Compression Level in the navigation bar. Move your cursor to 20-30mmHg, then click Thigh Highs. A page will open with all of our Thigh Highs in a 20-30 mmHg level. You can than filter down to the style you want. Select Sheer in the left hand filter, and then Closed Toe. Now let’s look for a 15-20mmHg compression knee high in cotton with an open toe. Mouse over Compression Level, move your cursor to 15-20mmHg, then click Knee High. You will then use the filters on the left hand to select Open Toe and Cotton.

As mentioned in the first paragraph, there are many different ways to search our website for the compression garment you need.

If you have a question or need assistance finding what you want, our trained certified fitters are happy to help at 1-877-545-8585.

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