Lady putting on her stocking with Steve Glide dolphin stocking aid.

Sock aids for compression stockings (2022 guide)

Putting on compression stockings is often seen as a difficult task. It requires dexterity and effort and you must be able to bend over. The compression socks (also called support stockings) are available in different pressure classes and are intended to support blood circulation. The higher the pressure class, the more pressure the stocking exerts on the leg or arm and the firmer and stiffer the stocking becomes. This means that putting on and taking off the compression stocking often involves a relatively heavy physical effort and it can therefore be nice to get the right help.

Learn about compression stockings

Putting on compression stockings with an aid

If you have trouble putting on and taking off your compression stockings, it is a good idea to look for a suitable aid. There are various donning aids available, each with its own level of support. From practical gloves for more grip on the stocking, to total solutions that limit the effort of the support stocking wearer as much as possible. There are also different options for the latter category, whereby it is important to take your personal situation into account. How is your mobility, for example? Do you have a lot or little power? Can you bend easily or not? And if so, how far can you bend?

It may be overwhelming to make a choice between all the available tools, but that's why we developed our decision aid. After answering a few simple questions, you will know which donning aid suits you best!

Good to know: there are also sock aids available that you can use to put on normal socks, stockings and tights. A handy solution for when you have trouble bending over.

Discover the decision tree

In need for help with your compression stockings?

Perhaps you are currently experiencing difficulties putting on your compression stockings and are thinking of engaging a healthcare professional or informal caregiver to help you with this. Of course this is an option, but it often also means that you have to give up some freedom and independence. What time does the home care worker come to put on the stockings? If the help comes too late, you run the risk that the legs are already swollen and the stocking no longer offers sufficient effect. And what time do they come by again for you to take off your socks so you can go to bed?

In addition, home care organizations are currently extremely busy. The demand for home care is high now that regular care in hospitals is starting up again since Covid. At the same time, there is a high level of absenteeism among staff due to the corona pandemic. Remaining self-reliant with a good aid is therefore often a better alternative.

Putting on compression stockings on someone else

Are you a caregiver or do you work as a healthcare professional? Even then, a donning aid can offer a solution. Putting on compression stockings on someone else also involves physical exertion. Special gloves are often already used for extra grip on the stocking, but there are more tools available that can ease the putting on of support stockings in another person.

Tools for caregivers