Cotton vs merino hiking socks: why hikers avoid cotton

Use merino or a synthetic for hiking. Cotton soaks up sweat and water and stays wet, and a wet sock rubs and chills. Almost every hiking sock here is merino or synthetic; the few with cotton blend it with Coolmax and nylon.

Written by HikingSocks.guide from the makers’ published charts and labels. No pairs tested. How this guide works

Why cotton is a poor hiking sock

Cotton absorbs water and holds it, so a cotton sock gets heavy, loses its shape and stays damp. That is why hiking advice repeats “cotton kills” for cold, wet conditions.

Where cotton appears here

A few Sealskinz socks blend cotton with Coolmax polyester and nylon, and its heated sock is cotton. Read the whole label: a blend behaves differently from pure cotton.

Merino or synthetic instead

Merino is the most common hiking fiber here; synthetics such as nylon, polyester and Coolmax suit anyone who avoids wool. Both come in every height and padding.

Everyday socks on a short walk

For a short, dry walk in comfortable shoes, an everyday sock is fine. For anything long, hot, cold or wet, a hiking sock is worth it.