21 Best Quick-Drying Socks for Travel: Fast-Drying Options for Wet Weather

I remember a time when I was hiking during a trip, and got caught in some serious rain. I had only brought one pair of hiking socks in my bags, and I needed my socks to dry FAST overnight, so that I could wear them again the next day. Fast-drying socks have been an asset for me, in avoiding having to put on soggy gross socks the following day.

Here’s a guide to the best quick-drying socks to keep your feet comfortable when things don’t go as planned during travel.

Let’s jump right in!

Best quick-drying athletic and running socks

It would make sense that athletic and running socks are built with quick-drying qualities. After all, feet can really sweat during intense activity. Whether you’re someone who goes for a daily run on vacation, or even if you plan to do a marathon in a faraway place.

Best quick-drying merino wool socks

Merino wool is excellent for quick-drying because when your feet sweat, the moisture is absorbed and held within the fibers, not next to your skin. As it has been explained to me, merino wool has natural antibacterial properties and temperature regulation (I wear merino wool sweaters, shirts and pants in addition to merino wool socks when I travel).

Why quick-drying socks matter for travel

For packing socks, it’s important to know about the climate that you’re traveling in. For wet climates, you will want to balance warmth with quick-drying abilities. This is so you don’t have to wear wet socks the next day.

Some thick socks might take forever to dry, but will keep your feet warm. You may want to consider waterproof shoes (check out our Vessi waterproof shoe review) to help keep your socks dry.

Quick-drying socks are essential for:

• Backpacker travel when you might be without a washing machine for weeks
• Sink washing during long trips like camping, where washers aren’t available
• Travel outside the US where dryers are hard to come by!
• Unexpected weather when rain soaks through your shoes
• One-bag travel when you need to pack light and wash socks frequently

Best materials for quick-drying socks

It would seem that socks are a simple product, but after trying so many, it’s clear that the material matters! This is both so that they don’t wear out (so you don’t have to buy new ones all the time) and so that they do what they are supposed to do: dry quickly, decrease bad smells and support your feet well to avoid foot aches.

Merino wool

Merino wool is an excellent material for quick-drying travel socks because:

• Moisture management: When your feet sweat, the moisture is absorbed and held within the fibers, not next to your skin.
• Temperature regulation: Merino wool does two things, incredibly, for feet: it absorbs water before your feet gets too hot and it also doesn’t let your feet get too cold because it avoids a damp environment.
• Natural antibacterial: With antibacterial properties, merino wool keeps bad smells to a minimum because it prevents bacteria growth (unlike other materials for socks).
• Dries relatively quickly in comparison to cotton. Of course, this depends on how thick the socks are.

Synthetic materials

Synthetic materials like polyester, nylon and rayon have benefits like:

• Durability: Tough and long-lasting, as long as you treat them well (and avoid dryers)
• Wick moisture: Similar to merino wool, they are known to keep moisture away from skin.
• Very quick drying: They might even dry faster than merino wool.
• Cooling: Often feel cooler in hot conditions because they’re lightweight and don’t let moisture hang out.

The trade-off is that 100% synthetic socks can trap moisture in your shoes, potentially causing blisters. The also can get smelly, quickly. Low-quality synthetic socks for running or hiking (or walking down hills) aren’t the best, and more natural materials like merino wool socks may perform better.

Cotton (avoid for quick-drying!)

Despite its breathability, cotton is an inferior fabric for socks that need to dry quickly. It’s funny, because all our lives, cotton socks seem like a default, right? Cotton socks are comfy, and can be nice and thick. Nevertheless, here are some things to keep in mind if you’re investing in cotton socks for travel:

• Cotton is super absorbent (think about a cotton t-shirt, if you were to go out for a run on a hot and humid day). Keep that in mind if you’ll be walking a lot or if you know you might see some rain or wet weather during your trip.
• Cotton socks keep moisture trapped against your skin when they get wet (think of that sweaty cotton shirt again as an example).
• Wet socks are the perfect breeding ground for bacteria and fungus (yuck). You’ll easily get that mildew smell and it’ll be trapped with the rest of your travel laundry if your cotton socks don’t fully dry out first.
• Cotton takes a long time to dry because of how absorbent it is, naturally. So, a cotton sock will probably be a slow-to-dry sock.

How sock weight affects drying time

I bet you never thought about how the “weight” of your socks might affect how they dry, in terms of drying time. It only takes one wet and humid travel experience to provide all the context for this! Here are some examples of how light versus heavy socks might dry after getting wet or damp.

Lightweight socks

• Fastest to dry: Lightweight socks have less material to dry, so obviousl, they will dry faster.
• Most breathable: Allow moisture to evaporate quickly. This includes socks with good ventilation qualities.
• Less cushioning: Cushion features are a trade-off for faster drying. Cushioned socks won’t really dry fast, because the cushion is made of layers of material. Socks with cushion are so much more supportive than scrawny thin socks (all it takes is comparing two extremes, and you’ll see what I mean), so you have to figure out your priorities.

Midweight socks

• Moderate drying time: Balance between cushion and drying speed. We typically try and get midweight socks.
• More versatile: Good for various conditions, whether dry or a little wet.
• Better cushioning: More padding for comfort; midweight socks might contain a heel cushion or toe reinforcement, which helps promote longevity in sock life!

Heavyweight socks

• Slowest to dry: More material takes longer to dry. If you are skiing/snowboarding and you bring heavyweight socks that get wet, expect them not to dry fast at all. We’ve set them next to a fireplace or a heater, and that will usually speed up the process, though.
• Maximum cushioning: Best for rough terrain and use in hiking boots or winter sports.
• Warmer: Better for cold conditions; heavyweight socks will usually have multiple layers and might even be fleece-lined for utmost thickness.

Best practices for quick-drying socks

There are some ways to get socks to dry quickly. Keep these tips in mind.

Washing while traveling

When traveling, you may need to wash your socks in a sink. Here’s our quick process for sink washing:

1. Wring out excess water after washing (or before!). Wring them in several different directions, in a sink.
2. Roll them in a towel to absorb more moisture. We like traveling with quick-drying microfiber towels and that usually works well.
3. Hang in a well-ventilated area. Bathroom fans work okay, and if your accommodation has a fan, turn that on.
4. Turn inside out to expose more surface area to air. You can do this every few hours to maximize the drying time.

Caring for Quick-Drying Socks

1. Don’t use fabric softener. It can coat wool fibers and impedes its performance. (We also don’t use fabric softener, and never have)
2. Skip the bleach. It damages fibers if you use too much or use it too frequently.
3. Air-dry when possible. Heat from dryers can break down fabric, so we typically hang-dry most of our clothes and we 100% will always hang-dry socks. Except for our heavy-duty winter socks, our socks typically dry within 24 hours.
4. Turn inside out after wearing to let them air out. They can also help remove the smell if they’re very smelly.
5. Use low heat if you must machine dry. “Tumble dry on low” is OK, especially to finish up the drying.

When do you need quick-drying socks?

Before travel, we never considered a good need for quick-to-dry socks. Aren’t all socks the same (you probably realized now that, no, they are NOT!)? So, when do you need socks that dry fast and don’t hold onto moisture?

Backpacker travel

We have both backpacked all around South America, Europe, Asia and Africa. During backpacking, we have been without a washing machine for a few weeks. It can be longer, if you’re trekking or staying in hostels! So, expect some sink washing, and hang-drying.

You’ll want your socks to be quick-drying so that you don’t need to carry around wet socks in your pack (ew).

One-bag travel

For minimalist travel, or carry-on-only travel, you likely only want a few pairs of socks to help save space. I never quite realized that I was packing socks that took up an entire packing cube! There’s a way to do better.

Quick-drying socks mean you can wash and wear the same pair more frequently without carrying wet laundry.

Wet weather travel

For travelers heading to rainy destinations (our Wild Atlantic Way trip in Ireland had rain every single day!), quick-drying socks are essential. You’ll likely get your socks wet from stepping in puddles or getting caught in rain while walking or hiking.

Quick-drying socks mean you won’t have to wear wet socks all day. Wearing wet socks all day can be 1) uncomfortable and 2) a way to get foot fungus.

What to read next

Now that you’ve found the perfect quick-drying socks for travel (we hope you have!), here’s what to read next:

• Best Travel Socks for Every Adventure - Complete guide to choosing the right socks
• Best Hiking Socks for Travel - Perfect for your trail adventures
• Best Travel Compression Socks - For long flights
• Best Travel Accessories for Backpackers - Complete your adventure kit

Pro tips from us

Just a few more tips if you want to figure out how to wash your socks, get them to dry fast and pack appropriately for a trip:

• Bring a sink stopper for washing socks in hotel sinks.
• Pack a quick-dry towel to speed up the drying process. You never know when you might need one. They pack up super small, too.
• Consider merino wool: you can wear the same pair of merino wool socks for 2-3 days without washing. We do this at home, too.
• Hang socks to air out overnight, and they’ll be fresher in the morning.
• Pack lightweight socks if you’re doing laundry frequently during your trip. They dry faster.