Sigvaris Diaphane CCL 3 & CCL 2

Sigvaris Diaphane are a range of tights designed for the French market I think.  Their compression strength is measured using the French AFNOR standard (as opposed to the German RAL standard).  AFNOR is a lower mmHg than RAL so a class 3 Diaphane is 20-36 mmHg and a class 2 is 15-20 mmHg.    

The Diaphane are very easy to put on and take off.  They are very light and thin and have an actual waistband rather than a slot where a length of elastic is threaded.  That is a real benefit as it makes them look and feel more like normal tights.  These would genuinely pass for ordinary tights, albeit ones with somewhat of a coarse weave.

They are very easy to put on as they are quite thin and light fabric.  You must still wear gloves as because these are quite an open weave, they are easy to ladder or tear.  I have managed to snag them on the inside of my shoe, the trim on my other slipper when putting my feet together, on my bracelet etc.  They are the flimsiest compression I've had so far.    

Because they are so open and easy to put on and off they are great for busy days and make you feel very comfortable in wear.  They do not crease in the back of your knees or form any uncomfortable folds because they are not as dense a fabric as some more "medical" looking compression.  These feel a little harsh/dry textured - the texture makes me think of nylon rather than the soft feeling of a thicker pair of tights like the Sigvaris Comfort.  

They are quite good for comfort in the heat - especially around the groin as they do not have thick seams anywhere.  

The compression is very mild in the panty section so in the months since surgery I have gone from CCL2 to 3 and still needed some M&S thigh control pants under them.  On their own they are not enough for me to do sports without some aching, but they were OK for that pre-surgery. 

These are the class 3 closed toe Diaphane tights.  Class 3 only come in "Dune" or black on prescription.  

This is a shame if you are pale skinned like me as the "Natural" shade they have in class 2 on prescription is a paler shade and looks more natural if you don't have a tan.  The shot with my shoes included a notepad to help show how warm "Dune" is.  

 These are the class 2 "Natural" shade in open toe.  You can see it looks a little less tanned.  The close up is of the same pair of open toed tights, and shows the shade a little better.  

You can see the wisps of threads where the open toe tights are made by effectively removing the end and seaming the foot section.  I found the wispy bits looked annoying and the tights moved up under my foot and would cut in a bit so personally I wasn't impressed as there was no grip at all to keep the open toes in place.   

The Diaphane in class 3 (right) have a v shaped panel inserted in the centre of the area over your stomach, whereas the class 2 just have a single centre seam (left).  The panel perhaps reduces the effect of the compression/seam on your tummy as they are very comfortable and light to wear, even after eating a large meal!