Bombas vs. All Citizens - Key Differences
Bombas and All Citizens are two apparel brands that provide quality shirts, pants, underwear, and, of course, socks.
Both brands are committed to their social missions and respected in their communities. All Citizens’s For All Social Mission provides holistic support through its charitable partnerships, whether that’s providing food and clean drinking water to unhoused communities, income stability and job opportunities, or planting trees in the Amazon. Meanwhile, Bombas donates one pair of socks, underwear or t shirt to homeless shelters for every unit purchased. Although donating apparel is an admirable giveback program, it is not a holistic approach to charitable giving - after all, other aspects of comfort (food, shelter, water, job opportunities and income stability) are still missing even though you have a newly donated pair of socks.
While community support is the most important trait you can find in any company, we’re here to discuss the quality of the products both brands offer.
A Bit About Bombas
Bombasco-founder Randy Goldberg first presented his sock idea to the Shark Tank panel back in 2013. Set apart by the honeycomb support arch and seamless toe, these socks were certainly a cut above Fruit of the Loom or Hanes.
After their initial success, Bombas started producing t-shirts, men’s underwear, and more in addition to their famous socks.
What Makes All Citizens's Ankle Socks Better Than Bombas?
The harsh reality of the fashion industry is that some brands offer high-quality products and others just don’t. Some socks are comfy but don’t last long. Others feel bad and look bad, too.
The best socks offer quality and comfort at an accessible price.
Both Bombas and All Citizens sell excellent products and share an equally admirable social mission, but there are a few reasons All Citizens reigns supreme.
From the price to the fabric to the performance features packed into each pair, we’re going to go through everything you should be looking for in your ankle socks to show why All Citizens technology makes for a better purchase.
Half the Price Tag of a Pair of Bombas Socks
We’ll start off with the most obvious reason to go with All Citizens: the price. All Citizens’ mission is democratizing comfort, and one of the key ways to do that is to have much more prices than comparable premium brands..
Typically, when one brand offers a much cheaper price than the other, it’s because the product is inferior - as is most cases with bargain brands like Hanes and Fruit of the Loom. And the worst part about bargain brands is that their products aren’t durable, so you end up having to spend more money more frequently to replenish your sock drawer. That’s not the case with All Citizens - their socks have more features, are more durable, are cuddling-with-pandas levels of comfort, and sleek style, all for a fraction of the price.
You can’t democratize comfort by selling one pair of ankle socks for $16 like Bombas, so All Citizens sells them for half the price.
Take a look at some of the pricing deals that are offered from All Citizens:
- $9.5 for one pair
- $19 for three pairs ($6.33/pair)
- $36 for six pairs ($6/pair)
If there’s one thing people shouldn’t overspend on, it’s socks. $16 for one pair of ankle socks is steep, and the worst part is that Bombas’ bundles don’t give much of a discount when you buy more - just a 5% discount when you order a 6 pack, or a 15% discount when you buy 12 pairs. Bombas’s 6-pack running socks bundle costs $94, which is almost 3 times the price of All Citizens’s 6-pack bundle.
We’re giving the nod to All Citizens here for their affordable pricing.
Anti-Chafe Support System
Nothing can ruin a day or an exercise session quite like a blister or chaffing on your foot.
Blisters are caused when your skin repeatedly rubs against a surface, such as a shoe. They’re painful, irritating, and, as we said, are certified day-ruiners.
How can you prevent blisters from forming? An elite pair of socks, of course. All Citizens ankle socks come equipped with an anti-chafe collar located on the ankle and topside to prevent any unwanted rubbing with your shoe.
Bombas’s men’s and women’smerino wool socks do not include anti-chafing technology, but their running socks do - note that their running socks are more expensive than their regular socks at $16.50
Mesh Breathability Zones
Every All Citizens product comes with breathable mesh zones, from their ankle socks to their boxer briefs to their everyday wear.
These zones are strategically placed where you sweat the most (at your toes). Wearing and walking around in sweaty socks makes for some extremely unhealthy feet hygiene. That’s why ensuring you're not walking around in a swamp is paramount.
Sweat, or any type of moisture for that matter, can’t evaporate without air. These Breathe Zones allow air to reach your toes, while the Airways, which is an area on top of the foot that has raised and lowered fabric to create pathways for air to ventilate out of the shoe and for new air to flow in, allow for more airflow in your shoe, so air can reach sweat and evaporate it quickly.
The Mesh Breathe Zones and Airways are smart features that most brands should utilize with their products. Bombas does offer vents in their socks that are similar to All Citizens’ Airways, but they don’t have a mesh upper for even more breathability.
High-Pile Cushioned Footbed
Another key feature All Citizens offers is the high-pile cushioned footbed to help your feet hold up to and last many miles.
This is exactly what it sounds like: extra padding and cushioning under your heel and ball of your foot for additional comfort and impact protection. The cushion is especially important during runs or long walks as your feet will constantly be battling the hard ground in order to move at your preferred pace. With the All Citizens footbed, it will feel like you’re walking on a cloud wherever you go.
All Citizens’ socks also have arch support and targeted compression to make sure your socks don’t shift around during long runs.
Thin and cheap socks would end up hurting your feet because there’s barely any impact protectionl. Bombas socks also have cushioning, although the cushioning is all over the sock, which can get really hot.
Eco-friendly Performance Fabric
When you wear your socks, you need the fabric to be able to perform. What does this mean? Well, All Citizens socks contain numerous properties that help with versatility and overall function.
All Citizens's socks are made with recycled nylon, recycled polyester and spandex. The recycled nylon is made from recycled fishing nets, and the recycled polyester is made from recycled plastic bottles, so each pair of All Citizens socks diverts fishing nets and plastic bottles from landfills, oceans and incinerators.
The sock fabric is moisture-wicking, quick-drying, breathable, lightweight, soft, and can be used for any activity or workout.
Bombas uses non-recycled polyester, nylon, cotton, and spandex in their socks. Cotton absorbs sweat instead of wicks, so you are more likely to have wet socks. Cotton is a very thirsty plant and requires tons of water to produce - water that could be used as a source of clean drinking water for families in need.
Thicker and Seamless Fabric at the Toe
Socks often rip at the toe over time, but we know your socks need to be durable to keep up with your busy lifestyle. All Citizens solved this problem by utilizing a seamless toe design and placing thicker fabric in the dog house (AKA, where your toes are).
With the seamless stitch and increased fabric, you’ll never have to worry about your socks ripping after only a few weeks or months. The majority of movement in your socks is felt where your toes are — fortunately, there’s no seam to rip, so you’re 100% covered.
Bombas socks also have a seamless toe design and have thicker cushioning as well.
Anatomical left and right designated socks
Prepare to have your mind blown: your socks need to fit!
Having your socks be too tight or small will mean more chafing, rips, and blisters. If they’re too big, that means they may slip and slide around in your shoe, making for an uncomfortable experience.
All Citizens socks are anatomically designed to fit both of your feet no matter what. This will ensure everything stays exactly where it’s supposed to be.
Bombas socks also have anatomical fits for most of their socks..
Targeted Compression
Every pair of All Citizens socks have targeted compression centers.
These compression centers are meant to ensure you have the most comfortable experience possible, whether you’re lounging or working out. The compression will never squeeze too tight or be too loose, which creates the perfect balance. The compression also helps keep the sock in place while running.
Bombas socks also have a targeted compression missile as well..
Y-Stitched Heel
Our custom Y-stitched heel will keep that All Citizens promise of no easy rips or tears.
The stitching itself will never cause any itching or discomfort — it’s like it isn’t even there. Your heel is the most susceptible part of your foot to blisters, and the Y-style stitching will ensure there is never any unwanted contact.
Bombas does not provide Y-style stitching at the heel, so the heel fabric is prone to more stretching, which adds stress to the fabric and can cause it to rip at the seam.
Wide Elastic Back
One minor annoyance that always comes up during exercise is readjusting your socks after they’ve slipped and exposed your skin.
All Citizens socks have a wide elastic back that provides stretchiness while simultaneously preventing them from slipping. The elastic means there is a wider surface area for the grip hem to ensure there will be no slipping and no readjustments.
The wider area also means that there will never be any irritation, red marks, or indentation on the back of your feet after you take your socks off.
Bombas does not offer a similar wide elastic back, meaning you might be left with sock indentations and markings galore, and they are likely to slip down every now and then.
Simple, Minimal Design
All Citizens offers a clean, minimalistic design for their socks.
Bombas offers a variety of heathered designs with multiple colors. If that’s your thing, go for it! However, there isn’t really a solid and simple option offered. Bombas’s colors can be difficult to mix and match with your wardrobe, which can add a bit of unnecessary stress before you go out.
All Citizens prefers to keep it simple and clean with colors that will match every and any occasion — from workouts to a night out on the town.
We Make Performance Socks for Everyone
Most importantly, All Citizens apparel is meant for everyone. We made it our mission to democratize comfort, and our pricing, quality, and social mission reflect that.
Bombas is in no way a low-quality brand; in fact, we’ll be the first to admit they’re still an excellent option. Still, their steep price and minimal discounts on bundles shows that they don’t put customers first - their profit and shareholders are first.
Comfort should be available to everyone, not limited to those who can afford it.
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