Best Reachers & Grabbers for Seniors
The best reachers & grabbers for seniors can increase safety and efficiency, as well as provide independence for seniors who need a bit of mobility help.
Why Are Reachers and Grabbers Useful for Seniors?
Reachers are very useful for helping seniors access objects placed high up, and they can be equally helpful for picking up items from the ground.
Many elderly individuals find that these tools help with tasks around the house by minimizing repeated movements like bending and picking things up.
Such movement can be nearly impossible for elders with mobility issues, and attempting to pick-up fallen items manually could result in a senior losing balance and potentially falling.
Grabbers can also be handy for accessing items in difficult to reach locations, such as using a reacher to grab a remote control that has fallen behind a couch.
What Type of Senior Are Reachers and Grabbers Best For?
Reachers and grabbers are an excellent option for active seniors that want to limit repetitive movements that can cause injury, but still want to perform specific tasks.
This tool can also give seniors greater independence by allowing them to reach objects that are high up or in hard to reach locations.
Many seniors find that this tool helps them get more done in less time by allowing them to pick up more objects such as clothing, yard waste, or other spilled items without getting tired as quickly. This tool is also helpful for seniors with mobility issues.
Occasions When Reacher or Grabber Is Helpful
- Reach something high up while avoiding climbing on a chair, stool, or another unstable surface.
- Helping injured individuals reach objects as they recover and have mobility issues.
- Safely retrieve items from behind furniture, through a fence, in cracks too small for your hand, and on high shelves.
- Seniors who have mobility issues and need some assistance in getting dressed.
- In the yard, a grabber is a perfect way to save your back while picking up sticks, trash, or objects just out of your reach.
What to Consider in a Reaching Tool
There are a few characteristics you’ll want to seek out when looking at reacher tools, and some of these will vary based on your preferences and use case. For most grabbers you’ll want to consider:
- Weight. The overall weight of the reacher matters as you’ll be moving this item around often with your hands, and lighter is going to be better.
- Ergonomic qualities such as a molded handle with a grippy surface. It needs to feel comfortable in hand if you are going to use it often or effectively.
- Handle and trigger. Consider how much force you’ll need to squeeze the trigger in order for the jaws or gripper to clamp down on the item with enough force to hold it in place. Many triggers are quite sensitive, but some will be looser and require you to squeeze harder to maneuver the jaws.
- Shaft. Keep shaft materials in mind when comparing grabbers. Most of these tools will come with an aluminum shaft as this material is wonderfully lightweight, highly durable, and corrosion-resistant.
- Weight Lifting Capacity. How tightly the jaw latches together will impact the weight lifting capacity of the grabber. Consider what items the grabber will be used with – for lighter objects like papers or trash wrappers, you won’t need to worry so much about seeking a large weight lifting capacity.
Other Features to Keep in Mind
Grabbers sometimes come with bonus features, and some of those features include:
- Magnetic tip. Some grabber tips feature a magnet, which is very useful for picking up metal objects that are otherwise too small or awkward to get with the jaws.
- Post at the tip. This is very useful for putting on clothing and grabbing objects with loops.
- Warranty. This may indicate the quality that you can expect. Many grabbers come with a guarantee of at least one year, but some are longer and cover replacement units