Mobility Aids for Arthritis: Hands, Home and Walking

By Scott Smith. Last reviewed 22 October 2026.

How Can Aids Help with Arthritis?

Arthritis makes joints stiff, painful and weaker, and the hands, knees, hips and back are often affected. Aids work in three main ways. They make handles bigger so you need less grip, they give extra leverage so twisting takes less force, and they support your weight so painful joints carry less load. Using aids is not giving in. Many people find that saving their joints for the things they enjoy helps them stay active for longer.

Which Walking Aids for Arthritis Help Most?

For arthritis in one hip or knee, a walking stick held in the opposite hand takes some weight off the painful side. A stick with a shaped or padded handle is kinder to sore hands than a crook handle. When both legs are affected, or balance is poor, a rollator gives more support and has a seat for rests. Our guide to the best rollators in the UK compares frames. Always set the height so your elbow is slightly bent, and ask a physiotherapist to check how you walk with it.

What Are the Best Aids for Arthritic Hands?

Aids for arthritic hands focus on grip and leverage. A key turner fits over a door or car key and gives you a large handle to turn, so less pinching force is needed. A tap turner does the same for older style taps, and a contour turner works on knobs and dials such as cooker controls. Foam tubing slides over pens, toothbrushes and cutlery to make thin handles thicker. Lever taps and lever door handles can replace knobs altogether if you are able to make changes at home.

Is a Jar Opener Worth Having?

For many people with hand arthritis, a jar opener is one of the most useful aids in the kitchen. Under shelf openers grip the lid while you turn the jar with both hands, and rubber pads give more grip on a stubborn lid. Ring pull openers lift can tabs without using your fingernails. Electric openers do all the work but cost more. A pill bottle opener can also help with childproof caps, which are often hard to manage with sore hands.

Getting Dressed with Stiff Joints

Small buttons and zips can become very hard. A button hook pulls each button through its hole with a loop of wire, and many have a zip pull on the other end. Sock aids help when bending to the feet is painful, and long handled shoe horns save stooping. Clothes with larger buttons, magnetic fastenings or elastic waists can make mornings easier, and putting clothes on in a warm room, after a shower, often helps stiff joints move more freely.

Eating and Drinking More Comfortably

Easy grip cutlery has wide, soft handles that need much less squeezing, and bendable or angled designs help when wrists are stiff. A two handled mug spreads the weight across both hands, so a hot drink is easier to lift. Lightweight beakers with lids mean fewer spills. Non slip mats keep plates and bowls still, which helps if one hand is much weaker than the other.

How Do You Choose the Right Aids?

1. Write down the jobs that cause pain or take much longer than they used to.
2. Start with the one that matters most to you each day.
3. Choose aids with thick, soft, non slip handles.
4. Try a low cost aid first, then upgrade if it helps.
5. Ask an occupational therapist about anything that still feels unsafe.

Where Can You Get Help and Advice?

An occupational therapist can visit your home, suggest aids and sometimes supply them, and you can ask your GP for a referral or request a needs assessment from social services. A physiotherapist can advise on exercise and walking aids. Many aids qualify for VAT relief when bought by a disabled person for their own use, and our guide to VAT relief on mobility aids explains how it works. For bathing, see our bathroom aids guide, and the daily living aids page covers more around the home.

The aids below were in stock when we checked each listing. Start with the one that matches the job you find hardest.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Get Arthritis Aids on the NHS?

Some aids are supplied after an occupational therapist assessment, especially for safety in the home. Small aids such as key turners are often bought privately as they are low cost.

Will Using Aids Make My Joints Weaker?

Not if you stay active. Aids reduce strain on painful joints, while exercise advised by a physiotherapist keeps muscles strong.

Are Arthritis Aids VAT Free?

Many are, when bought by someone with a long term condition such as arthritis for their own use. Look for sellers that offer VAT relief at checkout.

What Is a Kettle Tipper?

A cradle that holds the kettle and lets you tip it to pour without lifting, which helps if a full kettle feels heavy or your wrists are painful.

Are Electric Aids Worth the Extra Cost?

For some jobs, yes. Electric jar and can openers, electric toothbrushes and powered tin openers take nearly all the effort out of tasks that need strong grip or twisting. They cost more and need charging or batteries, so start with the jobs you do most often.