How to Select a Reacher/Grabber Tool

This video will provide details for selecting the correct reacher/grabber tool for your needs. Whether it is for retrieving items from the floor, dressing, or extending your reach over head, a reacher/grabber tool can be very helpful. I also provide some additional ideas for making your standard reacher/grabber tool more useful!

0:00 How to Select a Grabber Tool
0:38 Standard Reacher/Grabber
3:00 Suction Cup Reacher/Grabber
4:20 Hybrid Reacher/Grabber
5:52 Reacher/Grabber Hacks

Check out other videos about products that maximize safety and independence on my channel EquipMeOT and please consider subscribing to get my most up to date video content!

If you prefer written tutorials, I have a written version of this video and others (with photos) over at my website:

Product Links:
Basic Reacher

Suction Cup Reacher

Drive Reacher

Rare Earth Magnet

Double Sided Tape

Velcro

[snowleaf]

Absolutely fantastic ideas! These videos are such great education! Thank you!

[johnwelshmusic]

Great channel Lindsay ! Fellow OT here in British Columbia, Canada ! I will be passing some of these videos onto clients of mine and let other OTs here about your channel .

[mcmccoy]

The Velcro(R) upgrade is genius! Thank you for going into detail about putting the vel(vet) side of the hook-and-loop tape on the reacher. Then, attach the cro(chet) side to the walker.
How did we ever manage before the invention of velvet crochet tape???

[RoadkillbunnyUK]

This is fabulous! I have just decided recently that I need to do something about my reachers because right now I have the folding suction cup design, one upstairs, one downstairs. I thought that the folding design would be really useful however I have never felt the need to fold them and it makes them wobbly and not good at lifting anything of any weight because I’m always waiting for them to break in half! I agree that they are really great at getting things off the shelves though😂!
Thanks for your information I really think that the last one that you showed with the end that can be rotated 90° looks like it would be really good for me so hopefully I won’t make the mistake of buying ones that aren’t a good fit for me again 😂!
I’m in the UK so I’m in the very lucky position where I can get these things free through my Occupational Therapist/physiotherapist but in all honesty for relatively small and inexpensive things like this I just don’t see the point of calling her and going through that process When I can just jump on Amazon and get it for myself for £10 or £20. Then I can get myself something that’s a little nicer and is not just the barebones bones most functional one I get free. I get a sum of money every month called a personal Independence payment because I’m disabled so I see it like part of that money is kind of meant for me to be able to do things like that. Anyway I’m rambling now and probably not making a lot of sense. I just wanted to say thank you and I found your videos really really useful when it comes to looking at devices I’m either already needing, will need soon or are things that I wasn’t aware about that could help me. Thank you!❤

[davidnollmusic]

Thanks so much for your helpful video. Wishing you all the best!

[Ididerus]

Great video, thanks for taking the time to give us an overview! I really like the velcro idea, wish I could stick it to my forehead so I'd quit forgetting mine =)

[WickedStepGranny]

You said the Dirve Medical reacher is 28". What is the length of the Sammons Preston hospital reacher?

[igorschmidlapp]

They should replace the cord with light metal cable. It's planned to wear out to get you to buy another.

Dipping the exposed pin in a pan of rubberized paint (like Flex Seal liquid) would cover the screw roughness issue.

[Kminer]

Love my pik stick. Will pick up a dime. Use the pick up trash that blows in my yard. And little sticks from trees. Toys after the grandkids leave.

[melodyabcdefghijklmnopqrst]

Bought myself a garbage grabber and had it fall against my head leaning out of my shopping bag... . While sitting down next to my shopping bag. Feeling so stupid.

[proudmomofdogs]

Great video. I use one now due to my hip issue. Quick question, I need to have FAI surgery. Do you have any tips or supplies I may need. Thank you.

[reachandler]

I wondered what the little 'knob' on the side of the reacher was for! All these years I've been using carpet friction by moonwalking to get my socks off! 🤣

[shawnsweet]

Thank you for sharing your insight on Reacher/grabbers. I've been struggling trying to figure out on Amazon what to look for in a grabber. I'm about to have L1 thru L4 spine fusion this coming Wednesday! And, the medical staff has spent no time with me on making sure our home is equipped. I appreciate your willingness to share your expertise.

[DonnaF.]

Great explanation of the various reachers. Love the hacks!

[TibbyTeddy]

Great advice with the magnets and Velcro

[melodyabcdefghijklmnopqrst]

I am just glad my grabber doesn't have red 'pincers'... . It would remind me of school and mean boys trying to grab at people walking past who was having tidy duties... ...when teachers were not around.

[garysandberg]

Question what is the pull power on the Magnets to left the remote

[lovewenwin]

I bought the 3:50 foldable model 😂. It sucks

[ecologist_to_be]

My favourites are by the Helping Hands Range in UK similar to the orange one you showed. In their litter picking range they do an 18 inch Tidy Jon which great for reaching in supermarkets/grocery stores. 🙌🏻

[patamorganablandongjay]

Pintar sekali bahasa inggris nya.ky Air.