Top 5 Kitchen Aids for Hypermobility
Over the last few months, I’ve been sharing on our Facebook & Instagram some of my favourite gadgets and assistive devices that I have personally found helpful, or one of my friends living with hypermobility has used and reported back to me about. There have been kitchen aids for hypermobility as well as some more general aids. Today we're doing a round-up of my top 5 Kitchen Aids.
The social media posts were purely to share my personal knowledge & connect people to resources - one the aims of Hypermobility Connect. None of the posts were sponsored, and none of those links shared on social were affiliate links. However, you may not be aware that Hypermobility Connect receives no funding. It is personally costing me (Michelle O’Sullivan) to run Hypermobility Connect. That’s right, I am losing money each month by continuing to run Hypermobility Connect. That's a fact.
And that’s why this post was always going to contain affiliate links. We don't use them very often. In fact, we've only ever used them once before. We hope you can appreciate that we ONLY recommend useful products that a tried & tested. We are not sharing these things to make money. We are sharing because we care about education & connecting people to resources. If we happen to make a few cents here & there from you clicking on a link & buying from that link, we're OK with that. That's what's going to help keep Hypermobility Connect online and accessible to you.
#KitchenAids
THE JARKEY
The JarKey is by far my favourite kitchen gadget. I have been caught out being unable to open a pasta sauce jar one too many times. The JarKey allows you to effortless break the seal on the lid so that you can twist the lid off with almost no effort at all.
✅ This product is a massive win for:- hypermobile fingers
- hypermobile wrists
- those with poor grip strength
- those with limited hand mobility
❌ Downside:
- I guess it might not fit all jar lids, but I haven’t found one yet.
? Offical Website:
? You can buy them online from:
eBay (Best for Aussies)
Amazon (Best for US & Others)
THE CANKEY
The CanKey is the little brother of the JarKey in my mind. It’s used for opening ring pull cans (and not dislocating fingers in the process). The hook slips into the ring-pull, and then you rock it back to peel back the lid. Genius.
✅ This product is a winner for people:* with hypermobile fingers & thumbs
* with low grip strength
* who eat a lot of canned food e.g. tuna
* who feed animals tinned foods
❌ Downsides
* It’s biggish (the length of my hand) - that’s all I can come up with.
? Offical Website: https://goo.gl/UPwHEH
? You can buy them online from:
eBay (Best for Aussies)
Amazon (Best for US & Other)
BENDABLE CUTLERY
I haven't personally used these because I don't need them just yet, but I've heard a lot of people rave over built up & bendable cutlery.
✅ Benefits:
- The silver part of the cutlery can be bent to different angles
- The handles are built up and easier to grasp
- Lightweight & easy to take places
- Good for people with decreased grip strength
- Good for people with limited shoulder or elbow mobility
- Good for people with instability in the shoulder, wrist & elbow
❌ Downsides
- They're more expensive than usual cutlery, however if you have one set, you can take them with you wherever you go.
- If you're travelling by plane, remember to pack them in your checked baggage!
? You can buy them online from:
eBay (Best for Aussies)
Amazon (Best for Us & Others)
FOAM TUBING
Cylindrical Foam/ Foam Tubing is one the most versatile things you can buy. It comes with different diameter holes for different uses.
✅ Benefits:- Available in multiple diameter holes
- Can be placed on regular cutlery, toothbrush, painbrushes, pram handles + more
- It builds up the size of the item's handle/grip which means less effort for you
- Removable for washing of item
- Cheaper than buying built up cutlery etc.
✅Good for people with
- limited grip strength
- hand pain
- finger and wrist instability
- arthritic changes in the hands/fingers
❌ Downsides
- Need to buy different sizes for different items (although the links below link to multi-packs! Winning!)
- Needs to be replaced every so often if it's getting wet (e.g. toothbrush use)
- Allery warning for people who are highly senstive: You should check the what components are used in this product
? You can buy them online from:
Amazon (Best for US & Other)
* Smaller quantities available at some stores.
ETAC RELIEVE KNIFE
This knife is obviously unlike other knives! The handle is angled to achieve a more neutral wrist position. They come in both small and large for small and large hands.
✅ It's good for:- people with wrist pain
- people with wrist instability
- those with decreased grip strength
- those unable to use a standard knife
❌ Downsides:
- it's very sharp - so be careful not to cut yourself. I would be hesitant putting it in little people's hands even though the small size is designed for children.
? Offical Website: http://bit.ly/2z4wbIG
? You can buy them online from:
eBay (Best for Aussies)
Amazon (Best for US & Other)
- Check for size variations
Disclaimer: ALL links in THIS POST other than those marked "Official Website" are affiliate links.
Why are we using affiliate links? Because if you click on the link we provide and then purchase the product from that link, we earn a very small percentage of the sale price back from Amazon or eBay. That commission comes to us at absolutely no cost to you. The commission per item isn’t much, but if we can pop some links into some posts every now and then, it might just offset some of the website hosting costs. To be honest, it’s never going to cover the cost of my time & expertise, but that’s OK. Every little bit of financial kickback will help me continue to be able to create content.
Which of these amazing gadgets do you find most helpful?