Best Walking Cane Reviews 2018

With a price range between $10 and $70 plus, walking sticks aren’t exactly the most expensive things ever. And usually, with any budget you have, you can get a stick that’s suited for your purpose. Most times, price is determined by the simplicity or elaborateness of a stick’s design and finish. Of course, the higher that index, the more expensive the cane.

It’s a disaster to even think of getting cheap walking sticks. First, they don’t give a great feel or grip. Next, being made of cheap materials, there’s no telling when it might just decide to give way under the user’s weight. The only thing that is certain is that it will surely happen. Since a good walking stick is relatively affordable, then why don’t we just go for that?

Below, we list a few features you should check for in your preferred walking stick before you go ahead with your purchase. Have a look!

• Type
• Grip
• Tips
• Handle
• Height

Let’s get into the details already!

There are two types of walking sticks: the folding types and the non-folding types.

Folding sticks have the advantage of being easily stored, as they can easily be folded into a more portable form and stored most anywhere. It’s a really great option for those who need a stick only occasionally. Folding sticks usually come in four sections into which they fold, and you can find them in a variety of colors and designs, too.

The non-folding ones are pretty straightforward. Like, as straightforward as the word “straightforward.” And, yes, you can find them in many different designs and colors too.

Next, let’s talk about the tips. Usually, they come made of rubber and ought to be slip resistant to avoid slips, falls, and accidents. Also, the tip of your walking stick should be sturdy, to avoid wear and tear from supporting your weight over a long time.

There are also options of quadruple tips. These are better suited for overweight individuals, as they help the individuals gain better balance. Also, if the illness is quite severe and walking is greatly challenged, one might require a quad-tip walking stick.

As for handles, you want your handle to be made of really comfy material so that you’ll enjoy your grip on it. Most sticks come with handles that are either made of wood, plastic or foam. Of course, wood will be pretty hard to grip and, as such, plastic, and especially foam, might be better options when comfort is demanded.

Still on handles…

The size of your handle also matters. If your handle is too small, it could get too inconvenient to grip and might even cause pains, especially if the user is arthritic. You should choose something with an appropriately sized handle in order to prevent pain, or even deforming your hand while using your stick.

How your walking stick is measured is pretty important to your comfort and overall wellbeing. If too long, your cane can cause you to develop soreness in parts of your body, and on the other hand, if too short, could cause bad posture.

Therefore, when measuring your stick, here’s what you should do:

First, put on your shoes, stand upright, and then place the stick on the ground, about 15 centimeters away from the outside part of your foot. With your elbows slightly flexed at a 15 to 30-degree angle, your stick should come up to the crease of your wrist. Nothing below or above that. If you measure this way, you’ll most likely get a cane that’s proportionate to your height.

Finally, there are various kinds of handles. Let’s look into some of them briefly:

Anatomic Handles: As you may guess, these are custom-made to fit your hand, and thereby ensure that pressure is distributed across your palm evenly. This invariably increases the comfort you get out of using your cane. They are best for arthritic patients or those who have really weak or painful hands.

Crook Handles: These aren’t as comfy as the anatomical kinds, but they have the advantage of ease of storage. The construction of the handle makes it easy to hook it most anywhere when it’s not in use.

Right-angled Handles: These usually come with ribs on the bottom part of the handles, which are supposed to align with your fingers. So, you should know that they are more comfy than the crook handles.

Swan-neck Handles/Offset: These are really common sticks, favored by many. They allow for even distribution of the user’s weight, which makes them really comfortable and the choice of many customers.

Derby Handles: These are kinda similar to the crook and the right-angled. They are quite comfy and can also be hooked over many surfaces for storage when you aren’t using the stick.