Getting dressed is one of those things you have always done without a second thought. So when bending down to your feet gets harder, or small buttons start taking longer than they should, it is easy for the morning to start on the wrong note.
Maybe socks are the sticking point. Maybe it is shoes, or a zip you cannot quite reach. Whatever brought you here, this guide names the five dressing aids we recommend for older Australians, with prices and who each one suits, so you can pick the right one in a few minutes and get back to your day.
Written by Bianca, founder of SteadWell. Last updated 15 October 2026.
If bending to your feet is the hard part, start with a sock aid and a long-handled shoe horn. If you can only get one tool, a dressing stick covers the most: trousers, zips and shoes. For stiff fingers, a button hook. Only the sock aid needs both hands. All five cost under $70.
The products in this guide
Today’s prices, with the number that decides the fit.
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Hip Replacement Recovery KitGrabber, sock aid, long shoe horn and bath sponge for the weeks after a hip replacement4 items in one kit
$179
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Knee Replacement Home PackRaised toilet seat, turning shower stool and four reach tools for home after knee surgery6 items in one pack
$415
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Sock and Stocking AidPuts your socks on without any bending. Two long handles do the work for you
$64
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Dressing StickHooks a zip, pulls up trousers, pushes off shoes, and you do it all yourself68cm long
$42
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Long-Handled Shoe HornSlip your shoes on without bending down. The 61cm handle does the reaching for you61cm long
$41
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Button Hook & Zipper PullerButtons and zips done independently, without the fiddling, the frustration, or asking for help.20.5cm, fits in a pocket
$36
Recovering from a hip or knee replacement? These packs put the dressing and reaching tools in one order.
For the weeks after a hip replacement: Hip Replacement Recovery Kit
A 90cm grabber, a sock aid, a long shoe horn and a long bath sponge, for dressing and washing without bending. See the pack.
After a knee replacement: Knee Replacement Home Pack
The same tools, plus a 15cm raised toilet seat and a rotating shower stool. It all ships together. See the pack.
Compare the five aids at a glance
| Aid | Best for | What it helps with | Length | Hands needed | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sock & Stocking Aid | Putting on socks without bending | Socks and stockings | Two long loop handles | Two | $64 |
| Dressing Stick | The all-round dressing helper | Trousers, zips, shoes, dropped clothing | 68cm | One | $42 |
| Long-Handled Shoe Horn | Shoes on without leaning down | Slipping shoes on standing or seated | 61cm | One | $41 |
| Button Hook & Zipper Puller | Stiff or sore hands | Buttons, zips and small fastenings | 20.5cm, fits a pocket | One | $36 |
| Long Reach Grabber | Anything on the floor or out of reach | Picking up clothing and everyday items | 75cm or 90cm | One | $49 |
Our top picks for elderly Australians
Every aid below is part of our curated daily living range, chosen against the same checklist we use for everything we sell. Here they are, by situation.
Best for socks and stockings: Sock & Stocking Aid
$64. Two long handles mean you never bend to your feet. Drop the sock over the aid, slip your foot in, and pull up. The smooth inner lining lets your foot slide through, and the soft outer keeps the sock in place while you do it. The single most-asked-for dressing aid, and the one that changes mornings the most. See the sock aid.
Best all-round helper: Dressing Stick
$42. A lightweight 68cm rod with a large hook on one end and a small C-hook on the other. It pulls trousers up, hooks a zip, pushes shoes off, and retrieves clothing from the floor, all without lowering yourself down. If you only get one dressing aid, this is the one that covers the most ground. See the dressing stick.
Best for shoes: Long-Handled Shoe Horn
$41. At 61cm long, your back stays straight and your hands stay up. Slide it into the back of the shoe, slip your foot in, done. The non-slip rubber grip keeps it steady, and it earns a permanent spot by the front door. See the shoe horn.
Best for stiff or sore hands: Button Hook & Zipper Puller
$36. The wire loop threads through a button and pulls it through the hole, no pinching required. The hook on the other end catches a zip and pulls it closed with a simple tug. The chunky handle means your whole hand does the work, not just your fingers. It also suits anyone managing with one hand. See the button hook.
Best for anything out of reach: Long Reach Grabber
$49. Choose 75cm for everyday use around the house, or 90cm if reaching the floor from a chair is the main thing. The jaws grip a sleeve, a bottle or a card, the magnetic head collects keys and coins, and a small hook on the end helps pull a trouser leg up. If your hands are sore, the palm lever lets you press with your whole palm instead of squeezing. Our guide to reacher grabbers covers choosing the length, and reaching up as well as down. See the grabber.
We do not list everything we can get our hands on. Every dressing aid in our range has to pass the same checklist before it earns a place: simple to use with no setup, genuinely helpful for the situation it is made for, dispatch from an Australian warehouse, and the build quality we would want for our own family. The picks in this guide are chosen on that basis by our founder, Bianca, not on what earns us the most.
How to use a sock aid, step by step
A sock aid looks a little odd the first time you see one, and it takes two or three goes to get the knack. After that, most people would not give it back. Here is how it works.
- Sit on the edge of the bed or a sturdy chair, somewhere steady.
- Stretch the sock over the curved end of the aid, so the sock's opening is held wide.
- Holding a handle in each hand, lower the aid to the floor in front of your foot.
- Slip your toes into the opening and pull gently up on the handles.
- The aid slides out as the sock slides on. Your back never leaves upright.
The same motion works for stockings. Firmer compression stockings take a little more care on the first pull, so give yourself an extra moment with those.
A dressing aid is not about doing less for yourself. It is how you keep doing it yourself.
Sock aid, stocking donner or applicator: what actually differs
You will see three names for tools that help with socks, and they are not quite the same thing.
A sock aid is a flexible sleeve with two long handles. You stretch the sock over it, lower it to the floor, slide your foot in and pull. It suits everyday socks and stockings, and it is the one in our range.
A stocking donner, sometimes called a compression stocking applicator, is usually a firmer frame. It is made to hold tight compression stockings open while you step in, because those stockings grip hard.
Our sock aid works with compression stockings too, though firm ones take more effort on the pull. If yours are the firm medical kind, the nurse or physio who fitted them is the person to ask whether a dedicated applicator would make it easier.
If you are recovering from hip or knee surgery
Dressing aids are not only for the long term. After a hip replacement, most people are given hip precautions: no bending past 90 degrees for six weeks or more. That makes socks, shoes and trousers the hardest part of the morning, right when independence matters most.
The standard set occupational therapists send people home with is a sock aid, a dressing stick and a long reach grabber. Together they cover getting dressed from the waist down without breaking the bend rule once. If that is your situation, our guide to what you need at home after hip replacement surgery covers the full six-week setup, from the bathroom to the bed.
To get them in one order, the Hip Replacement Recovery Kit has the four small tools, and after a knee replacement the Knee Replacement Home Pack adds a raised toilet seat and a shower stool. Add the dressing stick on its own if your OT has asked for one.
Unlike walking frames and shower chairs, small dressing aids are generally not GST-free in Australia. GST is already included in the prices shown here, so the price you see is the price you pay.
NDIS and Support at Home funding
Dressing aids are classic low-cost assistive technology. Everything on this page is well under the NDIS $1,500 low-cost AT threshold, which means there is no quote and no assessment to arrange before ordering. They are eligible under NDIS Consumables (Category 03).
If you are self-managed, order and pay as normal and you will receive a compliant invoice to submit to NDIS yourself. If you are plan-managed, select the NDIS plan-managed option at checkout and pop your plan manager's email in the order notes. We send a compliant invoice directly to your plan manager, and you do not need to chase anyone.
If you are on Support at Home, AT-HM funding pays for items on its approved list that meet a need in your support plan, and most items need a participant contribution. Ask your care manager whether dressing aids are in your plan, and what your share would be. For the full picture of how NDIS funding works at SteadWell, read our NDIS guide.
Common questions about dressing aids
What are dressing aids?
Dressing aids are simple tools that do the bending and the fiddly parts of getting dressed for you. The five most people need are a sock aid, a dressing stick, a long-handled shoe horn, a button hook and a long reach grabber. None needs setting up, and all five cost under $70.
What are four assistive devices that can help with dressing?
A sock aid for socks and stockings, a dressing stick for trousers and zips, a long-handled shoe horn for shoes, and a button hook for small fastenings. A long reach grabber is a useful fifth, for anything that ends up on the floor. In our range they cost from $36 to $64.
What is the best sock aid for elderly people?
One with two long handles, so you never bend to your feet, and a smooth lining so the foot slides through. Ours is the Sock and Stocking Aid, $64. It needs both hands, so for one hand a dressing stick is the better first tool. Expect two or three goes to get the knack.
What aids can you use for dressing and undressing?
For undressing, the dressing stick does most of the work: it pushes trousers down and shoes off, and lifts clothes off a chair or the floor. For dressing, add a sock aid, a long shoe horn and a button hook. A long reach grabber picks up whatever drops along the way.
What is a sock aid and how does it work?
A sock aid is a flexible frame with two long handles. You stretch a sock over the frame, lower it to the floor by the handles, slip your foot in, and pull up. The sock slides on as the frame slides out, so you never bend down to your feet.
What is the best aid for putting on compression stockings?
For lighter stockings, a sock aid like ours works, with a smooth lining the foot slides through, though they take more effort on the pull than socks. For firm medical compression stockings, a stocking donner holds them open while you step in. The nurse or physio who fitted them can tell you which suits.
What dressing aids help after hip replacement surgery?
The standard trio is a sock aid, a dressing stick and a long reach grabber. Together they let you dress from the waist down without bending past 90 degrees, which is the main restriction after hip surgery. It is a common set for the first six weeks at home, and your occupational therapist will tell you which ones you need.
What is the easiest way to do up buttons with stiff hands?
A button hook. The wire loop threads through the buttonhole, catches the button, and pulls it through in one motion, with your whole hand gripping the handle instead of your fingertips doing fine work. It usually takes a day or two of practice to get quick with it.
Are dressing aids covered by the NDIS?
Yes. Dressing aids are low-cost assistive technology under NDIS Consumables (Category 03), and because every item is well under the $1,500 low-cost AT threshold there is no quote or assessment needed. Self-managed participants claim the invoice back, and for plan-managed participants SteadWell sends a compliant invoice straight to the plan manager.
How much do dressing aids cost in Australia?
Good quality dressing aids are inexpensive. In our range, a long reach grabber is $49, a button hook $36, a long-handled shoe horn $41, a dressing stick $42, and a sock and stocking aid $64. GST is included in every price shown.
What is the difference between a sock aid and a stocking donner?
A sock aid is a flexible sleeve with two handles, made for socks and stockings. A stocking donner is usually a firmer frame, made to hold tight compression stockings open while you step in. Our sock aid handles both socks and stockings, though firm compression stockings take a little more effort on the pull.
Which dressing aids work with one hand?
The button hook and zipper puller is made to be used with one hand, and the dressing stick does the job a second hand would, pulling trousers up and hooking a zip. The long-handled shoe horn has a single handle too. The sock aid needs a hand on each handle, so it is not the one to choose for one hand.
Can you buy a sock aid at Chemist Warehouse or Kmart?
Check their current range before you go, because it changes. A sock aid is a simple tool, and a basic one does the same job. Check that it has two long handles you can hold without bending, and a smooth inside so your foot slides through. Ours is $64, with a smooth lining inside and a soft outer that keeps the sock in place.
Three questions and you will have a specific recommendation for your situation, no guesswork.
When the problem is grip rather than reach
Most of this guide is about reaching. If holding on is the harder half, this one helps across the whole day. Mealtimes are usually where a weakened grip shows up first, and our guide to eating and drinking aids covers the cutlery, cups and plates that help there.
- Universal Built Up Handle, $29. A thick shaped grip that slides onto a fork, a toothbrush, a razor or a pen, so thin handles stop being the problem. One grip covers a lot of objects.
Bianca worked in disability services before becoming a mother. She now runs SteadWell, an Australian store for mobility and daily living aids, and personally selects every product in the range against SteadWell's checklist, so families can choose with confidence rather than guesswork.
