You probably never noticed how often you bend down until bending became the hard part. A dropped tablet, the remote under the chair, the last few pegs at the bottom of the basket.
Or it goes the other way. The good plates live on the top shelf, and the only way up there is a kitchen chair that was never meant to be stood on.
This guide covers both halves. You will know what to look for in a grabber, which length suits you, and when a step stool with a handrail is the right answer for reaching up, and when it is not.
Use a grabber for reaching down and a step stool with a handrail for reaching up, never a kitchen chair. Choose the 75cm grabber if you mostly stand and the 90cm if you mostly sit. If you already hold onto furniture to get around, skip the step stool and move things down to between hip and shoulder height.
Two problems, two different tools
Reaching down and reaching up look like the same problem. They are not, and the safe answer to each is different.
Reaching down is about bending. A grabber brings the thing on the floor up to you, so you stay upright and your balance never gets tested.
Reaching up is about climbing. A kitchen chair tips, swivels and has nothing to hold. A proper step stool has a wide platform and a handrail, but it still asks you to step up, and that is not right for everyone.
Before buying anything for reaching up, move the things you use every day to between hip and shoulder height. Kettle, cups, tablets, the good frying pan. It costs nothing, and it removes most of the reasons to climb at all. Keep the step stool for the things you need a few times a year.
What we stock, side by side
We carry one grabber, in two lengths, because the features that matter are the same whichever length you choose.
| Aid | Best for | Size | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long Reach Grabber, 75cm | Everyday use around the house | 75cm long | $49 |
| Long Reach Grabber, 90cm | Reaching the floor from a chair, or if you are tall | 90cm long | $49 |
| Height Adjustable Step Stool with Handrail | High cupboards, with something solid to hold | Step 27.5 to 37.5cm high | $139 |
| Dressing Stick | Getting dressed without bending | 68cm long | $42 |
Every time you do not bend down for something is one less time your balance has to catch you.
What to look for in any grabber
Most grabbers look alike in a photo. These are the five things that separate one you keep using from one that ends up in a drawer.
- The right length. Long enough to reach the floor without leaning forward from wherever you usually are.
- A grip that suits your hands. A trigger is fine for most people. If your hands are sore, look for a palm lever you can press with your whole hand instead of squeezing with your fingers.
- Jaws that hold small things. Non slip pads let it take hold of a card or a coin, not just a newspaper.
- A magnet on the head. Keys, coins and pins are exactly the things that fall, and a magnet collects them without any gripping at all.
- A head that turns. Things rarely land square. A rotating head lets you take hold of something at an awkward angle without twisting your wrist.
Ours has all five, plus a small hook on the end for catching a sleeve while you dress, and a clip that holds it onto a rollator or wheelchair so it goes where you go.
One honest limit. A grabber is for light things. Anything heavy, a full kettle or a saucepan, should not be living on the floor or a high shelf in the first place.
Our picks
For reaching down: Long Reach Grabber, $49
Squeeze the trigger and the jaws close, so the thing on the floor comes to you instead. The palm lever is there for days when your fingers do not want to squeeze. Non slip jaw pads, a magnetic head for keys and pins, a rotating head, a dressing hook on the end and a clip for a rollator or wheelchair. Choose 75cm for everyday use around the house, or 90cm if the main job is reaching the floor from a chair, or if you are tall. Both are the same price. See it here
For reaching up: Height Adjustable Step Stool with Handrail, $139
The handrail gives you something solid to hold as you step up and as you step back down, which are the two moments that usually feel uncertain. The step is a wide 40 by 33cm with a non slip rubber mat, and adjusts from 27.5 to 37.5cm high. The handrail adjusts from 99.5 to 109.5cm so it sits at the right height for you. It is rated to 120kg, weighs 2.6kg so it moves from room to room easily, and needs some simple assembly by hand. See it here
Which grabber length do you need?
Think about where you will be when you use it, not how tall you are.
If you will mostly be standing, picking things up around the house, the 75cm is the one. It is lighter in the hand and easier to steer.
If you will often be sitting, in an armchair, on the edge of the bed or in a wheelchair, and reaching down to the floor from there, choose the 90cm. The same goes if you are tall. The extra 15cm is what stops you leaning forward to close the gap, and leaning forward is the thing you are trying to avoid.
Is a step stool safe for you?
A step stool with a handrail is a great deal safer than a chair. It is still a step up.
If your balance is steady and you only need to reach something occasionally, it is the right tool. If you already hold onto furniture to get around the house, or you have had a recent fall, stepping up is not the right answer for now. Move things down instead, and use the grabber for anything just out of reach on a middle shelf. An OT can look at the kitchen with you and suggest what to move.
After a hip replacement
This is where a grabber stops being a convenience. The handout Concord Hospital's occupational therapists give people going home is plain about it: do not pick things up off the floor, and use a long handled reacher to pull the blankets up in bed. For the first six weeks or more, anything below your knees is off limits without one.
Occupational therapists commonly send people home with a grabber, a sock aid and a dressing stick, because together they cover the morning from getting out of bed to getting dressed. Our guide to dressing aids for older people covers the other two, and our guide to recovering from a hip replacement at home covers the rest of the house.
NDIS and Support at Home funding
Everything here sits well under $1,500, which is the NDIS line for low cost assistive technology, so there is no quote to chase. If you are self managed, order and pay as normal and we will send an invoice. If you are plan managed, choose that at checkout and put your plan manager's email in the order notes, and the invoice goes straight to them. Here is how that works
Under Support at Home, aids like these come from the Assistive Technology and Home Modifications scheme, which is a separate budget from the one paying for care hours. Most items need a contribution from you, and your care manager arranges the order. Our guide to using Support at Home for mobility aids explains who does what.
More small aids for everyday jobs are in our daily living range
Common questions
What is the best grabber for elderly people?
One with a length that suits where you use it, a grip that suits your hands, non slip jaws, a magnet on the head and a head that turns. Our Long Reach Grabber has all five, plus a palm lever for sore hands and a clip for a rollator or wheelchair. It comes in 75cm and 90cm.
What length grabber should I get?
75cm suits most people for everyday use around the house. Choose 90cm if you will mostly be reaching the floor from a chair, the edge of the bed or a wheelchair, or if you are tall.
Is a grabber hard on sore hands?
It does not have to be. Ours has a trigger for a normal grip and a palm lever you can press with your whole hand, so you are not squeezing with your fingers.
Can a grabber pick up small things like keys or coins?
Yes. The jaws have non slip pads that grip a card or a coin, and the magnet on the head collects keys and pins without any gripping at all.
Is a step stool safe for an older person?
One with a wide platform and a handrail is much safer than a chair, but it is still a step up. If your balance is steady, it is the right tool for occasional high cupboards. If you already hold onto furniture to get around, or have had a recent fall, move things down to between hip and shoulder height instead.
Are grabbers covered by NDIS or Support at Home?
Everything here is under $1,500, the NDIS line for low cost assistive technology, so there is no quote to chase, and your plan manager can confirm it fits your plan. Under Support at Home, aids come from the Assistive Technology and Home Modifications scheme, separate from your care hours. Most items need a contribution from you, and your care manager arranges it.
Is a grabber the same as a pick up tool?
Yes. Grabber, reacher, long reacher and pick up tool are all names for the same thing: a long handle with a trigger at one end and jaws at the other. What matters is the length and how hard you have to squeeze. Our Long Reach Grabber comes in 75cm or 90cm for $49, with a palm lever for a lighter grip.
Can you buy a grabber at Bunnings or Kmart?
Yes. Garden and rubbish pickers are built for a different job, so check two things before you buy: how heavy it is, and whether you squeeze with your fingers or press with your whole palm. Our Long Reach Grabber is $49, weighs 200g in the 75cm length, and has a palm lever for a lighter grip.
Three questions and you'll have a specific recommendation, no guesswork.
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.
