Review of Handi-Reacher 50-1140 Reacher Grabber

Sometimes People Need Some Helping in Reaching Things

My husband is picking up a container of foot powder he dropped.

That's why our house has always had a reacher in almost every room for the past twenty years. We inherited a few from my in-laws, who had used them after hip surgery. My husband purchased more of them when he had his own hip surgery. I never thought I'd need another one until we inherited a second home from my mom and we started to live there for months at a time. It only had two reachers and my husband claimed both. When my knees started to make bending over hard to do, I decided I needed one I could lay claim to. I had an old one in my room,  but discovered it did not work well. My husband's did, so I decided to search Amazon to find one just like his. Since  all reacher-grabbers do not work equally well, I decided I should review the Handi-Reacher 50-1140 because I know it works well. I'd hate to see people who need the help get a reacher like my old one that doesn't work.

Why the Handi-Reacher is the Best Reacher-Grabber

Handi-Reacher Picking up Pill

The Handi-Reacher will pick up anything solid that is three inches wide or smaller. It will pick up a can of soup on a kitchen shelf above your head or grab the edge of a pan or casserole dish at the back of a bottom cupboard. My husband uses it to pick up the newspaper - even when the delivery person has thrown it under a car.You only have to pull the trigger handle with your hand to grab the item and bring it up or down. In my opinion it is the best reacher for disabled people.

At the end of the grabber claw is a small magnet that helps attract metal screws, tacks, nails, and other small metal objects so you can pick them up easily. The lower part of the claw also has grooves on the surface to keep objects from slipping. In the photo above Hubby is picking up a small pill he dropped on the floor. Below is photo of this action from a different angle. Do you see the little knob at the top of the reacher? That is to aid in dressing. I haven't used that yet because I've not yet needed it.

Handi-Reacher Grasping Pill

Don't Get a Reacher Like My Old One

I know there are some cheaper reachers available, and one of them may suit you better than the Handi-Reacher. I knew my husband's worked and I kept looking until I found it. I hadn't tested the other ones. I can tell you which one not to get, though. Don't get one that looks like my old one pictured below.

Old Reacher that Doesn't Work

After a while, it just stopped working. See that space at the end of the

Old Reacher's Bent Handle

jaw? I can no longer squeeze it shut. The flimsy handle is bent out of shape (see right) and won't work anymore. The shape of the handle also makes it harder to squeeze than the trigger handle on my Handi-Reacher. The whole-hand trigger handle is a must for those of us who have arthritis in our hands, since it easily pulls back instead of needing a hard squeeze.

Frozen Jaw of Old Reacher

Another major difference between this old reacher and the Handi-Reacher is the metal rod that connects the handle to the spring mechanism that opens and shuts the jaw. On the right of this photo you can see it hooked into the nearest point of the mechanism nearest the spring, which is hidden here by the hook.

In the Handi-Reacher, all of these parts that can bend and break so easily are protected by hard plastic or what appears to be a strong aluminum tube. Don't buy anything with an exposed wire and parts like you see in my photos of my old reacher. In this picture to the left you will also see that the inside of the old reacher's jaw is smooth instead of grooved like the Handi-Reacher. The groves help the object you are grabbing stay intact in the jaw until you can get it.

Handi-Reacher 50-1140 Handi-Reacher, Standard 24Check Price

This is kit is another option with high customer ratings for those of you who may need additional help after a hip replacement. It's especially designed to help you. It includes not only a reacher, but also aids for putting on socks and shoes, a long-handled bath sponge, and a dressing tool. Check it out before hip surgery. My husband still uses a long shoe horn and a sock tool when dressing, and it's been over ten years since his surgery.

Sammons Preston 49850 Complete Hip Replacement Kit, 24Check Price

If your knees or back make it hard for you to bend to pick up objects, the Handi-Reacher or the Hip Replacement Recovery Kit may be just the friend you need. If you have trouble reaching a shelf above your head, you will also find these reaching tools useful. Why wait another day to get your Handi-Reacher to start making your life easier?

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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