The Best Unconventional Reacher: The Bear Claw
Who knew that a back scratcher would be the best reacher I have ever found? Many people with physical disabilities know the good ‘ol Sammons (now Preston Sammons medical) catalog. It’s on most physical and occupational therapists’ bookshelves. The products are durable and designed by disability professionals. Even I have a couple of trigger reachers that were lovingly given to me in hopes of giving me more independence as a child. But who wants to carry a large, very clunky conspicuous reacher that looks like the janitor’s trash picker?
My search ended when I did a search under “telescoping”. Lo and behold, I found a telescoping backscratcher. It fits the Alton Brown rule of “more than one purpose” as a back scratcher and reacher. It fits my wishlist completely. It’s compact, light, multipurpose, and most importantly doesn’t look like anything other than a back scratcher. Secretly it’s my 2-foot (technically 22 inches) reacher to take down my healthy bag of chips at the top shelf. And it’s very affordable!
We highly recommend a telescoping bear claw back scratcher in every LP’s arsenal for items out of reach. It’s perfect for the grocery store or Home Depot to grab that pesky item too high, but not too heavy. Obviously, I’m not going to use it to take down my son’s favorite jar of peanut butter. But what makes the bear claw different from similar reachers is that in addition to the curved claws, there’s a big open space in the ‘paw’ area that you can use to lock onto the corner end of an item.
The Best Bear Claw
If you do a Google search for Bear Claw, you may be overwhelmed as we were with the seemingly thousands of resellers selling similar items. So we decided to order a bunch and see which is the best.
Bear Claw — Single
The best individual Bear Claw back scratcher to use as a reacher — thick handle for gripping, sturdy construction, telescopes to 22 inches. At the time of posting, available for about $5 shipped. Keep one at home, one in the car, one in your work bag.
Bear Claw — 4 Pack
About $12 for four — the best value option. Keep one in each room, one in the car, one in your work bag. Once you have a Bear Claw you’ll wonder how you managed without it. Makes a great gift for LP friends and family too.
For Younger Children — The Cutie Claw
Cutie Claw — For Smaller Hands
For a reacher sized for a younger child with smaller hands, the Cutie Claw is worth considering. It comes in pastel colors, is only 7 inches when closed, and telescopes to 18 inches — easier to manage for LP children who aren’t quite ready for the full-size Bear Claw.
Traditional Trigger Reacher
For heavier items the Bear Claw can’t handle — like that jar of peanut butter — a traditional trigger reacher is still the right tool. Yes, it’s bulkier and more conspicuous than the Bear Claw, but for serious reaching tasks it has the grip strength the Bear Claw doesn’t. Every LP home should have both.
Have you found a reacher or grabber tool that works particularly well for LP adults or LP children? Share your recommendation in the comments — this is one of those everyday tools where community tips are invaluable.