How to choose a walking cane

By Catalogs Editorial Staff

Choose a walking cane the right way with these great tips for getting around

When trying to figure out how to choose a walking cane when you see how many choices there are, think about a couple of factors to consider. The first thing you want to keep in mind is that you need a cane for a reason – getting around. This means the first thing you want to consider is something that provides good function. You don’t want to go with a cane that is so slight that it isn’t going to support your weight if you need to lean in it from time to time.

You also don’t want to get a cane that is far too bulky and actually keeps you from getting where you need to go. This can feel like a thin line, because you have to find something directly in the middle of these two factors.

The best way to go about doing choosing the cane that works for you is to treat your shopping experience like you would if you were on the hunt for a new pair of shoes.

Go for Style

One factor to consider is entirely about style. When choosing a walking cane, you want one that matches your personal style. The good news is, if you go to a store or shop online, you can find literally any kind of cane you could possibly want. This means you know you can strut your stuff with a variety of different bottom pieces and a huge variety of different head pieces.

If you are a dog lover, you can get a head piece that actually shows off your favorite dog. If you are a sports fan, you can get a walking cane that has the emblem of your favorite team. The possibilities are truly endless as long as you know where to look.

These canes don’t need to just have style on the end of the stick, the style can also be put into the full design. Maybe you are a traditionalist who wants to have the cane have the same candy cane like circular end so many people were spotted with decades ago. Maybe you like the straight up and down cane that has a large rounded head you can grasp easily.

Test Run

When you go to the store, give a couple of different kinds of styles of cane a spin. Walk around the store and lean on the cane, swing the cane, tap the cane on the ground, everything you think you would do if you were using the item out in the world. This is a good exercise even if you decide to buy online later, where you can find a greater variety of styles. Online, read the specs, reviews and even chat with customer assistance if you need to feel comfortable about your purchase.

In the store, or when your cane is delivered, don’t be shy about leaning on the cane and making sure it can support most, if not all of your weight. If it doesn’t feel right, return it and try another style.

Obviously, there are going to be some variations that won’t be a fit for you right off the bat and you should stay away from these going in. The mission here isn’t to destroy a store’s goods but rather just make sure that the cane you purchase is going to be the one you are able to rely on for quite some time and through all kinds of different environments.

You can get a very generic looking cane and actually decorate it yourself if that happens to be your preference. The good news is the sky truly is the limit when it comes to picking out what sort of item you want to use and the only limitations really is your imagination.