18 Best Accessories For People With Broken Arm In 2024

Trying to get around one-handedly in a world designed for two-handed people can be distressing. Things only get worse when you have to wear a cast. It immobilizes your arm, limits your independence, and itches all day long. 

Everyday tasks like getting ready, eating food, and showering can come with excruciating pain. Fortunately, more adaptive and assistive gadgets and accessories are now available than ever before. 

We have a related article for you, you can read Things That Can Help You With A Broken Arm.

18 Necessary Accessories For A Broken Arm

These accessories can make life with an injured arm slightly more bearable. Some of these amazing products are reviewed below.

1. Stretchable Laces

Tying shoes when one of your hands is immobilized can be a serious challenge. Whether it’s to keep active or get ready for work, it is an unavoidable daily task. 

There aren’t many easier alternatives to tying in a less complicated manner either. While it can be learned, the task will always accompany much pain and pressure to the injury. 

Millions of users swear by the merit of these stretchable shoe laces that always stay in a knot. You only need to install them once and simply slide in and out of your shoes as needed. While you’ll need assistance initially, it won’t cause a daily problem. 

You can get these elastic laces in multiple colors, so you always have one that matches your shoe and outfit. These also come in a variety of lengths, making them perfect for children and adults alike. 

What’s surprising is their ability to deliver enough support, despite being so stretchable. With these, you won’t be worried about your shoe ever sliding off or feeling loose. 

2. Spork

Eating without one hand, especially the dominant one, can be a terrible experience. Anything that involves a fork and a knife is extra challenging. While eating only bite-sized food like hand pies and cheddar tots may be a short-term solution, limiting your food variety isn’t fun in the long run. 

A handy tool like a spork can be a life-changer for all your eating problems. A spork is exactly what it sounds like, a spoon and a fork in one utensil. It’s round like a spoon, so you can grab a bite of rice, and also spiky enough to pick up your steak. 

The set comes in a variety of styles and sizes, making them perfect for kids as well. 

Purposefully designed for one-handed eating, these also come with a thick and round grip. An injured dominant arm is weaker in strength and struggles with gripping as well. 

Narrower utensils can be harder to get a grip on and don’t let you enjoy your food as well. These help you keep a strong grip on your spork without much effort. 

And if you need something spikier than a spork, you can get a knork. A knork is a fork with a knife and allows you to cut through your stake without changing utensils. 

3. Toothpaste Dispenser

Dispensing toothpaste is a matter of two hands. You need to hold up your toothbrush while squeezing out the toothpaste. 

If you’re wearing an arm cast, you probably can’t raise your hand enough to grab the toothpaste in the first place. This is why a tiny investment like a toothpaste dispenser may help you make mornings less frustrating. 

At a time when you’re already low on energy, having your toothpaste dispensed with a single click can make living with a broken arm less painful. 

These are incredibly affordable and quick to install. While you may need help with the installation at first, it’s definitely worth the hassle. 

Moreover, the dispenser also comes with room for 4-5 brushes so you can keep your toiletries in close access and at the perfect, accessible height. 

4. One Handed Can Opener

A broken arm or not, opening a can is never easy. While you can find your way to opening it with enough force, doing so with an immobile arm can be painful. 

Not only do you need a lot of force, but it will also involve overworking your injured muscles. Both of those actions are detrimental to a quick recovery. 

Investing in a strong and sturdy can opener can be incredibly useful, especially when living alone. The Chef’n EzSqueeze can opener comes with a special design that allows for one-handed use. 

You only need to engage your fingers and give the opener a light press to work. If you have injuries on your wrist or fingers and can’t engage those as well, you can try a more advanced, single-click can opener. 

5. Single-click Can opener

This battery-operated can opener by Farberware works with cans of any size. Once placed on the jar, you don’t need to do anything, including holding the can. It does a full 360-degree rotation and opens the tin in just a few seconds. 

A magnet at the bottom helps it catch the cut-out tin so it doesn’t fall inside. 

6. Bath Safe Anti-Slip Mat

With a broken arm, your balance may be less than perfect. There isn’t enough support for stability, and slipping becomes an actual risk. Because showers are the most slippery place you will go through, installing an anti-slip mat there is a necessity. In such a scenario it is always a good idea to take help from accessories for a broken arm

The Yinenn Anti-Slip mat lays perfectly on the bathroom floor and comes with suction cups that help it stay well-glued to any wet and slippery surface. 

The mat features tiny but comfortable grooves that add friction and keep you grounded. These grooves are not irritating to the skin and don’t leave any marks either. 

Besides the floor, it can also be laid down in the bathtub to provide a safer experience when lying or sitting. 

To keep the entire experience extra safe, installing more than one mat is better. Placing one right before the bathtub will help with getting in and out of the shower safely. 

7. Reacher Grabber Tool

An arm injury comes with more challenges than just lowered strength. Reaching above and below can be difficult if you’re in a cast. 

Everyday activities like turning on a switch, reaching for a can, and picking up objects can cause inconvenience throughout the day. 

A strong Reacher and Grabber tool can help you pick up things placed significantly higher and lower without moving your arm. Most come with easy controls that allow you to grip most thin and thick objects like clothes, car keys, and shoes. 

The ZAYAD Reacher Grabber stick features 360-degree rotation for better maneuverability. It also comes with a thick and round handle for stronger grip. 

8. Smart Fan Switch

Smart home devices have already become the norm in most households. However, there are still instances you may need to switch your lights and fan on and off manually. 

Dimming the fan with the traditional switch can be painful for an injured arm. You can try an affordable Smart Fan Switch to avoid the everyday hassle. 

This Smart switch by Lutron comes with four-speed controls so you can dim and fasten the fan whenever needed. It seamlessly integrates with most smart home devices like Alexa, Apple Homekit, and Google Assistant. 

You can also control it remotely with its smart app and button remote that comes with it. However, you will need a friend to help with the installation process. 

9. Smart Lever Lock

Every deadbolt lock requires you to use both hands to key and rotate it. Using a lever-based lock can help you enter with better ease. These require a lighter push and can be keyed beforehand. 

However, keying can be another challenge when your injury is tender and sore. Because you want to keep your hand as rested as possible, using a smart door lock may be the best option. 

This smart lever lock by Kwikset combines everything someone with an arm injury may need. It features a digital lock, so you can dial in the security key and avoid the keys. It also hooks up with your smart home devices, including Samsun SmartThings, Wink, and Ring Alarm. With wide-ranging compatibility with all Z-wave systems, the door lock ensures functionality with every modern home and alarm device. 

The lock quickly replaces your existing door knob and requires only a screwdriver for installation. If you want to go back to normal functions after healing, the lock also comes with a pair of keys so you can use it the usual way. 

10. Lever Handle for Shower

Whether you care for the environment or simply looking to save water expenses, you never want to keep the water running. However, repeatedly rotating the shower handle isn’t fun either. It’s not uncommon for people to fail at doing simple tasks with the non-dominant hand. 

Even tasks like holding something can go all wrong when done without proper practice. If you have an injury on the dominant hand, you likely have trouble rotating the shower handle too. And you may not want a friend’s assistance when in the shower. 

For these reasons, and simply for improved independence, you may want to replace the old handle with a lever-based one. The DELTA lever handle is specially designed to move swiftly and effortlessly. It requires significantly less force and delivers better precision. 

11. Smart Garage Hub

Getting out of bed, eating breakfast, and getting in your car should be enough of a daily challenge. Dealing with heavy garage doors and pushing them up and down better be the least of your worries. 

While opening and closing the main gate and doors to your room may be effortless, garage doors can be harder to defeat. This smart myQ Chamberlain garage hub is designed to help with just that. It comes with a tiny smart device that attaches to your garage door and lets you lift it up and down remotely. It is easily connected to smart home devices and can also be controlled through an app. Installation is a slightly longer process and requires some hardware as well. 

While you will need a lot of help with the installation, attaching different parts of the device with the switch to the door and wiring it in properly is worth it. 

12. Adaptive Utensils

Living alone with the broken arm is challenging enough. In such as scenario accessories for a broken arm will help you out greatly. Even the simplest tasks like holding spoons and forks become infuriating with a broken arm. 

You are already low on muscle strength, and keeping a grip on a thin silverware can force you to exert more force. In such a case, you need a fool-proof solution that allows you to enjoy your meal like every other person. 

Investing in a set of adaptive utensils can be a game-changer, especially if you’ll be living with a cast for some time. This BunoMo set of adaptive forks, spoons, and a knife comes with lightweight and wide handles, so you don’t have to hold it as hard. 

Covered in no-slip, rugged rubber, the utensils ensure a comfortable and effortless grip. These can be especially helpful when you have sustained injuries on one or more of your fingers or a wrist. 

Holding anything too tight exerts pressure on the joints, causes muscles to tighten up, and result in much pain. When done every day, three times, it can add up to longer recovery times. This set of utensils can help you avoid that without investing too much money. 

13. Fanny Pack

With one arm immobile, you probably want to carry the least of accessories. There are still some unavoidable daily accessories and objects you can’t leave home. 

A fanny pack that seamlessly hangs around your waist will help you stay productive without locking-in your hands. This Champion Fanny pack is extremely flexible and comes with comfortable, adjustable straps. It adjusts smoothly around the waist, making it perfect for both adults and children. 

With multiple pockets, it can safely carry your phone, wallet, camera, and any other tools you need throughout the day. If you believe fanny packs to be a trend of the past, this one comes in current designs and offers a timeless look. 

The black exterior and chunky zippers make a great accessory for any casual and formal outfit. 

14. Cast Scratcher

Being in a cast all day long is bound to get you sweaty and itchy in that area. The thick layers of bandages are impossible to get through and scratch manually. 

Traditional scratchers are no help either. They are usually too wide and not flexible enough to reach every angle. This is where this flexible cast scratcher comes in. It’s thin, long, and incredibly bendable for superior reach. 

Its 15.5-inch body moves into the cast and bandages without ruining its placement. The incredibly malleable body allows it to follow the shape of your arm and scratch hard-to-reach areas as well. 

To keep the muscles or any wounds from being touched too harshly, the scratcher features a head with rounded and comfortable nodes that soothe the itch in seconds. 

15. Dressing Stick

This dresser stick by Royal Medical Solutions allows you to effortlessly button up your t-shirts, dresses, and coats without overworking your muscles. Its button hook glides into each button, which you can pull through to quickly button up in minutes. 

Along with this, it also features a zipper pull which is a hook used to pull onto zippers. The perfect combination of these two allows you to avoid the discomfort of having to continually bend or reach above. 

The pronounced square hooks allow anyone to easily pull up pants and wear shirts in seconds. Its reverse hook can be used to push off pants, socks, and any other piece of clothing. 

Using these can involve a learning curve, but it’s worth the investment. Hundreds of video tutorials are available on how to best use this stick, depending on the type and place of injury. 

16. Extended Shoe Horn

Just like clothes, wearing shoes also challenges your range of motion. Because you have to bend downwards and reach the back side, it never comes without excruciating pain. 

Traditional Shoe horns are used to slide into shoes effortlessly, without ruining the back of a good shoe. However, they don’t work very well for mobility challenges. This is where a more specialized one like the DMI Extended Shoe horn comes into play. It is 24″ long and can help you reach the end of your shoe without bending an inch. It helps decrease strain on both your waist and arms. 

The smooth surface allows anyone to glide swiftly into the shoe on the first try. While the extra-long horn does require practice and patience to learn, it makes life easier eventually. 

17. Swivel Spoon

We already discussed that eating with a broken arm is never fun. But there are more issues than just lowered strength and a weak grip. When holding any piece of utensil, your injured hand is bound to shake and remain unstable. 

Moving your hand up and down to feed yourself can result in sudden spillage that can ruin the meal for you. The Sammons Preston swivel spoons are purposefully designed to curb any unwanted movement and shaking. 

While designed for individuals suffering from arthritis and sudden tremors, they can also help you counter the unstable grip your injury brings. 

The wide and round spoons use stabilizing technology that keeps the spoons head stable no matter how much you move. 

You may even rotate the spoon handle a full 360-degree, and the spoon’s head will always stay up. Its head is built with stainless steel, while the handle is 100% free of BPA, phthalates, and latex. 

The spoon works by moving in the opposite direction to your unwanted movement, resulting in a perfectly equal counter-movement. This allows you to eat your full meal independently without running into spillage problems or having to eat slowly. 

Besides being incredibly stable, the spoon is also weighted to make gripping easier. Weighted utensils like heavier silverware have been proven to help with shaking and sudden movements. 

18. Automatic Soap Dispenser

Both traditional bar soaps and hand pump liquid soap require much effortful movement. Bar soaps must be rubbed against your two hands to lather and can seem impossible with a broken arm.

This automatic soap dispenser by Commercial Care works with infrared detection, allowing you to wash hands without having to pump. 

Conclusion

There is nothing that can replace the peace of using your own arm. While learning to work with your other hand and getting by one-handedly every day may seem frustrating, it doesn’t have to be challenging in the longer run.

Once you learn to use these simple tools like a dressing stick, shoe horn, and adaptive utensils, life becomes easier. 

Turning your non-adaptive house into a smart hub can be a great way to quickly make everything more accessible and manageable.

With the right combination of a smart bulb, smart fan, and control devices, you can begin living life as normal again. We hope this guide will help you if you are looking for ways of living alone with a broken arm.