Our featured picks

HurryCane Freedom Edition Folding Cane

One of the main reasons canes get the vaudevillian toss off the stage is because crappy models are hard to use. Stop holding it for a second, and the cane falls quicker than a house of cards. Add in bending down to retrieve it, and you’re left with an unplanned workout and annoying side task. The HurryCane, on the other hand, promises stress-free mobility and support that comes without a side of squats.

“The HurryCane is a good choice because it has a small footprint, comfortable offset handle, is adjustable and it stands on its own,” Tori Goldhammer, founder of Living at Home Consultations and an occupational therapist who specializes in fall-risk management, said. “The solid cane with the offset handle provides good support and stability, and it’s easy to maneuver so it won’t slow someone down.”

The relatively compact base matters once you start moving, while the base’s width is an advantage in open spaces, she said, although she also noted that its expansive bottom can catch on door frames or rugs, so users should stay aware of their surroundings when using it.

Heiderscheidt recommends this walking cane for “someone who needs intermediate support but still has reasonably good balance,” including people who frequently run errands, travel or get in and out of cars.

Travelers will particularly like the Freedom Edition since it folds small enough to fit in a bag or a purse. It’s worth noting that, because of this foldable design, it’s a bit heavier than other options.

Carex Soft Grip Derby Cane

“For someone who just needs a little extra balance or wants to take some pressure off a painful knee, hip or ankle, a lightweight single-point cane is usually my first choice,” Anthony Maritato, a physical therapist and owner of Total Therapy Solutions, said. His recommendation? The Carex Soft Grip Derby Cane.

For the uninitiated, “single-point” is pretty literal: One shaft ends in one rubber tip, rather than the three- or four-footed base found on wider models. That smaller base means the cane is lighter and easier to maneuver.

Typically, compact designs like this don’t offer much stability, but the Carex’s handle is broader and flatter than most. It’s not that awkward candy-cane crook Mr. Peanut reaches for. “I like the Derby-style handle because it gives you more surface area under the palm compared with a traditional curved cane,” Maritato said. “That becomes much more important if someone has arthritis or hand pain.” Likewise, Mike Studer, a physical therapist and board-certified neurologic clinical specialist, said that “a larger handle with a pistol grip can feel more comfortable to a person with extensive osteoarthritis.”

While this single-point style is ideal for people who need slight assistance maneuvering around, Maritato said people who depend heavily on canes for balance should choose a sturdier option.

Nova Palm Grip Orthopedic Handle Cane

Heiderscheidt said you should use a cane on the side opposite to whatever hurts. For example, “someone with a painful right hip needs the left-hand cane,” she said. The Nova Palm Grip Orthopedic Cane has separate left- and right-hand versions to provide a more comfortable fit, even on your nondominant side.

The handles are also molded to support palms, which is exactly why Heiderscheidt recommends this model. “If someone tells me that holding the cane itself hurts, this is where I go first,” she said, noting that anyone with arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome or other hand or wrist pain will especially benefit from it.

Maritato said he looks for the same designs when hand pain is an issue. “I usually want a broader handle that lets them distribute pressure across the palm,” he said. “I don’t want them squeezing the cane tightly with every step.”

But a word of caution: The hand-shaped grip that makes the Nova so useful also has its drawbacks. “The rigid palm grip can create a pressure problem for someone with significant joint deformity or fragile skin,” Heiderscheidt said.

Drive Medical Offset Handle Cane

An offset cane has a shaft that bends just beneath the handle, which might look funky, but that kink is deliberate. “The offset design places the hand more directly over the shaft, so the force travels more directly down through the cane,” Maritato, who recommends this Drive Medical model, said. “To me, it just feels more stable when someone is actually using the cane for support rather than simply as a light balance cue.”

A horizontal grip like the one this model features tends to be more comfortable than a narrow crook handle, Maritato said. That broader surface matters more the harder your palm presses into it, especially during a longer walk.

The tradeoff, Maritato said, is that “it’s a little bulkier and you lose the convenience of being able to hook the cane over the back of a chair.” So you may lose the Fred Astaire effect, but when judging less on vibe-factor and more on added support — the whole point of a cane to begin with — the Drive Medical Offset Cane makes a whole lot of sense.

Medline Aluminum Offset Walking Cane

CNN Underscored health and fitness editor Summer Cartwright said her 66-year-old mom used this walking cane during her recovery from intense foot surgery. “She wanted something cost-friendly that would support her during rehab, and this under-$20 model did the trick,” Cartwright said. “She liked that it was lightweight and easy to move around, and she said the big foam handle kept her arthritic hands comfortable.” If a person has a history of arthritis or tendonitis, Goldhammer said a larger grip will likely be more comfortable.

This simple cane supports up to 300 pounds and can adjust its height between 29 and 38 inches. What’s more, the tip is made from nonslip rubber material to ensure stability, even on slick surfaces.

Dynamo Swing Cane

A single-point cane isn’t ideal for people with balance issues. The Dynamo Swing Cane offers a broad, sturdy base for additional support. “This has a wider ‘foot’ that offers a little more stability than the HurryCane, but generally falls in the same category,” Goldhammer said. “I find it a good option to try if the HurryCane is not quite enough support.”

The cane’s unique foot is slimmer than four-leg models, and its articulating post adapts to whichever slopes and surfaces you’re stepping on; it’s made with all-terrain traction that can handle snow, sand, hills, sidewalks and stairs.

T. George Hornby, a professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Indiana University School of Medicine and director of the Locomotor Recovery Laboratory, said canes with relatively compact bases, like the Dynamo, “may be more stable than a single point cane” without requiring the footprint of a full quad.

Carex Small Base Quad Cane

Sometimes, it’s all about that base. More specifically, a quad base because it provides the most support. The trick with a four-legged base, though, is finding one that isn’t so exaggerated it makes you feel like you’re steering furniture. The Carex Small Base Quad Cane aptly pulls off that balancing act, according to Maritato. “I generally prefer a smaller quad base over the really large quad canes because it gives the person some added stability without making the cane too cumbersome,” he said.

The extra legs may be overkill for most. But there’s a middle ground where a quad cane starts to make sense. Brandy Archie, an occupational therapist and founder of AskSAMIE, said a small-base quad is her go-to “when a single point cane no longer feels steady, but a walker is not yet warranted.” This style is particularly ideal for stroke survivors with one-sided weakness, she said. Ferri also noted that people with more pronounced gait problems stemming from neurologic impairment might also benefit from this style.

With this quad style, experts advise paying closer attention to your movement. “All four feet have to land flat to get the benefit, and that takes attention and a slower, more deliberate step,” Heiderscheidt said.

Urban Poling Activator Poles

“A perfectly ‘appropriate cane’ that lives in the hall closet isn’t really helping anyone,” Heiderscheidt said. To solve that all-too-common issue, she recommends buying the Urban Poling Activator poles. “Poles read as athletic equipment, not medical equipment,” she said. “I have had more than one client accept poles after turning down a cane three times.”

There’s one nonnegotiable, though: two working arms. So Heiderscheidt ruled them out for folks with hemiparesis or any one-sided injury. She instead recommends these for people with issues like general deconditioning after a hospital stay or declining endurance.

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Despite the hiking-trail looks, “these are not trekking poles,” Heiderscheidt said; there’s no wrist strap that can snag the hand during a stumble. Instead, the Activators have a wide ledge that allows for a quick release. Its CoreGrip handle lets users press through the heel of the hand, and a bell-shaped rubber toe puts more surface area against pavement.

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Scott Simone is a contributor and former deputy editor at CNN Underscored. He was previously managing editor at Hearst’s BestProducts.com. In his decade-plus career, he has written and edited thousands of product reviews and guides on a range of products, from blenders to smartphones.

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