The 7 Best Gifts for People with Arthritis of 2023

What to Look for in a Gift for Arthritis

Touch or Voice-Activated Items

When paired with a voice-activated smart home device, items like smart plugs and smart devices can make a huge difference for someone without the dexterity necessary to fiddle with a lamp or turn on an appliance—or are simply too exhausted to deal with it.

“People with arthritis often suffer with chronic weakness and fatigue, in addition to pain and swelling in their joints,” explains Stuart D. Kaplan, MD, chief of rheumatology at Mount Sinai South Nassau, in Oceanside, New York . “This can severely limit their stamina and their ability to function normally.”

Along with being part of a smart-home setup, Kaplan says that voice-activated technology can also be useful in the office, where “dictation software can reduce the amount of typing needed.”

Items to Help with Everyday Tasks

Sometimes people with arthritis could use a little extra assistance, and a tool or item that can help eliminate some of that work would do the trick. “Obviously, devices that do some of the work for you can be very helpful,” Kaplan says. “This can include things like an electric mixer, or an electric carving knife in the kitchen, or an electric screwdriver or jigsaw in a workshop.”

And these aids aren’t limited to objects that can help around the house, according to Frances Lomibao, MD, a rheumatologist and founder of Lomibao Rheumatology & Wellness Care. “In the work setting, one should look to optimize prior biomechanics and posture,” she tells Verywell Health. “Some ideas are standing or adjustable desks to help reduce being sedentary and correct proper posture of the shoulders, hips, and limbs.” You can also improve posture by training yourself to engage the right muscles with a posture corrector.

Additionally, Lomibao recommends items like a vertical computer mouse to correct wrist posture, and a saddle-shaped stool to help keep hips at a natural angle, preventing stiffness in the hips and back.

Items to Relieve Physical and Mental Stress

When shopping for gifts for someone with arthritis, the goal should be finding something to help alleviate their physical and/or mental stress. “Anyone with arthritis could benefit from simple home remedies, such as compression gloves,” Lomibao says. “This can help individuals who wake up with stiffness in the morning or at the end of the day.” 

Being unable to do some of your favorite activities can cause mental stress, so finding the right products for people with arthritis may help improve their stress level. For example, if someone enjoys cooking, Lomibao suggests getting them “arthritis-friendly kitchen tools, where the handle can be more ergonomically shaped to the grip” because it can make it easier for them to use and less painful on their joints. 

If you have arthritis yourself and are unsure of what, exactly, could make your life easier, Kaplan recommends seeing an occupational therapist, who “can help tailor the equipment and/or therapy to the specific needs of the client.”

Why Trust Verywell Health?

An experienced health writer, Brittany Loggins understands how important it is to have a comprehensive understanding of the products she's recommending. All of the products found in her pieces have either been tested by her first hand, or have been recommended by trusted medical professionals.

Additional reporting for this story by Elizabeth Yuko

As a seasoned health writer and editor—and someone with rheumatoid arthritis—Elizabeth Yuko understands how much of a difference finding the right product makes for those with arthritis. She’s always on the lookout for new (and research-backed) products, techniques, and services that can help people cope with their health challenges.