Patterned, folding
Switch Sticks
Folds into a handbag, looks like a fashion piece; about 370 g, 81–94 cm.
See it on amazon.com*Canes
Walking canes for women: an accessory that happens to help
Long before a rollator, there is the cane: for the balance on the stairs, the long museum afternoon, the walk to the car. It is also the one walking aid that can be beautiful without trying – a floral shaft, a pearl handle, a folding stick that lives in the handbag. Here is how to choose one, set it to your height and find the handle that is kind to your hand.
In short
Choose by three things: handle (a derby or anatomical grip for daily use, a Fritz handle if your fingers hurt), height (the handle at your wrist crease; adjustable canes cover roughly 70–95 cm, but many folding ones start at 81–84 cm) and whether it folds (folding canes fit a handbag). Classic Canes and Switch Sticks make the patterned British folding ones, Hugo and Vive the American everyday models; Ossenberg (a light carbon stick) and Gastrock (a beech Derby stick cut to length) are the German classics, Fayet the French maker.
Quick picks
Three canes we would carry
Patterned folding canes for the handbag and, where it is sold, a sensible everyday derby.
US bestseller
Hugo Derby cane
The sensible everyday derby cane at an entry price; adjusts from about 71 to 99 cm.
See it on amazon.com*Folding, patterned
Vive folding cane
Folds into four; handle 84–94 cm, so for women from about 160 cm.
See it on amazon.com*What matters
How to choose a cane
Four decisions, in the order that matters.
Handle
derby or FritzDerby: curved, rests on the palm, hangs on a table edge. Fritz: flat, spreads the weight, best for arthritic fingers. Anatomical: moulded for the left or right hand, most comfortable for long walks. Round crook: classic, least comfortable for daily use.
Height
wrist creaseStand upright in your usual shoes, arms relaxed: the handle belongs at the crease of your wrist, so the elbow bends about 15 degrees in use. Adjustable canes cover roughly 70–95 cm; many folding ones only start at 81–84 cm, too long for most women under about 160 cm.
Folding or fixed
handbag or handA folding cane fits a handbag and is there for the stairs at the theatre. A fixed cane is quieter, a little stiffer and feels more solid under weight.
Tip
rubber, replaceableA good rubber tip grips wet pavements; replace it when the tread is gone. Pivoting or quad tips give more stability on uneven ground but look more clinical.
The models
The canes in detail
British and American folding canes, an American everyday derby and – where your store sells them – German and French classics. Weights are without the box.
Patterned, folding
Switch Sticks folding cane
Switch Sticks · United Kingdom · mid range
Weight0.37 kg (0.8 lbs)
Handle height81–94 cm (32–37 in)
Max. user weight120 kg
- Folding cane (about 370 g) with patterned shaft – Poppies, Bubbles, Rose Gold and more
- Adjustable 81–94 cm; folds to about 29 cm, with wrist strap and travel bag
- Rated for 120 kg
6 colours
- Weight
- 0.37 kg (0.8 lbs)
- Handle height
- 81–94 cm (32–37 in)
- Max. user weight
- 120 kg (265 lbs)
A good fit if you want a folding cane that looks like a fashion piece.
Less so if you need a quad base for extra stability.
See it on amazon.com*
* Affiliate link. Details: Switch Sticks Folding walking cane – carewell.com
US bestseller
Hugo Ergonomic Derby Handle Cane
Hugo (Drive Medical) · USA · entry level
Weight–
Handle height71–99 cm (28–39 in)
Max. user weight136 kg
- Soft ergonomic Derby handle, adjustable 71–99 cm
- Colours such as Rose, Aquamarine, Amber and Ebony
- Inexpensive and widely stocked in the USA (now a Drive Medical brand)
6 colours
- Handle height
- 71–99 cm (28–39 in)
- Max. user weight
- 136 kg (300 lbs)
A good fit if you want a dependable everyday cane at a low price.
Less so if you want a folding cane or a wooden one.
See it on amazon.com*
* Affiliate link. Details: Hugo (Drive Medical) Ergonomic Derby Handle Cane – shop.drivemedical.com
Folding, patterned
Vive Folding Cane
Vive · USA · entry level
Weight–
Handle height84–94 cm (33–37 in)
Max. user weight113 kg
- Folds into four, adjustable 84–94 cm, with a wide stable tip
- Patterns such as Dark Butterfly and Leopard, and plain colours
- Handbag-sized when folded
6 colours
- Handle height
- 84–94 cm (33–37 in)
- Max. user weight
- 113 kg (249 lbs)
A good fit if you want a folding cane for travel and days out.
Less so if you are under about 160 cm (it starts at 84 cm) or lean heavily – choose a one-piece cane.
See it on amazon.com*
* Affiliate link. Details: Vive Folding cane – desertcart.co.th
Setting the height in thirty seconds
Shoes on, stand tall
Wear the shoes you walk in most. Stand upright, shoulders relaxed, arms hanging naturally.
Find the wrist crease
The handle should reach the crease of your wrist – the line where your hand bends. Have someone measure from the floor if you cannot see it.
Set and check
Press the button or loosen the ring, slide the shaft to that height, lock it. Hold the cane: your elbow should be slightly bent, about 15 degrees. Too high lifts your shoulder; too low makes you stoop.
Which hand holds the cane?
The hand opposite the weaker or painful leg. If your right knee hurts, the cane goes in the left hand and moves forward together with the right leg. It feels wrong for about a day and then it feels like walking. Physiotherapists teach it this way because it keeps your shoulders level and takes real weight off the sore side. If you simply want balance on stairs, use the hand nearest the rail for the rail and the cane on the other side.
Cane or rollator?
A cane helps balance and takes a little weight; a rollator carries weight, shopping and you when you sit. If you find yourself looking for a wall to lean on, or you walk less than you want because of tiredness rather than pain, it is time to read walker vs. rollator.
Folding canes for the handbag
A folding cane has four or five sections joined by an elastic cord; it folds to about 30 cm and opens with a shake. They are the canes for women who do not need one all day but want one for the stairs at the theatre, the long corridor at the airport or the walk from the car park. Switch Sticks and Classic Canes make them in patterns that look like fashion pieces; Vive makes a sensible everyday one. Check the range before you order: the Vive starts at 84 cm, Classic Canes at 82 cm and Switch Sticks at 81 cm – too long for many women under about 160 cm, who are better served by an adjustable one-piece cane such as the Hugo (from about 71 cm). The joints need a wipe now and then, and the cord loses tension after a few years – it can be replaced.
Looking after a cane
- Check the rubber tip every few weeks; replace it when the tread is smooth or the edge is worn on one side.
- Tighten the adjustment ring or button once a month; a clicking cane is a loose cane.
- Wipe wooden shafts with a dry cloth and a little furniture wax once a year.
- Keep a spare tip in the handbag – they cost next to nothing and fit most canes of 19 mm shaft.
Questions women ask us
How do I measure the right cane height?
Stand upright in your usual shoes with arms relaxed; the handle should reach the crease of your wrist, so the elbow bends about 15 degrees when you hold it. For most women between 155 and 175 cm that is a cane of 75–88 cm.
Are folding canes stable?
Yes, when opened fully so every section locks. They flex slightly more than a fixed cane and the models here are rated for about 113–120 kg. For all-day use or heavy leaning a fixed cane feels more solid.
Which handle is best for arthritis?
A Fritz handle: flat, wide and shaped so the weight spreads over the palm instead of the fingers. Anatomical handles moulded for the left or right hand are the next best. Round crook handles concentrate the pressure and are the least comfortable.
Does Medicare or my insurer pay for a cane?
In the USA Medicare Part B covers a medically necessary cane at 80 percent after the deductible, from an enrolled supplier; in Germany a basic cane is a prescribable aid; in the UK the NHS may supply one through a physiotherapist and private purchases are VAT-free. Patterned and designer canes are usually a private purchase.
Can I take a cane on a plane?
Yes. Walking canes are allowed in the cabin as mobility aids; folding canes fit in a handbag. Security may ask you to put it through the scanner.
Where the information comes from
Weights, dimensions and colours come from the manufacturers’ websites and the Amazon listings; we have not tested the products in a laboratory. We compare the data, read owner reviews and say plainly who a model suits and who it does not. We earn a commission on purchases made through our links; it has no influence on which models we show or what we say about them.
Read next
Our pick: Switch Sticks
Check price*