5 Ways to Grab and Lift More Easily

Tools and tips to help you pick up and carry all kinds of items

Catherine Roberts, Consumer Reports Senior Health & Food Reporter.

By Catherine Roberts
Senior Health & Food Reporter

April 14, 2026

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People spend a surprising amount of time picking up items.

But retrieving dropped keys or lifting a cooking pot can be tricky if your mobility is limited by an injury or a chronic health condition.

Click on dots to learn more.

Illustration: Chris Philpot

Great Grabber Tools From CR's Tests

Editor’s Note: A version of this article also appeared in the April 2026 issue of Consumer Reports On Health.

Catherine Roberts

Catherine Roberts is a health and science journalist at Consumer Reports. She has been at CR since 2016, covering infectious diseases, bugs and bug sprays, consumer medical devices like hearing aids and blood pressure monitors, health privacy, and more. As a civilian, her passions include bike rides, horror films and fiction, and research rabbit holes. Follow her on X: @catharob.