Walking Cane Guide - Different Types of Canes

Cane (also known as assistive cane or walking stick) is a mobility accessory that is often used by elderly or injured who require additional support for walking if they are unable to place all their weight on a single leg, they require additional base of support, or they need to gain confidence from testing out the properties of the ground before walking on it (thus, boosting their confidence). Studies have shown that canes are without any doubt the most popular walking assistance accessory in the world, with around 10% of elderly aged over 65 years using them on a daily basis in the United States.

The main difference between cane and a crutch is that canes are built to be lighter and are intended only to transfer the weight load through the user’s wrist, and not to offload a lot of weight from the legs.

Canes are the simplest form of walking assistance accessory, used by people who can walk by themselves, but just require bit assistance to be able to walk more safely and reliably. Elderly who have larger issues with the strength of their legs, endurance or balance are recommended to take advantage of the more stable walking aids such as walkers who provide much stronger support and can offload more weight from legs during walking.

Use of Canes

Canes are recommended to be used by independent walkers who feel that have just enough balance or strength issues that they feel unsteady on their feet.

Proper use of canes requires from user to place it on the side of their body that is stronger, thus compensating from the weakness in their opposite side. This also settles down their center of gravity and enables more fluid walking. Some users however always prefer to hold the cane in their dominant hand (which is often their right), or to the same side as the affected leg.

It is very important that user of cane takes good care of the wrist on the hand that is operating the cane. That wrist is important because it will experience increased load and strain, especially if users get in the habit of not only using a cane for balance support but also to transfer a part of its weight to it.

Quad canes should accept users weight only after all four of its base tips have touched the ground, and white canes for visually impaired users should never be used for transfer of weight.

Pros of cane use are:

• Simple for use
• Easiest way to boost balance
• Lightweight
• Portable
• Cheap

Cons of cane use are:

• They can offload only minimal amount of user’s weight
• They provide support only on one side of the body
• Quad canes are not safe on uneven surfaces
• Quad canes must be used properly, else they can be a tripping hazard

Cane Parts and Accessories

The core components of every cane are:

• Handle - Extremely important for the user, and should be picked with great care.
• Collar - Structural part, but often noticed because of the decorative reasons.
• Shaft – Core structural part, can be made from various materials.
• Ferrule - The tip of the cane, which is shaped to provide grip even if the cane is angled when touching the ground.

It is important to pick proper materials for cane, especially for the handle and shaft. All-wooden canes can be too heavy for some elderly, and some may prefer rubber grips that prevent their hand slipping.

Cane accessories can range from visual decorations to the add-ons such as:

• Hand strap which more firmly secures cane to the user’s hand.
• The clip-on frame that can hold a stick against the top of the objects (table or furniture).
• Grip-enhanced ferrules.
• The metallic cleat on the foot of the cane, great for providing better walking support and traction on ice.
• Interchangeable winter/summer tips
• Different handle types
• Small bags that can be attached to the cane frame
• Cane holders for walkers, scooters or homes

Cane Types

Standard Walking Cane

Most basic and popular type of cane that can easily found everywhere. Its form is as simple as possible – a simple stick, with a rubber tip for increased ground traction and an umbrella-like bend as a handle. Most are made from wood, but aluminum models are also popular. This simple type of cane is intended to be used as a walking comfort accessory that can help unsteady but independent walkers to achieve better balance support. Its price ranges from $10 to several hundred dollars, depending on the materials and design choices. Models made from metal or carbon are usually height-adjustable and have rubberized handles.

Offset Cane

Walking cane that does not feature a straight shaft that is placed under the handle. Instead, the shaft is displaced, thus allowing the user either to place the ferrule away from their legs or providing more space holding.

Quad Cane

Quad cane is walking accessory that can provide much more balance assistance than a simple walking cane. It features a base with four rubberized tips that are spaced 4” to 6” apart in width, and 8” to 12” apart in length. They are best suited for elderly who find that canes with a single point of contact to the ground do not offer enough for them. Since the base of the quad cane is really wide, it can become a tripping hazard for users who are not properly placing it on the ground and taking notice when to advance. Safest quad canes are those who offer offset, making the wider part of the base pointing away from the user. Many models of quad cane offer adjustable base, enabling users to turn the base into the desired position and then lock it in place. Some models have a very small base that features three or four ferrules.

Folding Cane

A very popular type of cane that features built-in functionality for folding entire cane into the much smaller volume. Folding canes are most popular with users who don’t want to be bothered with handling or storing their cane in situations or places where they know that they will not need the cane for a prolonged period. Folded canes are usually so small that they can be placed into bag or medium-sized purse. Most folding canes feature built-in height adjustment, which is located on the segment of the stick immediately below the handle.

Adjustable (telescopic) Cane

A variation of the folding cane, where the entire structure of the cane (usually two or more segments) can telescope in and out. This feature can be present in several other types of cane, such as a quad cane, forearm cane, and others.

Ergonomic Canes

Canes that are purposefully built for a specific user, with an ergonomically molded handle that perfectly fits the palm of the user.

Forearm Cane

A specialty cane that features additional forearm support. With it, users can grab the handle with their hand, and then place their forearm on the specially created cradle. This cane type can transfer much more of the user’s weight from their legs, thus making it an alternative to a full crutch.

Tripod Cane

Cane that features two more additional shafts, that open in a tripod fashion. It can be found as a standalone cane or a cane with the preinstalled seat.

Cane Seat

Tripod cane, which can be used as a regular walking cane until all of its smaller side-shafts are deployed. When deployed, the top of the smaller shafts opens a foldable non-adjustable seat that can usually endure the weight of around 250lbs (113kg). This cane type is ideal for elderly who may need to take a break and rest during their walk.

High-tech Cane

Modern canes can also have innovative features such as automatic adjustment of the shaft length, enabling the user always to keep the cane aligned to the position of their leg. Shaft length adjustment can be automatic or manual, and ground tip can be either traditional or shaped in the form of ankle leg that mimics the position of the real ankle. This enables elderly or injured to keep more natural walking posture, which reduces back pain. Most high-tech canes are very expensive.

White Cane

Designed not to offload weight, but to provide help for visually impaired users who want to “feel” the path ahead of them and their surroundings. These canes are usually light, foldable, have a hand strap , and its stark white coloring notifies people around (pedestrians and motorists for example) that the user of this cane is blind or deaf-blind.

Cane Handle Types

Crook Cane – The most common handle type, sometimes also called as tourist handle cane or shepherd's crook, and walking stick. Shaped in a rounded umbrella-like way, it allows users to pick the best and most comfortable way to hold the cane as they prefer. This crook is also useful for easy hooking on chairs, tables or user’s arms, and can even be used as a grabbing accessory (moving small objects closer to the user, or even opening a door).

T-Handle Cane – Another very popular handle type, often called as straight-handle. They are best suited for users who have weakness in their hands, and how cannot handle the roundels of the crook cane. The top part of the handle is carved in an ergonomic shape which reduces hand fatigue and stress.

Fritz Cane – Fritz handle canes are very similar to t-handle models, but here the handle features more exaggerated ergonomic curve that enhances the comfort of handling the cane and removes more pressure from hand and fingers. This model is very popular with elderly who suffer from arthritis and is also highly praised for its timeless look and style.

Offset Cane – Canes with the offset have the shaft that is shaped like a question mark, with the area just under the handle jutting out slightly. This form factor is needed to provide the user with a different distribution of weight over the main cane shaft, making them more comfortable for use for some elderly, disabled or injured users. The offset canes can most easily be found in quad canes.

Orthopedic – Orthopedic handles are usually created from the plastic or gel, and they are created in a shape that alleviates more pressure from users hand. Since prolonged usage of canes can cause strain that can even lead to the development of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, many elderly users prefer to use orthopedic handles.

Knob/Ball – Popular handle type that features no specific handling or grip designs. Since the end of the cane features just a knob or a ball, they are more suited for use in walking sticks that offer just a bit of additional balance, than regular canes who also need to transfer a bit of user’s weight to the ground. Knob/ball canes are best suited for individuals who don’t have dexterity issues.

The most commonly used cane handle materials or handle types are:

Foam – The softest of all handle materials on the market. Many elderly users prefer foam handles because of the high grip levels. The foam will also protect their hands, without the chance of hard material scraping the skin.

Gel – Gel handles are also very popular, offering firmer grip than foam, but with much less danger of skin damage than wooden or metal handles.

Wood or metal – Very common grip material. Strong and sturdy, molded into any shape.

Large – Oversized handles that are best suited for elderly who suffer from joint pain or arthritis.

Cane Tip Types

No standalone tip – Some simple canes made from wood feature no standalone tip at all. Since the wood is directly touching the ground, these canes can slip when used on some slick surfaces (polished in-door floors for example).

Rubber – The most common cane tip – a single rugged piece of dense rubber that provides a firm grip and stability even when the cane is touching the ground at an angle.

Quad tip – Small plastic or metal housing with four rubber tips that are spaced closely one to another. This tip is intended to be mounted on a regular cane, and should not be confused with Quad Cane that has for individual legs, each with its single rubber tip.

Tripod tip – Similar to Quad tip, but with three rubber tips arranged at 120 degrees one from each other.

Pivoting – Tip that has joint housing that can rotate. With it installed, the user can place the cane on the ground and then rotate the handle as needed when taking a step.

Spike - Spike tip is useful for terrains with large elevation or when the ground structure is inconsistent. It is most commonly found on canes that are built to assist hikers, climbers, backpackers, and mountaineers.

Ice – Ice tip is needed for winter periods when users need to walk outside in the cold and icy weather.

Cane Prices

Canes are entry-level walking assistance accessories, and because of it, the majority of the models are priced quite low. The cheapest canes can start with the price of just $10, but most popular models that have some of the advanced features (adjustable height, interchangeable tips, more durable materials and different handle types) usually land in the $20-50 range. The most expensive models can go up to $200, or even more.