Some gardening tasks can put extra strain on our bodies and become difficult to complete, especially with injury, disability or general aches and pains. But when you’ve caught the gardening bug, you just can’t resist playing in the dirt and taking care of your plants — it’s therapy!
So for all the avid gardeners who are finding garden tasks more difficult to do, or for beginners looking to overcome some challenges in the garden, we’ve compiled a list of some adaptive tools and gear that make it easier to perform everyday gardening tasks and stay passionate about the things you love to do. From tools with ergonomic handles to cushioned garden kneelers, let’s keep the garden accessible and enjoyable.
Ergonomic garden tools to help with grip and relieve achy joints
One of the biggest restrictions to gardening is being unable to properly grip tools, especially with arthritis or achy joints. Thankfully, just changing up the curve or shape of the handle can make a big difference.
Ergonomic gardening tool set
These durable, yet lightweight, tools have large curving handles to prevent hand and wrist strain. Plus, if you constantly lose tools in the garden like I do, the fluorescent green handles make these easy to find.
Ergonomic hand weeder
Ergonomic hand trowel
Fiskars® pruners
If your hands are weak, or you have stiff painful joints, the unique gear system in these pruners reduces the effort needed to cut.
Felco F-6 Pruners for smaller hands
If you have small hands, you may not even realize how uncomfortable standard pruners really are until you try something that actually fits. These are lighter and slightly smaller than the standard sized F-8 pruner. Of course you can cut with other tools, but Felco’s well-made pruners are the gold standard and will last for years. A pair especially suited to your hand size is invaluable.
Easi Grip trowel, fork and cultivator hand tools
The pistol grips keep your wrists straight as you work so you don’t strain them. And the bright yellow color makes these tools easy to find if you forget where you laid them as you were working. You can buy a set of three tools that includes the Easi Grip Fork, Easi Grip Trowel, and Easi Grip Cultivator.
Fiskars ergo trowel
The handle of this trowel is especially designed to reduce hand and wrist fatigue.
Bionic gloves
No, they won’t do your work for you, but these durable gloves can improve hand comfort without interfering with motion. Women's Bionic gloves Men's Bionic gloves
Woman’s Pallina Vegan gloves
Liquicell® padding on the palm and thumb is easy on joints and prevents blisters.
Helpful garden tools that relieve pressure on your knees
If your gardening is hard on your knees, look for products that can cushion them or prevent you from kneeling on the hard ground.
Garden kneeler and seat
A kneeler like this can cushion your stiff, sore knees as you work. And the handles on the sides let you use upper body strength to help you get up and down. It's reversible so you can kneel on it or sit on it, and collapsible so it's easy to tuck away, too.
Kneeler pad
A little cushioning can go a long way toward making gardening more enjoyable and less painful.
Garden scoot
Kind of like a tricycle, you sit on the comfortable seat, use your legs to pull yourself along and simply roll through your garden. There’s no more getting up and down, stressing your back and knees.
Knee pads
Strap one of these cushioned pads onto each leg and you won’t have to worry about injuring tender knees as you plant or weed your garden. There are several different styles so you can find the one that works best for you.
Knee pads
Sometimes you need a sturdy rigid pair of knee pads to make yourself comfortable...
Gel knee pads
... other times a more flexible set like this might be more comfortable.
Gardening gear to help lift heavy pots and containers
It’s inevitable that gardening requires heavy lifting from time to time. Prevent injury and ensure that your jobs get done with these handy products.
Pot caddy
Use your head, not your back. This moving dolly was designed specifically to move heavy containers, up to 400 pounds. We love this dolly and use it at our test garden regularly.
Pot caddy on wheels
If your pots start out on wheels, moving them with this wheeled pot caddy in and out of the garage every year isn’t a major undertaking.
Gardening tools for gardening while sitting
Whether you want to garden from a chair, wheelchair or scooter, or simply plan to stand on the sturdy ground of a sidewalk or driveway, these tools will help you reach deep into a garden bed from the edge.
Before you extend the handles, these tools are easy to carry on a scooter or in a basket. When you’re ready to work, the lightweight metal handles can be lengthened to extend your reach,
Easi Grip long reach garden tool set
Sit and still cultivate or plant with these specially designed long-handled tools.
Extendable handled rake
Adjust the handle from 18 to 36 in. long on the Corona® extendable-handled rake.
Extendable handled hedge shears
When you just can't quite reach into the hedge with your standard hedge shears, these just might help you do the trick.
Extendable handle loppers
Extend your arm's reach with a pair of extendable handle loppers. We all push our loppers further than we should from time to time, but keep in mind that the further you extend the handles, the more likely you are to damage them if you try to cut a larger branch than you should...
