Carpal Tunnel can get aggravated due to prolonged riding. If you are suffering from pain, you need the best bike grips for carpal tunnel to prevent further damage. Our top 3 suggestions are below, but read on for more options.
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Biking is a lot of fun till the day when you start experiencing hand and wrist pain. It is quite common for people who mountain bike regularly to develop carpal tunnel syndrome.
If you don’t want to compromise on your adventures of riding a bike and don’t want that numbing pain, then a solution as simple as changing your bike grips might work for you.
Hours of research, and weeks of trying and testing out several different bike grips, we finally shortlisted the five best bike grips for carpal tunnel. Based on the comfort, material, size, and other factors, we have shortlisted five from about twenty-plus products.
In this article, you will learn about,
- What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, and how do bike grips affect it?
- Answers to frequently asked questions about bike grips
- How to choose bike grips for Carpal Tunnel?
- Reviews of the Five Best Bike Grips For Carpal Tunnel.
What Is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome And How Bike Grips Help With It
Have you ever felt numbness, pain, weakness, or a tingling sensation in your hands and wrists? This condition of pain in the hands and wrists is known as carpal tunnel syndrome. It is most likely due to excessive pressure on a nerve called the median nerve, situated inside our wrist.
The median nerve is responsible for the sensations in our middle finger, forefinger, thumb, and half of the ring finger. Also, it provides strength to the forefinger and thumb.
Changing the regular bike grips to ergonomic grips that relieve pressure from your carpal tunnel would be helpful to release the pressure on the median nerve.
A Guide To Choosing The Best Bike Grips For Carpal Tunnel
Comfort
Comfort will be the main aspect of a bike grip if you are suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome. You would want bike grips that are comfortable to hold onto and have an ergonomic shape that relieves the pressure from your palm area.
Type
There are several different types of bike grips that you can choose from. The regular bike grips that you have to slide onto the handlebars come cheap. However, these bike grips often get loose over time and also slide down in wet conditions. Another type is the lock-on grips. They have a metallic ring on the ends of the grips, which locks on the handle and keeps the grips in place. Whatever the type, the main factor would be a wide grip that would help with carpal tunnel syndrome.
Material
The material of the grip solely depends upon the price you pay and your preference. Some people prefer gel-based grips, and some might like plain rubber ones. Other high-end grips can be made of leather. Make sure that you choose one made with high-quality material, so it doesn’t need frequent replacements.
Size
Depending on what type of bike you ride, it is important to check the size of a bike grip before buying it. If you ride an MTB, they all have a standard size, and any bike grip suitable for MTB would fit in yours. However, the size of the grips themself is different.
You can get a grip with an outer diameter from 27mm to 35mm. A larger diameter grip is best suitable for large hands, and for smaller hands, people should get small grips.
The length of the grip can be anywhere from 130mm to 140mm.
Frequently Asked Questions About Best Bike Grips For Carpal Tunnel
Is cycling bad for carpal tunnel?
Yes, cycling is bad for carpal tunnel. During cycling, we hold the handlebars on the bike too tightly, which puts excessive pressure on the palm area of our hand, which contains the carpal tunnel. Inside the carpal tunnel lies the median nerve. When there is too much pressure on the carpal tunnel, the median nerve gets pressed and what you will feel is pain, tingling, numbness in your hands and wrists.
Do you lose grip strength with carpal tunnel?
Yes, apart from the pain, numbness, tingling, or burning, you can lose grip strength with a carpal tunnel if the median nerve is pressed completely.
Why do my hands go numb when I’m cycling?
If your hands go numb when you are cycling and have other symptoms like pain and tingling. Then you are most likely suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome.
What hand position is best for carpal tunnel?
Nothing beats the natural positions of your hands. If you suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome and want to know the hand position that will help relieve some of the pain, keeping your hand aligned with the wrist is the best position.
Reviews of the Five Best Bike Grips For Carpal Tunnel
#1 SAPLIZE Ergonomic Bike Grips For Carpal Tunnel
Features
- Comfort: 9.3/10
- Type: 9.6/10
- Material: 9.4/10
- Size: 9.2/10
- Overall Score: 9.4/10
Technical specification
- Material: Rubber
- Brand: SAPLIZE
- Type: Lock-On
- Color: Multiple color options
- Size: 22.2mm diameter, 140mm length
- Item Weight: 0.61 Pounds
- Dimensions: 5.1 x 1.7 x 1.35 inches
Pros
- These bike grips are available in several different colors.
- The ergonomic design of the bike grips helps with the pain and numbness in your hands and wrists.
- These bike grips are very comfortable to hold onto.
- It will fit on any MTB and urban bike.
- The lock-on type grips stay in place even after rough biking.
Cons
- The curved design of the bike grips may not be comfortable for people with large hands.
Bottom Line
These bike grips from SAPLIZE are great for people with carpal tunnel syndrome with their high-quality rubber material and wide ergonomic design.
Detailed features
- Comfort: These bike grips have an ergonomic shape that helps relieve pressure from your palm area, great for you if you suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome. It has specific grip zones that have a textured rubber design that feels comfortable against your hands.
- Type: These bike grips are of lock-on type. They come with aluminum lock rings on both ends of the grips. This helps keep the grips in place even after using the bike in wet weather or rough mountain biking.
- Material: The material used on these bike grips are high-quality rubber. The rubber helps absorb shock and thus reduce the bumps on your wrist and hand, making it good for carpal tunnel.
- Size: These bike grips are suitable for any bike handle with a diameter of 22.2 inches. The length of the grips is 140mm, which is great for bikers having large hands.
You might also like to read : 6 Best Mountain Bike For Jibbing in 2021
#2 Schwinn Ergonomic Bicycle Grips For Carpal Tunnel
Features
- Comfort: 9/10
- Type: 9.2/10
- Material: 9.1/10
- Size: 9/10
- Overall Score: 9.1/10
Technical specification
- Material: Rubber
- Brand: Schwinn
- Type: Regular
- Color: Black
- Size: 22mm
- Item Weight: 0.35 pounds
- Dimensions: 6.2 x 5.9 x 1.5 inches
Pros
- It has an ergonomic design.
- The gel comfort grip is soft to touch and relieves pressure from your palm.
- The textured rubber pattern improves grip on the handlebar.
- The size of these bike grips would fit on most of the bikes.
- It is cost-efficient.
Cons
- There is no color option.
Bottom Line
These bike grips from Schwinn are great for carpal tunnel syndrome as they have a gel layer that offers better comfort to your palm and wrists.
Detailed features
- Comfort: These bike grips from Schwinn have gel layers in the area where your palm rests while holding the handlebar. The gel layer absorbs much of the vibrations and helps relieve the pain and numbness of carpal tunnel syndrome.
- Type: These bike grips are of the regular type. You need to slide these onto the handlebar. All you need to do is rub some isopropyl alcohol on the handlebar and slide these bike grips over them. However, in wet conditions, these grips may slide down a bit.
- Material: The Kraton compound material of these bike grips make them extremely durable. The gel cushioning around the palm area and the textured rubber make holding the handlebar comfortable.
- Size: These bike grips are of the standard 22mm size, suitable for fitting most MTBs or urban cruisers. The length of these bike grips is 5 inches, and they can be trimmed down easily to fit over any length of handlebars.
#3 Ergon GA3 Ergonomic Bike Grips For Carpal Tunnel
Features
- Comfort: 9/10
- Type: 8.9/10
- Material: 9.1/10
- Size: 8.7/10
- Overall Score: 8.9/10
Technical specification
- Material: Rubber
- Brand: Ergon
- Type: Lock-On
- Color: Multiple color options
- Size: 22.2mm diameter, length- Small, Large, Standard
- Item Weight: 0.29 Pounds
- Dimensions: 9.84 x 2.36 x 2.36 inches
Pros
- These bike grips are available in three different sizes.
- Multiple color options let you customize your bike per your choice.
- The mini wing design of these bike grips fits your hand contours.
- The ergonomic design helps relieve carpal tunnel syndrome pain.
- It is made of high-quality material.
Cons
- No cons.
Bottom Line
This Ergon GA3 Ergonomic Bike Grips For Carpal Tunnel has a unique mini wing design that sits comfortably against your palms and offers relief from carpal tunnel pain.
Detailed features
- Comfort: These bike grips have a mini wing design which makes them ideal for people with carpal tunnel. The design offers relief from the numbness and pain in hands or wrists by being ergonomically shaped as per our hand shape. The ergonomic shape allows better vibration absorption even during riding on rough terrains.
- Type: These bike grips have a lock-on design. First, you have to slide these onto the handlebars, and then they have a lock-on aluminum clap that secures the grips into place. After you have tightened the locks, the grips won’t budge.
- Material: These bike grips are made with super-soft rubber, which makes them very comfortable. Also, the textured design enhances your grip on the handlebars and doesn’t let your hand slide off. The high-quality rubber material lasts long without wear and tear.
- Size: With 22.2mm diameter, these bike grips will fit most mountain bikes or urban cruisers, even those with carbon bars. Having three different length options- small, large, and standard makes it easier to find a size suitable for you.
You might also like to read : Best Mountain Bike Of The 90s
#4 LYCAON Bike Handlebar Grips For Carpal Tunnel
Features
- Comfort: 8.8/10
- Type: 8.7/10
- Material: 9/10
- Size: 8.6/10
- Overall Score: 8.7/10
Technical specification
- Material: Rubber
- Brand: LYCAON
- Type: Lock-On
- Color: Red, Blue, Black
- Size: 20 – 22mm
- Item Weight: 0.25 Pounds
- Dimensions: 5.2 x 1.2 x 1.2 inches
Pros
- It is suitable for most of the handlebars.
- The rubber grip is texture and skid-resistant.
- The aluminum locking rings hold the bike grips into place.
- It offers relief from carpal tunnel syndrome.
- The bike grips are easy to install.
Cons
- The bike grips are not ergonomic in shape.
Bottom Line
These LYCAON Bike Handlebar Grips For Carpal Tunnel are great for people who want lightweight bike grips which offer relief from the numbness and pain in the wrist and hands.
Detailed features
- Comfort: These bike grips have a sponge cushioning inside them which absorbs most of the impact of traveling on bumpy or rough terrain. The vibration absorption lowers down the impact on the wrist and hands, making it comfortable for riders suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome.
- Type: These bike grips are of a lock-on type which helps keep the grips in place. Once you have secured the aluminum alloy rings, the grips won’t budge from their place even if you ride on rough surfaces with many vibrations. However, make sure to tighten the lock every few days to avoid any mishaps.
- Material: These bike grips are made with high-quality rubber and sponge material. The rubber offers a better grip, and the sponge helps absorb all the vibrations. The metal lock rings are of aluminum which is rust-resistant and long-lasting.
- Size: These bike grips will fit onto any standard size MTBs or urban cruisers. It is made to fit a 20 – 22mm diameter, and the lock rings make the fit secure.
#5 TOPCABIN Ergonomic Bike Grips For Carpal Tunnel
Features
- Comfort: 8.3/10
- Type: 8.5/10
- Material: 8.3/10
- Size: 8.1/10
- Overall Score: 8.3/10
Technical specification
- Material: Rubber
- Brand: TOPCABIN
- Type: Lock-On
- Color: Multiple color options
- Size: 20-23mm diameter, length- 130mm
- Item Weight: 0.39 Pounds
- Dimensions: 6.5 x 2 x 2 inches
Pros
- These bike grips are available in multiple colors.
- The size of the bike grip can fit bikes with different diameters.
- The aluminum rings hole the bike grips into place.
- The wide ergonomic design is ideal for people with hand pain and numbness.
Cons
- These bike grips may not be ideal for people with large hands.
Bottom Line
These TOPCABIN Ergonomic Bike Grips For Carpal Tunnel are ideal for people who love riding through mountain areas.
Detailed features
- Comfort: These bike grips have a wide ergonomic design that fits perfectly against our hand contours. The grips relieve pressure from our palm area, making them comfortable for someone with carpal tunnel syndrome.
- Type: These bike grips are of a lock-on design, which surely fits onto the handlebar. The inner aluminum ring secures the grips onto place even when riding on rough surfaces.
- Material: The bike grips have high-quality rubber material, which is very comfortable and sturdy to hold onto. The textured pattern of the rubber makes it skid-proof. The aluminum inner rings are also very strong and will last long.
- Size: These bike grips can fit onto a handlebar with a 20-22mm diameter, making them ideal for several different bikes. The length of these bike grips is 130mm, which is suitable for most people. However, people having large hands won’t find these grips comfortable.
You might also like to read : Best Mountain Bike For Jibbing in 2021
Final Thoughts: Best Bike Grips For Carpal Tunnel
If you have been looking for some non-surgical solution for treating carpal tunnel syndrome, then a bike grip with an ergonomic shape that properly supports your wrist would be important.
To summarise, our favorite product is SAPLIZE Ergonomic Bike Grips For Carpal Tunnel. It is made of high-quality rubber, and the ergonomic design will help with your carpal tunnel.
Our second favorite is the Schwinn Ergonomic Bicycle Grips For Carpal Tunnel, which has specific gel pads in the palm area which offer more comfort even while riding on rough terrains.
If the budget is a little tight for you, you can get LYCAON Bike Handlebar Grips For Carpal Tunnel for under $8. It helps relieve the pain in your hands with its soft rubber material.