Finding a thoughtful gift for someone with osteoarthritis doesn't mean you need to buy something intended to treat their condition.
Often, the most useful gifts are products that make an everyday task easier.
Osteoarthritis can affect different joints, including the knees, hips and hands, and symptoms can include pain, stiffness and changes in how easily a joint moves. That means the perfect gift for someone with arthritis in their hands may be very different from the right gift for someone dealing with knee or hip osteoarthritis.
Instead of starting with the diagnosis, think about the person.
What do they enjoy? Is there an everyday task they've mentioned becoming frustrating? Do they have trouble with buttons, opening containers, bending toward their feet or standing for long periods?
Those clues can lead to a gift they'll actually use.
Here are 15 thoughtful gift ideas for someone with osteoarthritis.
How to Choose a Gift for Someone With Osteoarthritis
Before buying a product specifically because someone has arthritis, consider a few things.
Start with the person, not the condition. Their interests, style and preferences should still come first.
Identify a real frustration. A product that makes an activity easier is much more useful than a generic gadget marketed toward people with arthritis.
Consider which joints are affected. Hand osteoarthritis can make gripping and small fasteners difficult, while knee or hip osteoarthritis may make bending, standing and lower-body dressing more challenging.
Don't surprise someone with medical equipment. Mobility aids, braces and other specialized products are usually better chosen with the recipient and, when appropriate, their healthcare professional.
With that in mind, these gifts focus primarily on making daily activities more convenient and comfortable.
1. Adaptive Clothing
Getting dressed can become frustrating when arthritis affects the hands, shoulders, hips or knees.
Traditional clothing may require pinching small buttons, pulling stiff zippers, bending toward the feet or lifting the legs through narrow pant openings.
Adaptive clothing changes how the garment works to make some of those movements easier.
For example:
-
Magnetic shirts replace traditional buttons with magnetic closures that require less fine-finger manipulation.
-
Side-zip pants open much wider than traditional pants, which can make seated dressing easier for someone who has difficulty bending or lifting their legs.
-
Stretch waistbands eliminate rigid belts and complicated closures.
Joe & Bella's adaptive clothing for arthritis is designed specifically around making dressing easier while maintaining the look and feel of traditional clothing.
For someone who has started avoiding favorite clothes because they're difficult to put on, adaptive clothing can make an especially personal and practical gift.
2. An Electric Jar or Can Opener
Opening a tightly sealed jar requires a combination of grip strength and twisting—exactly the kind of movement that can become frustrating when arthritis affects the hands.
An electric jar or can opener removes much of that work.
The Arthritis Foundation specifically identifies jar openers and electric can openers as examples of assistive devices that can make kitchen tasks easier for people with arthritis.
If the recipient enjoys cooking, this is a relatively small gift they may end up using constantly.
3. Easy-Grip Kitchen Tools
A single thoughtful kitchen tool may be more useful than an entire assortment of “arthritis gadgets.”
Look for:
- Large or padded handles
- Lightweight utensils
- Rocker-style knives
- Easy-grip peelers
- Lightweight cookware
- Nonslip mats
Thicker, textured handles can be easier to grasp and may require less force from the fingers.
Choose something connected to the person's actual cooking habits rather than buying tools they don't normally use.
4. A Reacher or Grabber Tool
For someone with arthritis in the knees or hips, reaching toward the floor or stretching for items on a shelf may be uncomfortable.
A long-handled reacher can help retrieve lightweight objects without requiring as much bending or stretching.
It can be useful for:
- Picking up dropped clothing
- Retrieving household items
- Reaching shelves
- Positioning clothing while getting dressed
It's not glamorous, but if bending has become one of the person's everyday frustrations, it can be surprisingly useful.
5. Magnetic Button-Down Shirt
A magnetic shirt deserves its own spot because hand arthritis is a very different problem from limited mobility in the knees or hips.
Small traditional buttons require pinching, gripping and repeated finger movements.
Magnetic closures allow a shirt to close without having to push each button through a buttonhole.
Joe & Bella's magnetic button-down shirts are designed to look like traditional shirts once closed, with the adaptive mechanism hidden behind the placket.
That makes one a particularly good gift for someone who still loves wearing button-down shirts but has begun finding the buttons frustrating.
6. Side-Zip Adaptive Pants
For someone with osteoarthritis in the knees or hips, lower-body dressing may be the harder part of getting dressed.
Traditional pants require the wearer to reach toward the feet, guide each leg through the garment and pull the pants over the knees and hips.
Joe & Bella's Side-Zip Pants open along the sides so the pant legs can open much wider for seated dressing.
That can make them a thoughtful gift for someone who:
- Has difficulty bending toward their feet
- Finds lifting one leg at a time challenging
- Prefers to dress while seated
- Receives some assistance getting dressed
- Once zipped, they're designed to look like ordinary everyday pants
7. A Long-Handled Shoehorn
Sometimes the best gift is the simplest one.
A long-handled shoehorn can help someone put on shoes without reaching all the way toward the floor.
That's particularly useful when hip or knee mobility makes bending difficult.
The Arthritis Foundation includes long-handled shoehorns among the everyday assistive devices that can help people with arthritis extend their reach.
8. Voice-Controlled Smart Home Devices
Turning switches, manipulating small controls or repeatedly getting up to adjust something around the house can become frustrating.
A voice-controlled smart speaker can simplify some everyday tasks.
Depending on the person's home setup, they may be able to use voice commands to:
- Play music
- Set reminders
- Create shopping lists
- Control compatible lights
- Adjust compatible smart-home devices
This gift works best for someone who is already comfortable with technology—or when you're willing to set everything up for them.
9. A Comfortable Heated Throw
A warm throw is a gift even without making medical claims about it.
For someone who enjoys relaxing at home, a soft heated blanket can provide adjustable warmth while reading, watching television or resting.
Choose one with:
- Simple controls
- An automatic shutoff
- A comfortable weight
- Washable materials when possible
If the recipient has reduced sensation, circulation concerns or another health condition that could affect safe heat use, they should check with their healthcare provider before using heated products.
10. Easy-Open Everyday Products
Pay attention to the everyday objects the person struggles with.
That may reveal the perfect gift.
Products designed with larger handles, easier lids or less twisting can make common tasks easier for someone with hand arthritis.
Examples include:
- Easy-open water bottles
- Pump dispensers
- Large-handled mugs
- Key turners
- Easy-open storage containers
The Arthritis Foundation recommends looking for products that minimize twisting and pinching and offer larger or textured surfaces for gripping.
Sometimes replacing one frustrating everyday object is more useful than buying an expensive device.
11. Adaptive Tools for a Favorite Hobby
Arthritis shouldn't automatically mean giving up activities someone enjoys.
Start with the person's hobby and look for ways to make it more comfortable.
For example:
- Gardening: Lightweight tools with larger handles
- Crafting: Ergonomic scissors or larger-grip tools
- Card games: Card holders or automatic shufflers
- Reading: A book or tablet stand
- Cooking: Easy-grip utensils
This approach keeps the gift focused on what the person loves rather than on their arthritis.
12. Meal or Grocery Delivery
Some of the most useful gifts don't add another object to the house.
Grocery or meal delivery can reduce the amount of carrying, standing and repetitive food preparation involved in getting meals on the table.
A restaurant delivery credit is another option if you know the recipient's favorite place.
The advantage is choice: they decide what they want and when they want it.
13. A Helpful Service
Consider giving someone back some time or energy.
Depending on what they would actually appreciate, that might include:
- Housecleaning
- Lawn care
- Dog walking
- Grocery delivery
- Meal preparation
Don't assume someone needs help because they have osteoarthritis.
But if they've already mentioned that a particular chore has become difficult, taking care of it can be an extremely thoughtful gift.
14. A Relaxing Experience
Not every osteoarthritis gift needs to be functional.
A great gift might simply be an enjoyable experience that works for the recipient's mobility and comfort level.
Consider:
- Dinner at a favorite restaurant
- Museum tickets
- A movie
- A concert
- A class
- An accessible day trip
Check accessibility details beforehand if mobility is a concern.
The point is to give them something enjoyable, not remind them that they have arthritis.
15. Something Completely Unrelated to Osteoarthritis
Sometimes the best gift for someone with osteoarthritis is simply a great gift.
Think about who they are beyond their condition.
Maybe they would rather receive:
- Headphones
- A cookbook
- Artwork
- Sports merchandise
- A coffee subscription
- A favorite fragrance
- Concert tickets
- A restaurant gift card
Osteoarthritis may influence whether a product is comfortable or easy to use, but it doesn't need to define what someone receives.
Gifts That Are Better Chosen Together
Some products can be genuinely useful for people with osteoarthritis but aren't ideal surprise gifts.
These can include:
- Canes
- Walkers
- Braces or orthotics
- Wheelchairs
- Exercise equipment intended for rehabilitation
- Pain-relief products or medications
The appropriate mobility aid or brace can depend on the person's body, affected joints and medical needs.
NIAMS notes that canes and walkers can provide stability and that braces or orthotics may be useful when prescribed and properly fitted by a healthcare professional.
If you know the person needs one of these products, consider offering to help purchase it rather than choosing it for them without their input.
Gifts for Different Types of Osteoarthritis
Gifts for Someone With Arthritis in Their Hands
Hand osteoarthritis can make gripping, pinching and manipulating small objects difficult.
Useful gift ideas may include:
- Magnetic clothing
- Electric jar openers
- Easy-grip utensils
- Large-handled mugs
- Voice-controlled devices
- Adaptive hobby tools
Gifts for Someone With Arthritis in Their Knees
If knee osteoarthritis makes bending or standing difficult, consider gifts that simplify activities without positioning them as medical treatment.
Options might include:
- Side-zip adaptive pants
- A reacher
- A helpful household service
- An accessible experience
- Comfortable items for relaxing at home
Gifts for Someone With Arthritis in Their Hips
Hip osteoarthritis can make reaching toward the feet and lower-body dressing more difficult.
Useful options might include:
- Side-opening pants
- A long-handled shoehorn
- A reacher
- Easy-access household tools
- Services that reduce physically demanding chores
Choose the Person Before the Condition
The best gift for someone with osteoarthritis isn't necessarily the product that makes the biggest claim about arthritis relief.
It's the thing they'll actually use.
Look for an everyday frustration you can remove, a favorite activity you can make easier or something they would simply enjoy.
If dressing has become one of those frustrations, Joe & Bella's adaptive clothing for arthritis includes magnetic shirts, side-opening pants and other clothing designed to make getting dressed easier without sacrificing personal style.
Whatever you choose, start with the individual, not the diagnosis.
About the Author
Ben Graham is the VP of Marketing at Joe & Bella. He leads content creation and partnerships, bringing together caregiving, aging experts and adaptive-clothing experts so Joe & Bella customers are fully equipped with knowledge to help them on their aging and caregiving journeys. With deep experience in research and writing, Ben ensures that all content is accurate and backed by research.