Best Jar Opener for Older Adults

By:  Editorial Team   |  Posted: October 15, 2015   |  Updated: December 7, 2023

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If you need a jar opener to help open jars for whatever reason, this synthesis will tell you which ones our Longevity Explorers liked and why they liked them. Our Explorer circles have had a number of discussions, and show and tell interactions, about jar openers. This is a summary of what we learned. ​

 

Which Jar Opener works best?

hands-on testing by seniors
Explorers testing jar openers

Older adults often find opening jars and bottles and other containers hard, due to weakness in their hand, arthritis, or just reduced strength in their arms. There are many “gadgets” that have been developed to help overcome this difficulty. When you look on Amazon you see literally hundreds. But which one to pick?

The Explorers at several of our circles wanted to find answers to this question, and we engaged in a series of discussions and some hands-on evaluations to learn which jar opener would work best and for whom. Unsurprisingly, we found there was no such thing as a “best” jar opener. But there were definitely products that worked best for certain people.

Different opener types solve different problems

Broadly speaking there are three things these jar openers are designed to “help” with: Grip; the need for two strong hands and arms; and strength & leverage.

In the absence of a gadget to help, opening a jar requires the following.

  1. Grip: One hand needs to grip tightly the jar lid. If the lid is slippery or if one’s grip is not very strong, then the hand will slip and it will not be possible to turn the jar lid.
  2. Two strong hands: The other hand needs to grip the jar itself. If the jar is big or slippery this can be hard for anyone. If one’s grip is not super strong in the second hand, or if one has small hands, or the jar is slippery, this second hand grip can also fail, and the jar will not open.
  3. Strength & Leverage: Even if both hands grip well on the jar and the jar lid, one needs adequate strength to turn the lid and jar in opposite directions and break the seal. This can be hard for anyone, and harder still for people who are frail or who have arthritis.

Some of our Explorers cared mainly about grip, some cared more about the need to have two strong hands, some needed leverage or strength, and some needed help with all three of these things.

 

The Favorites

 

The short list of explorer's favorites
Longevity Explorer’s Favorite Jar Openers

 

There are links to these and the other products we tested in the writeup below of the individual products, so you can find out more or buy them on Amazon if you wish.

 

 

What we did

Step 1: Discussions

This exploration unfolded over a series of months, and multiple explorer circles took part. It started when one circle decided they would all bring along their favorite jar opener and show them and discuss them. Some brought openers they loved. But some came along and explained why product x did not work, and recommended we stay away from it.

After a series of these discussions, it started to become clear what worked and what did not. You can follow the discussions and listen to what people actually said in the discussions that are attached to this page.

Step 2: Get the most promising products

Once we thought we understood what to look for, we spent some time on Amazon, where you can find many jar openers for sale. We read reviews, and searched until we narrowed down the field to a total of 14 products we wanted to evaluate. We bought them.

Here is the selection we acquired.

 

Products we evaluated
The full selection of jar openers the explorers evaluated

 

 

Step 3: Explorer evaluation

We took along our collection of products to two of our circles of Longevity Explorers (members are older adults). The explorers tried out each opener on a variety of jars, and discussed the merits and drawbacks. You can listen to that exploration in the discussions attached to this page, and we especially recommend this discussion.

 

Most Popular Jar Openers

Grip

Rubber cone
Prepworks

Jargripperpad
Regent

Almost all our explorers liked the rubber (or silicon) sheets, and the red cone of rubber was especially popular. All agreed that the main thing these products do is help with grip. They prevent your fingers sliding on the jar or the lid. This is often a big part of the problem, and so they are often helpful. But they don’t help with the need for leverage or for two hands.

Explorers especially liked the fact they are small (easy to store), colorful (you don’t lose them), and can go in the dishwasher.

There are many brands available and some explorers mentioned that they had bought some that did not seem to work as well as the ones we brought along. Explorers liked both the Regent Jar Grips and the Jar Gripper Pads from Utensil Pro.

 

Need grip and Leverage

EZoff
EZ Off

Oxo
Oxo Good Grips

Our explorers agreed that often the problem is a combination of grip and leverage. The two products that were popular, and which addressed these two issues together, are the Oxo Good Grips Jar Opener and the EZ Off Jar Opener.

Many of our explorers liked the idea of the EZ Off product. It is designed to be screwed onto the underside of a cupboard over a countertop. In operation, you hold the jar with one or two hands and lift it up to the EZ Off, and slide it sideways into the jaws you see in the picture (which would normally be facing down). The rather sharp teeth grab the jar lid so long as you keep pressure on the jar. You can then turn the jar (with both hands) and the jar lid comes unscrewed.

Explorers liked the fact this was out of the way, and always in the same place so you did not have to look for it. We realized that being able to use two hands on the jar was a big plus and helped a lot with the leverage problem. The teeth adressed the need for grip.

There was a dissenting point of view, however. Quite a few of the explorers expressed the opinion it was too gadgety, and they did not like it. Also, you do need to keep the jar lid flat in the V groove and if you tilt the jar, it no longer works properly.

The black Oxo product works on a very similar principle but it is hand operated rather than mounted under a cupboard. It contains a nice silicon rubber pad that slips out of the top of the tool and can be used to stand the jar on, thereby helping prevent it turning. This product does not allow you to use two hands on the jar, but it has a nice lever arm instead.

Explorers were keen it was simple, not too ugly, and would go in the dishwasher. A minority felt it was too tricky to get the right angle of attack, and that it slipped off the jar lid too frequently to be really helpful.

 

The perfect “tool”

Swiss
Kuhn Rikon

The product that came closest to helping with all three challenges (grip, two hands, leverage) was the Swiss-made product by Kuhn Rikon. This product was very effective, but is a bit bulky and complex looking. As one explorer summarized it: “If my day job was opening jars all day, this would be the tool I would want. But maybe it is overkill for my house”.

This device works in two steps. First you place it over the jar lid, and tighten the crank at the top, which moves a set of three jaws along little tracks until they capture the jar tightly (a sort of vice). At that point the jar is attached to the “tool”, and you can then use one hand on the long lever arm to easily unscrew the jar lid from the jar. If you only have one available hand, as did one of our explorers who was just back from wrist surgery, this product is especially relevant. It allowed her to open jars better than any of the others.

No-one disliked this product, and all agreed it worked well. The caveats were about size and complexity. Some worried if it would not last well. Some worried about whether it was dishwasher-proof.

If you need the maximal help with opening jars and don’t mind size etc, then this product is probably a good choice. Ideally it would be paired with a gripper pad to help your other hand get a firm grip on the jar itself.

 

Notable mentions

oldie but goodie
Oldie but Goodie

Oldie but Goodie: One of our explorers brought along the metal jar opener shown here. She has had it for quite some time. She said “I think it is from the post war era”.

It seemed to be very effective, including an ability to clamp onto the lid and a good metal lever arm. We did not initially find it on Amazon, but we later found something similar that you can see below. We have not tested the new one we found on Amazon.

 

Red ratchet for camp trips?
Trudeau Red Ratchet

Take this camping: A surprisingly popular option was this small gripper ratchet tool from Trudeau. People liked that it was small and unobtrusive, and also that it was colorful so could be easily found in a crowded drawer.

It was probably less effective than the alternatives above, but a nice compromise when space is at a premium. One explorer said “this is what I want when I go camping”.

 

 

 

 

Want to know more? Listen to the actual discussions!

There was a great deal more detail and fine granularity in the actual discussions the explorers had, and we also discussed all the other products we had acquired. If you want to know more, please browse the accompanying discussions.

You can listen to the actual discussions. They start at the top right of this page if you are on a large screen, or below this synthesis if you are on a small screen.

 

 

How to acquire the products we tested or learn more

In the writeup above are Amazon links to all the products we tested and liked. Below are futher links to these “favorites”, as well as the products we tested but were less enthusiastic about.

Note: If you click on the links accompanying each the images above (or below), you will be taken to Amazon (or the manufacturer), where you can read more about each product and buy them if you want. [Disclosure: If you end up buying one from Amazon after clicking on these links, Amazon gives us a few pennies from their revenues.]

We have no financial interest in any of the products themselves.

If you don’t see Amazon links below it may be because you have ad-blocking turned on on your computer.

 

 

These Jar Openers were popular with explorers

 

 

These Jar Openers were less popular with explorers

 

 

Not tested by our Explorers, but looks useful

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Disclosure: The research and opinions in this article are those of the author, and may or may not reflect the official views of Tech-enhanced Life.

If you use the links on this website when you buy products we write about, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases as an Amazon Associate or other affiliate program participant. This does not affect the price you pay. We use the (modest) income to help fund our research.

In some cases, when we evaluate products and services, we ask the vendor to loan us the products we review (so we don’t need to buy them). Beyond the above, Tech-enhanced Life has no financial interest in any products or services discussed here, and this article is not sponsored by the vendor or any third party. See How we Fund our Work.

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17 thoughts on “Best Jar Opener for Older Adults”

  1. Jar opener for single arm?

    I have looked at your preferred openers. However I could not find one for handicap person with one arm. All of the openers still require two hands to operate safely. I would like to see one opener which will hold the base of the jar to be opened while a one handed person could remove the lid. this device should be capable of all top lid dimensions. Thank you

    • Automatic jar openers

      We tried one automatic jar opener that might be what you need. You can see it on Amazon here. However, in our tests it did not perform super well, but it may be we had a defective product.

      • I have had that jar opener
        I have had that jar opener from Amazon for quite some years, and it works beautifully! It can handle various sized jars and lids, including those that have disparities between the lid size and jar size, and it still works without a battery change for years!

        • Since my comment got

          Since my comment got separated from the original article, the jar opener that I was referring to as being excellent from Amazon is the Hamilton Beach Open Eaze…

    • Jiffy Twist Jar Opener.
      Jiffy Twist Jar Opener. Premiered on Amazon 2 months ago. Blows all other jar openers away. Easily uses with one hand with minimal strength. It is seriously effortless.

  2. “oldie but goodie”

    Found "The Vermont Store" to have the opener similar to the "oldie but goodie" opener….just FYI

  3. jar opener

    The opener in the "Not tested by our Explorers, but looks useful"   category is the one I love.  It is made by KitchenAid.  We have bought multiple ones to give to friends and family.

  4. Opening Jars Tins Bottles etc. (ONE HANDED)

    Hi,

    What is seriously missing from the hundreds of discussions products tools etc.  is any way for a person with the use of ONE HAND ONLY to open a jar, bottle can etc.  There are some mainly electric can openers that can be just about operated one handed, but often these leave a razor sharp exposed metal edge which is even the more dangerous for a person with limited ability. 

    Some electric ones battery operated and maybe  Krupp one not easily and cheaply available in the UK turn the edge over, these are very good except the UK one being battery operated and having cheap plastic gears (that strip) and not to easy to engage on the tin.

    For a person with limited or no use of one hand………..broken arm, arthritis or other damage 99% of the openers are impossible to use as there is no way to securely safely and easily HOLD THE TIN/BOTTLE/JAR.

    What is needed is a simple effective way to hold the item, then use a one handed tool to perform the opening.  There is one item I have found that holds the can using body weight, just the job for an old person with limited mobility and bad leg etc.  maybe the maker has private hospital shares? 

    This text editor is poor.

    Regards

     

    Burt 

    • I have the perfect can opener
      I have the perfect can opener for you, it is called “TouCan” and works with batteries. I just set it in the can and press the button. It goes around the can and does NOT leave a sharp edge. I will try to send a picture if possible. No, the picture didn’t work, couldn’t attach.

  5. Gilhoolie jar opener

    The "oldie but goodie" jar opener in the article is called a gilhoolie and is still available in the Vermont country store catalogue

  6. I had obe very similar to

    I had one very similar to your "untested" mosel for 69 years. It worked great exept for very large circumferences.The small sliding piece broke last week and I am bereft! Now I enlist my sons!

  7. From time to time, such as

    From time to time, such as recently after losing everything and trying to decide what things I needed to continue to live independently for as long as possible.  But, the only issue I forsee is the day that I'm no longer able to grip the jar lid I'm trying to open…which I figure anything like a large pipe wrench would work…as for getting a new jar open.

     

    The method I learned as a boy scout has always worked for me….hit the side of the jar lid with the backside of a knife….which loosens or breaks the seal was preventing me from turning the lid.

     

    My parents had claimed the answer involved hot water and dissimilar material expansion rates….etc.  Which makes sense I also have an Engineering degree, but often didn't work for me….wet jars were even harder to open, but much easier to drop….especially since I have Ataxia.

  8. What type of opener works
    What type of opener works best on paper containers with self opening caps? Like milk carton caps and egg carton caps.

  9. You people have entirely
    You people have entirely missed the point with all of your openers. I have a pliers with a very large mouth, obviously made for jars. It resembles a vise grip plier, with a screw adjustment for different size lids. The point is NOT to grab the lid and FORCE it open. I very rarely need to use it for that. That is what takes all the gripping force and is so hard. Instead, I position it LOW on the lid and just squeeze a bit. The lid deforms slightly, AIR RUSHES IN and the lid can be removed with two fingers (usually). There is no struggle to grip either the jar or the lid. Best of all, the lid is not deformed, not scarred with burrs, so you can use it with the jar over and over after the jar is empty. The only problem is that I don’t see it advertised anywhere and I have no idea of where it came from.

  10. I have used the ezoff opener
    I have used the ezoff opener with one hand for 20 yrs for bottles, jars and many other things. If anyone out there can’t use this opener you should never leave the house and for sure never drive a car, yikes.

  11. The Britex jar key (or
    The Britex jar key (or similar to ones pictured above) is brilliant for use with vacuum sealed lids, such as jam jars, but not screw tops. Pop the seal and the lid will come off easily.

  12. There is a new product,
    There is a new product, Jiffy Twist jar opener. It is incredible. It is the only one with patented blade protector so it won’t cut the jar lid to shreds or your hands if by accident, you touch the blade, which is easy to do when it’s under a cabinet. Jiffy Twist opens all size jars and bottles even to the smallest medicine bottle. With just a slight twist, no pressure. Takes no strength can use one hand or two hands to easy open.