Guides
Crutch guides
Browse by what you need: learn the technique, find picks for your situation, compare types, or sort out coverage. Each guide ends with our current top picks.
Getting started & how-to
Fit, walk, take stairs, and the technique that keeps you safe.
How to Use Underarm Crutches: A Beginner's Guide
How to use underarm crutches safely: keep your weight on the hand grips, not your armpits, with the basic gait, pad position, and sit-to-stand steps.
Read the guide →How to Fit and Size Underarm Crutches Correctly
How to fit underarm crutches: set the pad about 2 inches below your armpit and the grip at hip level with a 15-30 degree elbow bend. Sizing steps inside.
Read the guide →How to Walk With Crutches: Gait, Turns, and Curbs
How to walk with crutches: swing-to, swing-through, and three-point gaits, surfaces and pace, forearm crutch technique, turning safely, handling curbs, and common mistakes to avoid.
Read the guide →How to Stop Armpit Pain From Crutches
Armpit pain from crutches comes from leaning on the underarm pads. Adjust the height and push through your hands. 5 fixes that work.
Read the guide →How to Size and Adjust Forearm Crutches Correctly
How to set forearm crutch handle height and cuff position correctly — the two measurements that determine fit, with a simple at-home method.
Read the guide →How to Adjust Crutches: Step-by-Step Height Setup Guide
Crutches set to the wrong height are uncomfortable and unstable. Here's how to adjust the height and handgrip on underarm and forearm crutches in about two minutes.
Read the guide →How to Replace Crutch Tips: Standard Size Is 7/8 Inch — Step-by-Step Guide (2026)
7/8 inch fits most underarm crutches. Confirm your size, pull the old tip off, push the new one on — done in under 2 minutes with no tools. Full guide with size chart and replacement schedule.
Read the guide →How to Use Crutches on Stairs (Up, Down, With and Without a Handrail)
The complete technique for climbing and descending stairs on crutches: the rhyme that makes it stick, handrail and no-handrail methods, the sit-and-scoot fallback, safety tips, and when to ask a PT.
Read the guide →How to Walk With Forearm Crutches: Gait and Technique Guide
How to walk with forearm crutches: step-by-step technique for swing-through and four-point gait, cuff fit, and posture habits that keep your wrists neutral under load.
Read the guide →How to Use Crutches: Complete Beginner's Guide (Fit, Walk, Stairs)
New to crutches? Here's how to fit them correctly, stand up, walk, sit down, and take stairs safely, plus how to avoid the sore hands and armpits that trip most people up.
Read the guide →Weight-Bearing Status Explained: NWB, Toe-Touch, Partial & Full
Your weight-bearing status is the rule for how much weight your surgeon allows on the injured leg. Here's what NWB, toe-touch (TTWB), partial (PWB), weight bearing as tolerated (WBAT), and full (FWB) each mean, in plain English.
Read the guide →Non Weight Bearing Crutches: Best Options and Fit Guide
Crutches for non weight bearing recovery -- what NWB means, which forearm and underarm models fit the demand, and how to size for single-leg use.
Read the guide →How to Use One Crutch (Single-Crutch Walking)
Down to a single crutch? Here's which side to hold it on (it's the surprising one), the walking pattern, and how to take stairs with one crutch safely.
Read the guide →Crutch Gait Patterns Explained: Swing-Through, Three-Point, and More
What the crutch gait patterns actually mean: swing-through, swing-to, three-point, two-point, and four-point gaits explained in plain English, with which weight-bearing status each one suits.
Read the guide →By condition & situation
Picks and advice for your injury, body, or long-term need.
Crutches After Surgery: What to Use While You're Non-Weight-Bearing
If you're facing 6 weeks non-weight-bearing after foot or ankle surgery, here's how to pick crutches that won't wreck your hands, armpits, and shoulders.
Read the guide →Best Long-Term Crutches for Everyday Use (2026)
If you are on crutches every day, comfort and durability beat price. What to look for in a daily-driver forearm crutch, and which models hold up over months of use.
Read the guide →Crutches for Elderly Parents: A Caregiver's Guide (2026)
Stability and grip comfort matter most for older adults. Here are the picks your parent can actually handle — and the one type most caregivers regret buying.
Read the guide →Forearm Crutches Built for Lower Hand, Wrist, and Arm Load: What to Look For
What to look for in forearm crutch design if hand, wrist, or shoulder load is a concern — grip angle, forearm platform, shock absorption, and frame weight explained.
Read the guide →Crutch Sizing for Tall Adults: Height Band Guide (5'10" to 6'6")
Sizing guide for tall adults on crutches — height bands from 5'10" to 6'6", axillary pad and handgrip adjustment tables, and a comparison of forearm vs underarm options for extended use.
Read the guide →Best Crutches for Kids (2026): Safe, Lightweight Picks by Height Band
Youth crutches fit kids 4'6"–5'2"; pediatric fits 4'0"–4'6". Our top picks by size band, safety weight ratings, and a parent's fitting checklist — so your kid doesn't swing an adult-size pair.
Read the guide →Bariatric Crutches: Best Heavy-Duty Picks Rated Up to 500 lbs (2026)
Standard crutches cap at 250 to 380 lb depending on the model — not always enough. Our top bariatric picks — steel frames rated up to 500 lb, forearm and underarm options — with key specs and a sizing guide.
Read the guide →Best Crutches for Multiple Sclerosis: Lightweight Forearm Picks
For MS and long-term daily crutch use, weight is the #1 spec — every extra gram per crutch compounds across thousands of steps a day. Scored picks, key criteria, and what to look for.
Read the guide →Best Forearm Crutches for EDS & Hypermobility (2026): Lightweight, Wrist-Neutral Picks
EDS creates specific demands on wrist angle and load path that most standard crutches aren't designed to meet. Here are the forearm crutch picks built for hypermobile grip mechanics, with sizing notes for EDS users.
Read the guide →ACL Surgery Crutches: Recovery Timeline (2-6 Weeks) and Best Options
Most ACL patients use crutches 2-6 weeks. Here's what to expect each week, what to look for in crutch fit and ergonomics, and the top forearm crutches to use during ACL recovery.
Read the guide →Crutches After a Broken Foot or Ankle: What to Use
A practical guide to getting through weeks of non-weight-bearing after a broken foot or ankle, and which crutches make it less miserable.
Read the guide →Best Crutches for Arthritis (2026): Cushioned, Lightweight Picks
Arthritis shifts the selection criteria: forearm cuffs over palm grips, ergonomic handles, shock absorption, and lighter frames. Picks for rheumatoid and osteoarthritis, key specs, and how to choose.
Read the guide →Best Crutches for Tall People (2026): Tall & Extra-Tall Picks
Most crutches top out around a 6-foot user. The best tall crutches are rated well past that: forearm models reaching 6'8" and tall-adult underarm sizes to 6'6". Here are the picks and how to check the fit.
Read the guide →Buying & comparisons
Compare crutch types and find the right pair to buy.
Best Crutch Pads for Comfort (Underarm and Hand)
The best crutch pads for comfort are gel or memory-foam underarm covers plus padded hand grips. What to look for and the standard 7/8 inch size.
Read the guide →Knee Scooter vs. Forearm Crutches: Which Is Right for You?
Knee scooters and forearm crutches both keep weight off a healing foot or ankle. Here's how they compare on comfort, mobility, stairs, and cost.
Read the guide →Forearm vs. Underarm Crutches: Which Should You Use?
Forearm (Lofstrand) and underarm (axillary) crutches suit different needs. Here's how they compare on comfort, learning curve, and long-term use.
Read the guide →Wood vs. Aluminum Crutches: Which Should You Buy?
Side-by-side on weight, adjustment, weight capacity, noise, and price. Aluminum is the default for most, with one scenario where wood is the right call.
Read the guide →Best Ergonomic Crutches (2026): Shock-Absorbing Underarm Picks
Ergonomic and shock-absorbing underarm crutches cost more but add real comfort on long recoveries. The top ergonomic picks, what the upgrade buys you, and when a basic pair is fine.
Read the guide →Crutches vs. Cane: Which Is Right for You?
When a cane is enough, when you need crutches, and how to tell which fits your situation, stability, and recovery stage.
Read the guide →Crutch Alternatives: Hands-Free Devices, Knee Scooters, and More
Crutches aren't the only way to stay mobile while a leg heals. Compare knee scooters, hands-free crutches, canes, and walkers, and which fits your injury and weight-bearing status.
Read the guide →Coverage & cost
Pay with benefits or get crutches covered as DME.
Does the VA Pay for Crutches? VA and TRICARE Benefits (E0110)
How veterans and TRICARE members generally get forearm crutches through their benefit under HCPCS code E0110, what your care team needs from you, and what to confirm before you buy.
Read the guide →Are Crutches Usually FSA & HSA Eligible? How to Pay (2026)
Crutches are often FSA and HSA eligible as durable medical equipment. How to confirm with your plan, pay with your benefits card, and what receipt to keep.
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