How to put on socks when you can't bend or reach
Quick answer: Sit on a firm chair, open the sock wide before it goes near your foot, and raise the foot only as far as your precautions or comfort allow. If your toes are still out of reach, a sock aid lets you pull socks on while sitting upright.
Not quite your situation? Putting on socks from a seated position or see every reason putting on socks gets hard.
Your feet are further away than your hands can safely go. Pulling on a sock means folding at the hip, rounding your back and drawing the foot toward you, then holding that position while both hands stretch the cuff open. That combined bend is what a new hip, a recovering back or a late-pregnancy belly gets in the way of.
Try this first (no purchase)
- Choose a firm, higher seat. A dining chair with arms or the edge of a firm bed keeps you upright, while a low sofa pulls you into a deeper fold before you've started. If your team gave you a minimum seat height, measure the chair against it. Lay the socks on the chair arm the night before so you aren't digging in a drawer.
- Loosen the sock before it meets your foot. Use your stretchiest pair, or socks one size up, and pull the cuff wide with both hands a few times. Then gather the sock down to the toe so it slips over your toes in one go and your hands spend less time down at your feet.
- Shorten the distance only in ways you're cleared for. If your team allows it, rest the foot on a low footstool or a sturdy step so it sits closer to your hands. Crossing one leg over the other is a position to ask your team about specifically before you try it.
- Do socks when your skin is dry. Straight out of the shower, damp skin grabs the fabric, so the sock twists and drags and you pull harder at full stretch. Dress your top half first, give your feet time to air-dry, and leave socks until last.
- Hand compression stockings to a helper. If you've been told to wear compression stockings, have someone put them on for you rather than fighting them alone. They're tight on purpose and all the effort happens right at your ankle. A nurse or therapist can show your helper the easiest way.
What actually helps
We may earn a commission when you buy through these links. It never decides what we list — see how we choose. Not a fit? Amazon takes most items back within 30 days; check the listing, since some personal-care items can't be returned.
Getting socks on
Our pick
RMS Deluxe Sock Aid with foam handles
Sock aid · how to choose a sock aid
$9.97 price as of Sep 27, 2026 at 4:47 pm ET
Check price on Amazon (opens new tab)- Why it works
- You load the sock onto a soft plastic shell, slip your foot in and pull the foam handles, so the sock goes on while you sit upright. Reviewers used it after hip and knee surgery.
- Who it won't suit
- The listing says it is not for compression stockings or very thin hosiery, and you still need two hands to stretch the sock over the shell before you start.
What reviewers report
Reviewers put their socks on without bending after hip or knee surgery, or while managing arthritis and back pain. Several wish they had bought one before the operation rather than after. — Our summary of customer reviews on Amazon · read the reviews (opens new tab)
Cheaper option
KEKOY Sock Aid, 4-inch foot width
Sock aid · how to choose a sock aid
$8.99 price as of Sep 27, 2026 at 4:47 pm ET
Check price on Amazon (opens new tab)- Why it works
- A U-shaped shell holds the sock open while you pull it up by the cords, so you don't lean forward; one buyer got it while waiting for a hip replacement.
- Who it won't suit
- It is made for feet up to 4 inches wide and is not for compression socks or stockings, so wide or swollen feet need a different model.
What reviewers report
Reviewers who cannot bend to reach a foot, including one waiting for a hip replacement, say socks go on without straining, and they consider it good value. — Our summary of customer reviews on Amazon · read the reviews (opens new tab)
If you need the whole kit
RMS 5-piece hip & knee kit with 26" reacher
Hip kit
$39.99 price as of Sep 27, 2026 at 4:47 pm ET
Check price on Amazon (opens new tab)- Why it works
- One box covers the first weeks after a hip replacement: a 26" reacher, a sock aid, a 28" dressing stick, a 22" sponge and a 24" shoehorn. One reviewer ordered it on a hospital therapist's advice.
- Who it won't suit
- You pay for five tools even if you only need the sock aid and a shoehorn, and one owner found part of it a bit flimsy, though it still worked well sitting down.
What reviewers report
Reviewers bought the kit for hip replacement recovery, several on a physical therapist's advice, and say the reacher, sock glider and shoehorn were still in use months afterwards. One found the dressing stick flimsy. — Our summary of customer reviews on Amazon · read the reviews (opens new tab)
Shoes afterwards
Our pick
ZOMAKE 16.5" metal long-handled shoehorn
Long-handled shoehorn
$9.99 price as of Sep 27, 2026 at 4:47 pm ET
Check price on Amazon (opens new tab)- Why it works
- A 16.5-inch steel shoehorn with a hanging hook: you guide your heel into the shoe while standing or sitting upright instead of bending down to your feet.
- Who it won't suit
- At 16.5 inches it is short for a long-handled shoehorn: if you can't lean forward at all, look for a longer one before you order.
What reviewers report
Reviewers with back problems say shoes go on without bending down at all, which is the whole reason they went looking for a longer handle. — Our summary of customer reviews on Amazon · read the reviews (opens new tab)
Cheaper option
Phantawell 35.5" shoehorn and dressing stick
Long-handled shoehorn
$8.32 price as of Sep 27, 2026 at 4:47 pm ET
Check price on Amazon (opens new tab)- Why it works
- It extends to 35.5 inches, so you reach your feet from a chair; the S-hook pulls socks off and helps with pants, and reviewers after back surgery rely on it.
- Who it won't suit
- It is a shoehorn and hook, not a sock aid: it takes socks off but won't put them on. It can be shortened to 22.5 inches if the full length is unwieldy.
What reviewers report
Reviewers who cannot bend after back surgery say the length is what matters: at thirty-five inches it reaches boots, and the hook on the other end also pulls socks off. — Our summary of customer reviews on Amazon · read the reviews (opens new tab)
3 more options follow below.
More options that also work (3)
These fit too, but we'd try the picks above first.
27" beech dressing stick with metal hook
Dressing stick
$9.99 price as of Sep 27, 2026 at 4:47 pm ET
Check price on Amazon (opens new tab)- Why it works
- A 27-inch beech stick with a vinyl-coated Z-hook for pulling up pants and pushing off socks, so lower-body dressing happens without bending; one reviewer used it after a hip replacement.
- Who it won't suit
- It pushes and pulls clothes but won't put a sock on, so pair it with a sock aid; it also screws together from two parts before use.
What reviewers report
Reviewers recovering from a hip replacement, and people who cannot bend far enough to reach a zipper, say the stick does the reaching for them. — Our summary of customer reviews on Amazon · read the reviews (opens new tab)
Cubii 26" wooden dressing stick with hook
Dressing stick
$8.99 price as of Sep 27, 2026 at 4:47 pm ET
Check price on Amazon (opens new tab)- Why it works
- A 26-inch lacquered dowel with a reinforced hook for pulling clothes on and off without bending; reviewers call it essential after hip and knee replacement.
- Who it won't suit
- The 5/8-inch dowel is thin to hold for weak hands, and a stick can't put socks on, so you'll still want a sock aid.
What reviewers report
Reviewers name hip and knee replacement recovery and arthritis as the reason they bought it, and describe dressing themselves while bending was still off limits. — Our summary of customer reviews on Amazon · read the reviews (opens new tab)
CAidRE wide sock aid with foam handles
Sock aid · how to choose a sock aid
$9.99 price as of Sep 27, 2026 at 4:47 pm ET
Check price on Amazon (opens new tab)- Why it works
- A wide 4.2-inch shell with an extended lip keeps the sock from slipping off while you pull the 38-inch cords; one reviewer used it after a hip replacement.
- Who it won't suit
- It is not for compression socks or stockings, and like any sock aid it needs two hands to load the sock onto the shell before you start.
What reviewers report
Reviewers under hip-replacement bending restrictions say it solved the sock problem, and one with severe arthritis reports no trouble working it. — Our summary of customer reviews on Amazon · read the reviews (opens new tab)
What not to buy for putting on socks when you can't bend or reach
- A regular sock aid for compression stockings — the soft plastic trough can't hold a tight stocking open, so it springs off halfway up your foot. Those need a frame-style stocking donner, and many people still need a helper.
- A sock aid with short cords and no handles — if the loops end near your knees, you have to lean forward to grab them, which puts you back in the bend you were trying to avoid.
Buying this for someone else?
Before ordering, ask whether their hospital or therapist has already given them one: some joint replacement programs include a sock aid in a kit handed out around the time of surgery. Also find out whether they'll be wearing compression stockings, because that changes which tool, if any, will help.