Non-Valk product recommendation; shower grab bar

[Jersey mike]

So if this is a not permitted just remove the post.

It may sound kooky to make this comment or recommend this product but we’ve been amazed at how well it works.

Back when my father-in-law lived with us it got progressively worse for him in the shower. He went from being able to bathe while standing but eventually needed a seat and some grab bars.

We have a tub not a shower stall with 4” tiles. These bars are made specifically to fit 4” tiles and expand to cover 4 tiles almost 16”. Fitting onto 4” tile is important so the suction cups are not overlapping any grout lines which can limit or hamper the grip of the cups. The suction cups measure appx 3-1/2” smothers good coverage on each individual tile.

We used them for a good 6-7 months before dad had to go into memory care. After that we put them away for about 3 years and last year my dad stayed with us and we used them again for 30 days and after he left, again we put them away.

Two weeks ago my wife fell down some stairs and broke her fibula about 1-1/2” above the ankle and we are now using them again in the shower and they still work and grip as new.

They are suction cup attached via an easy lever and come off by just releasing the same lever.

They’re not cheaply made and not cheap in price however I do believe with this you are getting your money’s worth.

If you’re dealing with stability innthe shower or know anyone who may benefit from something like this pass it along.

I will say keeping them clean and the suction cups free from soap and grime is a good idea, just remove after shower and wipe clean.


https://www.bridge-medical.com/collections/portable-grab-bars/products/4-tile-grip-bar


This is the home page and other various bars available.

https://www.bridge-medical.com/

We’ve had some excellent usage out of the ones we have and with just a little care I think anyone else will have similar experience.

[Jess from VA]

People that might slip and fall in a shower tub/stall, need to put a little seat/stool in there and sit down to bathe. 

I have two baths, a full tub in one and a stall in the other.  I hate showering in a bath tub (slip hazard), so I only use the stall.  Have to remember to keep the tub trap full of water so bugs don't start coming out the drain.  (It's also rubber plugged)

[da prez]

  Good info as I do a lot of installs. I do not use the hardware on most rails as I just do not believe it will hold if a person slips. I have hardware of choice.
 Not trying to rain on your parade .  If the tiles are set properly , it is a good item. I see a lot of old installs where water has gotten behind the tiles. Use common sense when using any assist rails. Most of the hardware I see is plastic wall inserts that I wouldn't use to hang a picture.

                                        da prez   

[Jersey mike]

What I like about these is that they can be “installed” or placed at various heights for each individual when necessary. There doesn’t need to be any drilling and screwing into a stud or plastic plug.

I agree with you on the fact that these are only for stability and holding onto in the shower and NOT made to support one’s entire body weight or to be pulled upon with all one’s strength to pull themselves up or forward. I should have made that perfectly clear in my original post and comments. My apologies if I was misleading, not intentional.

That being said however I still think these are a good option for folks who just need a little something extra to grab onto while moving in and out of the shower as well as the use of a chair (with or W/O a back) and a rubber mat on the bottom of the tub or stall shower. This is just a little extra safety.

[John Schmidt]

In years past I used them while caring for Rita, then tossed them when she passed. With Rita, I'd put the plastic commode chair in the shower stall, I'd strip down and get in behind her...was a big stall so made for easy in/out. I had to add extra hose length for us to use the hand held shower. More recently, we have a set Nancy uses in her shower. We have a tub/shower in the master bath and just a stall in the bathroom she uses(it's bigger, tell you anything?). The neat thing about her shower is it has a built in seat. I don't use the suction handle in the master bath, don't feel the need...yet! 

[cookiedough]

jersey mike,

do you think they would be strong enough suction cups to support and pulled on the majority of one's body weight because if I start slipping, I would put most of my body weight onto it and not want it to come crashing down?   It seems it could stick onto fiberglass, acrylic, cast iron, not just tile smooth surfaces as we have a tub surround made of fiberglass.

basically, have you tried tugging as hard as you can on them without coming off? 

We want to get rid of our 31 year old fiberglass tub surround have gotten 4 estimates and all 4 just are too darn expensive to rip/cut out the old one,  reframe, and go acrylic or other more expensive surfaces with 3 shelves and 2 grab bars and new shower fixings.  All estimates are 7-11 grand which for a full one day job for 2 installers I think is just plain insane pricing.

Am not there yet needing grab bars, but will soon am sure.

[Jersey mike]

jersey mike,

do you think they would be strong enough suction cups to support and pulled on the majority of one's body weight because if I start slipping, I would put most of my body weight onto it and not want it to come crashing down?   It seems it could stick onto fiberglass, acrylic, cast iron, not just tile smooth surfaces as we have a tub surround made of fiberglass.

basically, have you tried tugging as hard as you can on them without coming off? 

We want to get rid of our 31 year old fiberglass tub surround have gotten 4 estimates and all 4 just are too darn expensive to rip/cut out the old one,  reframe, and go acrylic or other more expensive surfaces with 3 shelves and 2 grab bars and new shower fixings.  All estimates are 7-11 grand which for a full one day job for 2 installers I think is just plain insane pricing.

Am not there yet needing grab bars, but will soon am sure.

That might depend on your height and weight. When we first got them, I did a pull test and thought I might rip the tiles out so I stopped. I never really tested the sheer strength but I have applied a good amount of force to get a feel for what they could bear, I’d say 1/2-3/4 my body weight (155) plus half my strength to do a push-up.

Skim through their site and get a look at the different applications they show, one photo has one of their products being used on the side of a boat just above the waterline. Not sure what they’re implying but maybe to pull yourself into the boat.

This is from the FAQ page of their site, it doesn’t mention sheer strength;

https://www.bridge-medical.com/apps/help-center#hc-how-much-weight-will-a-bridge-medical-portable-grab-hold

How much weight will a Bridge Medical Portable Grab hold?

The average healthy, adult human can generate about 60lbs of pull strength using their own power. That same average, adult human’s fingers generally straighten out or release at about 80lbs of pull pressure due to the sheer force on the digits. The Single Grip Portable Grab Bar has been tested to hold up to roughly 200lbs of Pull Pressure** Test surface .25 Acrylic