What Are The Best Coffee Cups for Arthritic Hands?

Certified Senior Advisor®
Senior Home Safety Specialist®
20 years of medical equipment experience
Compassionately helping seniors and their caregivers solve challenges of aging
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Arthritis pain can even take the enjoyment out of a nice hot cup of coffee. Holding onto a heavy mug with a thin handle adds to the pain. So, here are the best coffee cups for arthritic hands so you can hang onto that nice warm cup more easily.

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Best Coffee Cups for Arthritic Hands

From a great way to get that start in the morning as a young adult to a necessity to keep going during parenthood and middle age, for many of us, coffee is more than a morning nicety.

It is an absolute necessity for each day. Don’t let arthritis rob you of this lifelong morning ritual.

Even when arthritis gets really bad in the hands, there are multiple mug designs that are made specifically to help with the holding of a hot coffee mug. The following are some of the best coffee cups for arthritic hands when you, or someone you love, need a little bit of help to keep that morning coffee tradition a safe one

Reviews: Coffee Cups for Arthritis

Based on my experience working daily with seniors, here are the best coffee cups for arthritic hands after looking at over 50 different options:

Maddak Tan Hand To Hand Mug by Ableware

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Two things that stand out immediately about this arthritis-friendly coffee mug are the extra big handle as well as the grip-friendly design. This is a great example of a lightweight coffee mug for seniors with grip-friendly ridges around the mug itself and a particularly large handle that makes it easy to grip even with swollen knuckles or fingers.

While made of plastic to cut down on weight, it’s a double-wall design that looks and feels like more traditional ceramic. Good in the microwave or in the dishwasher, these are excellent options that hold up to 10 oz of liquid and give multiple options for getting a better easy grip. They can even be fitted with lids if you so desire.

ALSO READ: Best Coffee Makers for Seniors and the Elderly


Easy Grip-In Mug

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The Easy Grip-in Mug has a handle that is built right into the center of the cup. This design gives your hand a more ergonomic curve to reduce the pain from arthritis. Plus it will warm aching joints when using hot liquids!

This coffee mug holds 16 ounces of fluid and weighs about 10 ounces. It comes with an easy-to-open and close lid that rotates for use on either side and includes an adjustable drinking spout. It’s even dishwasher safe.

If you are looking for a travel coffee mug for arthritic hands – this is one of the best.


Clay in Motion Handwarmer Mug

The Clay in Motion handwarmer mugs are certainly among the most unique-looking and beautiful mugs on this list. The unique design comes from hand-tossed clay and features a very unique handle and a clear influence from the potter’s wheel.

These are hand-made from the Motion Studio out of Oregon by a married couple of master potters, and they are designed to allow your hand to naturally wrap and grip the mug in a way that makes it easy to hold.

They are durable, come in a wide array of beautiful, brilliant designs that make them stand out as truly great pieces of art, and yet they are fully dishwasher safe, fully functional to keep your coffee hot and your hand warm (but not too hot).

These are among the most unique options on the list, and if you are a big fan of art and have unique, beautiful pieces in your home, then you are going to love what these bring to the table.


Arthritis Thumbs Up Cup with Lid

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A double-walled double handle cup, this is a smaller cup that comes with a lid that can come on or off. Some lids are more sippy cup designs, while others are made for coffee. Two thumb tabs help with the placement or removal of a lid.

While this isn’t the highest-rated one on the list, it does offer some options for those of us who don’t drink quite as much coffee as we used to or have tremors that can make even the most arthritis-friendly cups a challenge. For these folks, this is a viable option.


Granny Jo Dignity Mug

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Hands down, this is one of our favorite options out there, and the practical yet effective design just makes you think of Grandma’s wisdom. If the problem is the mug sometimes slipping from one hand, why not make it so both can firmly hold the mug?

The Dignity Mug was the invention of Granny Jo Products and is a unique two-handle mug that allows you to use both hands to hold the mug, reducing weight, pull, and stress from both hands. There are many different grip options available, and this has been the go-to for many since 2005.

The mug is practical in design, allowing it to be made with ceramic, which most of us have been used to for decades. This adds comfort and dignity and allows for a very normal morning experience with coffee. These are safe for conventional microwave and dishwasher use, a great option for arthritic coffee drinkers and allow them to enjoy their morning cup of coffee with dignity.


UPSTYLE Retro Eco-friendly Mug

This is a very new and very interesting option when it comes to coffee mugs, and the unique design has a lot to offer arthritis sufferers. The UPSTYLE coffee mug is made from wheat straw and is biodegradable. Most importantly, the design is very lightweight, very durable, and ergonomically designed in a unique way that makes it especially easy to hold. There’s even a natural thumb rest on the top.

These are easy to grip, virtually impossible to break, and environmentally friendly over the long term. Those traits combine to make this an excellent choice when it comes to drinking your morning coffee. The fact they are anti-bacterial and anti-dust are just added bonuses!


Sweese Porcelain Mugs Set

Looking more like a conventional white ceramic coffee mug with a slight handle alternation to make it a little bit more ergonomic and easier to grip, this is best kept as an option for individuals who occasionally have some sore joints or a really minor flare-up. This isn’t for people with major arthritis issues but is best left for those with just a really small occasional bit of soreness or stiffness.

For those people, these are an inexpensive and budget-friendly way to get that morning coffee with a cup that is much friendlier on the hand and fingers.

Summary and Final Recommendations

There are plenty of options when it comes to coffee mugs that are ergonomic, easy to grip, and can provide an outstanding drinking experience even for those who have trouble gripping because of arthritis or other similar ailments.

While the perfect solution for one person may not be the ideal mug for another, the good news is that no matter if you drink coffee or you prefer tea, there are plenty of options out there. If one of these doesn’t get the job done, look at the other options out there, and you are sure to eventually find one that works really well for you and your hands.

Take a look at the many options available, see which ones match your needs the best, and go on from there. Just because arthritis has set into the hands doesn’t mean you need to give up that little kick that gets you up and moving in the morning!

Certified Senior Advisor (CSA)®
Senior Home Safety Specialist (SHSS)®
Assistive Technology Professional

Scott Grant has spent more than 20 years serving seniors and the elderly in the home medical equipment industry. He has worked as a manufacturer's rep for the top medical equipment companies and a custom wheelchair specialist at a durable medical equipment (DME) provider in WV. He is father to 4 beautiful daughters and has three terrific grandkids. When not promoting better living for older adults, he enjoys outdoor activities including hiking and kayaking and early morning runs.

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