Bath & Shower Handle (17 INCH)

I am an occupational therapist who does home health with geriatric patients. I am constantly searching for certain adaptive equipment to make my patients' bathrooms safer. As unfortunate as it is, many people are unwilling to give up aesthetics for safety! That means they won't install real grab bars into their tiled showers because it will mess up their tile.That's where this product comes in handy. I looked at several different brands before purchasing this one for my patients. I have since tried it on many different surfaces and it works with varying results depending on where you position it.I've tried it on walls - it sticks...for about 1/2 hour. Don't do it. You'll end up hurting yourself! Even if your wall isn't textured it will come off.If you're using it as a handle on the edge of your bathtub to get in/out, it'll work great! That sucker will not come off no matter how hard you tug on it. Plus, it's not high enough to catch your legs when you're trying to get your legs over the edge (thinking more of geriatric patients who have hip and knee range of motion problems).In the actual shower area, your results again are varied. Your best bet is a shower that has a smooth surface, like laminate or faux tile. However, I've had fairly good results with tiled showers too. Just make sure that at least one of the suction cups is exclusively over a tiled area and not a grout area. Sometimes the grout lines don't provide the surface area that the cup needs to get a tight suction.So the long and short of it is make sure you are putting this on a surface that can get a good seal. Let the grab bar sit un-used for about 4-5 hours. If it would fall off, it will on its own during this time. After that, if it's still on, you're probably good to go. But I'd tug on it a few times to make sure.The first time I bought it, I did a few test runs on surfaces in my own home. I decided that I'd hold onto the box and all packaging and not hesitate to return it if it didn't work out. So far I've placed 4 of them in patients' homes and that says a lot because I'm the one on the line if they don't work out.Update 3/13: Fast forward a few years...I was making this recommendation to a few patients back then but only with the advice that people use it for stability only. I am now withholding even that advice. I've had a lot more experience with them now and even the brands that I was "recommending" at the time are now off my list. They can not be fully trusted and it is better to be safe than sorry, to be cliche. I hate to go back on what I said but I've seen personally even a few weeks later of a good tight seal, coming off in a person's hands. This is not good. If you live in a rental and your manager won't let you install real bars, then you may not have any other option but I would tug and check these bars daily and especially before you intend to hold it. Even in these circumstances, there are tension bars and tub clamps that may give more stability than suction cup grabbars. That's my new take.

This is a great, very secure grip. HOWEVER, the product description on Amazon does not say that you can only use this on 4x4 or larger tiles. It WILL NOT SEAL ON SMALLER TILES/grout lines. Only buy this if you have solid walls or larger tiles. I had to use it in a different bathroom than planned because of this issue, but I still think it is a very sturdy, great product.

After slipping in the shower on several occasions, it was time to look for some sort of assistance. My initial thought on these suction cup products was were they really going to be able to hold my 185lbs after grabbing them for leverage to help prevent another slip and fall. SHOCKED!! Not only was I shocked at the gripping capacity of these suction cups, but being so simple to move around is a big plus. It took a couple of adjustments to find the perfect spot for me which would have been a mess using a permanent grab bar. Would and have recommended these truly Changing Lifestyles Grip Bars to anyone needing that extra help in the shower or anywhere else there's a smooth surface for the suction cups to adhere to. Great for the grandkids too because of the ease at which they can moved at anytime!

I bought both the 11.5" and 17" (16.5") to assist my husband getting in the shower/tub after knee replacement surgery since I wasn't sure which would fit best. I have 4" tiles (very smooth ceramic) and ended up keeping both. I mounted the 11.5" at the entrance and the 17" at the far tub wall. The 11.5" handle did cross the grout line as seen in photo but I had no problem getting a secure grip. We tested both with full body weight and they didn't budge. We have been using them daily as recommended not expecting them to support full body weight and are pleased. We also make sure to test them before we enter the tub. After my husband recovers I plan to let my mother try these since she sometimes needs help with stability. I did notice that each bar was a different shade of white but that wasn't a problem for me. If I needed a lot of support I would install permanent shower grab bars but these worked great for my current need.

This little helper is amazing! Locks tightly to tub sides and is strong and safe. I bought 2 and it eases my way out of the new deep soaking tub.Looks cool too!