What Active Hands does

Active Hands is a UK-based designer and manufacturer of adaptive gripping aids and disability products for individuals with reduced hand function. Founded in 2006 by Rob Smith MBE following his own spinal cord injury, the company has built a broad catalog of physical products centered on neoprene cuffs with Velcro fastening systems, including the General Purpose Gripping Aid, Limb Difference Aid, and a Mini version for children under five. The portfolio extends to the Hold Fast USB-rechargeable vacuum platform for kitchen use, the Nimble one-finger zirconia-ceramic blade cutter (under exclusive manufacturing since June 2021), EazyHold food-grade silicone straps, the silicone Body Washer, and a long tail of daily-living aids (one-handed nail clippers, magnetic laces, food prep boards, toileting aids, gym pack bundles, kitchen pack bundles, garden tool packs), all manufactured in the UK with global shipping from the Solihull headquarters. Target users span spinal cord injury, stroke, cerebral palsy, limb difference, arthritis, tremor, and Charcot Marie Tooth populations, with secondary reach into occupational therapy and rehabilitation professionals and the parents of children with upper limb differences.

Name

Active Hands

Legal name

The Active Hands Company Ltd

Website

https://activehands.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Active Hands is a UK manufacturer of adaptive gripping aids and disability products for individuals with reduced hand function from spinal cord injury, stroke, arthritis, and limb difference. It sells direct-to-consumer worldwide via e-commerce, offering neoprene grips, vacuum platforms, and daily-living aids.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Assistive Devices and Adaptive Equipment

NAICS

Health and Personal Care Retailers (456)

SIC

Orthopedic, Prosthetic & Surgical Appliances & Supplies (3842)

akta.pro primary industry

Prosthetic Components & Rehabilitation Accessories (Liners, Feet, Knees, Sockets) (HLAHAMAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sports & Active Rehabilitation Devices (Adaptive Sports Mobility, Performance Prosthetics) (HLAHAMAJ)

Keywords

• Adaptive gripping aids
• Disability aids
• Adaptive equipment manufacturing
• Rehabilitation aids
• Assistive daily living products

Headquarters

HQ city

Solihull

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct E-commerce Sales: Active Hands generates revenue through direct-to-consumer sales of adaptive gripping aids and disability products via their e-commerce website. Products are sold at one-time purchase prices with optional VAT exemption for eligible disability customers in the UK. International shipping available with customs/duty charges.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Active Hands manufactures and sells adaptive gripping aids and disability aids designed for people with reduced hand function. Its product line centers on neoprene-based gripping cuffs (General Purpose, Limb Difference, Mini) and extends to vacuum platforms, silicone straps, kitchen, personal care, gym, gardening, and one-handed daily living aids, sold directly to consumers worldwide through its own e-commerce website.

Product overview

Active Hands is a disability aids company offering a comprehensive portfolio of adaptive gripping aids and accessibility products designed for individuals with reduced hand function. The core product line centers on neoprene-based General Purpose Gripping Aids (including versions for limb difference and children) and specialized D-Ring and Looped Exercise Aids, all manufactured in the UK. Complementary product categories span Kitchen/Eating aids (Hold Fast Vacuum Platform, Food Preparation Board, various openers, Nimble One Finger Cutter, kitchen bundles), Personal Care products (Body Washer, Bra Buddy, 1-Up Hair Tie, nail clippers, toileting aids), Gym/Sport equipment (Gecko Band, Angled Aid, Winter Sports Aid), and adaptive tools for daily living (EazyHold silicone straps, Cat Tongue Grip Tape, phone holders, garden tools). The company also offers curated bundles (Gym Pack Deluxe, Kitchen Pack Deluxe) and products from partner brands (Therafin toileting aids, Zubits magnetic laces). All products support users with conditions including spinal cord injury, stroke, cerebral palsy, limb difference, arthritis, and tremors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• General Purpose Gripping Aid Primary adaptive gripping aid with a neoprene cuff and Velcro webbing strap that wraps around the hand and wrist to grip items at a 90-degree angle, used for gym equipment, gardening tools, and kitchen implements by individuals with reduced hand function.
• Hold Fast (Easy-Up) Vacuum Platform USB-rechargeable vacuum platform that holds jars, bottles, pans, and containers firmly in place using suction, enabling one-handed opening and food preparation, with attachments including square box, round box, foam pieces, and a heat-proof silicone mat.
• Nimble One Finger Cutter One-finger wearable package opener with a zirconia ceramic blade that safely slices through plastic wraps, boxes, envelopes, and food packaging in a single swipe, designed for users with limited hand mobility, arthritis, or tremors.
• Limb Difference Aid Specialized gripping aid with a double-strap system designed for users with missing fingers or parts of hands, anchoring at the wrist to transfer pulling force and enabling gym access, weight lifting, and everyday activities.
• EazyHold Silicone Straps Soft food-grade silicone, hypoallergenic, latex-free grip straps that attach to utensils, toothbrushes, pens, and other items to help users hold objects securely, available in multiple sizes from infant to adult and various colors.
• Body Washer Silicone back and body washer with dual handles, soft bristles on one side and massage beads on the other, designed for users who cannot grip.
• EasySpray Spray bottle adapter that enables one-handed operation of aerosol cans for suncream, deodorant, cleaning products, and hairspray, available in standard and mini sizes.
• General Purpose Mini Gripping Aid Smaller version of the General Purpose gripping aid designed for children under 5 or users with smaller hands who need adaptive gym equipment.
• D-Ring Aids Cable and pulley connector aids that enable connection to gym equipment for users with disability, functioning as adaptive workout tools.
• Gecko Band Adaptive band that wraps around the arm to enable pulling exercises without requiring hand or wrist involvement, suitable for limb-difference users.
• Food Preparation Board One-handed food preparation board with pegs and high sides to hold ingredients in place while chopping, grating, or peeling, with a bowl insert for collecting prepared food.
• Gym Pack Deluxe Comprehensive gym equipment bundle including General Purpose aids, looped aids, D-ring aids, heavy-use gripping wraps, thumb protectors, Hook aids, and a gym bag, designed for regular gym users with reduced hand function.
• Kitchen Pack Deluxe Value bundle of kitchen aids including right-angled knives, jar and bottle openers, 5-in-1 opener, palm peeler, Nimble, anti-slip strip, and non-slip coaster for cooking and eating independently.
• Garden Tool Pack Adaptive gardening bundle including trowel, cultivator, and fork with unique right-angled handles that reduce wrist strain, compatible with General Purpose gripping aids.
• Small Item Gripping Aid Specialized gripping aid for holding small diameter items such as pens, makeup brushes, toothbrushes, and crochet hooks.
• Flexi Phone Holder Flexible phone holder that attaches to wheelchairs, beds, or other surfaces, allowing hands-free viewing for users with limited grip.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10 million+ people in UK live with arthritis (market context)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Reach CharitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK charity supporting children and families affected by upper limb difference. Reach has 18 volunteer-led branches across UK and Ireland with 80 volunteers. Active Hands supports the Reach community with products and featured Reach in an article to help young people with limb difference access appropriate adaptive equipment.
• Lucky Fin ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharity organization mentioned in eco initiatives and blog content supporting individuals with limb differences.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• EazyHold: EazyHold makes food-grade silicone adaptive grip straps used by people with limited hand function to hold utensils, toothbrushes, and pens. Active Hands itself distributes EazyHold products, indicating the two compete in the same accessible-gripping category with overlapping end users.
• Therafin: Therafin manufactures adaptive equipment for daily living including toileting aids, and Active Hands explicitly distributes Therafin toileting products. They serve the same spinal-cord-injury and reduced-hand-function customer base with complementary assistive devices.
• Grip Solutions: Grip Solutions designs adaptive gripping aids for individuals with limited hand function, including custom-contoured grips for wheelchairs, tools, and daily-living items. It is a direct peer in the niche gripping-aid category Active Hands helped create.

Broad incumbents

• Sammons Preston (Performance Health): Performance Health owns the Sammons Preston brand, a large catalog of rehabilitation and daily-living aids sold to therapists, rehab centers, and consumers globally. It is a broader incumbent operating across many of the same product categories Active Hands targets (gripping, kitchen, personal care).
• Performance Health (Sammons Preston): Note: this is the same parent as Sammons Preston; kept as a separate listing because the rehab catalog is the most direct comparable to Active Hands' adaptive daily-living line.
• Ottobock: Ottobock is a global leader in prosthetics, orthotics, and accessibility solutions for people with physical disabilities. While its core focus is prosthetics, it overlaps with Active Hands in serving the spinal-cord-injury and limb-difference populations with mobility and daily-living aids.
• HandiThings / SP Ableware: Maddak/SP Ableware (HandiThings) is a long-established US manufacturer of adaptive daily-living aids including gripping, kitchen, and personal-care tools. It competes with Active Hands across multiple assistive-device categories.
• Drive DeVilbiss Healthcare: Drive DeVilbiss is one of the largest durable medical equipment manufacturers globally, with broad product lines in mobility, daily living, and bathroom safety. It is a broad incumbent with overlapping adaptive-aid SKUs targeting similar end users.

Others

• North Coast Medical:

Emerging players

• Adaptivation: Adaptivation develops specialized switches, mounts, and adaptive access devices for individuals with severe physical disabilities. It is an emerging peer with partial overlap to Active Hands in assistive technology for users with significant motor impairments.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/activehandsco
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCj6VHbHxlJfDvV3xK5KQ7JA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-active-hands-company-limited
• TikToktiktok.com/@activehands.com
• Facebookfacebook.com/activehandsco

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Active Hands