Carbon Fiber or Wood for Your New Cane

Having a classy mobility device is important to many elderly individuals. Since 70% of mobility device users (4.8 million Americans) walk with a cane, the most widely used walking aids in the U.S., elderly individuals are spoiled for choice. You can find a cane with various types of handles, feet, materials, and shapes. Finding the right can can take some time. To start you on the right path, let's compare two materials.

Wooden Canes Vs. Carbon Fiber Canes

There are many different materials that can be used to make a cane. Two of the most common are carbon fiber and wood.

Wood: As a category for walking canes, you might think wood is a bit too broad. While it's true you can get many different types of wooden canes, this is a feature. Most high-quality finished wood has similar tactile feedback, and the ergonomics of the cane are determined more by the handle than anything else. The aesthetic, though, is where different wooden canes have the chance to shine.

You can look sleek and approachable with a nice cherry wood crook handle, or elegant and bespoke with an ebony palm grip. This is one of the biggest features of wooden canes. Customization is key and these classy canes can make a statement.

Carbon Fiber: As a material, carbon fiber is brilliant. It maintains extreme strength under pressure but is also incredibly lightweight. In fact, it's lighter than aluminum. This makes carbon fiber canes a top choice for part-time mobility device users. Lightness without sacrificing strength will give you the support you need without lugging around a heavy cane when you don't need it.

On top of that, many carbon fiber walking canes can fold up or telescope inward for easy storage. This makes it even more portable and compact than any wooden canes. That said, most of the time carbon fiber canes lack the aesthetic of, say, a Swedish birch.

In the end, both carbon fiber and wood have their place. If you prefer heft and visual appeal, there's a wooden cane for that. If you like compact and lightweight agility, you might like a carbon fiber cane. To learn more about various materials and find the right cane for you, contact us today.