How Do You Choose a Stroke Hand Glove in South Africa?

This guide is general information, not medical advice. Always follow the advice of your loved one's doctor, physio or occupational therapist (OT).

If you are searching for a "stroke hand glove", you have probably seen a confusing mix of splints, compression gloves and robotic gloves at very different prices. This guide explains what each type does, what to check before you buy, and which questions to ask your loved one's therapist so you spend your rand wisely.

How do you choose a stroke hand glove?

Choose a stroke hand glove by matching it to one clear goal your therapist agrees with, then checking fit, safety and support. The "best" glove is the one your loved one will actually use, safely, most days.

After a stroke, many people have weakness, stiffness or a tight, clenched hand on one side. Families understandably want to do something at home. A glove can help with some of those goals, but no glove replaces a therapy programme.

Before you shop, write down what you want the glove to help with: comfortable positioning, less puffiness, or more practice opening and closing the fingers.

What types of stroke hand gloves are there?

There are four main types, and they are not interchangeable. The table below compares them.

If the hand is tight and clenched, read our guide on spasticity and a clenched hand after stroke before choosing anything. Tight muscles change which glove is safe and comfortable.

What does the research say about rehab gloves?

The research is promising but still small. Powered gloves and mirror therapy both have some evidence behind them, while the evidence for splints is unclear.

• Soft robotic gloves: A 2023 systematic review and meta-analysis in Brain Sciences (Ko and colleagues) pooled 8 randomised trials with 309 participants. Glove-based rehab led to better arm and hand function scores than conventional rehab alone. The trials were small, so treat this as encouraging rather than proven.
• Mirror therapy: A Cochrane review (Thieme and colleagues, 2018) found moderate-certainty evidence that mirror therapy improves movement after stroke, based on 36 trials with 1,173 participants. Our guide What is mirror therapy for stroke, and does it work? explains how it works.
• Repetition matters: A Cochrane review of repetitive task training (French and colleagues, 2016, summarised by NIHR Evidence in 2017) found small improvements in arm function from practising real tasks over and over.
• Splints: The 2003 review by Lannin and Herbert in Clinical Rehabilitation found too little good-quality evidence to say whether hand splinting helps. Your OT may still recommend one for good reasons in your loved one's case.

The common thread is practice. Any glove is a tool to help your loved one practise more, not a treatment on its own.

What should you check before buying a rehab glove?

Check that the glove fits the goal, fits the hand and fits your household. Use this checklist when comparing options online or in a shop.

1. Fit and sizing

Measure the strong hand and the weak hand, because swelling or stiffness can change the size. Ask the seller for a sizing guide and whether you can swap sizes.

2. Comfort with stiff or clenched fingers

Ask whether the glove can be put on when fingers are tight. Never force fingers open to fit a glove. If you struggle, stop and ask the OT or physio to show you how.

3. Gentle, adjustable settings

For powered gloves, look for adjustable speed and strength, and an easy way to stop. Start on the gentlest setting your therapist suggests.

4. Easy for one carer to manage

Choose something one person can put on, switch on and clean in a few minutes, even on a busy workday.

5. Charging, cleaning and durability

Check battery life, charging cables, whether the glove liner can be washed, and what happens if a part breaks. Load-shedding or power cuts are worth planning around if the glove needs regular charging.

6. Local support, delivery and returns

Imported products bought from overseas sites can take weeks to arrive and may be hard to return. Look for a South African seller with clear contact details, tracked delivery, a written warranty and a trial or return period.

7. Honest claims

Be wary of words like "cure", "guaranteed results" or "regrow nerves". A trustworthy seller explains how the product is used alongside therapy and does not promise recovery.

8. Medical aid

If you hope to claim, phone your medical aid before buying and ask whether they need a prescription, an OT motivation letter or a quote.

Which questions should you ask the physio or OT?

Take these questions to your next appointment, or send them by WhatsApp or email if your loved one has finished therapy.

• Which type of glove, if any, suits my loved one's hand right now?
• Is there any reason they should not use a powered glove, such as severe spasticity, pain, skin problems or a shoulder issue?
• How long, how often and on what setting should they use it?
• Which exercises from their home programme should go with it?
• What signs mean we should stop and check in with you?

Where can a rehab glove fit in?

A rehab glove can fit in as one part of a home routine, alongside the exercises your therapist gives you. It may help your loved one get more gentle, repeated finger movements on days when there is no therapy session.

Mirra is an air-powered rehab glove for home use, sold in South Africa. In mirror mode, your loved one wears a sensor glove on the strong hand and the Mirra glove on the weaker hand, so that opening and closing the good hand guides the weak fingers through the same movement. It does not replace physio or OT, and we cannot promise any particular result, because every stroke recovery is different.

Before starting, check with the treating team that a powered glove is suitable, especially if the hand is very tight, painful or swollen. If you would like to see how it works, you can read more about the Mirra at-home hand rehab glove.

When should you call a doctor or therapist?

Stop using any glove and get advice if you notice any of the following:

• Pain in the hand, wrist, elbow or shoulder during or after use.
• Redness, marks or blisters that do not fade soon after taking the glove off, or any broken skin.
• New swelling, numbness, pins and needles, or a change in skin colour or temperature.
• The hand or arm becoming noticeably tighter or harder to open.
• Signs of a new stroke: face drooping, arm weakness, slurred speech, sudden loss of balance or vision. This is an emergency. Call an ambulance straight away (10177 from a landline or 112 from a cellphone in South Africa, or your private ambulance service).

About a quarter of people who have a stroke are left with a life-changing disability, according to the Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa (2023). You do not have to work out the right equipment alone, so lean on the therapy team.

Frequently asked questions

Do stroke hand gloves work?

It depends on the type and the goal. Powered soft robotic gloves showed better arm and hand function scores than usual rehab alone in a 2023 review of small trials, while the evidence for splints is unclear. Any glove works best as part of a therapist's programme, not on its own.

Can you buy a stroke hand glove on Takealot?

Local online marketplaces such as Takealot may list splints, exercise aids and rehab gloves, and some brands sell directly. Wherever you buy, check who the actual seller is, their contact details, warranty and return policy, and ask your therapist whether that type suits your loved one.

Is a splint the same as a rehab glove?

No. A splint holds the hand still in one position, while a powered rehab glove moves the fingers. Your OT can tell you whether your loved one needs one, both or neither.

How long should someone wear a rehab glove each day?

There is no single answer that is right for everyone. Follow the time and settings your physio or OT recommends, start with short sessions, and check the skin after each one.

Can a glove be used years after a stroke?

Some people use rehab gloves long after their stroke, and the 2023 soft robotic glove review suggested larger benefits in people more than six months after stroke. Ask the treating team whether it is suitable, as stiffness and joint changes are more common later on.

Sources

• Ko MJ, Chuang YC, Ou-Yang LJ and others. The Application of Soft Robotic Gloves in Stroke Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Brain Sciences, 2023.
• Thieme H, Morkisch N, Mehrholz J and others. Mirror therapy for improving motor function after stroke. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2018.
• NIHR Evidence. Repetitive task training can help recovery after stroke (summary of French and colleagues, Cochrane, 2016). 2017.
• Lannin NA, Herbert RD. Is hand splinting effective for adults following stroke? A systematic review and methodological critique of published research. Clinical Rehabilitation, 2003.
• Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa. World Stroke Week 2023 press release. 2023.