The best grab bars for a parent's bathroom
Buy a screw-mounted 24-inch bar rated well above your parent's weight, and put the first one where they step in and out of the tub.
How we picked: from company pages, published prices and policies, each cited in the table.
Heads up: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes what we recommend. Learn more.
Our pick
Moen Home Care 24-inch Grab Bar
Rated to 500 lb, with Moen's SecureMount option for spots without a stud. Sold at most plumbing suppliers.
About $41.90For wet or weak hands
Vive Textured Grab Bar 24-inch
A knurled surface that is easier to hold with soapy hands, with wall anchors in the box.
About $34.99| Moen Home Care 24-inch Grab BarView price | $41.90src | 24 insrc | 500 lbsrc | Screws into studs, or SecureMount anchorssrc | |
| Vive Grab Bar 24-inchView price | $39.99src | 24 in | 440 lbsrc | Screws, with wall anchors includedsrc | |
| Vive Textured Grab Bar 24-inchView price | $34.99src | 24 in | 440 lbsrc | Screws, with wall anchors included | Yessrc |
Who this is for: Anyone whose parent holds the towel rack, the sink or the shower door to steady themselves. Those were never built to hold a person.
Who should skip it: They can't stand in the shower safely at all. Start with a shower chair or a transfer bench, then add a bar beside it.
Most falls at home happen in the bathroom: wet floors, a high tub wall, and a low toilet. A grab bar is the cheapest fix there is, and it only works if it is screwed into something that holds.
Where to put the first one
Start where your parent changes position. That usually means stepping over the tub wall, standing up from the toilet, and turning around in the shower. Watch them once. Whatever they reach for (the towel rack, the soap dish, the sink) is where a bar should go.
- At the tub: a vertical bar on the wall at the tub’s edge helps with stepping in and out. A horizontal or angled bar along the long wall helps with standing up and sitting down.
- At the toilet: a bar on the side wall. If there is no wall, a toilet safety frame is easier than a bar.
- In a walk-in shower: one by the entry and one by the controls, so they never let go of one support to reach the other.
What matters when you buy
Weight rating. All three bars here are rated for 440 lb or more by their makers. The rating only holds when the bar is mounted the way the maker says, and an anchor kit can carry a lower rating than the bar.
Mounting. Screws into a stud are best. Where there is no stud, use anchors sold for grab bars, never ordinary plastic drywall anchors. If you are not sure what is behind the tile, a handyman or a plumber can install bars in an hour.
Grip. A 1.25-inch bar fits most hands. A textured or knurled surface helps if their hands are often wet or arthritis makes gripping hard.
Length. 24 inches is the most useful size: long enough to slide a hand along, short enough to fit between tub and corner. Measure the wall, and the stud spacing, first.
How we built this table
The table is built from the makers’ pages and the stores we name, checked on the date shown.
The competition
- Suction-cup grab bars: Fine as a balance touch-point while traveling, but suction can let go without warning. We don't recommend one anywhere a parent might put their weight on it.
- Clamp-on tub rails: They clamp to the tub wall and help with stepping in and out. They are a good stopgap in a rental, but they shift if the clamp loosens, so check them every week.
Everything we compared, with prices and sources
Moen · Grab bars
Moen Home Care 24-inch Grab Bar
- Price
- $41.90src
- Length
- 24 insrc
- Weight rating
- 500 lbsrc
- Mounting
- Screws into studs, or SecureMount anchorssrc
- Textured grip
- Not stated
- Rated to 500 lb by Moen
- Concealed screws
- Several finishes to match the bathroom
Watch out: Moen's store showed it sold out on the day we checked; plumbing suppliers stock it
Vive Health · Grab bars
Vive Grab Bar 24-inch
- Price
- $39.99src
- Length
- 24 in
- Weight rating
- 440 lbsrc
- Mounting
- Screws, with wall anchors includedsrc
- Textured grip
- Not stated
- Mounting hardware and anchors included
- Five finishes
Watch out: Rated lower than Moen (440 lb); Vive's page names no warranty term
Vive Health · Grab bars
Vive Textured Grab Bar 24-inch
- Price
- $34.99src
- Length
- 24 in
- Weight rating
- 440 lbsrc
- Mounting
- Screws, with wall anchors included
- Textured grip
- Yessrc
- Knurled, non-slip surface
- 1.25-inch diameter
Watch out: Price seen at a medical-supply store, not Vive's own page
Common questions
Can I put a grab bar into drywall?
Only with anchors made for grab bars. Moen sells a SecureMount drywall anchor kit, but the retailer lists that kit at 300 lb, lower than the bar's own 500 lb rating, so the anchor sets the limit. A stud is still best.
How high should a grab bar go?
For a bar beside the toilet or along the tub wall, about 33 to 36 inches from the floor is the common range. The better test is your parent: have them stand where they will use it and mark where their hand lands naturally.
Does Medicare pay for grab bars?
Original Medicare does not. Some Medicare Advantage plans include home safety items as an extra benefit, so call the plan and ask.
Sources
How we wrote this: researched and drafted with the help of AI, then reviewed and edited by a person before publishing. How we write.