Suction Cup Grab Bars

linuxhitman

Has any one used the suction cup grab bars in a shower? Any results, good or bad? We have tile and I would prefer not to drill to install the regular grab bars.

Something like these:

https://www.amazon.com/AmeriLuck-Suction-Indicators-Bathroom-Handicap/dp/B078JJ54RC/

May flowers

I got some like that and they worked ok for about a week then fell off the wall.

Jo C.

Would never try to use suction cup grab bars again. Ever. Just not safe.  We installed them on a nicely tiled wall in the shower and did everything per instructions.  They did not hold. 

If you Google these products re safety, in the print it is well stated that they are to assist balance only and NOT expected to be used for full weight.   If a person begins to fall, they will grab on to the suction cup grab bar with all their weight in it and the danger is a nasty fall and fractures.  It is also well known and documented that they lose any effectiveness over time.

I tried to find the ADA literature for these and could not.   Saw one product that said they were ADA compliant, but could not find the proof of that, AND they too had the same caveat that the item was for balance only and NOT to be used for full body weight.

It is far better to have a knowledgable person install good ADA complaint full grab bars placed into a wall stud as outlined.

Never compromise safety for a cosmetic reason; the outcomes could be catastrophic.

J.

Farm Gal

We are ones that have used the suction grab bars with good luck.  I have two in our shower and my husband  -- who is a tall 225# guy who is very strong --- has pulled them off the wall twice.  I have never been able to pull them off.  We have been using them for about 4-5 years.  

With that said our shower walls are a smooth manmade marble surface.  The instructions on our grab bars said to never use on a surface that wasn't smooth -- hence not on tile.  

Stuck in the middle

My grab bars are screwed to the wall, and the ceramic tile looks great.  I weigh more than 225 pounds and have not torn them off the wall even once.

terei

I would NEVER trust a suction grab bar on tile.

towhee

Even the smallest imperfection of the surface will have those things falling off.  You can get grab bars in bronze, black, and textured, in different styles, just make sure the style does not compromise the function. Securely fastened into the wall stud they can actually add value to a shower.

​fesk

I recommend having the grab bars installed if you can. Peace of mind.

linuxhitman

OK, I guess there will be no suction cup bars.

 Thank you to everyone who answered.

MN Chickadee

Yeah I would have them drilled in. If you can match the tile or have extra tiles on hand, it's not hard for a handy person to replace just the one or two that were drilled into once you want them removed. It can be cut out, a new tile put in and re-grouted in no time.

abc123

There are so many new styles and sizes of grab bars available these days, I went ahead and had a carpenter install them at my house for my LO. Unfortunately it was too late. By the time I had it done she could no longer figure out how to use them. I think we all wait until its too late for a lot of things for our LO's with dementia because we don't realize what's really happening to their brain.

Stuck in the middle

I will never want my grab bars removed.  I had them installed in the master bath when the house was built in 2009, planning to grow old here.  We don't need the shower grab bars yet, but DW uses the bar by the toilet to assist in rising when her arthritic knee hurts.

Drilling holes in tile isn't that hard.  Use a stud finder to place the holes, and a ceramic bit for the drill, and take your time.  Measure twice, drill once.