The EzGrip Pen for Ergonomic Writing
The People from Dexterity Technologies who make the EzGrip Ergonomic pen were kind enough to send over a sample of their new writing tool for me to take a look at and review.The pen was designed to reduce writing pain,and to be helpful for those with conditions like arthritis who have more serious and permanent conditions that make writing difficult.
Close up of the EzGrip Pen Grip
The thing that makes this pen unique is that it has a rubber grip that has somewhat of a ledge that lets you rest your finger on it while you write,creating the downward pressure required to reduce the overall grip pressure you need to apply to a normal writing implement.Through clinical testing of the pen by its manufacturers,they were able to determine that the unique grip design up to 57%less pressure when writing,significantly reducing the possibility of writers cramp.
My personal writing style didn't work so well with this pen because I tend to turn the pen in my hand while I write and/or move my hand up and down the grip section as well.With this pen,what you need to do is keep your hand and fingers positioned in one of three different ways,with either your thumb,knuckle or finger tip resting on the ledge.I tend to get uncomfortable if I need to keep my hands and fingers in the same position,however I can imagine that someone with writing pain might have some very specific positions like this where it reduces the pain,and is more comfortable.
The EzGrip Pen Writing Sample
Although this pen is not ideal for my writing grip and style,I do have to say that the line it lays down and the way it writes is very impressive.It is a gel pen,and the black ink in it is very bold and very consistent when writing with it.It is a little bit wider than what I typically write with,it appears to be a.7mm or possibly even a 1.0mm tip.One other nice thing about the design of this pen is that it has quite a large and easy to use plunger on top,which I would imagine is great for someone who has limited dexterity.
The EzGrip Added to a Pentel Slicci
Another nice thing about the EzGrip is that you can buy the rubber grip itself for adding to other pens if you have a preferred pen you would rather use it with.For me,the Pentel Slicci was always too thin to write comfortable with,so I figured I would give the EzGrip a try on there.The EzGrip did certainly help make the pen much more comfortable to write with,however I still had the same issues with my tendency to continually reposition the pen that didn't allow for a perfect writing experience.
Overall,although these didn't work for me just because of my writing style,I think they have the potential to be very helpful to those who experience writing pain,or have other issues related to their ability to use their hands and fingers for tasks such as writing.For the price you can't at least not try this pen out if you have any writing issues.