Chronic Pain Partners

PopSockets

Hi friends—this is Editor Diane, and I wanted to tell you about this neat little gadget I picked up for my phone: a PopSocket.

PopSockets are really fantastic accessibility devices! My connective tissue and joint problems makes holding my phone in certain positions a bit uncomfortable, and I’m really enjoying seeing the ways PopSocket can make phone use easier on me.

Things I can confirm: these little thingers stick tight to your phone and are extremely handy! They’re also extremely fun to pop open and closed*, especially since they have three different positions (closed, open a bit, open all the way) and can be angled somewhat.

I was initially hoping my PopSocket would help more with using my phone in bed (lying on my side), but what I’ve learned is that even with accessibility equipment, that’s still a weird position to use a smartphone in. Of course, I’ve found plenty of other uses for mine. It makes me less likely to drop my phone, and is a total gamechanger for my hand comfort. I love using mine as a media stand and a stabilizer when I’m watching something on my phone in my lap.

The only drawbacks I’ve found are: putting the weight of the phone on a finger or two can be tough on the joints—I sometimes need to change which fingers I have it between or change position. And, well, they aren’t made of some magical space-bending material. They do add bulk to your phone, even when closed, and they can catch on your pockets if you put them in there wrong.

For me, though, it’s absolutely worth the trouble.

There’s one question mark left: they’re theoretically removable, but I haven’t tried removing mine yet, since it’s stuck so tight. I don’t know if the adhesive will leave marks or work as well the second time around, but will certainly update this post if I find out. ETA, end of 2019: I moved mine to another phone with no adhesive problems. Nearly three years later, the adhesive is still going strong! The disc just broke a little bit and the paint has been worn off, but the core mechanisms are just chugging along. WOW.

ETA, also the end of 2019: now that there’s stuff to compare them against (thank you, market explosion), I should mention that Popsockets and the like are best if you need something to push against while you hold your phone. I have TINY hands, and I need the leverage in order to hit some of those corners properly.

Conclusion? If you think this’d be useful for you, you are probably right! I have no hesitation in encouraging you to buy yourself one immediately, and at about $10 (possibly less if you try alternative retailers), it’s a fairly low-risk proposition.

So, quit popping your joints out of their sockets and grab a PopSocket or two! (…I’ll see myself out 😂)