Consumer

Does It Really Do That: Get A Grip

(KDKA) Get A Grip is a portable suction grab bar that promises to keep you safe and secure from a slip and fall. 

But does it really do that?

KDKA's Consumer Editor Yvonne Zanos and John Seitz, of the non-profit group Home Safe Home, put it to the test.

Grab bars for the home that have to be professionally installed can cost hundreds of dollars, but Get A Grip sells for about $20 plus shipping and handling.

Seitz says these inexpensive handles would be great if they work, but right from the get go our testers say they've got a problem because there are no instructions.

"How odd that a product that is so important to someone's safety would come without directions," says Seitz. "It's shocking."

The only guidance is a nearly invisible blue-on-blue warning on the handle that reads, "Check strength prior to each use. Reattach if necessary."

Our testers report that the product doesn't say how to attach the grab bar or how long to keep it on and what surface it can go on safely.

But they give it a try minus instructions.

They said they tried to use Get A Grip on a seemingly smooth painted wall above the tub, and though it attaches easily, it slips at the top and the whole product can be pulled off the surface it's suctioned to with little force.

Some tile surfaces won't work either if there are any grout lines. The testers say the best surface seems to be the fiberglass tub.

After three weeks of testing under everyday use by Seitz, he says he's not satisfied with the product.

"It sticks initially," he says. "So it gives a false sense of security. The best it did was about three days and then it fell off by itself. I was walking by and heard it drop."

Overall, Seitz gives the Get A Grip a thumbs down.

He says the only use he can see that might work is if you are going to travel to a hotel that doesn't have grab bars and use this portable grab bar for balance, but not lifting.

All in all, when it comes to making you safe and secure, our testers say this product just doesn't cut it.

(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)