Recovery Shop

The gear that makes prep and recovery easier. We only list the kind of items our course modules talk about.

Affiliate disclosure: If you buy through links on this page, JointPrep may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Check with your surgical team before buying equipment — needs vary by procedure and by home. This page is general education, not medical advice. Your surgical team’s instructions always come first.

Protein & nutrition

Most people find getting enough protein around surgery surprisingly hard — appetite often drops right when your body is doing the most repair work. Eating well before surgery, including getting enough protein, is a standard part of preoperative counseling, and a simple shake is the easiest fix many patients land on.

If you buy through links in this section, JointPrep may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Illustration of a protein shaker bottle next to an open tub of protein powder with a scoop Momentous Essential Whey Protein Chewing a full meal is the last thing many patients want in week one. A 20 g scoop in water or milk takes thirty seconds and many people find it far easier to keep down than a plate of food. Unflavoured and flavoured options both mix into coffee or oatmeal. Typical price: $55–$65 per tub Shop Momentous Whey Illustration of a tub of creatine powder with a level scoop and a glass of water Thorne Creatine Monohydrate Prehab sessions can feel harder than expected when you are already sore. Creatine monohydrate is one of the most studied training supplements there is, and many people preparing for surgery add it while they are strength training. Ask your surgical team or a dietitian whether it fits your situation. Typical price: $40–$50 (90 servings) Shop Thorne Creatine

Home setup & safety

Most people find the bathroom and the floor are the two hardest parts of the first weeks home — low seats and dropped items ask for exactly the bending your team may tell you to avoid. These are the items hospital home-prep handouts list most often, and they are usually self-pay rather than covered.

If you buy through links in this section, JointPrep may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Illustration of a long-handled reacher grabber tool picking up a dropped sock Carex Ultra Reacher Grabber Everything you drop in the first weeks lands on the floor, which is the one place many patients are told not to reach. A 26–32 inch reacher with a rotating jaw can make picking things up manageable without bending or twisting. Typical price: $10–$25 Shop the Carex reacher Illustration of a white raised toilet seat riser fitted on a toilet bowl Carex Quick-Lock Raised Toilet Seat A standard toilet sits lower than most new hips and knees like. Adding 3–6 inches of height is the single change many patients say they noticed most, because sitting and standing ask far less bend. Locking models stay put during use. Typical price: $25–$70 Shop the Carex toilet riser Illustration of an adjustable shower chair with back and armrests beside a folded towel Vive Shower Chair Standing on a wet floor while balancing on a new joint is where a lot of people feel least steady. Being able to sit down for the whole shower can make washing feel manageable again, and rubber-tipped adjustable legs help the seat stay put. Typical price: $40–$90 Shop the Vive shower chair Illustration of a stainless steel bathroom grab bar mounted on a tiled wall Carex Ultra Grip Grab Bar Many patients reach for a towel rail or the sink edge without thinking, and neither is built for it. A bar rated for 250–300 lb, fixed into wall studs beside the toilet or inside the shower, gives you something intended to be leaned on. Plan for installation help if you do not have it. Typical price: $15–$40 per bar Shop the Carex grab bar

Ice & swelling control

Most people find refilling bags of frozen peas every hour gets old by day two, and many surgical teams talk about ice and elevation as part of the early routine. These are the two setups patients tend to choose between. Follow your team’s guidance on how long and how often to ice.

If you buy through links in this section, JointPrep may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Illustration of a cold therapy machine cooler with pump, hose, and flexible knee pad Vive Cold Therapy Machine Getting up to change an ice pack is exactly the trip many patients would rather not make. A circulating unit runs from a chair or bed on a timer, so a session does not depend on someone being home to help. Usually self-pay rather than covered. Typical price: $100–$300 Shop the Vive ice machine Illustration of a reusable gel ice wrap for the knee with straps and a spare gel pack Vive Knee Ice Wrap Loose packs slide off the moment you shift position, and holding one in place gets tiring fast. A strapped gel wrap stays where you put it and frees your hands, and many patients keep a second pack in the freezer so the next one is ready. Typical price: $25–$45 Shop the Vive ice wrap

Mobility aids

Many patients go home with a walker and step down to a cane over the following weeks. Hospitals and Medicare Part B often supply the walker or cane itself when a doctor orders it as medically necessary, so check what you are being given before you buy anything here.

If you buy through links in this section, JointPrep may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Illustration of a folding aluminum walking frame with two front wheels Carex Front-Wheel Folding Walker A walker without wheels has to be lifted with every step, which many patients find awkward on carpet. Two front wheels let the frame roll ahead of you instead, and a folding model fits in a car trunk for follow-up appointments. Typical price: $45–$100 Shop the Carex walker Illustration of a fabric walker pouch bag holding a phone and eyeglasses on a walker bar Carex Snap-On Walker Basket With both hands on a walker there is nowhere to put a phone, your glasses, or a water bottle. A bag or basket on the front bar means fewer trips back and forth. Keep it small enough that you can still see the floor ahead of you. Typical price: $12–$25 Shop the walker basket Illustration of a height-adjustable aluminum offset-handle walking cane Carex Ergo Offset Cane The step down from walker to cane catches a lot of people without one in the house. An adjustable offset cane sets to your wrist height and puts your weight over the shaft rather than out to the side. Your physical therapist can confirm timing and height. Typical price: $20–$40 Shop the Carex cane

Exercise & prehab gear

Most people find the prehab exercises get easy faster than they expected, and then there is nothing to progress with at home. Our knee and hip modules use bands as the standard progression, plus optional easy-pace pedalling for low-impact conditioning.

If you buy through links in this section, JointPrep may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Illustration of a set of fabric resistance loop bands with a mesh carry pouch Vive Resistance Loop Bands Straight leg raises and side-lying hip lifts stop being a challenge within a couple of weeks. A graded set of loop bands is the progression our modules ask for, and they live in a drawer instead of taking up floor space. Typical price: $15–$30 per set Shop the Vive loop bands Illustration of a large teal kettlebell next to a smaller sage-green kettlebell Rogue Kettlebells Later program weeks add light weights, and one well-made kettlebell covers every weighted exercise we use — no rack, no set, one corner of a room. Start lighter than you think; you can always size up. Typical price: $30–$60 for a light bell Shop Rogue kettlebells Illustration of a compact under-desk pedal exerciser on a wooden floor near an armchair Vive Pedal Exerciser The optional conditioning block in our modules asks for easy-pace walking or a stationary bike, which is a problem if the weather is poor and there is no gym nearby. A pedal unit sits in front of a chair and lets you pedal back and forth in a partial arc if a full circle is not comfortable yet. Typical price: $40–$80 Shop the Vive pedal exerciser

Affiliate disclosure: If you buy through links on this page, JointPrep may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Commission never changes which items we list.

Check with your surgical team before buying equipment — needs vary by procedure and by home. Nothing on this page is medical advice, and no product here is presented as a treatment. Your surgical team’s instructions always come first.

Not sure what you actually need?

Our free room-by-room home prep checklist lists what hospital handouts recommend, with typical prices — and the free changes at home that matter more than any purchase.

Get the free checklist Read the home prep guide