Cane tips: For your cane to meet your needs

The long cane is a mobility aid that many blind and visually impaired people use to navigate indoor and outdoor environments safely, independently and with confidence. A long cane helps a blind person find landmarks, detect obstacles, identify changes in surface texture, and locate features of the environment such as tactile paving and stairs. A long cane has a tip on the end. Cane tips are what make contact with the ground. There are a wide range of cane tips out there that differ in size, shape, material and whether or not they rotate.

Ensuring you have the most appropriate cane tip for your needs is crucial. The cane tip you use can be the difference between being able to use your cane effectively and not.

When navigating with a long cane, a blind person will use one of two techniques: two-point touch and/or constant contact. Some tips are for the two-point touch technique, some are for constant contact, and some are for both.

Two-point touch involves lightly tapping the cane from side to side so the tip briefly lifts and touches the ground on each side of your body. This helps detect obstacles with alternating taps. Constant contact technique involves the cane tip staying on the ground and continuously gliding from side to side. This gives steadier feedback and detects smaller surface changes.

In order to use a cane effectively and properly, it’s important to receive comprehensive training from a Vision Rehabilitation Specialist (VRS). While we don’t offer cane training at Henshaws, if you’re in Greater Manchester, we can refer you to your local authority’s sensory team. They will assess your needs and put you on a waiting list for cane training.

How do I choose a cane tip?

The tip you use will depend on the cane technique you primarily use, the surface you’re navigating, confidence level and overall personal preference.

Below we highlight some of the most commonly used cane tips. If you have sight loss and you’re a long cane user already, this may help you if you struggle to use your cane in certain environments, as a different tip may be the solution. If you’ve seen people out and about with canes and noticed the different tips, you may be wondering what they’re for.

We’ll explain some of the most commonly used cane tips. We’ll give a brief description, highlight when they’re most useful, and say which technique to use them with. Plus, we’ll share how to change the tip on your cane. That process isn’t the easiest unless you know how to do it properly.

This resource will focus on Ambutech tips. This is not an advertisement for Ambutech, but Ambutech canes are what Local Authority sensory teams provide. Also, this doesn’t highlight all of Ambutech’s tips. There are other tips out there, but these are the ones that you’d most probably want to consider, or come across.

This will give you a flavour of the different shapes of tips and what makes each one different.

Pencil tip

This is the thinnest of the cane tips, 1.3cm in diameter. It’s a straight tip but has a rounded end. This tip is best used in indoor environments and on smooth surfaces outdoors. It’s good for obtaining precise surface feedback and detecting kerbs. This tip is for use with the two-point touch technique.

Marshmallow tip

This tip is the shape of a marshmallow (cylindrical), hence its name. It’s made from solid nylon and is 2.5cm in diameter.

This tip provides balanced tactile feedback with improved glide. It’s best for general use across mixed surfaces. You can use this tip with either the two-point touch or constant contact technique.

There’s also a high mileage version of this tip. This tip, named the high mileage tip, is made from engineered nylon that’s designed to last longer than the nylon of the standard marshmallow tip.

Marshmallow roller tip

This is similar to the marshmallow tip, but features a protected bearing meaning it can rotate across the ground. This tip allows for continuous contact with the ground and a smooth arc, which also reduces wrist fatigue.

It’s best for consistent navigation on pavements and other smooth surfaces. It’s for use with the constant contact technique.

Ceramic tip

This is a circular tip 2.2cm in diameter. It provides excellent auditory feedback through echo and sound cues, so is best for anyone who strongly relies on sound for orientation & mobility. You can use this tip with the two-point touch and constant contact techniques.

Rolling ball tip

This is a large tip the shape of a ball, 5cm in diameter. It provides maximum stability and obstacle roll-over, so it’s good for rough or uneven surfaces. It’s also useful for those needing extra confidence. This tip is for use with the constant contact technique.

As well as the standard rolling ball tip, there’s also a high mileage version. The bottom half of this tip features a hard-wearing, abrasion-resistant plastic.

Jumbo Roller Tip

This tip has the same use cases as the rolling ball tip, but is bigger and shaped differently. It’s 6.4cm in diameter, and is disc-shaped and made from a material designed to last two to three times longer than a standard nylon tip.

Pathfinder 360 rolling ball tip

This tip is the shape of a ball and around 5cm in diameter. Unlike the other rolling tips we’ve mentioned, the Pathfinder 360 degree tip can roll side to side and front to back, hence the name referencing 360 degrees.

You can use this on all terrains including uneven surfaces like dirt, gravel, sand and grass. It also has a long life span, thanks to its material and its size, and the fact that it’s self-cleaning too. This tip is for use with the constant contact technique.

How do I change the tip on my cane?

There may be times when you need to change the tip, but don’t need to replace your cane. Tips can wear out after lots of use, for example the material can wear down and roller tips may stop rolling properly making them less effective. You may want to change the tip if you decide the one you’re using isn’t suitable for your needs.

Now on to how you actually change the tip (this applies to canes that use hook-style tips):

First off, be careful. The tip’s on elastic and you can lose the end. It may be worth getting your VRS to help you for the first time.

You’ll need to pull the tip out of the cane. To do this extend the cane, pull the tip out of the end of the cane and put a pen through the elastic to hold it while you unhook the old tip. Unhook the old tip and add the new one. You then need to tension the tip and elastic and remove the pen to allow the elastic slowly back into the cane, pulling the hook of the tip slowly into the cane end again. If you lose the elastic end, you can sometimes poke it through with a knitting needle again.

Most Ambutech canes from 2013 onwards feature a Cordlock™ device. This is a white plastic clip built into the cane that stops the elastic slipping down when changing the tip. This is so you don’t have to use a pen to hold the elastic in place.

To use the Cordlock™, before you unhook the old tip, allow the Cordlock™ to settle across the end of the cane. Once you’ve hooked on the new tip and you’re ready for the elastic to go back into the cane, fold the Cordlock™ so it’s parallel to the elastic.

You may want to use different cane tips in different scenarios and alternate between them. In this case, we recommend having two separate canes: one for one tip, and one for the other. This is so you don’t have to spend time changing tips every time you want to use a different one, and you reduce the risk of losing the elastic and having to potentially change canes unnecessarily.

Rounding up

If you’re a long cane user struggling to use your cane in certain environments or on certain surfaces, a change of tip may be the solution.

The wide range of available tips means you’re able to customise your cane to be able to use it on any surface with your preferred technique. This is just an overview of some of the tips available.