Few things are as frustrating as getting into a real groove writing by hand, the ink flowing, only to have your fingers and hand cramp up halfway through.
By learning how to make your pens more comfortable – using the right grips, a little bit of tape or rubber bands, or maybe even some modeling clay – you never have to worry about all that ever again!
Of course, buying the most comfortable pens possible goes a long way towards improving the comfortability of your writing as well.
But more on that in just a moment!
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Your Grip Makes a World of Difference
The single most important thing you can do when it comes time to master how to make your pens more comfortable is to find the grip that makes the most sense for you and your own ergonomics.
Holding a pen correctly helps you save so much extra energy, helps you exert a whole lot less force writing with the pen, and allows the instrument to sort of glide across your paper without ever causing you to cramp up or become uncomfortable.
Holding your pen ergonomically, though, is anything but intuitive.
Most of us like to use the “lobster or crab claw” to grip our pen, allowing the barrel of the pen to rest on our middle finger while our top provides a bit of “pinch support” when combined with our thumb.
This is a halfway decent way to hold a pen for sure, but it’s nowhere near the most ergonomic way to write!
No, if you want to eliminate cramping almost completely you’re going to want to retrain your body to write by holding your pen or pencil between your middle and fourth fingers.
Let the pen sort of “ride” between the webbing and your knuckle, applying very little pressure whatsoever with your hand, and letting the instrument do the bulk of the heavy lifting as far as writing is concerned for you.
Mix in your thumb to get a better grip and a little more stability and you’ll be off to the races!
Here’s a quick video to help you out!
Sounds funky, right?
It’s going to feel a little funky for a couple of days – maybe even a couple of weeks. But with a little bit of practice (and dedication), you’ll be able to totally change the way you write forever and eliminate cramps completely.
How Can I Make My Pens More Comfortable?
Of course, if you’re not interested in totally retraining the way you hold a pen – and really don’t want to throw your penmanship off while you retrain yourself on how to write – there are a handful of things you can do to make your pens more comfortable.
The easiest option is to go to Amazon and find an ergonomic pen grip add-on, like the one below. Be mindful to purchase one that fits the pen you are using.
- ✅ 6-PACK: Bundle of 6PCS Silicone Ergonomic Grips for Stylus pens
But, if you need comfort now, or are looking to save money, there are a handful of DIY ways to make your pen more comfortable:
DIY Grips Change Everything
A big part of why modern pens are so uncomfortable to write with over the long haul is because they are so compact, so thin, and so lightweight.
There’s just not enough meat on the bones to get a good grip, and not enough weight to allow the pen to do the writing for you – you have to sort of force the writing instrument across the paper to get the job done.
DIY grips (little bits of foam or something similar) can add just enough chunk to the barrel and body of your pen to totally transform the ergonomics from top to bottom.
It’s well worth experimenting with different materials to come up with different grips until you find something that works for you.
A Little Tape Goes a Long Way
If you only need a little bit of extra grip or a little bit of extra weight and heft to make your pens feel more comfortable all you need to do is wrap a little bit of duct or masking tape on the pens and you are good to go!
Duct tape and masking tape are better options than electrical tape or scotch tape because they add more “grip”. Electrical tape and scotch tape are a bit more slippery and you’re going to find your pen scooting around and throwing off your writing.
Wrap your pen as much as necessary to get the width you’re after until you’re happy.
Rubber Bands Work, Too
Rubber bands wrapped around the barrel of your pen can also create a cushiony sort of grip. They give you total control to decide how thick, how wide, and how long these grips are as well.
Get your hands on a handful of small rubber bands (or rubber bands of different thicknesses) and experiment until you have your grip dialed in.
Modelling Clay is a Way to Go
Modeling clay (sometimes even a bit of Play-Doh can work in a pinch) will add not just a bit of extra girth to your pens, but will also add soft, cushiony, and reactive ergonomic materials as well.
Modeling clay also has the added benefit of being a bit denser and heavier than most of the other DIY grip options we mentioned earlier.
You might love the way that you can change the balance of your pen with this material (something you can pick up for next to nothing at any hobby store)!
Buy Comfortable Pens!
As we mentioned earlier, though, nothing is going to make as big a difference in the comfort of your writing experience as the actual pen you are using.
Hunt down more ergonomic pens – chunkier, heavier, more comfortable to hold pens – and then use the tips and tricks we highlighted above to really take things to the next level.
It all starts by picking the right pen, though.
If you hate the way a pen feels in your hands (or hate the way it runs) no amount of DIY grip additions is going to improve your experience.
Closing Thoughts
So there it is – the easiest way to master “how can I make my pens more comfortable” without having to spend a mountain of money or abandon pens forever.
Use the tips and tricks we highlighted above in combination with the top pens designed with ergonomics in mind and you’ll be writing for hours and hours without a break.
You might never have to worry about cramped hands ever again!