International Left Handers Day: The gadgets and utensils that will make your life a little easier
Whether your baking bread or playing video games, it doesn't need to be harder than it should
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Your support makes all the difference.International Left-Handers Day, o 13 August, is an annual event to celebrate being left-handed and raise awareness of the advantages and disadvantages of it.
First observed in 1976, it’s now in its 44th year and notable people who are lefties include Barack Obama, Prince William and Whoopi Goldberg.
Celebrated worldwide, regional events in the UK (pre-pandemic, of course) have included left-v-right sports matches, a left-handed tea party and pubs using left-handed corkscrews where patrons drank and played pub games with the left hand only.
If you’re left-handed, you’ll know there are a few daily inconveniences you have to contend with, from smudging your handwriting to using the wrong scissors.
Thankfully, there are now many products designed specifically with left-handers in mind, as reportedly 11 per cent of the population are left-handed, according to Kantar, a data insight company.
We’ve rounded up the everyday items across tech, stationery, cooking and hobbies that will make things a little bit easier to navigate with a dominant left-hand.
You can trust our independent round-ups. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections. This revenue helps us to fund journalism across The Independent.
Tech
As lots of people have been working from home since the start of lockdown, having the correct set-up for you and your computer, laptop, keyboard and mouse is essential for productivity.
This jelly comb ergonomic mouse left hand (Amazon, £16.99) is ideal if you like gaming too.
It’s wireless with a connection within 10m, and the design prevents tennis elbow and any discomfort that a right-handed mouse can cause.
If you’re well-adjusted with a right-handed mouse, try using this black left-handed keypad keyboard (Posturite, £43.20) with it.
The number pad is on the left, allowing you more space for your arm using the mouse which will be more comfortable and reduce repetitive strain injuries in the wrist and arm.
Stationery
One of the most commonly made products that cater to left-handers is scissors, and as a handy tool to have in your drawer, they’re often inexpensive too.
Should you enjoy arts and crafts, pick up this Fiskars left-handed general purpose scissors (Hobbycraft, £16) which will give you control over paper, laminated material and fabric.
For taking notes, jotting down lists and important dates, get yourself a left-handed notebook.
We like this left-handed personalised notebook (Write On It, £8.95) that you can customise with your name, paper type and binding colour.
It’s 100 per cent recyclable and is an affordable addition to your new home office, even if you’re still working from the kitchen table.
Pens too have been ergonomically designed for maximum comfort. This Stabilo easyoriginal start left-handed pen (Ryman, £3.99) is a great starter style if your child is left-handed.
It has a special grip zone made from a non-slip material, it won’t blot or scratch either nor cause any muscle fatigue.
For something a bit more grown up, try this Lamy safari pastels 2019 special edition fountain pen (Cult Pens, £18.90).
In a mint green shade, it has quick-drying ink, so you won’t smudge it (the perils of writing with ink usually), with a rounded tip that works in any direction you use it.
Cooking
Wen it comes to cooking and drinking, there are some ingenius gadgets and utensils that tailor to a left-handed person's needs.
We love this T pattern corkscrew – left-handed (Left Shop, £3.95) for dinner parties, a glass of wine at the end of the day and to pack for picnics in the park.
The thread turns the opposite way to the right-handed versions, making it more natural for a lefty to use.
For all your baking essentials, stock up on this left-handed baker’s kitchen 6 piece set (Home Loft, £88).
It features a left-handed two cup measuring cup, an orange heat-resistant oven mitt and four bamboo tools for stirring, scraping pans and mixing batter
For opening cans and tins of food and drink, this white-handled left-handed can opener (Left Shop, £9.95) is perfect.
Designed to be held in the right hand and using the left hand to turn the handle, it’s ideal for bank holiday BBQs, date nights in and Sunday roast dinners with family.
Hobbies
If you're looking to learn a new instrument, we'd recommend this Fender CC-60S concert acoustic left handed (Gear 4 Music, £169).
It has rolled fingerboard edges, which will allow you to move your hands up and down the neck without your wrist and fingers getting tired.
Pick, strum and learn your favourite songs with minimal discomfort, it's ideal for a beginner.