The Swing A Way Jar Opener is not the only tool in my jar opening tool box, but it’s the one tool I have that answers the question of how to open a pickle jar. My favorite pickles come in a jar with a large lid, too large to fit in between the jaws of my favorite jar opener, the RoboTwist.*
Why use the Swing Away Jar Opener?
Most of the jar openers we’ve tried are not large enough to accommodate the large pickle jars.
So for those odd times when I need a larger jar lid opened, I turn to the Swing A Way. The Swing A Way Jar Opener adjusts to fit almost any size of jar lid, from .5 inch to 4.5 inches wide. It has an ergonomically designed handle to squeeze, which is comfortable. The thin top shaft that you also squeeze is less comfortable.
How To Use the Swing A Way Jar Opener
1. Hold the Swing A Way on top of the jar lid, with the padded grip handle on the bottom.
2. Loosen the handle just enough to allow the lid to fit within the Swing A Way’s jaws.
3. Slide the handle toward the lid and line up the teeth into one of the holes in the top to tighten the grip.
4. Squeeze the handle with one hand while holding the jar with the other.
5. Turn the lid counterclockwise to open the jar.
Note: To help keep the jar stable, I put a rubber jar opener like these under the jar to help keep it steady while I twist the lid off.
As with most gadgets, hand wash with mild detergent and warm water and rinse. Dry immediately.
Is the Swing A Way a Senior Friendly Jar Opener?
The Swing A Way Jar Opener helps open most jars. It is not as comfortable as the 6-in-1 Jar Opener but I also do not have to open my hand as wide to use it as I do with the 6-in-1. It is the only jar opener we have found so far that will open the large pickle jars, with some help from the rubber gripper pad underneath, as noted above. Without the rubber gripper pad under the jar, I cannot hold the wide jar tightly enough to twist the lid off.
One note of caution, be careful not to accidentally pinch your thumb when squeezing. I only did that once but it was not fun.
To sum up, you still need some strength in your hands to hold the jar and twist the lid off. This gets more difficult as the jars get bigger. The Swing A Way is a good jar opener, but as a senior with weak, painful hands, for jars under 3.5 inches wide, my go-to jar opener is still the RoboTwist.
*My previous favorite jar opener was the Black & Decker Lids Off Jar Opener, but mine finally gave out. And they are costly to replace. Also, it was limited to certain size jars, and the jars must be flat across the top. I do miss it for large, heavy jars, though.