Nipit Hand Stopper Review

Nipit Hand Stopper Review

Price: $42

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100% stops thumb sucking habit without shrouding fingers, ultra soft and comfortable, stays on, and keeps hands free.

One color option, One size option.

Our Full Review

NIPIT is the best product to stop thumb sucking for ages 2-7 for several reasons. This company has really thought about the why the habit is so hard to break and why other products are not that effective. Most other products on the market cover the hand or fingers making them difficult to wear during certain times of the day or during certain activities and some still do not address the root of the problem – the oral fixation and the stimulus the child receives when they engage in the habit.

nip it

NIPIT’s innovative design prevents the elbow from fully bending and stops the thumb or fingers from comfortably reaching the mouth. This product is successful at interrupting the behavior of any hand-oral fixation entirely. Unlike other devices, NIPIT leaves the hands and fingers totally free for play, stays on, and was designed for comfort. The elbow brace will not interfere with fine motor skill development. Instead of device covering the hand, NIPIT is worn around the elbow. There are a few benefits to this design that no other anti-thumbsucking product can claim.  With your child’s fingers totally free they develop normally while breaking the habit.

Products that cover a finger or the entire hand such as the thumb guard or glove, collect germs, slobber or both. If the finger cover is rubber or silicone, the child may still suck or chew on the product, the oral fixation is not deterred. Kids seem to think NIPIT is “cool” because of its colorful design and soft material. There is a good chance your child will actually like wearing it – as we all know, child collaboration is essential to success.

The NIPIT Hand Stopper is for children ages 2-7, fitting an elbow circumference measuring 5″-9″ (14-22 cm). It could possibly fit a child younger than 2 or older than 7 as the fit is based on the elbow circumference measurement. Manufactured with high quality neoprene, will hold up to everyday use and may even hold up long enough to use with a second child. The two velcro straps allow easy and comfortable adjustments.

NIPIT is designed with a “stopper” that is positioned at the inside crook of the elbow (where the elbow bends). When the hand reaches for the face to suck a finger, the stopper is engaged and applies firm pressure to the forearm and bicep at the same time. There is a cushion pad sewn inside so the stopper won’t hurt the arm. Imagine holding a deck of cards on the inside crease of your elbow and trying to bend your arm, hands towards the face. It is difficult to reach the fingers to the face with the obstructed elbow. This firm pressure takes the comfort and pleasure out of the habit.  In some cases, the child may be able to reach the tips of their finger(s) into their mouth, but only with great effort. Again, the comfort associated with the oral habit is interrupted, thus eliminating the habit. The first one or two days of wearing NIPIT for thumbsucking or fingersucking are the most difficult, most see dramatic changes in behavior in as soon as 3-5 days. NIPIT works great day or night.

NIPIT put a lot of thought into the comfort of the product by adding a super soft Minkee material lining.

It is not obvious to others why the child is wearing the brace, which may save your child some embarrassment.  NIPIT’s design is gender neutral or “superhero” cool, sporting bright red and blue like Superman or Supergirl that both boys and girls like.  You may be surprised how excited your child is to try it on and you may be able to convince them NIPIT gives them the “superpower” they need to stop thumb sucking!

NIPIT is actually a kit, it comes with a colorful reward chart and stickers to help the parent and child set a goal, track success and motivate the child along the way. These extra items are an extremely valuable component to the process of habit elimination.

Many thumb suckers will develop sores or calluses on the fingers from the habit, and even from plastic thumb guards that attach to the hand.  Nipit is ideal because its hands-free design allows the fingers to heal.
Nipit is washable in cold water (must hang-dry).  And unlike the TGuard or Dr. Thumb, it will not collect slobber, germs and dirt that could end up in the mouth. Hand washing is easy with NIPIT and can be done with NIPIT on.   Nipit is the best product to stop thumb or finger sucking. Visit the comparison page to review the best stop thumb sucking products.

PROS

  • 100% will stop thumbsucking
  • Comfortable, hands-free design
  • Kids like wearing it
  • The Super Success Program and the Reward chart and sticker are a bonus
  • One size fits all kids ages 2-7, right or left arm

CONS

  • not for infants/babies
  • one color option

It works well for the motivated child and the most stubborn child. It includes 20 disposable “Easylocks.” The Easylocks completely optional. They are just zip-ties and may be used as needed to secure the Velcro straps in place which prevents the straps from being pulled open by the child. This is a great deterrent for a child who may try to remove the device. In most cases where the ties are used, they are not needed after a few days once the child becomes familiar with NIPIT.

For decades dentists have recommended using the ACE bandage wrapped-around-the-elbow at night as an elbow sleeve to stop nighttime thumbsuckers. The problem with this solution is the difficulty getting the bandage on just right and also kids can still suck while falling asleep.  Nipit is essentially just an improvement on that time-tested, dentist recommended method.  This is (probably) why dentists recommend NIPIT to stop thumb sucking.

Pediatric dentists recommend that children stop finger sucking and thumb sucking as early as age three. However, once the permanent teeth come in around 5-6 years old it becomes extremely important to stop.

NIPIT is a KIT that includes: 1 NIPIT hand stopper to stop thumbsucking, 1 Parent Success Guide, Success Chart + 48 Stickers, and 20 Easylocks. The Nipit customer support is also very good.

OUR FINAL CONCLUSION

  • Nipit stops the behavior of finger sucking by limiting the elbow movement.
  • Most effective, adjustable, comfortable, washable, discreet, superhero colors.
  • Does not fit small babies (under 2) or extra large children (over 7), one color option.
28 Comments

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  1. Bought my nipit on Amazon for $37 + shipping. Works great. I did a lot of research before buying and chose nipit. My 5 year old daughter stopped thumb sucking in 5 days. The first two nights she had a hard time falling alseep. But she kept wearing nipit because she wanted to quit and saw herself that it was working. I gave her lots of encouragement and praise.

  2. I loved this hand stopper product. It is so cute and also functional. Lots of uses for this in addition to stopping thumb sucking. I have two kids, 4 and 9. The eldest really watned to know how to stop thumb sucking because of pressure from his friend. We tried a bad tasting nail polish called mavala stop and it just did not work. Then we got nipit and immediately it was clear that he would quit and he was so excited knowing that he would be successful. So now my 4 year old is using nipit to help her stop twirling her hair!

  3. This article and many other on your blog are very interesting.
    Thanks for the recommendations. I started out on the cheap side and went with a nail polish like mavala stop, cheaper than hoof stop the bite even, i think paid about $2. That was a total waste, mostly of my time. Now I’m going to try “the best”.

  4. I purchased this nipit hand stopper for my nephew. I never in a million years would have thought that he would stop sucking his thumb within one week he stopped. Thank you so much for your amazing idea. he has stopped sucking his thumb and the dentist is very pleased with his teeth. Not to mention now I’m the favorite aunt 

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  5. I bought nipit on Amazon a week ago to stop finger sucking with my three year old. It is a little big for her but it totally works. She actually seems to like wearing it. And although she can it is pretty awkward (might be because she’s only just turned three years old), so I have to take it off to feed her. Its a really good product and definitely stops finger sucking, and way better than anything else I found. And for the price it is a great deal.

  6. Please I need 2 nipit handstopper for my twins. I am living in South Africa. Can you please send me 2 of it to South Africa I will pay inadvance.
    Please let me know via email. talnelson@
    Thanks
    Talitha Nelson

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    1. South Africa! I don’t know if Nipit will ship their thumb sucking product that far but you can certainly ask them. Here is the link nipit.biz/about-us.html Good luck

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    1. Hi Hadis. Two years old is pretty small, but Nipit will work because it simply goes around the arm and prevents the arm from bending. It will appear somewhat big but should fit. Nipit says it is for ages starting at two. You are smart to attack the thumb sucking problems this early, the younger the better. At age two your child won’t be able to remove it so it will just work.

  7. We bought Nipit the Hand Stopper on Amazon.com over Thanksgiving, after trying two other methods. Nipit is the best that I’ve tried and it has been on month and it seems to have worked – it took three weeks. BUT you have to learn how to get it positioned right. If it isn’t on right it does not work well, when it is worn correctly it does. Just takes some learning. I first unsuccessfully tried the bitter nail polish Mavala Stop, which just did not work at night when the problem is at its worst. Then I spent a few bucks more on the thumbuster guard, but that was just easily removed. And at night my son actually sucked right through it until it was saturated. On the other hand Nipit hand stopper did work to quit the thumb sucking habit because it worked during the day and night. During the day you may need to readjust periodically, especially if your child unconsciously (or consciously) squirms around. Giving it four stars instead of five because it took me a while to figure out how tight to make it and get it aligned just right.

  8. My 11 year old is fighting this sucking battle . Amazon shows they are currently not selling this product. Where else can I get it?

    1. Looks like Nipit is in stock again on Amazon.com. Click the link above again. On their own website they carry it too.

  9. Does anyone know wher I can get one. Amazon says out of stock. I tried emailing the company but their email is not working. I have a first grade son who always has his thumb in his mouth. He stopped for about 6 months but when school started he started up again. He wants to stop but can’t. Kids tease him about it. He asks everyday for a week now of I got him one yet. I have tried everything else.

  10. Hi, the Amazon Nipit store appear to be in-and-out of inventory. This is probably because they are made in a home-business. I just checked Amazon.com and they appear to be back in stock as of today, although they increased the price by $6. You’ll find the link above takes you right to their Amazon store.
    Your story is common, and your child is at the right age to quit. Usually peer pressure helps motivate kids to want to quit, and motivation is KEY! Tell him he is a super-hero when wearing it!

  11. Please, I need this so bad. The product is not available anymore on Amazon. How can I get one, I don’t care if it’s used. My 2 yrs old has a wound on his thumb from suckling it and he’s still sucking even with the wound.

  12. Any ideas where I can buy this product? It seems to be out of stock on amazon. I have tried two other types of thumb guards on my five year old and she manages to squeeze her thumb out so this was our last hope!

  13. Nipit will work on both arms the same time while the other finger covering produts wont. I need for both hands. Thanks for tips! Amazon has a cheaper price on the two pack. Are there any other stores carrying it?

  14. Looks like the Amazon store started carrying the Nipit Hand Stopper again. The company made improvements and now includes a Parent Success Guide and motivational Stickers. CLICK THE LINK ABOVE to straight to the Amazon store.

  15. Hi, I bought nipit 5 weeks tomorrow. Although my daughter has definitely showed promising signs, she still finds a way to suck her thumb. Nipit has a 100% success guarantee. Do we have to leave it on until she’s 18? I guess patience is a virtue, but it really scares me and I’m just not wanting her to have the stigma of crooked teeth. Otherwise, it does the job, albeit, very slowly.

    1. 5 weeks certainly feels like a long time, but not uncommon for breaking a very strong habit. If your child is making progress, remove the elbow guard little by little, and give tremendous positive reinforcement when its off. Try gradually building your child’s self-confidence and inner desire to stop now.

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  16. Hi, we are using nipit for 2 weeks. My 3yo girl stopped sucking her thumb during the day time but at night to fall asleep she can find position with nipit how to put her thumb in her mouth to fall asleep. Will nipit break this habit eventually or not? Is it normal or I have to find another solution? Thanks

    1. Maria, she stopped during the day that is huge progress congrats! Yes, Nipit will break the habit keep going and keep noticing little changes every few days. She may need just a little extra to help her quit during nighttime, while using Nipit try putting a long sock over her hand once she falls asleep, pinning it to her PJs if necessary. It is like using a belt and suspenders.

  17. So since my granddaughter sucks both thumbs I take it I need 2? Is there ant discount for the second since I wont need stickers chart etc? Can they eat while this is on?

    1. Great question Lynda. Yes, your grand daughter needs two NIPITs, one for each hand. On both Amazon and Nipit.com there is a discount if you buy the 2-pack, which includes only one reward system.