How To Carry a Short-Handle Handbag

Switch positions often, avoid holding it with your thumbs and rest it on a counter when you can.

Published November 3, 2026 · 3 min read · Topic: Size, Fit & Comfort · Size & fit

Typical situation

Your bag has two short handles, and your hand and forearm ache after a long shopping trip.

Main answer · berabags Editorial Team · Fit view

Switch positions frequently, avoid carrying the bag with your thumbs, and rest it on a surface when standing. AOTA gives this advice for purses and briefcases with short handles.

What the source says

For purses with short handles: switch positions frequently to avoid fatigue from muscle overuse.
Avoid carrying a purse with your thumbs, because this might cause excess pressure on the joints in your hands or fingers.
Consider resting your purse on a counter when standing at a checkout.
AOTA’s briefcase advice adds that you can rest the briefcase on the floor, a counter or a railing when waiting or standing in line.
AOTA’s briefcase advice says that heavy briefcases can cause pain, tingling, stiffness or numbness in the neck and shoulders.

How to carry a short-handle bag

Hold the handles in your palm rather than with your thumbs.
Change hands often.
Carry the bag close to your body.
Put the bag down whenever you stop.
If the bag is heavy, use a strap or lighten it.

When to change the bag

If your hand aches each time, the bag may be too heavy or the handles too narrow. A bag with a strap is easier to carry for long periods.

A shopping-trip tip

On a long shopping trip, carry the bag on your forearm for a time, then move it to the other side, and take a few moments to put it down. Small changes of position spread the strain between different muscles, and these small breaks often matter more than any one choice of bag.

Where this answer stops

The advice is general and brief. If you have pain or numbness in the hands, ask a health professional, because causes vary.

Sources and further reading

Three more perspectives

berabags Editorial Team · Fit view

Check how the handle sits in your hand. A narrow handle can press on the fingers, and a short one may force the arm into an awkward angle.

berabags Editorial Team · Purchasing view

If the bag also has a detachable strap, that gives you a second way to carry it. For a heavier bag, this is a useful feature.

berabags Editorial Team · Use view

Take the opportunity to put the bag down. At a checkout or on a bench, a pause for the arm costs nothing.

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