23rd March 2026
If you have ever wondered whether a myoelectric arm is actually useful in daily life, you are not alone. The question comes up constantly, in clinics, in online communities, in the comments sections of social media posts.
It is a fair thing to wonder. Myoelectric arms look impressive. But can they handle the ordinary, unglamorous reality of a full day? Tying your shoes. Opening a pill bottle. Cutting your own food. Hugging someone properly.
The honest answer, from people who wear one every day, is yes. Here is what they say, and how the technology is helping people reach their goals.
Many people who reach out to our prosthetists have tried a prosthetic before and left it in a closet. Perhaps the device was too heavy, the control was frustrating, the promise did not match the lived experience. After that, it is completely reasonable to approach new bionic technology with caution.
Matthew, a Hero Arm user, went years without a prosthetic after his first experience left him feeling like the device worked against him. When he eventually tried the Hero Arm, his perspective shifted.
This device has boosted my confidence and overall has given me a new outlook. I’m happy to finally be one of those whose life you’ve changed.
Matthew, Hero Arm userHis experience is common. The gap between what older myoelectric devices delivered and what current technology can do is significant. That gap is worth understanding before writing off the category entirely.
Doubt is a reasonable starting point. What matters is what happens when you actually try it.
These are the doubts that come up most often, along with what current myoelectric technology does in response to each one.
“Is it useful for real tasks, or just impressive to look at?”
The Hero Arm and Hero PRO offer multiple grip modes controlled by your own muscle signals. Users regularly report using them at work, in the kitchen, during exercise, and for personal care tasks. The device is calibrated to your specific muscle activity through the Sidekick App, which means control improves as you train with it.
“Will I actually wear it every day, or will it sit in a drawer?”
Wear rates for 3D-printed myoelectric arms improve significantly when the device is fitted and trained properly. A well-calibrated device that addresses your specific goals is used. One that does not is abandoned. This is why delivery appointments focus on the tasks that matter most to you personally.
“I’ve managed this long without one. Do I really need it?”
Your needs are based on your goals. The question is whether it helps you reach the goals that matter to you. Tying shoelaces. Carrying something in both hands. Returning to a sport or hobby.
“Is the technology mature enough to be reliable?”
The Hero Arm was the world’s first clinically approved 3D-printed bionic arm. It has been fitted to thousands of users across multiple countries and is available through clinical pathways and insurance. The Hero PRO and Hero RGD were designed from feedback from thousands of Hero Arm users to expand what is possible with durability and precision.
Sarah had gone ten years without being able to tie her shoelaces, close jewelry clasps, use utensils properly, or cut her own food. After getting her Hero Arm, she shared her experience publicly on social media.
Honestly, don’t knock it until you have tried it. It’s my first prosthetic that actually allows me to feel whole again since my amputation. I went 10 years without being able to tie my shoelaces, close the clasps on my jewelry, even using utensils. I couldn’t cut my own meat before this prosthetic. After getting this arm, I was able to really fully hug my nieces for the first time since they were born.
Sarah, Hero Arm user
Wiktoria had lived with a limb difference for 23 years before getting a Hero Arm. She had adapted so thoroughly that she was not sure a device would add much. Two years later, her view on that changed.
My bionic journey marked the start of a completely new chapter in my life, one that I thought would never be possible. Living with a limb difference has always been a major insecurity for me, so never did I think that after twenty-three years I would be able to experience what it’s like to have both arms.
Wiktoria, Hero Arm userDouglas waited over five decades. His doubt was not impatience. It was the rational conclusion of someone who had watched the technology fall short for most of his adult life.
I have waited over 50 years for technology to finally catch up in the world of prosthesis development, and thanks to my prosthetist, that wait is over.
Douglas, Hero PRO user
You do not have to figure it out on your own. When you are fitted with a bionic arm, you have a team behind you who is available to help with training after the delivery.
Benjamin returned to activities he had given up since his amputation. He described his Hero Arm as fitting him perfectly, incorporating features that made a real difference: multiple user modes, carbon fiber cables, and a device built specifically to his anatomy.
My Hero Arm has allowed me to return to many of my previous activities I could no longer do since my amputation.
Benjamin, Hero Arm userThe fitting process at Open Bionics clinical locations is designed around your goals, not a generic checklist. Sensitivity is calibrated to your muscle signals. Grip modes are set up based on the tasks you most want to tackle. Training takes place in the clinic with a prosthetist present, and continues through the Sidekick App at home.
If the doubt you carry is about whether the device will work for your specific situation, the only way to know is to try it with a qualified prosthetist who can calibrate it to you. A free consultation is the starting point for that.
Family members often research myoelectric arms before the person who would wear one does. They carry their own version of the doubt: worry about cost, about whether the device will actually get used, about whether the process is worth putting someone they love through.
Those concerns are worth taking seriously. Our consultation process is with a certified prosthetist who will answer your questions honestly. There is no pressure to commit. The goal is to give you and the person you are supporting enough information to make a decision that is right for your situation.
The Hero Arm and Hero PRO are covered by many US insurance plans. The clinical team can walk you through the coverage process and what to expect before any commitment is made.
You do not need to be convinced before speaking with a clinician. A free consultation is exactly the right place to bring your skepticism, questions, and specific concerns. That is what certified prosthetists are here for.
If you are ready to find out whether a Hero Arm or Hero PRO is right for you, speak with an Open Bionics clinician. The conversation costs nothing, and it starts with your goals, not ours.
Speak with an Open Bionics clinician at no cost. Bring your questions, your doubts, and your goals. We will take it from there.
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