7 Brands Designing PICC Line Covers You’ll Want to Wear
If you’re a patient undergoing chemotherapy, blood transfusions or IV fluid therapy, or know someone who is, you’ve probably become all too familiar with what a PICC line is. PICC stands for “peripherally inserted central catheter,” and the name pretty much says it all. It’s a thin, soft flexible tube that is inserted into a patient’s arm to administer IV medications. Rather than endure the constant prick of a needle, PICC lines are much more comfortable and create less irritating side effects for veins and blood vessels.
PICC stands for “peripherally inserted central catheter,” and the name pretty much says it all. It’s a thin, soft flexible tube that is inserted into a patient’s arm to administer IV medications. Rather than endure the constant prick of a needle, PICC lines are much more comfortable and create less irritating side effects for veins and blood vessels.
Although PICC lines are extremely valuable, they aren’t the most fashionable or attractive things to wear. Thankfully, some fashion-savvy folks have come up with some cool and creative ways to cover up these PICC lines. Here are seven cool PICC line cover companies you should know about.
1. Mighty Well
Mighty Well was founded by Emily Levy after she was diagnosed with Chronic Neurological Lyme Disease during her sophomore year of college. At the time, she was told to protect her PICC line by wearing a cut-off sock. Levy’s first thought was, “A sock?!” Her next thoughts prompted the PICCPerfect Picc Line Cover, which then led to the creation of her company.
All of Mighty Well’s PICC line covers come in cool designs and different sizes, and you can also buy them in bundles.
Buy the PICCPerfect Picc Line Cover in Dalal for $29.95.
2. Aya Covers
Aya Covers was created in 2006 after owner Lisa Thompson was diagnosed with cancer. She was disappointed that she couldn’t find anything cool to cover her PICC line, so she came up with the idea to create fashionable and comfortable sleeve covers. It didn’t take much to convince designer Kristy Gough to hop on board, as she knew Thompson would pour her heart and soul into each product.
In addition to PICC line covers, the company also sells slouch hats, scarf hats and head huggers for cancer patients.
Buy either PICC Line Cover for $12.00.
3. PICCSTAR
Photo via Etsy
Mother of three Caroline Chang decided to get creative after her son Wes was diagnosed with stage IV neuroblastoma at 15 months old. She wanted a way for Wes to keep the IV tubes from dangling on his arms, so she created PICC line sleevies “for kids who ROCK a PICC line!” Once other parents saw what she had done, they were asking for sleevies for their own children, so Chang opened her PICCSTAR Etsy shop.
The sleevies are created from recycled socks and feature cool characters like Dory, Hello Kitty, Yoda, My Little Pony and other designs.
Buy the PICC line sleevie Wes is wearing for $7.00.
4. Care+Wear
The New York-based Care+Wear company was created in 2014 after founders Chaitenya Razdan and Susan Jones noticed a friend having trouble with his PICC line during chemotherapy. It was uncomfortable, ugly and just plain difficult to put a sock over his tubes, so Razdan and Jones recognized an opportunity to design something that could help all PICC-wearing patients. They collaborated with patients and healthcare professionals to create the PICC Line Cover, a soft, antimicrobial and easily-breathable cover for patients.
The covers come in cool colors and designs, and there’s even an MLB line (as Razdan has been a die-hard Baltimore Orioles fan his entire life).
Buy the New York Mets PICC Line Cover for $35.
5. WildHeartYarnings
Photo via Etsy
“I create, therefore I AM. (And it makes me happy.)” That’s the motto of WildHeartYarnings Etsy store owner, Pamela. She’s an IV therapy nurse by profession, but in her free time, she loves to fill her world with yarn and crocket hooks. She knits pretty much everything, including hats, scarves, purses, gloves and custom made-to-order Crochet PICC Covers. These PICC covers were inspired by the patients she works with who are undergoing chemotherapy treatment and long-term antibiotic therapy.
Pamela can customize all her embroidery — whether you prefer owls and birds to hearts and flowers — and she proudly states that most of the yarn she uses is rescued and recycled.
Buy the Arrow Through the Heart Crochet PICC Cover for $16.
6. Cast Cover Fashions
having a picc line isn’t fun but @CastCoverFash makes it fun w/ awesome covers, negative to a positive #lymewarrior pic.twitter.com/wWVee7RuKM
— Lindsay Nielsen (@Lindsayon10) June 22, 2016
Pretty cool to get a shout-out for your product from Good Morning America anchor Robin Roberts, right? That’s what happened to Cast Cover Fashions in 2012, which lead to a host of other celebrities wearing and endorsing the product. Cast Cover Fashions was created in 2006, before its celebrity status, after the founder’s child broke an arm, prompting her to want to create something more colorful than the traditional “white and off-white” cast colors. The PICC Cover line was added to the collection in 2011.
The company offers a variety of arm cast, leg cast, brace and PICC line covers in a variety of colors and designs.
Buy the Pink Safari PICC Line Cover for $17.99.
7. Coffee and Thread
Photo via Etsy
This Pennsylvania-based Etsy shop was created by Steph, a laboratory scientist who loves coffee, sewing and cats. In fact, her shop’s “Executive Distraction Kitty” is her very own furry feline, Belkin. Each semi-shirred PICC line arm band made by Coffee and Thread is custom made-to-order, and you can choose from a ton of solid colors and designs. The semi-shirred design allows for more breathability, but you can also get fully-shirred bands.
Buy the Whale Semi-Shirred PICC Line Arm Band for $12.00.
Have a PICC line cover you’d recommend? Let us know in the comments below.
Trish is the Cancer Editor at The Mighty. She lost her father to stage 4 lung cancer in August 2016, and previously worked at a children’s cancer research organization, so she knows firsthand about the cancer experience. A lover of hip hop music, hot sauce and kimchi, she lives in Maryland with her husband, two dogs, cat and feisty 2-year-old daughter. Check her story out in the book, “A Letter to My Mom.“
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