My friend was on the hunt for a pair of thumbsticks, and these KontrolFreek Switch 2 grips were my immediate go-to

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My friend was on the hunt for a pair of thumbsticks, and these KontrolFreek Switch 2 grips were my immediate go-to News By Rosalie Newcombe published 29 January 2026

These cute grips fit Switch 2 Joy-Cons, DualSense controllers, and more

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The other week, one of my closest online friends sent me a message over Discord asking if I had any recommendations for thumb grips that would " stop the rubber from getting sticky" when they were using the official Switch 2 Pro controller, and I instantly thought of the Strawberry Sage Edition Kontrol Freek No-Slip Thumb Grips.

Well, actually, I'm lying a bit. My actual first thought was that it felt pretty nice that I was the first and only person my friend came to when looking for Nintendo Switch 2 accessory recommendations. But after that narcissistic pat on the back, the grips, which are currently $12.99 at Amazon felt easy to bring to their attention. Not only are they pretty affordable, as that full MSRP covers a pack of four, but they're designed to universally fit a whole trolley of controllers, and have been keeping my Joy-Con grips safe and stick-free for weeks.

KontrolFreek No-Slip Thumb Grips – Strawberry Sage Edition | $12.99 at AmazonThese thumb grips come in a four-pack and are equipped with a Laser-etched surface to improve the grip and comfort of your everyday controller sticks. KontrolFreek has used its proprietary GripTek material to make these easy to move around and slip on and off whenever you need them, regardless if they're for your Switch 2 Joy-Con, Switch 2 Pro controller, or PS5 and Xbox game pads.Buy it if:

✅ You play Switch 2/PS5/Xbox ✅ You want to protect your controller sticks✅ You

Don't buy it if:

❌ The pink and green colorways aren't your style❌ You're after mid to high raised grips

UK: £14.30 at Amazon

View Deal

With "Strawberry Sage Edition" in the name, and the cutesy pastel pink and green colors as seen in this four-pack of grips, I was a bit worried that my friend in question would be a bit hesitant to add them to their Nintendo Switch 2 setup. However, a few days later, much to my joy, they were quick to send me an image that their grips had arrived safe and sound, and had been protecting their Switch 2 Pro Controller, and 8Bit Do controller sticks ever since.

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And that's one of the main reasons why my brain instantly thought of this pack, as they fit a whole load of different pads. As you can see from the image below, I have one pair sitting on my limited edition Astro Bot DualSense, and the other is currently sitting on my Switch 2 Joy-Cons. These grips are also designed to fit PS4 controllers, Xbox Wireless controllers, and the original Switch Pro pad if you still have one lying around.

(Image credit: Future/Rosalie Newcombe)

Throughout the months that I've had these on my controllers, my original sticks have been protected from any additional abrasions and any gunk and sweat from that can often accumulate from hours of playing Mario Kart World and Marvel Rivals, as gross as that sounds.

They don't entirely get rid of the 'sticky" sensation that can often come about from worn-out sticks, as the silicon rubberized material and textured surface make them partially sticky themselves. That's to give your thumbs something better to grip onto, and these definitely get that job done. The sticky grip is pretty subtle too, and not one that will give you a sensory overload if that's something you're worried about.

While I adore these handy little grips, they are limited. Just like I told my friend on Discord, they come in a four pack, but they're all the same level of height, so you won't be getting the accuracy and comfort benefits of a mid to high rise thumg stick, if that's what you were after. For that, you're better off looking at KontrolFreek's Inferno Switch Pro Edition grips for $16.99 at Amazon instead.

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They're also prone to dirt and grime themselves, but it's a small price to pay. I'd much rather get these protective grips dirty than the original sticks of my controller, which are much pricier and complicated to replace.

If your controller has seen better days, our team has rounded up the best PC controllers for gaming, the best PS5 controllers, and the best Xbox Series X controllers for your platform of choice.

• View all Kontrol Freek Thumb Grips at Amazon
• View all game controller Thumb Grips at Amazon

Today's best Thumb Grip deals...KontrolFreek No-Slip Thumb Grips $9.99ViewSee all pricesKontrolFreek No-Slip Thumb Grips for $12.99ViewSee all pricesBelugaDesign Ghost Thumb Grips $9.99 $7.99ViewSee all pricesAceShot Thumb Grips for Xbox One $9.99ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices TOPICS SteelSeries CATEGORIES Nintendo Switch 2 PS5 PC Gaming Platforms Nintendo PlayStation Rosalie NewcombeSocial Links NavigationHardware Editor

Ever since I first held a NES controller in my hand I've been obsessed with gaming, and the hardware it runs on. I could hook up a NES and SNES to a telly, without instructions, before I could walk. Even now, nothing is more exciting then taking a console, or handheld, out the box for the first time and setting it up. This obsession transformed into a love of games and game music, which lead to my music degree and dream of becoming the Scottish Nobuo Uematsu. After sharing my love of games through music, I began to share my love through words on sites like TechRadar and iMore. This lead to becoming a Hardware staff writer for PCGamesN, and later the Senior Tech Writer for Dexerto, covering all things Steam Deck, PlayStation and Nintendo. With that experience, I was able to level up as Hardware Editor for GamesRadar+, where I'm still just as Nintendo, PlayStation and gaming tech obsessed as ever.

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