KontrolFreek Strawberry Sage thumb grips ($12.99) cut Switch 2 Pro stick stickiness

The other week one of my closest online friends messaged me on Discord asking for thumb grip recommendations to “stop the rubber from getting sticky” on the official Switch 2 Pro controller, and I immediately suggested the Strawberry Sage Edition KontrolFreek No-Slip Thumb Grips, currently $12.99 on Amazon for a four-pack.

The pack’s pastel pink and green grips are designed to fit a wide range of controllers — I have one pair on a limited edition Astro Bot DualSense and another on my Switch 2 Joy-Cons — and they’re also made to work with PS4 controllers, Xbox Wireless controllers, the original Switch Pro pad and 8BitDo sticks.

After months of use they’ve protected my original sticks from abrasions and the gunk and sweat that can build up during long sessions of Mario Kart World and Marvel Rivals, and they’ve kept Joy-Con sticks feeling stick-free for weeks. They do have limits: the silicone, textured material is intentionally slightly tacky to improve grip, so they don’t entirely eliminate the “sticky” sensation of worn sticks, and the four grips in the pack are all the same height, so they won’t provide the mid- or high-rise accuracy some players want.

For taller heights, KontrolFreek’s Inferno Switch Pro Edition is available for $16.99 on Amazon. They’re also prone to collecting dirt and grime themselves, but I’d rather clean the protective grips than replace pricier original sticks.

strawberry sage edition, switch 2 pro, switch 2 joy-cons, thumb grips $12.99, available on amazon, inferno switch pro edition, 8bitdo sticks, ps4 controller grips, xbox wireless controller grips, silicone textured material, mid-rise accuracy