Convenience Gadgets that Didn't Make the Grade

Have you ever purchased what you thought was a great convenience gadget, but was left deflated by its poor performance? Late night TV is flooded with infomercials pushing the latest and greatest gadget and products that are supposed to, for $19.95, make our lives much simpler. Have you ever purchased one, got one as a present or given a product like this as a gift, only to be let down later? I have, and here are my top 5 worst products I have ever purchased to try to make my life easier. (Keep in mind, these are my opinions.) To view these items for yourself, click on the names of the products to see their descriptions.

Hairagami

I saw this product on TV and loved the concept of it. It reminded me of a product I used years ago, and I could not wait to try it. After purchasing, I opened the package and was immediately discouraged by the feel of the fabric and the instability of the design. The two metal pieces, which roll and snap your hair in place, felt like kids snap bracelets. The velour cover fabric was slippery and my hair slid right out.

I had (at the time) long hair. I tried in many different ways to use the product, but either my hair would slide out the open end of the velour snap bracelet, or when it was finally rolled nicely, the ends would snap at the wrong times causing the product to get tangled in my hair. Again, I tried in many different ways, using different amounts of hair, but it never really worked quite right. To me, it is not worth the money and not worth the time. I will stick to barrettes and hair-ties.

Wonder Hanger

When I first saw an advertisement for this product, I thought it was too good to be true. My closet was out of control and I wanted these to ease the pain my cluttered closet caused. I went out and purchased a box and was thrilled. I spent the evening working on my closet transferring my blouses to these new hangers to make additional room. Before you buy this product, take a close look at the commercial again. Notice the boxes on the floor in the messy closet, and then they don't even show the boxes in the next set of frames. That is because, if you use this product, your clean clothes will hang down and drape across the boxes on your closet floor. This was supposed to make it easy to hang your purses, but did you see the bulge it caused when you dropped the hanger down to make more room? It also advertised it would hang bulky winter coats nicely, too. That is not true. It takes up almost the same amount of room to hang them separately.

Each person will have different experiences with this gadget, but from my experience, I do not like the Wonder Hanger and I think it was a waste to purchase them. I do like the idea of it, but it does not help your closet unless you have it look exactly like the video. My star rating is two stars out of five. It is handy, but it does not make your closet bigger, it only makes the clothes harder to get to. If you are going to store clothes for the winter or summer, then it is great. If you are going to use this for everyday use, and your closet is already cluttered, then save your money. (Cost $9.99 for a set of eight.)

Space Bags

Years ago I purchased Space Bags so I could store my clothes and not worry about them. I loved the idea of squishing down pillows or comforters to make more space in my bedroom. I thought for sure they would make my life easier. I purchased a set that included two large and two medium bags. I filled them, according to the directions, and then used the vacuum to suck the air out. It was great until I went back to them a few weeks later only to find the double zipper did not hold. In one of the other bags I also noticed that the valve that sucked out the air did not seal properly, even with the cap on it. I have not purchased the new Space Bags, and won't. In my opinion, the cost of these bags outweighs the use of them. (Current cost $19.95 for 3 bags.)

Perfect Brownie Pan

A recent purchase, The Perfect Brownie Pan, is a great idea, but it has its flaws and, to me, is not worth the money. This pan is supposed to make making brownies easier, but it doesn't. The rectangle pan has an open bottom designed to allow you to use the pan as a serving tray, but it does not work very well. You need to spray the entire pan, including the insert, before pouring in the batter. After baking, you are supposed to remove the separator easily, but it doesn't. The worst part, in my opinion, is that the edges were sharp and I nicked myself a few times when trying to clean it. I eventually just soaked it. This gadget is a great idea, but I think the design needs improvement. (Cost $19.95)

Cold Heat Soldering Tool

We purchased the Cold Heat Soldering Tool for my Dad a few years ago as a Father's Day gift. He unwrapped his present and was excited to use it. He and my husband tried it out, and right away there was an issue. The gadget did get hot, but the tip burned. It was so hot that the tip, instead of being like a flat head screwdriver, now has a gouge in the middle. He changed the tip and they tried it again. The second tip burned as well, and now it sits in the garage. (Cost $19.95.)

Sources:

Personal Experience
www.asseenontv.com