Things we would not buy
Some products are disappointing. Others are impressive demonstrations of marketing.
Caraway Nonstick Ceramic Frying Pan, 10.5-Inch
Why we passed: A premium price for a coating that wears faster than the cheaper alternatives.
Revolution InstaGLO R180B Touchscreen Toaster
Why we passed: The touchscreen adds cost and complexity to a task already solved by a lever.
HidrateSpark PRO Smart Water Bottle
Why we passed: Adds a charging habit and an app to a habit that needed no hardware.
LARQ Bottle PureVis Self-Cleaning Water Bottle
Why we passed: Premium price for a feature that does not remove the chore it implies it removes.
Kurgo Tru-Fit Smart Harness, Black, Large
Why we passed: A comfortable walking harness, but we could not verify the car-restraint claim implied by the included tether and would not rely on it in a crash.
ThunderShirt Classic Dog Anxiety Jacket, Medium, Heather Gray
Why we passed: Some dogs settled in it and some did not; we saw no consistent effect we could honestly attribute to the jacket.
Furbo 360 Dog Camera
Why we passed: The hardware is fine, but the features that matter are locked behind a subscription and the listing versions are confusing about what you get without one.
Flowtron BK-15D Electronic Insect Killer, 1/2 Acre
Why we passed: It kills a great many moths and beetles very loudly and the mosquitoes carried on biting us regardless.
Mr. Beams MB302 Wireless Motion Sensor LED Spotlight, 2-Pack
Why we passed: Easy to mount and honest about its batteries, but the light is too dim to do more than announce that something moved.
Ring Solar Pathlight, Black, 2-Pack Starter Kit
Why we passed: Nice hardware that depends on a separate bridge and an account to do anything beyond a basic solar light, and the solar panel struggles in shade.
Gaiam Classic Balance Ball Chair, Black
Why we passed: It is too low for a standard desk, the ball needs frequent re-inflating, and nobody on the team was still using it after six weeks.
Quntis Monitor Light Bar, Auto-Dimming
Why we passed: Two of three units flickered on the low setting and the beam spilled onto the screen; it does the job roughly and we could not stand behind it.
Logitech Brio 4K Ultra HD Webcam
Why we passed: The 4K resolution does nothing on calls, the software is needed to make it look right, and Logitech has since replaced it with a better camera at a similar price.
Baby Brezza Formula Pro Advanced Formula Dispenser
Why we passed: The dispensed powder amount varied with clumping and the formula setting, and we could not verify consistency without a scale at every feed.
Munchkin Warm Glow Wipe Warmer with Nightlight, White
Why we passed: The top wipes dried out overnight, the pad needs replacing, and warm wipes made no difference to our baby's mood.
Bissell Pet Stain Eraser Cordless Portable Carpet Cleaner, 20037
Why we passed: Cordless convenience does not make up for weak suction, a tiny tank and a battery that fades; a spray bottle and a cloth did as well in our use.
Spacesaver Vacuum Storage Bags with Hand Pump, Jumbo, 6-Pack
Why we passed: They shrink a duvet impressively on day one, and by month three most of ours had quietly reinflated; the space saved is temporary and the bags are single-season.
Stasher Reusable Silicone Sandwich Bag, Clear, 28 oz
Why we passed: A well-made bag that is slow to dry, hard to seal with wet hands and easy to underfill, so it replaced fewer plastic bags than we hoped.
Swedish Wholesale Swedish Dishcloths, 10-Pack, Assorted
Why we passed: They absorb well when fresh, but in our kitchen they stiffened, curled and started to smell within weeks, so we went back to cotton cloths.
Native Deodorant, Coconut & Vanilla, 2.65 oz
Why we passed: Two of three testers needed to reapply by mid-afternoon on ordinary days and the stick marked dark shirts, which is not what we want from a daily deodorant.
Revlon Oil-Absorbing Volcanic Face Roller
Why we passed: It did not do noticeably more than a blotting paper, and the need to wash a stone ball after every roll meant nobody kept using it.
JBL Go 3 Portable Bluetooth Speaker, Black
Why we passed: In our use the sound was thin and the battery fell short of the claim at normal volume, so we cannot recommend it over the slightly larger Flip.
Tile by Life360 Slim Wallet Tracker (2024), 1-Pack, Black
Why we passed: In our test it was only useful within Bluetooth range; the network never updated a lost wallet, and the sealed battery makes it disposable.
Physix Gear Compression Socks 20-30 mmHg, Black
Why we passed: They are comfortable, well-made socks, but we cannot verify the stated compression level or any health effect, and neither can you without equipment.
Life360 Tile Pro Bluetooth Tracker, Black
Why we passed: It rings loud and tracks keys well, but we could not verify that its finding network would locate a bag away from other Tile users, and the best features sit behind a subscription.
ThisWorx Car Vacuum Cleaner 2.0
Why we passed: Suction is too weak for embedded crumbs and sand, and after eight months the motor grew noticeably louder and weaker.
Quartet Magnetic Whiteboard Weekly Organizer, 6 x 10 inch
Why we passed: Too small for a family week; the day boxes hold a single word and the magnet lets go when the fridge door slams.
Energizer Vision PRO LED Flashlight, 1000+ Lumens
Why we passed: Bright on fresh batteries but the beam fades quickly, the tail switch is fussy, and the head loosened enough to flicker after a few months in a drawer.
Chirp Wheel+ 3-Pack with case
Why we passed: Two of the three wheels went unused after the first fortnight and the balancing act put off two of three testers.
Trideer Exercise Ball, 65 cm
Why we passed: Nothing wrong with the ball; two of three testers stopped using it inside a month and it became a laundry stand.
Bala Bangles Wrist and Ankle Weights, 1 lb pair
Why we passed: Well made but the weight is too slight to change much and the strap loosens with sweat; the appeal is the look.
Levi's Men's Vintage Fit Sherpa Trucker Jacket, Medium Wash
Why we passed: The sherpa lining pilled and matted within one winter, the vintage cut is a size bigger than labelled, and the collar stiffens after washing.
Downy Wrinkle Releaser Spray, 33.8 oz
Why we passed: It softens light creases on cotton if you tug and hang the garment, and leaves heavy wrinkles, linen and anything packed tight looking much as before, with a scent that outlasts the wrinkles.
Nekteck Shiatsu Neck Massager with Heat, Corded
Why we passed: Comfort depends heavily on your neck size and how hard you can tolerate the nodes, and our unit's arm straps frayed within months.
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