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Maybe it's the hypnotic power of late-night TV (most ads air during the wee hours), but 72 percent of all infomercial purchases are made impulsively, according to a new study by the Electronic Retailing Association, which tracks such things. When we do call, three times out of four, that cheerfully convincing salesperson on the other end of the line tries to get us to buy something else too. More than half of the time, we bite.
So, for the third year in a row, Reader's Digest road-tested 13 hot products. Eager staffers -- as few as 6 and as many as 14 -- took the stuff home and put it to use in the real world. Our ratings range from no stars (Junk! Don't waste your money) to four stars (Genius! This product might just change your life). Here's what we found out:
Magic Bullet
$99.99 + $39.98 (S&H) = $139.97 (for 2)
Promise: This compact countertop "magician" does "any job in the kitchen in ten seconds or less." Chop onions so fast there's "no time to cry." Pull out "the ultimate party machine" to make individual frozen drinks and "instant guacamole."
Results: Aside from some disputes about the ten-second rule (pesto took about a minute), our testers were impressed with this "fast and powerful" personal blender. So simple to operate, you "could make it work by looking at it." "Great smoothies," said one tester, whose 21-year-old son wanted to keep the test model. Maybe we should let him. The small size makes it "best for singles." Even for "a non-cook, it was cool."
Chillow
[Best Name]$29.95 + $6.87 = $36.82
Promise: "An oasis for your pillow," this insert keeps you cool while you sleep and offers relief for headaches, hot flashes, sunburn and more. Like "falling asleep in the shade with a gentle breeze."
Results: An Arctic breeze is more like it. Okay, maybe winter wasn't the ideal time to test the Chillow, but every one of our testers said it made their pillows too cool. And too hard. One likened the experience to "sleeping on a cold cement floor." Another said it felt like "an ice pack." Gets points for ingenious technology, though. To activate, you fill it with water, then let it chill for two hours before bedtime. But, suggested one tired tester, the two-hour cooling period "should be No. 1 in the directions. If I'd known that, I would've started earlier."
Hair Made
$19.95 + $9.99 = $29.94
Promise: "Is drying your hair a giant pain?" Strap your blow-dryer into this telescopic stand, which makes it "so easy, it's like having a third hand" and will "cut styling time in half." The beaming women on TV, sporting their shiny hair, certainly look pleased.
Results: While one tester reported that "my hair actually looked better," another was annoyed by the "windblown" effect when the dryer continued to blow on sections she'd already styled. A woman with long hair appreciated that she had her hands free to "do other things." But another tester who used to work in a salon says, "I know the tricks for straight, smooth Jennifer Aniston hair, and this won't do it." Still, all agreed that the Hair Made could be "helpful for busy people who like to multitask."
Micro Touch
$14.99 + $5.99 = $20.98
Promise: Men, keep yourselves "barbershop perfect" between visits, clipping sideburns, goatees and neck hair with "just a touch." This pen-sized grooming tool "replaces expensive trimmers" and is "designed to go where razors and scissors shouldn't," including nose, ears and that pesky unibrow.
Results: Our male testers, admittedly not exactly a bunch of metrosexuals, found this a nifty addition to their grooming repertoires. "Easier than my electric razor," said one. Although you "have to go over a spot several times to trim it really well," most found that in just a few minutes, they were less hairy. Be warned: it's "not entirely painless." And bearded guys found it "only useful as an edger," not a full-on trimmer.
Laser Straight
[Best New Tool]$19.99 + $7.99 = $27.98
Promise: Hang shelves or a row of pictures evenly, following a bright red beam of light. This featherweight, battery-operated tool attaches to the wall with stickum, which "leaves no marks." Straight line extends "up to 50 feet" and "even goes around corners."
Results: Because just about everyone turns into a spaz when juggling artwork, a pencil and an old-fashioned level, our testers agreed this is a great invention -- especially for the price. "I loved it," raved one. "My pencil marks always show," said another, "so this made me feel quite the expert." Suddenly, picture hanging is fun: "I enjoyed the light show." One do-it-yourselfer had a suggested improvement: "I wish it projected horizontally and vertically, but I'm not willing to pay double for the name-brand model with that feature."
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