As Seen on TV: But Wait! There's More (page 3 of 3)

"How Cool is That?"

Huggable Hangers (84-piece set for $89) 3 stars
Promise: The hangers with the soft touch, to hug shirts and sweaters without creating those annoying pointy shoulders. "Strong enough for the heaviest coat." At only a quarter-inch thick, they're about one-fourth the width of a padded hanger -- so you "double, triple, even quadruple your closet space."

Results: While some testers -- mostly men -- said they're perfectly happy with their messy closets and free wire hangers, female fashionistas found these truly huggable. The only hesitation was over the price: To most, the set seemed expensive, and we'd forgo the shoe bag and other "extras" in favor of more hangers. Then again, if you're closet challenged, the space-saving benefits can be priceless.

Touchless Trashcan ($99) 4 stars
Promise: With its "built-in Smart-Chip," this can senses when you've got garbage to toss. The lid pops open automatically, then closes again.

Results: "A product that anticipates your needs -- how cool is that?" said one tester, who admitted, "I actually missed the Touchless Trashcan after only two days." "Throwing things away has never been so much fun!" raved another, who said she'd snap one up herself if it cost a little less. One drawback: Big dogs can open the lid, too, so pet owners be warned!

My Lil' Reminder (2 for $9.99) 2 stars
Promise: Never forget where you parked the car again! This "tiny" tapeless recorder takes notes and reminds you later. Just press a button and speak. "Perfect for shopping lists, phone numbers, directions," the Lil' Reminder asserts itself as "the easy way to remember everything."

Results: With just 20 seconds of recording time (a microscopic footnote on the instructions), "your list better be short, or else you'd better be a fast talker." And you can't add to the recording, so if you forgot milk on your grocery list, you've got to take it from the top. In the end, we agreed: The Lil' Reminder is something to forget.

The DVD Stripper 4 stars
Last year we gave the CD Stripper four stars. This year we loved the DVD Stripper just as much. Open movies and video games in one swift motion, with no peeling, tearing or sharp blades. Buy one, or both, at thecdstripper.com.

To Order or Not to Order?
Just plug in numbers, use some simple math and you'll have your answer.

$ ÷ A - S - (I x T) = B

$ = Cost of the item, rounded to the nearest $5.

A = Appeal of the Internet offer. Do you get cool freebies? Rate the total package from 1 (love it) to 5 (not so much).

S = Shipping cost.

I = Instant-gratification factor. How soon do you want the product? Rate from 1 (can wait) to 5 (need it now).

T = Touchy-feely factor. Do you want to check out the product up close? Rate from 1 (no need) to 5 (gotta touch it).

If B (Buy) is greater than 0, then pick up the phone or order online. Less than 0, it's smarter to go to the store.

From Reader's Digest - April 2007

 

• • Shopping Guides
• • Frugal Shopping

• As Seen on TV: 2006
• Our annual ratings of the useful (and useless) stuff sold on TV.
• 
• As Seen on TV: 2005
• Ever wonder if the stuff they sell on television is any good? So did we. Find out now how our staffers rated some popular infomercial products.
• 
• As Seen on TV: 2004
• How do infomercial products really rate? The 2004 list.
• 
• As Seen on TV: 2003
• The results are in. Here's what actually works.
• 

• Be Inspired
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• Virginia Cervasio: Making It Matter
• PLUS:
• Quiz: What's Your Celebrity Cause IQ?