Angel View Mirror is an As Seen on TV rearview mirror that snaps over your existing car mirror to provide a 160-degree panoramic view that supposedly reduces or eliminates blind spots. I recently tested it out and here is my review.
Where to Purchase
There are currently two official websites being used for promotion: getangelview.com and angelviewmirror.com. I purchased it from the Bulbhead website here, and there is also an Amazon listing in which the product does not boast particularly high ratings. The cost of Angel view typically runs $20-$25.
Claims & Features
- 160-degree panoramic view
- Reduces or eliminates blind spots
- 12-inch curved glass
- Fits most vehicles
- Installs in seconds
Angel View Mirror Review
When I first saw the television commercial for Angel View Mirror, I was reminded of a similar mirror I installed in my 1982 Mustang back in high school in the 80s. That mirror was massive, spanning almost the entire width of my windshield, but it did in fact eliminate blind spots. Thus, the idea of a wide, panoramic rearview mirror to reduce or eliminate blind spots isn’t exactly new. Now in the As Seen on TV realm we have the Angel View Mirror and its commercial that boasts its “huge 12 inch mirror with curved glass” that “allows you to see both blind spots with one glance.” It sounds reasonable enough, but does it work?
A quick note about claims in the commercial and the website. There are some places – such as the television commercial – where the product is claimed to eliminate blind spots, and other areas such as the product description on Bulbhead where it is said to reduce blind spots. It appears to me that the word “eliminate” is used mostly for marketing hype, but the product should be held to this standard if it is being sold with such an implication.
I ordered Angel View from the Bulbhead website for $20, along with Yummy Can Potatoes which I also reviewed recently. It arrived in bubble wrap, which robbed me of the few seconds of pleasure I usually get from admiring the typical retail packaging before tossing it in the recycle bin. Upon opening it up, I was met with a product that accurately resembled what was shown in the commercial, although I whipped out a tape measure and realized they shorted me on size by about three quarters of an inch. The commercial states that it’s 12 inches, but I measured it at 11.25. The glass measures 10.5 inches. I noticed the Bulbhead website is a bit more realistic, noting that it is “nearly 12-inches.” Once again we seem to have an example of marketing exaggeration that doesn’t quite live up to the reality of a product.
The instructions are minimal, and primarily demonstrate how to snap the Angel View onto your existing mirror. Your mirror must be between 2.2 inches and 3.1 inches tall (55-80mm) in order for Angel View to fit. Fortunately my rearview mirror falls within that range.
The Amazon listing includes a number comments which complain about the Angel View not fitting or not staying in place, so I took extra caution during the installation to make sure it was secure. There are four clips used for installation. The top two are fixed and have rubber feet, while the bottom clips are spring-loaded. To install, you hook the lower clips onto the bottom of your mirror and pull upward until the top clips clear your mirror, and then “click” it in place.
My first three attempts were failures, until I realized that the rubber feet on the top clips were being pushed out of place before clearing the top of my mirror, thus preventing a snug fit. Once I accounted for those rubber feet, the Angel View snugly snapped onto my mirror – although without the coveted “click” sound.
For my first test, I took my car to an empty parking lot to assess just how panoramic the Angel View is compared to my regular mirror. I did this by walking around the back of the car with and without the Angel View installed, and compared the results to my regular mirror. I walked left and right, and around the areas that would be typical blind spots. In those tests – with my cameras set up to simulate a driver’s perspective – the Angel View did in fact offer a wider field of view than my regular mirror, although not as wide as the fisheye side mirrors on my car.
So far, so good, right? Not so fast.
When you place a driver in the seat and take headrests into consideration, the blind spots are still there. In fact, if you look at the Angel View commercial, their simulation from the mirror’s perspective does not include any headrests, which are more of a cause for blind spots for me than a narrow field of view.
I took my car for a real-world driving test, and found the blind spots to still exist, although I did have a much better view of the back seat than with my regular mirror. If I moved my head to the left or right, I could peer around my reflection or the passenger headrest to get a glimpse of blind spots, but that isn’t easier than just glancing at the side mirrors.
I’ve continued to use the Angel View beyond just the time I spent filming my video for the product and I have an additional observation to report. Objects in this mirror seem farther away than they appear, which makes me feel less confident about lane changes. That truck that appears several car lengths behind in the Angel View may actually be nearly even with your bumper. Finally, there is a strange “focus” issue, in which my eyes seem to immediately focus on the back seat when I look in the Angel View, rather than the cars behind me. This may be because the back seat is so much more visible that the eyes gravitate there instead of through the window.
Don’t just take my word for it. WNEP TV in Pennsylvania took the Angel View out with a few different drivers and their conclusion was that it did not eliminate blind spots.
In the end, I like the idea of Angel View, and there may be some uses for it such as parents who want to keep an eye on their back seat or Uber drivers with passengers. I’m not sure the general public will develop much of a love for this item, however.
If you’ve used the Angel View Mirror, tell me what you think in the comments below.
Honestly, this is one of the most thorough and informative reviews I’ve read. And an actual review too, not just a description and links to buy the product. Well done. thanks!
Thank you Brian! I’m glad you found it informative!
You talked me out of buying it. Thanks.
Thanks for the effort! BTW, now they’re advertising that they’ve shut down production, so you better hurry! A strict limit of 3 per order! Limited availability of something that doesn’t work is now a feature.
Interesting. I’ve been seeing that advertising ploy used a lot more lately. It must be working or they wouldn’t keep doing it!
Lol, right.
I was intrigued by the commercial, but I am very cautious of ads as I’ve been burned before, so I am so glad to find this website with your awesome reviews. Since I now find myself to be an old lady living on social security, every penny counts, so thank you for saving me $20!
Thank you so much for the nice comment. I’m glad my reviews are helpful to you!
Thanks for your review! I was going to buy it for a new driver, but I think it may be more of a distraction.
Thank you for the comment. Another issue I noticed over time was that cars behind me seem farther away than with a regular mirror, and that is not a good feature!
Hell I don’t but crap like that from tv commercials they usually cheaply made and don’t last or work like in commercials at all
Excellent review site. I have two comments: (1) I haven’t had cable or television in years. But having broken my femur and having been forced to go to a rehab facility, I’ve been watching television daily. There are so many ads for products, that with five minutes of research, people would never purchase. Potential buyers should do a review search before buying any products that are relentlessly advertised on TV. (2) Amazon is the largest conduit of cheaply made goods that are made in China. I mean, for decades corporations have been churning out junk via Chinese slave labor. I’m… Read more »
Hi Lana, thank you for the comment! And I can’t disagree with you on both of your points! It’s hard to find well-made products among all of the junk out there!
Thanks for your comprehensive review!
Glad you found it useful!
Thank you for the review. You saved me $20.
Thank you for this. I appreciate so much someone like you taking the time to purchase and review these products in real time. Hats off!
Thank you Lisa!
The demonstration doesn’t take into consideration the drivers head obstructing the the view. It and works ok for the right side blind spot but, my head blocks the left side. The limited quantity because production is being stopped, I believe is a marketing tactic by the advertiser Bulbhead.
Hi Dan, you are correct. I did try to make this point in the video I shot, that my head still blocked the blind spots. Headrests also block them in my car, which is perhaps why they don’t even show headrests in one of their photos.
I’ve seen several Bulbhead products use this “limited quantity” ploy, and I don’t believe it for a minute.
Thank you so very much for this review. I called to order and that voice inside me said check the reviews for this product. I began looking for reviews and could not find any so I changed my approach, I googled, what are consumers saying about AngelView, and I found you. Thank you so much. You are amazing.
I’m glad I could be of help to you!
I am just so tired of getting beat and scammed, I work really hard for the little money I have, and I am old and have no help, I am not working, cannot retire because although I am past 60, I would take a major cut in my SS, and although I applied for disabilty, I am denied because last year they said I made too much, really? So this really help me.
Angel view mirror and bulb head are full of shit, more like bullshit.
Thank u for doing what u did! U saved me $20 + shipping! U did everything I wanted to know, testing & explaining, so thx again!
If this truly worked, it would have been a national or international safety standard years ago. Never believe advertising claiming to have a product that is better for safety than products that manufacturers are already obligated to use
My car recently failed its annual warrant of fitness because I had removed the rear headrests to improve rearward vision. so they are allowed to advertise a rearward image, without the headrests, which would fail a warrant of fitness in New Zealand
I just ordered one and haven’t gotten it yet. After reading this l will return it without opening it. Thank you for the review. I don’t have an email.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR INFORMATION. PRESENTATION WITH EVERYTHING YOU DID MADE PERFECT SENSE AND WAS WELL DONE. HONESTY WAS VERY MUCH APPRECIATED.
Thank you, Barb!
Thank you for your thorough review! I had my debit card ready after watching the Ad today (1/6/24) and was like yes! But, I check reviews and subscribe to Consumer Reports, but I saw your review first. So it’s a no for me. Thank you again and happy New Year!
I bought it before I saw your review and somewhat regret it. I’ll let you know when I try it. They upsold me to $40 for the night vision version.
I’ll be interested in your update!