Better Sponge Review: Better Than a Traditional Sponge?

Better Sponge is a versatile dish sponge made of pliable silicone. Does it work as advertised? Here is our Better Sponge review.

About Better Sponge

Better Sponge is a silicone dish sponge with thousands of finger-like projections that assist in cleaning. The official website is trybettersponge.com, with a registration date of March 2017. The screen capture below was taken of the product website in May 2017.

Claims & Features

• Manufactured from tough, yet malleable, silicone
• Cleans with 3000 tiny silicone fingers
• Will not cause scratches
• Anti-bacterial and resistant to mildew
• Versatile design allows for multiple uses
• Rinses clean and also safe for dishwasher
• Hang dry with the built-in suction cup

Cost

A set of 3 Better Sponges costs $14.95, with free shipping. There is an optional double offer that adds an additional set of 3 sponges for a fee of $5.95. Choosing this double offer would bring the total to $20.90. I found Better Sponge at a local Bed Bath & Beyond for $15 for a three-pack in August 2017.

Better Sponge Review

There are some words that seem to repeatedly appear in the names of As Seen on TV products, such as miracle, EZ, or better. With Better Sponge, we have a product that is supposed to be an improvement over the age-old kitchen tool. But does it really improve on traditional sponges?

A typical kitchen sponge is a synthetic imitation of a natural sponge. These cellulose fiber imitations have a porous surface which helps grab dirt and grime when scrubbing or wiping. Over time, however, they wear out and begin to smell bad.

Now with Better Sponge, we have an item that uses small silicone finger that can be used to scrub or scrape. Its design also makes it more pliable, allowing you to reach traditionally hard to reach places, such as the inside of a thin glass or in tight corners. It doesn’t wear out quickly or hold odors.

While I don’t think Better Sponge fully lives up to the advertising hype, there are merits.

Pros:

• Versatile. It can be used as a lint brush to pick up pet hair from clothing, or as a potholder or jar opener.
• These sponges don’t retain any smell after use.
• Durable. These don’t wear out quickly.
• Works well for most scrubbing needs.
• Pliable. They fold and contour glasses and other odd shapes easily.

Cons:

• There is no absorbency whatsoever. If you need it to pick up water or debris, as if you’re cleaning a counter-top, this may disappoint.
• Soap tends to ooze right out, which could also relate to a lack of absorbency.
• It’s difficult to get soap to foam or lather.

As you can see from the pros and cons, it may not be better, but it is different. If you want it to primarily do light scrubbing of dishes, it could be a good fit for you. If you want it for wiping counters or hard scrubbing, I don’t think Better Sponge is going to impress.

I think by definition, a sponge is supposed to be absorbent, so I’d probably call this “Better Scrubber” because it seems to be a scrubber and not a sponge.

Alternatives

You may be surprised to find quite a few silicone sponges already on the market. This four-pack by Kichwit even sports a multi-color pack similar to Better Sponge, and runs about $15. How about a single silicone sponge that only costs about $7, like this 4.2 star model? Finally, if you want to see a mix of positive and negative reviews, you may want to peruse comments on this $8 model, which has over 200 comments of varying levels of satisfaction.

Video Review

Below you can see my full video review of Better Sponge.

Your Better Sponge Reviews

What are your thoughts about Better Sponge? Drop a comment below and a star rating above to let us know what you think about it.

Updated August 2017.