I’m back with another round of random gadget testing, and this one was a pretty mixed bag. This time around, I tried out three very different products: glow-in-the-dark yard rocks from Temu, edible “ImPasta” straws, and a 3D-printed balloon knotting tool. Some were more practical than others, and at least one of them was a lot more disappointing than the listing made it seem.
Where to Purchase
Below are links where you can purchase the items covered in this review.
Cheap Gadgets
Let’s start with the glow-in-the-dark rocks, because this was definitely one of those “what you see versus what you get” situations. The listing made it look like one small bag would be enough to create this beautiful, glowing garden path, but in reality that was nowhere close. I paid $3.61 for a bag which was supposed to include 500 glowing pebbles, and after actually counting them out one by one, I ended up with 558. So technically, I got more than promised, which was a nice surprise. The problem is that even 558 tiny rocks just doesn’t go very far outdoors.
I spread them around a palm tree in the yard to see if they could at least create some kind of decorative effect. During the day, they looked fine, but once the sun went down, they were more or less invisible. After sitting in the Nevada sun all day, I expected at least a faint glow, but there was pretty much nothing. The only time they looked remotely impressive was when I hit them directly with a UV light. Under UV, they actually looked pretty cool for a moment, but that glow faded fast. Within about 45 minutes, they were completely dark again. So yes, they technically glow, but not in the way the product photos suggest. Unless you plan to use a UV light on them regularly and buy way more than one bag, I don’t think these are worth it.
Next up were the “ImPasta” straws, which sounded like one of the more interesting products in the lineup. These are marketed as vegan-friendly, gluten-free, biodegradable, flavorless straws that don’t get soggy like paper straws. I paid $14.99 for a 100-pack, which puts them on the pricier side, so I was curious whether they’d actually perform better than the usual eco-friendly alternatives.
Right away, I liked the look and feel of them. They have a sleek, black finish, and they feel sturdy in your hand, sturdier than a normal plastic straw at first. Most importantly, they really are flavorless, which is a huge win compared to paper straws. I tested them in three drinks: one hot, one room temperature, and one cold. In cold drinks, they held up pretty well at first. In room temperature drinks, they also did decently for a while. Hot drinks, however, are where things went south fast.
Within just a few minutes, sitting in hot coffee, the straw started to feel slick and gooey near the bottom. By the 10-minute mark, it was noticeably bent and flimsy. By around 25 minutes, it had started to split and could no longer function properly. At that point, I was basically just pulling in air instead of coffee. That was a pretty big letdown. The room temperature straw lasted much longer, and the cold one looked okay for a while too, but even the cold straw eventually developed a crack and stopped working around the one-hour mark. So while these straws do work, their performance really depends on the temperature of your drink, and they just don’t have the staying power I’d want, especially for the price.
One of the more unusual selling points is that these straws are supposedly edible. I did try eating one after it softened up, and technically, yes, it is edible. But “edible” and “enjoyable” are definitely not the same thing. It wasn’t offensive taste-wise, but it’s not something I’d ever want as a snack. Overall, I can appreciate the idea behind these, and they do feel nicer than paper straws, but I’d only really recommend them for shorter use with cooler drinks.
The final product was a 3D-printed balloon knotting tool from Temu, and this one ended up being the most practical of the three. I paid $3.62 for it, and while it definitely feels cheap, that’s kind of expected at that price point. The tool is designed to help tie balloons without putting as much strain on your fingers, and after a little practice, it actually worked pretty well.
At first, I wasn’t convinced it would be any faster than just tying balloons by hand. Using your fingers is still pretty quick, especially if you already know what you’re doing. But after a few attempts, I started getting the hang of the tool, and the process sped up quite a bit. I still wouldn’t say it’s faster than the traditional method, but it does reduce finger strain, and that makes a difference if you’re tying a lot of balloons for a party or event. So while it’s not perfect, it does what it claims to do, and for just a few bucks, I think it’s actually a decent little gadget.
Overall, this batch of products was definitely a mixed experience. The glow rocks were underwhelming unless used with direct UV light and in much larger quantities than one bag provides. The “ImPasta” straws had some promise, especially in terms of taste and appearance, but they just didn’t hold up consistently enough to fully win me over. The balloon knotting tool, on the other hand, turned out to be a simple but useful gadget that actually delivered on its purpose. If I had to pick one winner from this group, it would be the balloon tool.
Video Review
You can watch the full review in the video below.