Today I’m looking at two unusual products that both revolve around something very simple: an ordinary drinking glass. One is a drinking glass with a built-in coaster, while the other attaches to a glass and turns your drink into a makeshift birthday cake.
Are either of these clever upgrades, or are they solutions to problems that don’t really exist? I put both of them to the test.
Where to Purchase
Below are links where you can purchase the items in this review:
Coast Glass Review
I paid $38 for a set of two Coast Glasses directly from the company. They arrived in nice packaging and certainly looked good right out of the box.
The big selling point is found on the bottom of each glass. Instead of requiring a separate coaster, Coast Glasses have a natural stone coaster permanently built into the base. The stone is designed to absorb condensation before it can collect underneath the glass.
The company claims this means no more puddles on your table, water rings on surfaces, or condensation dripping onto your clothes. At about $19 per glass, however, I wanted to see if they actually worked.
Indoor Condensation Test
For my first test, I compared the Coast Glass with a similarly sized conventional drinking glass. I added the same amount of ice and water to each and placed them side by side on my table. After about 15 minutes, and again around the 30-minute mark, the regular glass had accumulated enough condensation to leave visible water underneath it. The surface underneath the Coast Glass was completely dry.
That was a pretty convincing first result, but I wanted to make the conditions more challenging.
Outdoor Humidity Test
I live in Las Vegas, where humidity is normally quite low, but I happened to be testing these during monsoon season. That gave me a rare opportunity to try the glasses outdoors in considerably more humidity than we normally experience.
I once again filled both glasses with the same amount of ice and water and left them outside in the heat and direct sunlight. After about 20 minutes, both glasses had plenty of condensation on their sides. The regular glass had already left a noticeable wet mark on the table, while there was still nothing underneath the Coast Glass. I continued the test until all of the ice had melted. The standard glass once again left water behind, while the table underneath the Coast Glass remained dry.
At that point, I was convinced that the built-in coaster really does work.
How Much Water Does the Stone Absorb?
I also weighed one of the Coast Glasses dry and then again after getting the stone base thoroughly wet. The dry glass weighed about 12.5 ounces, while the wet glass weighed approximately 12.7 ounces. That suggests the stone can hold roughly 0.2 ounces of water, which is a little over a teaspoon.
Coast Glass Verdict
I think Coast Glasses work exactly as advertised. Even under more humid outdoor conditions, the built-in stone coaster kept condensation from collecting underneath the glass. The bigger question is whether you want to spend about $19 per glass to eliminate the need for a coaster. That will depend on how much condensation bothers you and how often you actually use coasters.
On its own merits, though, I have no complaints about the performance. The Coast Glass did what it was supposed to do.
Wish Clips Review
Next up are Wish Clips, which take a very different approach to upgrading your drink. I paid $8.99 for a 15-pack. These are small plastic clips designed to slide onto the rim of a glass or bottle and hold a birthday candle.
The idea is that instead of bringing out a birthday cake, you can attach candles directly to someone’s drink. They can also be used for anniversaries or other celebrations. The instructions are simple: slide the clip onto the rim, insert a candle, light it, blow it out, and remove the clip before drinking.
Do Wish Clips Fit Different Glasses?
I started by trying them on several types of drinkware, including a conventional drinking glass, the Coast Glass, a Solo cup, a coffee mug, and a bottle. The clips fit all of them without much trouble, so the basic design is pretty versatile. Attaching the clips wasn’t the problem. The included candles were.
The Included Candles Were Too Loose
When I inserted the candles supplied with the Wish Clips, I immediately noticed that they didn’t fit securely. Several of them flopped around or leaned dramatically to one side. I compared them with a cheap package of regular birthday candles from the grocery store. Those candles were noticeably thicker and fit much more securely inside the clips. Interestingly, the Wish Clip packaging itself warns that the clip and candle may fall over. Based on my testing, that warning seems justified.
Lighting the Wish Clips
I set up several different glasses and containers with a mixture of the supplied candles and my store-bought candles. Once they were lit, things became a bit chaotic. One candle began dripping wax onto my table. Another was positioned so that melted wax dropped directly into the drink. I also managed to get hot wax on my finger while blowing the candles out.
The included candles consistently performed worse because they didn’t remain upright very well. The thicker store-bought candles were noticeably more stable. I also wouldn’t recommend trying to drink while the candle is burning. The manufacturer specifically tells you to remove the clip before drinking, and after using them myself, I can see why. Having a burning candle inches from your face isn’t something I’d recommend.
While setting up to film my final thoughts, I even managed to drip hot wax onto my fingers a second time.
Wish Clips Verdict
I actually like the concept of Wish Clips. They are inexpensive, they fit a wide variety of glasses, and they could be a fun addition to an adult birthday party or celebration. My main complaint is with the candles included in the package. They were too loose in the clips and tended to lean, fall over, and drip wax where I didn’t want it. If I were going to use Wish Clips again, I would buy an inexpensive package of thicker store-bought birthday candles and use those instead. With better candles, the clips themselves get the job done.
Final Thoughts
In the end, both products worked, although I found the Coast Glass considerably more practical.
The Coast Glass successfully prevented condensation from reaching my table in both indoor and outdoor testing. Whether that convenience is worth roughly $19 per glass is a matter of personal preference, but the product itself performed very well.
Wish Clips are more of a novelty. I like the idea and the clips worked with nearly every piece of drinkware I tried, but I would skip the included candles and replace them with sturdier ones.
If you’ve tried either Coast Glasses or Wish Clips, let me know what you think!
Video Review
You can watch my full review in the video below.