In today’s review, I tested four products designed for emergencies, convenience, or accessibility. I compared two saltwater-powered lights, tried a set of soda can lids with retractable straws, and tested a one-handed pill bottle opener.
Where to Purchase
Below you can purchase the products covered in this review.
HydroGlo Saltwater Emergency Light
HydroGlo is a disposable emergency light that “runs” on saltwater. It costs around $10 and claims to provide up to 400 hours of light with a five-year shelf life before activation. To use it, I added 10 grams of salt and about 132 ml of water, shook the pouch, waited 15 seconds, and switched it on.
The light worked immediately and also includes a flashing SOS mode. Although HydroGlo is rated at 50 lumens, I found the light somewhat harsh and directional. That actually worked reasonably well when I walked around my dark backyard, since it behaved more like a flashlight than an area light.
The biggest drawback is that HydroGlo is essentially a disposable product. Once activated, its useful life is limited, and unlike the Ion Light, there is no replaceable component that allows it to be reused indefinitely.
Ion Light
The Ion Light takes a different approach to saltwater lighting. It costs about $29, is rated at 100 lumens, and claims up to 200 hours of light. Its biggest advantage is that the internal plate can be replaced for under $4, allowing the light itself to be reused.
I filled it with about 112 ml of water and 10 grams of salt to make the comparison with HydroGlo as similar as possible. The Ion Light immediately produced a pleasant diffused light with 360-degree illumination.
In my backyard tests, I preferred the Ion Light for illuminating an area, campsite, or room. Because the light shines in every direction, it was less effective as a walking light since some of the light shines directly toward your eyes. Overall, however, I preferred the Ion Light because it is reusable, provides 360-degree illumination, and produces a less harsh light.
Silicone Soda Can Lids with Retractable Straws
These silicone can lids include retractable straws that pop up when the cover is opened and tuck away when closed. The idea is to provide a convenient straw while helping reduce spills and preserve carbonation.
I liked the retractable straw design, especially because the straw stays covered when it isn’t being used. The lids also worked reasonably well on standard cans, although the fit wasn’t as tight as I expected. They could even be used on some smaller cans, but the fit became much less secure.
Despite the claims, I did not find them to be leak proof. Liquid occasionally escaped around the edges, particularly when the can was tilted. I also compared two partially filled cans of soda for about 10 hours, leaving one uncovered and placing the lid on the other. The covered soda may have retained slightly more carbonation, but the difference wasn’t dramatic.
I can see these being useful for someone who prefers drinking from a straw or wants to minimize spills, particularly with kids, but they feel like a fairly niche product to me.
One-Handed Pill Bottle Opener
This device is designed to help people open medicine and vitamin bottles using one hand. It includes a sticky non-slip mat to hold the bottle in place, along with an oversized opener that provides additional leverage. There’s also a magnifying glass with an LED light for reading small labels.
Results were mixed. It successfully opened several standard medicine and vitamin bottles using one hand, and the larger grip did provide a little extra leverage. However, it would not work with very small bottle caps or bottles that require pressing a release tab on the side.
I also wasn’t impressed with the sticky mat. It held bottles extremely well, but it quickly began collecting hair and debris, and I questioned how well it would hold up over time.
I like the concept, and the illuminated magnifying glass is useful, but the opener itself was too inconsistent for me to strongly recommend. Depending on the bottles someone uses and their particular needs, their experience could be very different from mine.
Video Review
You can watch the full video review below.