Testing and Ranking SEVEN Viewer Requested Products!

Today I’m testing and ranking seven products requested by viewers. Let’s see how they work and where each item falls in my final rank!

Testing Seven Viewer Requests

Where to Purchase

Below are links to the Amazon listings where I purchased the items in this review, and the price I paid. Note that prices and availability on Amazon can be all over the place!

• Folding Lamp – $19.99
• Dog Bubbles – $13.99 (2-pack)
• Helio AirBroom – I paid $34.99 on Amazon, although it’s marketed at $29.99 on the official website helioairbroom.com. With shipping it will be $35.98 direct.
• Slicing Guide – $15.99
• Milk Spout – $14.99 (4-pack)
• Hand Massager – I paid $55.27, although the Amazon history shows this alternating between $55-$79.
• Jelly Knife – $6.84

Folding Lamp

I can see why this lamp was requested—it features an interesting and unusual design that briefly trended on social media. The lamp collapses to less than an inch in height but expands into a full-sized lamp. It’s referred to as “origami,” likely because of its paper-like construction. In my tests, the lithium-ion battery lasted 3 hours and 20 minutes, which is on the lower end of the 6 hours claimed in the instructions. The lamp has a button on top that turns it on and off with a press, and it can also dim or brighten the light when held. I found it bright enough to light my way in a darkened house and suitable for reading, though its yellow tint may not be ideal for all lighting needs. A drawback is that the lamp won’t stay lit while charging if the battery is dead, so it can’t be used continuously. Overall, it performed better than I expected, especially compared to similar lights I’ve tested in the past.

Dog Bubbles

The official name of this product is “Puppy Love Bubbles,” but “Dog Bubbles” just has a more fun ring to it. It comes as a two-pack of scented, flavored bubbles for dogs, with one bottle bacon-flavored and the other peanut butter-flavored. According to Amazon reviews, the peanut butter flavor is more popular, but I couldn’t come to a definitive conclusion. My golden retriever, Bailey, only showed interest in the bubbles for a couple of minutes before losing interest. For such a food-motivated dog, this suggests that the flavor probably wasn’t something she enjoyed much. It seemed she liked the novelty of the bubbles more than the taste. Fortunately, the scent wasn’t too strong when I used them indoors. Of course, every dog is different, but Bailey seemed a bit underwhelmed after about two minutes. I plan to pull them out occasionally to see if the novelty catches her interest again.

Helio AirBroom

I first saw the Helio AirBroom on television in an As Seen on TV advertisement a few months ago. Shortly after that, I received several viewer requests to test it out. Initially, I hesitated because I had tested the “Magic Broom” a couple of years ago, which looked almost identical. Eventually, I decided to give this one a try to see if it was an improvement over the earlier model. It wasn’t.

The Helio AirBroom is marketed as a squeegee-style broom that’s supposed to be effective for both dry and wet spills and even for windows. I found that it worked on some dry items like coffee grounds and pet hair, though it’s still not as effective as my squeegee Furwell broom (which itself is a knockoff of the Furrminator Pet Broom). The main issue with the AirBroom is that it’s too flimsy to handle significant messes. The pliable squeegee smears wet spills around and doesn’t even work well as a window squeegee. The mini version included performed better on windows, but neither was as good as an actual squeegee. Plus, a real squeegee often comes with a sponge to apply cleaner, which these don’t.

While the Helio AirBroom is a slight improvement over the Magic Broom, primarily due to slightly better materials, it’s still no match for other options available in the same price range.

Slicing Guide

This product is described on Amazon as a “Cutter Slicer,” but in reality, it’s just a guide—it doesn’t do any actual cutting. It’s a simple yet effective tool that lays out a grid of 8 compartments, each snugly fitting a grape or cherry tomato. There are guides running in both directions, allowing you to easily cut them into halves or quarters. I tested it with both grapes and cherry tomatoes and was pleasantly surprised by how well it worked. The cut lines extend below the surface where the grape or tomato sits, ensuring a clean cut all the way through.

My only complaint is the price. I suspect there are identical models available for much less, as this feels more like a $5 item than a $16 one. I also imagine that friends who are skilled at 3D printing could make one for almost nothing. Cost aside, I think this is something I’ll continue to use for my salad prep.

Milk Spout

This milk spout came in a four-pack, with two colors: red and blue. Some Amazon commenters suggested that the red and blue colors correspond to the standard color coding for milk (red for whole milk, blue for skim), although I’m not sure if that was the intent. These spouts are supposed to fit into any gallon-sized jug, though the listing also shows them being used with half-gallon milk containers.

To use it, you simply insert the spout into your container, allowing you to pour with one hand, without the need to remove or replace a cap. It operates with a simple lever that opens and closes the spout. I found that it took a bit of effort to insert the spout into a gallon jug of water until it “clicked” into place, but once secured, it didn’t spill from the seal or the spout areas. Pouring is straightforward and offers a more controlled stream than pouring directly from the jug.

I can see this being useful for some people, while others might find it unnecessary. However, I do think that those intrigued by this product will find that it works as advertised, as long as it fits their desired container.

Hand Massager

Apparently, this hand massager has been trending on social media recently, as I received several requests to review it over the past few months. The unit offers 3 modes, 3 intensity levels, and 2 heat settings. It delivers a 15-minute session that feels somewhat like the squeezing and releasing of a blood pressure monitor, but focused on specific areas of the hand. While it wasn’t quite the massaging sensation I expected, the effect was mostly pleasant.

I didn’t notice a significant difference between the various modes, but the intensity levels did increase the pressure applied, sometimes bordering on uncomfortable at the highest setting. I also found that adjusting hand placement could help target specific areas for the massage. I particularly liked combining one of the lower intensity levels with heat, which I found to be a nice combination. I’m curious to see if this might help combat my Raynaud’s (cold hands) during the winter.

Although it wasn’t exactly what I anticipated, I think I may end up using it, especially during the colder months, to help improve circulation in my hands—which could make it a worthwhile investment.

Jelly Knife

When a viewer requested that I test a “jelly knife” I was already sold. As an adult who eats an inordinate amount of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, this was right up my alley. The idea behind this knife is that it is contoured to reach the rounded sides, top, and bottom of a peanut butter or jelly jar in order to extract the maximum amount from each. I tested it on a large peanut butter jar, small peanut butter jar, and medium jar of jelly. Results were mixed. I felt like the knife was too short to reach down into a large jar without getting peanut butter on the handle. It also didn’t get all of the peanut butter along the bottom edges. In some cases, the narrow end of a dinner knife was able to get more. I had better luck with the jelly jar, so in that case it did live up to its name. I think for those who are sticklers about getting every last ounce out of a jar, this could be handy. I’m just not sure if it’s an improvement enough to warrant buying a separate item. It’s also just a molded piece of plastic that could probably be 3D printed for a few cents.

Conclusion and Rank

After testing all of these products, I ranked them based on how likely I am to use them long-term. This ranking is purely subjective, reflecting my personal preference and anticipated frequency of use:

1. AirBroom. It did not perform well enough to replace the sturdier squeegee broom that I already use.
2. Jelly Knife. I’ll throw it in my drawer and see if I reach for it, but I’m not confident it will see much use.
3. Dog Bubbles. Bailey didn’t seem very interested but maybe I can “reset” the novelty by pulling these out on occasion.
4. Milk Spout. They’re currently being used on a few items in my fridge. Will I continue to use them? That is the question.
5. Slicer. I eat lots of salads, which often include sliced cherry tomatoes. I think I may actually have a use for this.
6. Lamp. It performed better than I expected, and it is an attractive display piece. I will throw it in my travel backpack and see if it gets used.
7. Massager. If I didn’t have Raynaud’s, I don’t know if I’d use this long-term. With my condition, however, this may provide some relief in the winter. I’ll update this space and let you know!

That’s it for this collection of gadgets. If you’ve used any of these, tell me of your experiences in the comments below!