Memorable Products: As Seen on Shark Tank

[StatisticalOutlier]

I make a chicken salad that has poppyseeds in the dressing and used the Scrub Daddy to wash the bowl and the poppyseeds got lodged way deep in the Scrub Daddy.  The only way I could get them out was with tweezers.

Other than that, I'm a fan.

[roctavia]

Okay... I missed the scrub daddy pitch way back when... What makes it so special? It looks like a pretty standard sponge to me. 

[ClareWalks]

7 hours ago, roctavia said:

Okay... I missed the scrub daddy pitch way back when... What makes it so special? It looks like a pretty standard sponge to me. 

It is firm when you use cold water, and soft when you use hot water. Plus it isn't stinky or flimsy. I finally took the plunge and bought one a few months ago and I am loving it :)

[designing1]

1 hour ago, ClareWalks said:

It is firm when you use cold water, and soft when you use hot water. Plus it isn't stinky or flimsy. I finally took the plunge and bought one a few months ago and I am loving it :)

Does it scratch surfaces? I know most scrubbers have the tiny disclaimer to test in an unobtrusive spot first, but what has your experience been?

[ClareWalks]

8 minutes ago, designing1 said:

Does it scratch surfaces? I know most scrubbers have the tiny disclaimer to test in an unobtrusive spot first, but what has your experience been?

I use it on my ceramic pans and have noticed no scratches!

[Bramble]

On 5/7/2016 at 5:23 AM, scootypuffjr said:

I know at the moment there are a lot of complaints about yet another balance board, but I think I might could use one.  The Spooner board reminded me of a similar product pitched by a mother and daughter team a while back, which they claimed strengthened the core and helped reduce fat around the middle.  I looked on Amazon and found nothing, but I know some of you guys have amazing memories and might could help me out.

On the other hand, my 20 year old son is slightly overweight and, imo, not active enough, and the Spooner board might appeal to him more.  ClareWalks, I know you are a trainer - is this kind of product helpful?  Would it really help improve core strength and overall fitness?  Most of my exercise is only walking my dogs, though I do live in Western PA so that means a lot of hills, which I m sure helps a bit.  I am seriously thinking about getting one of these products, but would like an expert opinion first.  (Sorry the SheFit didn't work out for you, but that is one problem I'll never have to worry about!)

You're probably thinking of the SimplyFit board.  https://www.simplyfitboard.com

[scootypuffjr]

I think I wad - thank you!  I knew someone out there had to have a better memory than I.

[tessaforever]

The other day I saw Scratch & Grain baking mixes on the end cap at Target, all marked down to $2. I got the coffee cake/muffin one and we really liked it a lot. I would say that the idea is great but needs some refinement. There were several ingredients to combine for Step 1 - so much easier if they were all in one bag (and less packaging too). Same with the streusel topping - instead of 5 bags, put them together in one. 

While it was good for $2, I can't even imagine paying the full Target price of $5+, let alone the website price of $8.99 plus shipping! Also the fact that the mixes were marked down so drastically probably means they aren't doing well at Target, although there were some other S & G mixes still at full price in the baking aisle. 

All in all, good idea but I don't think it's possible to make it low-cost enough for it to replace other packaged mixes. If you are baking with a small child, it would be a time saver. 

[Kiss my mutt]

I just tried the sea salt pipcorn and it was bland. I thought maybe the smaller pieces would be easier to digest and have fewer hulls but that was not the case. Its definitely not worth the money. It just tastes like regular air popped popcorn. 

Even after the novelty of the smaller size wore off the family agreed it wasn't anything special. There are small kernels on Amazon you can pop yourself for less if that's your thing. 

[NikSac]

2 hours ago, Kiss my mutt said:

I just tried the sea salt pipcorn and it was bland. I thought maybe the smaller pieces would be easier to digest and have fewer hulls but that was not the case. Its definitely not worth the money. It just tastes like regular air popped popcorn.

Agreed. I ended up sprinkling some butter and more salt on it, and I still didn't like it much. It reminded me of the remnants at the bottom of the movie popcorn where you're trying to decide if it's really worth eating anymore or not (except the movie popcorn remnants  have more flavor).

[starri]

I had a sighting of Mango Mango in the wild this evening.  So I guess they've been able to ramp up production and find a distributor, which is great.

Unfortunately for them, it's too much sugar for me, so I can't spread it, mix it, shake it, or stir it.

[ClareWalks]

On 5/16/2016 at 6:28 PM, NikSac said:

Agreed. I ended up sprinkling some butter and more salt on it, and I still didn't like it much. It reminded me of the remnants at the bottom of the movie popcorn where you're trying to decide if it's really worth eating anymore or not (except the movie popcorn remnants  have more flavor).

Yeah, I thought the whole idea sounded strange, since the best part of the popcorn is the giant puffball part. If they could find a way to make it BIGGER, now there's a moneymaker.

[roctavia]

4 hours ago, ClareWalks said:

Yeah, I thought the whole idea sounded strange, since the best part of the popcorn is the giant puffball part. If they could find a way to make it BIGGER, now there's a moneymaker.

Pop secret sells a jumbo popcorn... works great in the air popper and does leave you with a really nice puff :)  It's more expensive than buying a regular bag of popcorn for the air popper, but I think it's worth it.

[bilgistic]

The jewelry made by the two female soldiers is now on clearance at Target.

[AuntieDiane6]

Quote

I had a sighting of Mango Mango in the wild this evening.  So I guess they've been able to ramp up production and find a distributor, which is great.

Unfortunately for them, it's too much sugar for me, so I can't spread it, mix it, shake it, or stir it.

I bought a package.  It was super-sweet, but OK when you mixed it with plain yogurt ... It also lasts forever in your fridge ... Last summer, I mixed it with Cool Whip to use as a frosting on a white box cake.  

[ClareWalks]

I've done it again, y'all. I now have a son who uses straw sippy cups, and he loves to pull the straw out and dump the water everywhere because he can be a real shit (I love him so much though!), so I ordered two Lollacups. A quick Google search led me to the Barneys website, where they are on sale for $10 each (down from $17!) with free shipping. I will let you guys know how it goes! But yeah, $10 is a real bargain on those particular cups, I didn't see that price or even close to it on any other site - and Barneys isn't really known for its bargains.

[ClareWalks]

Lollacups have arrived! They are indeed easy to clean. Like, surprisingly easy to clean. They feel pretty durable too. I filled it with water and handed it to my son, and he is really enjoying playing with it. First thing he did was try to pull the straw out, LOL. No dice. This straw is secure. The water flows easily, which is good for drinking but bad when babies turn it upside down, but that's why we only put water in straw cups (no juice). Other reviews online complain that these cups can leak (from more than just the straw) but I flipped it all around and no leaks. That could be because I handwashed it - it is dishwasher safe but that can warp plastic. You can also close the "bird head" over the straw and it locks into place so it becomes a benign toy. He is playing with it upside down in the locked position right now, and no water is getting out. The only thing I wish is that the bird head part would lock OPEN also. Overall this is a good buy especially at $10!

ETA I just checked back to see if I could pick up a cup for a friend's baby shower, and they are sold out of all colors. Not surprising, it was such a good deal.

Edited May 28, 2016 by ClareWalks

[Kiss my mutt]

I ordered the Shark Tank deal for ohdang! Hummus and it was so bad. They don't have the hummus that they featured on the show-it's some kind of hummsy sauce you can use as dressing or a marinade except you wouldn't want to because it ruins everything it comes into contact with. I got all five flavors in the special and adding ranch or buffalo spicy does nothing to improve it. God forgive me but I ended up donating the other bottles to the food pantry (along with some good stuff). 

[mjc570]

2 hours ago, Kiss my mutt said:

I ordered the Shark Tank deal for ohdang! Hummus and it was so bad. They don't have the hummus that they featured on the show-it's some kind of hummsy sauce you can use as dressing or a marinade except you wouldn't want to because it ruins everything it comes into contact with. I got all five flavors in the special and adding ranch or buffalo spicy does nothing to improve it. God forgive me but I ended up donating the other bottles to the food pantry (along with some good stuff). 

Thanks for letting us know!  I've gotten a number of Shark Tank products, and am always interesting in hearing about other people's experience.

[Kiss my mutt]

Oh yes!  I know what you mean. I'm always checking back here to see if anyone has posted here 

On another note, I also ordered the crea clips to cut your own hair. They didn't work for me. I suspect unless you have silky straight hair you're not going to get the same results. My hair is thick and coarse so the product didn't glide through and my hair didn't spread out to cut it straight. Plus when I ordered these I saw there were so many similar products that this doesn't seem very original. 

[Ottis]

We bought the toilet bowl lights. They work just as demonstrated on the show, however, they keep falling off the bowl. It takes "going" 3-5 times, and then the bendable hook straights out enough for the device to fall off (usually popping open the battery compartment and sending the batteries everywhere). We've moved it around, no luck. The pressure of the toilet seat seems to cause the hook to straighten.It's too bad, because it does work well for its intended use.

[Kromm]

35 minutes ago, Ottis said:

We bought the toilet bowl lights. They work just as demonstrated on the show, however, they keep falling off the bowl. It takes "going" 3-5 times, and then the bendable hook straights out enough for the device to fall off (usually popping open the battery compartment and sending the batteries everywhere). We've moved it around, no luck. The pressure of the toilet seat seems to cause the hook to straighten.It's too bad, because it does work well for its intended use.

The toilet bowl lights almost seem like a waste. I mean admittedly the motion sensor is a good idea, but is there any real reason you need a special light shining inside the toilet rather than just on a wall pointing down towards it?  Are people's night vision that bad that a slightly more distant light properly aimed won't accomplish the same thing?

[ClareWalks]

22 minutes ago, Kromm said:

The toilet bowl lights almost seem like a waste. I mean admittedly the motion sensor is a good idea, but is there any real reason you need a special light shining inside the toilet rather than just on a wall pointing down towards it?  Are people's night vision that bad that a slightly more distant light properly aimed won't accomplish the same thing?

I'm guessing the rare opportunity to illuminate one's bowel movements in their favorite team's colors is too good to pass up?

[Ottis]

Quote

The toilet bowl lights almost seem like a waste. I mean admittedly the motion sensor is a good idea, but is there any real reason you need a special light shining inside the toilet rather than just on a wall pointing down towards it?  Are people's night vision that bad that a slightly more distant light properly aimed won't accomplish the same thing?

In our case, the toilet and shower are in a separate, smaller room with a door from the sinks and bath, and there is no electrical outlet in that room. So yes, the toilet bowl lite is perfect for that. Turning on the overhead light would defeat the purpose, of course.

Quote

I'm guessing the rare opportunity to illuminate one's bowel movements in their favorite team's colors is too good to pass up?

You can set it so that the light rotates through colors. It's kind of bright, though. Keeping it on blue or whatever is less jarring at night.

Now that I think about it, perhaps we just enjoy bathroom gadgets because a year or two ago we bought a Squatty Potty. Only Ms. Ottis liked it. For everyone else, it was a weird position, forcing knees too high.

We also bought the water bottle cleaner tablets (which work well), and the kareoke machine (which was really cool, but broke in less than a year).

Edited June 10, 2016 by Ottis

[theatremouse]

9 hours ago, Ottis said:

In our case, the toilet and shower are in a separate, smaller room with a door from the sinks and bath, and there is no electrical outlet in that room. So yes, the toilet bowl lite is perfect for that. Turning on the overhead light would defeat the purpose, of course.

There are plenty of battery powered motion sensor led nightlights though, intended to be stuck on a wall, no outlet necessary. I always wondered why light up the bowl when you could use one of those? Especially if you're having problems with it falling off, that sort of thing might be preferable.

Edited June 11, 2016 by theatremouse

[KaveDweller]

On 6/10/2016 at 9:50 PM, theatremouse said:

There are plenty of battery powered motion sensor led nightlights though, intended to be stuck on a wall, no outlet necessary. I always wondered why light up the bowl when you could use one of those? Especially if you're having problems with it falling off, that sort of thing might be preferable.

I think the idea is to make it kind of funny, like a gag gift or something. Yeah, there are lots of things that light up a room/wall, but not many that light up a toilet. It gives it an edge.....some people might buy it because the idea makes them laugh.

[Ottis]

On 6/10/2016 at 7:50 PM, theatremouse said:

There are plenty of battery powered motion sensor led nightlights though, intended to be stuck on a wall, no outlet necessary. I always wondered why light up the bowl when you could use one of those? Especially if you're having problems with it falling off, that sort of thing might be preferable.

I'm not sure you understand the product. It lights up just the bowl water, which makes for a great target. And then it isn't too bright, since it illuminates rather than lights. Of course, the fact it falls off is the problem, as I posted. Without that, it would be a useful product. 

[theatremouse]

I do understand the product and know what it does differently than the items I suggested. However, I'm female so the notion of requiring a "target" had not occurred me. I was intentionally offering a suggestion of a different, existing, cheaper product, that already exists, won't fall of f of what it's attached to, and doesn't require an outlet.

KaveDweller's suggestion that this is supposed to be funny makes sense to me. When I saw the pitch on Shark Tank, the people behind the product (in the edit) seemed to be dead seriously thinking they solved a real problem, rather than accepting the "it's funny and it'll get a second look because of it" angle. I am not suggesting there isn't an appeal to this product; clearly there is since some people bought it, but I do think it's solving a problem that barely exists. Especially if it won't stay attached, that sounds like a fatal flaw. So the one thing that differentiates it from other small lights (that also are colorful, won't mess up your night vision), doesn't even work.

Edited June 12, 2016 by theatremouse

[Kiss my mutt]

I don't put anything in my toilet, on top of my toilet or around my toilet. It's unsanitary. 

[Jamoche]

I've just seen the craziest Shark Tank product ever, and it was in the first episode: Ionic Ear, a surgically implanted Bluetooth phone device. It has to be charged nightly by sticking a charging plug in your ear, but don't worry, there will be safeguards so you don't miss.

Or not, because the Sharks noped out of it once they figured out exactly where you had to stick it and it sank without a trace. There's a video here, which has to be seen to be believed. The inventor is so stiff, when he talks about how normal Bluetooth headsets fall out when you move, you cannot believe he has ever moved that vigorously. The only time he shows any expression is when he's surprised that the Sharks are freaking out.

[Jamoche]

Another rerun: the Plate Topper, a product that screams QVC so loudly it's no surprise it's already been there. What is surprising is how Michael, the inventor, pitches to *everyone but Lori*. She's naturally the first one to offer, but he waits for the others. The offers go up, the offers come down, and when he's finally down to everyone out but Lori he is still trying to pitch to the remaining sharks. I cannot help but feel that when you've got four people telling you to *talk to the QVC expert* and you won't even look at her - and you even say that you *tuned her out* - that it may just possibly be because she's the only woman there.

Lori does finally make a deal - after giving him a time-limited ultimatum that I'm pretty sure he slipped past - but it fell through because he apparently was hard to deal with. So not surprised.

[cooksdelight]

I am still loving my Freakers, bought some more of them for summertime cookouts. And they have socks now, too!

[ClareWalks]

Update: my son has been enjoying his Lollacups for months and they are still amazing. I've been handwashing them and no leaks (online reviews complained of leaks sometimes, I think they machine-washed the cups). And my Scrub Daddy has lasted an embarrassingly long time so I will be replacing it soon with a new one :)

ETA: Walgreens has red Lollacups on sale for almost half price! Link here. I ordered 4 - one for me, 3 for friends with babies!

Edited August 15, 2016 by ClareWalks

[Jennlee]

Our Costco has had Brazi Bites for a couple months, in the freezer section.  Had to try them.  They take a while to heat up, and call for parchment paper underneath, so it's a bit of a pain and committment to make for just a snack.  They taste fairly good to me, but seem like the kind of thing that you eat one or two of, and then don't really want more of.  Not sure how long it'll take to get through the (costco-sized) bag of them.  My husband didn't care for them.

[EAG46]

The EzPz lady is in an ad for QuickBooks!   And yes her eyes are still kind of crazy-looking.

[Jamoche]

Bantam Bagels were on sale, so I tried them. The bagel is decent but I've discovered I'm not a fan of warm cream cheese.

[bilgistic]

4 hours ago, Jamoche said:

Bantam Bagels were on sale, so I tried them. The bagel is decent but I've discovered I'm not a fan of warm cream cheese.

Don't you mean BAGEL STUFFINS!?!?!

[Kiss my mutt]

Once McDonald's gets a hold of it, it will be Bagel McStuffins!

[Eolivet]

We had a death in our family a couple weeks ago, so imagine my surprise when one of our friends sent us Spoonful of Comfort (chicken soup through the mail). We got a giant jar of soup packaged in a hot/cold envelope with three disposable cold packs, a stainless steel ladle with pretty designs on it (in case...you don't have a ladle? Or to justify the cost?), six rolls and six chocolate chip cookies.

I felt embarrassed even receiving it, because I thought that product was such a ripoff. And my fears weren't abated when we tried it: the chicken noodle soup was...OK. Full disclosure: I'm not a soup person and especially not a chicken noodle soup person, but my oldest -- who is a soup person -- said it was not as good as Progresso in a can or Lipton in a box. Good quality chicken (not the beaks and feet you get in canned soup) and decent noodles, but in desperate need of salt. And the soup was completely frozen solid. It might've been fine if we were heating up the whole jar (which...unless you have a family of 10, I don't see why you would), but completely impractical for dinner for 4. My husband had to run the jar under hot water for 20 minutes to extricate the soup, but then the veggies and noodles stuck to the bottom, still frozen, so the two of us were just shaking the jar for 10 more minutes -- trying to unfreeze the noodles and veggies and chicken! I can't imagine being a widow or someone who lives alone and getting that massive jar.

The rolls were absolutely delicious, though, as were the cookies. But my initial feeling about this product turned out to be correct. I kind of want to write that friend a check because I feel so badly he wasted his money. But I'll be amazed if that company lasts a year.

Edited October 28, 2016 by Eolivet

[bilgistic]

I saw Bantam Bagels at "my" Starbucks yesterday! I wanted to yell out, "BAGEL STUFFINS!" but I didn't. The little sign said Bantam Bagels. Suck on that, Lori!

[starri]

Walked in to my local Stop N Shop and saw an invitation to try Phone Soap at the same place they put the cart wipes.

[mjc570]

I just tried the Safe Catch tuna (bought at our local Wegmans), and liked it very much.   It had a fresher flavor compared to our usual Chicken of the Sea.  I liked the no added salt variety.  We like but rarely eat canned tuna because of the mercury, so this is a good option for us.

[augmentedfourth]

Zulily was having a special feature today on Shark Tank products. I browsed, but didn't buy anything. Some random observations: Bantam Bagels are back to being called Bantam Bagels, apparently. The price was reasonable, but I wouldn't trust Zulily to ship food, so I passed. The boneless ribs were on there too, but only in a giant (and fairly pricey) package. Also, some super-recent stuff was on there, like that silicone microwave cover/grabber thing/whatever, the obnoxious Babe clothing, and the alternative to thumbtacks. (What, was it a magnet? I don't even remember now.)

 

And, of course, Scrub Daddy and the Squatty Potty.

[annewithaneee]

I got two bouquets from Eco Flower shortly after their episode aired and they were running a decent discount. One was from their normal range, with a "book pages" vase, for myself, and the other was from their charity line, a little "banana nut loaf" bouquet in a mini bread tin for my mom that arrived just in the nick of time to be a Thanksgiving hostess gift. Pretty happy with it! Their fragrances are intense and perfume-y; if you're at all sensitive to scents I'd definitely go unscented. 

Processing and shipping were a little longer than expected, not by enough to be super egregious (I think processing was 10-15 business days, and I'd say it took 15-17). The flowers themselves are really, really gorgeous and are better quality than I've seen on Etsy or in Michaels. The vase I got was kinda...crappy. It was newsprint, for one thing, not book pages, and wasn't much better than I could have mod podged myself. It was only like 10 bucks so no huge complaint. Good experience overall, and I'd be happy to give the charity ones as a present again, there's some good inexpensive options and it's nice that they're on theme for the charity all the proceeds go to.

[starri]

Table 87, the flash-frozen, coal-oven pizza turned up in my neighborhood market.  $10 for a whole pie, much, much smaller than DiGiorno.

Table 87's storefront is literally 45 minutes from here on the subway.  For that kind of money, I'd rather have it fresh.

[Wings]

On 6/13/2016 at 5:44 PM, Jamoche said:

I've just seen the craziest Shark Tank product ever, and it was in the first episode: Ionic Ear, a surgically implanted Bluetooth phone device. It has to be charged nightly by sticking a charging plug in your ear, but don't worry, there will be safeguards so you don't miss.

Or not, because the Sharks noped out of it once they figured out exactly where you had to stick it and it sank without a trace. There's a video here, which has to be seen to be believed. The inventor is so stiff, when he talks about how normal Bluetooth headsets fall out when you move, you cannot believe he has ever moved that vigorously. The only time he shows any expression is when he's surprised that the Sharks are freaking out.

.Oh my god thank you for this!  Hysterical.  

I have used Scrub Daddy since I first saw them.  I have one in all 3 bathrooms and kitchen with more under the sink.  They are excellent.  They are now a Home Depot, too.  The price has come down, the are $3 and some odd cents a piece and last a long time.  Easy to clean and never retain odors.  

I also bought the silicone microwave mat and like it.  I have not had to wash the plate since I got it, a perk she never mentioned. Just whip it out and wipe it, much easier.  And of course great for removing hot dishes. 

[starri]

So, it turns out Breathometer doesn't actually work.  I suppose that's why they're making a bad-breath sensor instead now.

I wonder if this means Mark still considers Toygaroo his worst investment.

[seacliffsal]

They so touted this!  I guess Lori's spidey-sense was off as she brags about knowing whether a product is "a hero or a zero."

Wow, did they get bamboozled.

[marny]

I do a lot of work professionally in the area of blood-alcohol testing (via breath testing) and knew immediately there was no way that device could be anywhere near accurate or reliable.  A truly accurate instrument is pretty delicate and needs to be calibrated and maintained, not shoved in your pocket.  

[KaveDweller]

I guess we won't be seeing an update on the breathalyzer then?