But Wait, There's More Good Stuff
Infomercial and "As Seen On TV" products get a bad rap because, well....lots of them suck. But, guess what? Some of them don't. In fact, some of them are actually totally awesome and not only do we want to own them—we wish we'd invented them.
Squatty Potty
Yes, it makes us all giggle like we're back in 4th grade—but the truth is the Squatty Potty actually does help position our body into a squatting position that makes it easier to do our business. Could you just use a similarly sized stool or a pile of books? Probably. But the Squatty Potty got us all thinking about our #2 positioning and for that it belongs here regardless of what you use to elevate your legs now.
The Clapper
Before we could just ask Google or Siri or Alexa to turn our lights on and off, there was The Clapper. Clap to turn them on and clap to turn them off. Sing it with us, "Clap On! Clap Off! The Clapper!"
Chia Pet
We were always told not to play with our food—unless of course you're using the food to grow fur on a clay animal. Are Chia Pets useful? Do they solve a problem? Nope. But creating an art sculpture with chia hair is a ridiculously awesome idea that works.
P90X
When it comes to infomercial fitness products, the landscape is littered with useless products (yes, we're talking about you Shake Weight). But there are some that stand out from their scam counterparts—and one of the good ones was P90X. These weren't weird bands or jiggle machines. P90X was a fitness program designed by an actual fitness expert—and if you were willing to put in the effort and follow the program—it worked.
Sweatin' To The Oldies
P90X a little too intense for you? Richard Simmons and Sweatin' to the Oldies was always a good place to start getting us moving.
Bowl Light
We didn't think we needed a motion-activated LED toilet light—until we got the Bowl Light.
Flex Tape
We're not sure you can actually construct a water-safe boat out of it like they do in the infomercial—but from what we can tell, Flex Tape does work pretty much as advertised. And speaking of tape...
Zeitan, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Alien Tape
Clear, thick, strong two-sided tape that, get this, can be rinsed off and re-used! What! But even if you don't reuse it, this stuff is actually great for keeping rugs in place, hanging up picture frames, etc.
Red Umbrella and Donkey, Shutterstock
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George Foreman Grill
Over 100 million units sold can't be wrong. Well, they could be—but in this case, they aren't.
Snuggie
As a fashion statement, it isn't awesome—but as a comfy blanket with sleeves, it's exactly what we want for those cool nights lounging on the couch.
Furniture Feet
Stop scratching the floors every time you slide your chair back or move furniture around. Awesome, right?
NutriBullet
Well, it's basically a blender—and blenders have been around forever and are very useful. So, a smaller version that also acts as a cup for your smoothie once you've made it sounds like a no-brainer now.
2-In-1 Peanut Butter & Jam Spreader
There are two kinds of people in the world. Those that don't mind when some peanut butter gets in the jam jar, and those that can't stand when peanut butter gets in the jam jar. For the latter there are a few options. Wipe the knife clean before going for the jam. Use two knives, or use a 2-In-1 Peanut Butter & Jam Spreader—which has a knife/spreader on both ends.
Wonder Hanger
This 5-hanger-in-1 closet space saving item does mean things do hang a little lower—but it's totally worth it.
Tap Light
These tap/push lights come in all shapes and sizes these days, but it started with the original circular puck shape with the domed top that you push to turn on and push to turn off. And being battery operated means you can stick them anywhere you need. Raise your hands if you have one in your closet right now.
Ove Glove
This five-finger oven glove is so much better than oven mitts. And you gotta admit "Ove Glove" is fun to say also.
Life Alert
Remember those "I've fallen and I can't get up" commercials? Well, we're pretty sure Life Alert helped a bunch of people who actually did fall and couldn't get up.
Bell & Howell Tac Light
A good flashlight can always come in handy. There are a bunch of knockoffs out there, but in this case, the OG Tac Light truly is a more powerful and brighter flashlight.
Santeri Viinamäki, CC BY-SA 4.0 Wikimedia Commons
Bell & Howell Tac Lantern
Their lanterns are also very bright and useful.
Ped Egg
If you want to rub dead skin off your feet then this is the product to do it.
Drop Stop
Do people really drop that much stuff between the car seat and the console? Probably not. But for the few times it does happen, having the drop stop there to stop the drop is well worth it.
Doorway Pull-Up Bar
There are a lot of them out there, and we aren't sure which one should take the credit. We are of course, talking about those pull-up bars that wrap around the doorframe and can be put up and taken down in seconds. Unlike those pressure ones that attach inside the frame—and cause anxiety that they will come crashing down with each pull-up—these warp-around ones are truly amazing in their simplicity and efficacy.
ROX Ice Ball Maker
Why are ice balls better than cubes? Because they melt slower. And they look cooler.
Wraptastic
Cling wrap is super handy–but dispensing it is the stuff of nightmares. So, anything that makes that process easier is totally awesome in our books.
Showtime Rotisserie
We had never really thought about cooking a whole chicken rotisserie-style in our homes. But now we know that we can.
Solar-Powered Spotlight
We aren't sure which brand is the OG here–but we do know we've seen plenty of infomercials for solar-powered spotlights. And being able to set up a spotlight outdoors without any electrical work is pretty great (many, if not all of them, also have motion sensors—which is another plus).
Leon Brooks, Wikimedia Commons
Baker's Edge Brownie Pan
We guess there are probably people out there that prefer the middle brownies and not the ones along the edge—but those people aren't us. Which is why we totally dig this brownie pan that guarantees those crispy edges on every piece.
CouchCoaster
Not all of us have a little table beside our couch on which to put our drink. But with the CouchCoaster, we don't need it. Super handy.
Shoe Slotz
An impressive space-saver storage solution for your shoes. Now you can buy more shoes. You're welcome.
