"As Seen On TV" Gadgets That Are Okay, If The Price Is Right.

You’ve probably seen those gushing-announcer late night commercials for the amazing Pocket Hose! It’s not only available on TV, but it’s online too. Here’s the quickie description of thePocket Hose from Amazon: Pocket Hose, the garden hose that's small enough to fit in your pocket, then expands automatically to a giant full sized hose. Pocket Hose is super lightweight and easy to handle, making it convenient to hang or store anywhere - even in your pocket. And now back to me! When there’s no water in it, and it’s dry Pocket Hose does shrink down a lot. But 50’ of hose in your pocket? You WILL look weird! As you’ll see in the video, it pretty much works like it does in the commercial. I was impressed. But then before you buy one, you should read the reviews on Amazon. You’ll see that lots of people said it worked for a short while, then tore, leaked or fell apart. I got a summer of light use out of mine. It worked okay. Recently, the on/off fitting broke, but fortunately, it's a separate piece, so I was able to continue using the hose. But knowing from reviews that's it's delicate I take great care not to step on it, or let it get caught under anything. Also people warn not to leave it out in the sun. I have 50’ version and there’s also a 25’ and 75’ version online. I bought my 50’ Pocket Hose at Bed, Bath & Beyond for $19.99. I just a new 50' version at CVS this past week. It was still $19.99, but the package is marked "Amber Tip Tight Seal - 3X stronger than the original pocket hose". Since the fittings are sort of amber color I assume they're referring to the fittings, which were really cheap plastic in the original. So you decide to buy a Pocket Hose, but sure to look for '3X Stronger' label on the package. Many name brand stores and even local drug stores now sell Pocket Hose. The fact it's lightweight and stores in a very small area compared to a regular 50' hose makes it worth the money for me.

Giz Wiz with his Pocket Hose: http://youtu.be/9-SgK0j-HQM 

Comments

[Farfalle]

I bought a green Pocket Hose last spring and used it daily. I'm glad to hear the company has upgraded the nozzle, as my hose tore and leaked near the nozzle after three months' use. (Ace Hardware provided a refund without a receipt!) But I'll never buy another Pocket Hose. Here's why: In my experience, they're potentially dangerous. There can be a sudden "kick back" as the hose fills, possibly from the surge of water pressure, causing the heavy nozzle to flip suddenly. I was hit twice, hard, on the hand and leg by the hose. In addition, the directions caution users not to drink from the hose. This suggests chemical additives in the hose fabric also make it potentially dangerous for filling kiddie pools, pet bowls, and birdbaths. For safety sake, I used a traditional rubber hose for these tasks. I loved the weight of the Pocket Hose, but this was its only advantage.