We’ve all seen the commercials for those handy products that solve a problem you never realized you had. They all cost $19.95, or some other tidy sum, and they all look so irresistibly useful. But do looks deceive? I put three As Seen on TV products to the test.

WaxVac
waxvac.com
Price: $10

"There is nothing worse than getting out of the shower or swimming pool and having water trapped in your ears," reads the press release. "Oftentimes, cotton swabs just don’t do the trick and you are left with that annoying feeling for hours. But what if you could get immediate relief in mere seconds?"

I have to admit, I’m not one of those people that is overly concerned with my ear canals, so a $2 pack of 500 Q-Tips usually does the trick for me. But I know some people who are really particular about what they stick in their ears, and there’s actually a lot of thought that Q-Tips and cotton swabs can actually impound earwax and exacerbate the problem.

The WaxVac is a small handheld device that provides suction to your ear canal to clear out "dirt particles and moisture." It comes with six silicone tips and a cleaning brush and requires two AA batteries not included. The suction is gentle and effective and takes only about 30 seconds per ear, and your ear canals will feel clear afterwards.

Cleaning the device gets a little complicated; you have to disassemble the parts and soak them in boiling water or isopropyl alcohol. And then there’s always the awkward moment where you have to find a dish in your kitchen that you don’t really like to designate as the earwax-removal soaker.

I give the WaxVac a solid B. It does what it promises to do, and $10 isn’t an outrageous price. But in my opinion, it’s a lot of hassle for what could be accomplished just as easily with a Q-Tip or towel. And for a serious excess of earwax, you should definitely skip any kind of over-the-counter products and go straight to your doctor.

Wraptastic
buywraptastic.com
Price: $10.99

"As the weather starts to warm up, it’s time to start planning for all of those summertime picnics and barbecues!" says the press release. "Wraptastic is a brand new kitchen tool that is a must have for summertime entertaining... (it) eliminates kitchen battles by providing a safe and easy to use container for all of your wrapping materials. From foil to plastic wrap to wax paper, Wraptastic can handle all of your wrapping needs. The stainless steel blade is recessed to protect fingers, while the rubber feet of the dispenser hold it in place while in use."

I have to admit, I buy really cheap, generic plastic wrap. It’s always shockingly ineffective because it bunches up on itself in a clingy, useless mess as I pull it over the weak cardboard box’s serrated blade. So what happens is I buy plastic wrap, use it once, get frustrated and never use it again.

The Wraptastic is essentially a holder, which seemed kind of redundant to me at first (especially for $10.99) because the plastic wrap comes with a holder anyway. But it’s plastic and sturdier than the usual cardboard box, plus it has little rubber feet that keep it anchored to the countertop, so my cheap generic plastic wrap actually came out flat and non-clingy. I’m definitely going to use this in the future.

I don’t see how it would be that effective for aluminum foil, and the snap guard kept popping out. But I give it a solid A-.

Exergen TemporalScanner Temporal Artery Thermometer
exergen.com
Price: $34.99

I’m not a mom, but I remember being a fussy kid who hated to have her temperature taken. It was always way more effort than sick little me wanted to put forth to keep that cold stick in my mouth for however long it took for the temperature to register. And that was just the mouth – there are other, far more invasive places where an accurate body temp can be discovered, and I’d imagine kids don’t like any of those any better.

The TemporalScanner thermometer retails for about $34.99 and takes a temperature reading from the temporal artery. You simply press the thermometer against the forehead. It seemed accurate to me, and there are plenty of clinical studies on the site you can read if you’re still not sure.

It requires 9-volt batteries, which you don’t usually have just lying around the house, so that’s kind of a pain.

My 3-year-old niece thought it was fascinating. So if I were a mom, I would shell out the $34.99 and save myself a lot of hassle. A+.