I provide honest ratings and reviews on tech, toys, and consumer home goods that I've purchased and used. Reviews are based on hands-on testing and personal observations. All opinions and comments are my own.
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Takeaway: Strong, durable, easy to use, nice sized scoops for cones and bowls. The individually purchased medium ice cream scoop measures 8" long, has a 4.5" long handle with 2.5" spread, and 2" diameter scoop. It is made entirely of a durable 18/8 stainless steel and weighs 4.25 oz. The scoop ejector is a simple ratcheting squeeze mechanism and can be operated easily by either hand. The neck of the ice cream scoop is hollow, but firm and does not bend under pressure. I used these on our homemade ice cream which tends to be a bit harder than store bought ones because we only used 5 ingredients and no emulsifiers (sugar, milk, cream, salt, purple sweet potatoes). I usually soak the scoop in some warm water to help make scooping easier. Though hard, the ice cream scooper rolled nice round balls.
The other way you can use the scoop is like a melon baller by pressing the scoop straight down into the ice cream and twisting to make a ball; you'll typically have to let the ice cream sit 5-10 minutes out of the freezer to soften enough for the second method. The ejection mechanism works fairly well and gets most of the ice cream out of the scoop, though a thin layer is left behind (scrape it out with your eating spoon!). The scooper benefits from periodic soaking in warm water during use and works well overall.
Takeaway: Soft, comfortable, and revealing; needs more room in the front pouch. You'll receive 9 pairs of underwear in different colors: navy, white, grey, red, black, blue, yellow, purple, and maroon. The underwear is a bikini thong brief style and made of 100% cotton. The front pouch is pleated to allow for some stretch and expansion in the front, but there's barely enough fabric to keep you covered if you get excited; as with most Asian styled underwear, it could use more room in the pouch area. The waistband is 1.25" wide and pretty stretchy. I have a 28" waist and the medium size fit alright, though I probably could have even ordered the large. On the back, these briefs will leave your behind mostly exposed, with just a narrow thong for separation that's basically hidden when wearing it, so in the back you'll just have a tiny triangle of fabric showing above your rear. If you like the exposed look and free feeling of bikinis and thongs, these underwear are a comfy fit and have nice bold colors. They're super low profile and have decent quality.
Takeaway: Looks good, nice material feel, easy to install, a few design flaws. UPDATE: 6/20/2017 After about a year of use, the elastic on the front seat portion of the covers doesn't hold them onto the seats anymore. They're all stretched out and always fall out. This is more apparent on the driver's side because it gets used more, but the seat cover slides around and has to be realigned each time you get in the car. The backseat ones are a bit better but they don't get moved around a lot because the kids' car seats are always strapped on top of them. The color hasn't faded much, but I wish there were a better way to get them to stay on the seats long-term. The other factor that someone pointed out is that the front seat covers impede the functioning of the side impact airbags which makes the vehicle a little less safe overall. There are side impact airbag compatible seat covers out there but you have to do your research.
I received a 13 piece seat cover set for the front and back seats. There are 2 sets of three piece covers for the front seats (including headrest covers) and a 7 pieces for the back seats. The covers are made of a faux leather with a soft neoprene foam-like fabric inside. The seat is mildly cushioning and the front seat back covers have metal grommets for the headrest bars. Inside each section are Velcro straps, elastic loops and/or snap clasps for anchoring depending on which piece you're working with. The stitching on the covers is decent and the lines are neat with few flaws. You'll also receive a pack of plastic rings and metal hooks for installation, however, a set of instructions for how exactly to do this is not included.
A few notes on my experience with this product. I did notice on one of my seat cushions a bit of sticky adhesive/glue on the inside. While this didn't affect the performance of the cover, I did have to cover it up with tape, so that it wouldn't get on my original upholstery. Installation was straightforward and the seller directed me to an installation video which was helpful, but it was very long and the camera work was nauseating.
In the back, the middle section that covers the fold-down arm rest is a separate piece that zippers to the rest of the cover. When you want to open the armrest, you'll have to unzip the section. What's odd about this piece is that the Velcro on the left hand side wraps around the armrest section, preventing it from opening, so it seems odd that there would be a zipper since you have to undo the Velcro anyway. The hooks on the Velcro also cross the original upholstery and I was concerned they would cause damage to them, so I simply left this side unattached. After a few tests opening and closing the zipper mechanism, the zipper broke (the metal piece fell off the anchor). A larger or higher quality zipper here would have been good. The other thing that the seat covers don't account for are the anchor points for baby car seats. Since we use these, we have to fold over the corners of the seat covers to access them.There should really be cutouts for them.
Overall, the set looks nice and wasn't too difficult to install. The covers are easier to wipe down than the fabric and will help use keep the vehicle clean. There are a few design flaws with the center section for the back and how it allows for the armrest to open, and the seat covers in the back need to be able to accommodate the child seat anchors for folks with kids.
Takeaway: Soft, stretchy, comfortable, breathable briefs. You'll receive 7 pairs of underwear in different colors: green, white, blue, red, gray, clay, and black. The material these are made of is a spandex nylon blend with a mesh weave that is slightly textured. It's slightly rough but soft feeling as well and has a little bit of transparency to them. The front pouch stretches to accommodate the well-endowed and the waistband is about 1" wide with a bit of stretch. The thinness of the mesh makes these underwear smooth and breathable; they are comfortable in warm weather and for active wear. The underwear will provide full coverage for your rear like any standard brief. The seams are nicely finished and non-abrasive. The only thing I wasn't a fan of was the tag in the back which sometimes feels scratchy. Other than that, the medium size fit my 28" waist nicely, though I probably could have gone 1 size up.
Takeaway: Sheer, revealing, soft and comfortable, very low profile and lightweight with enhancement bands in front. You'll receive 8 pairs of underwear in different colors: blue, orange, yellow, red, hot pink, black, white and cyan. The underwear is made from a sheer nylon spandex blend with a mesh weave. The front pouch is framed by elastic bands and stretches to accommodate larger endowments, but does require some adjustments and manual finagling; it could use some more room in general. However, the bands lift and accentuate your package for a fuller look. While there's a seam down the middle of the pouch, it's smooth and you can barely feel it. The waist band is 1" wide and stretches quite a bit. Note that the more the material stretches, the more transparent it becomes. In back, you'll get full coverage for your backside, and it will stretch to accommodate your curves. For me, the medium size was a good fit for my 28" waist and quite smooth, soft, and comfortable to wear. The silky feeling of the material tends to run a bit cool making these great for warm weather and active wear. Overall, these are cute and low profile but show off your curves in all the right places.
Takeaway: Nice material, soft and comfortable, classic look. The cap has a soft velvitine feel and is actually a finely napped, thinly ribbed, corduroy fabric. While this material is classic and feels nice, it does tend to pick up dust, lint, and pet hairs easily. Inside the hat, there is a soft cotton layer and around the perimeter there is a sweat band layer for absorbing excess sweat on a warm day. At the back on the inside, there is a drawstring for tightening the sweatband if you need it. The brim is 2" inches deep and attaches to the upper fabric of the hat; they cannot be separated. Overall, this hat has a nice fit and is comfortable to wear. I usually wear a size 8 baseball cap. I like the classic retro-style and look of the cap and it feels well-made.
