Things you're holding off buying because you don't know if they're worth it

[Insidelaurashed]

I've been holding off buying a hand held steam cleaner (I have a chronic pain condition so if it helps make cleaning physically easier, great!) as I'm not sure if they're as good as the Tiktok reviews I keep seeing say they are. I thought Mumsnet would be good to ask as everyone is very honest on here, and then I thought maybe a thread where we post the thing we're unsure of so others can say yeah actually that's decent, buy it-or not-might be a good idea?

Anyone using a steam cleaner, are they decent? Anyone else got things they're unsure if they're worth the cost that they'd like an opinion on?

Sorry OP, can't help with the steam cleaner but mine would be a Kindle! I love reading and love holding a physical book but I'm almost certain I could read double the amount if I had a Kindle because it's much easier to get out to read for a bit, you don't even have to hold it if you don't want too! I also see physical books as a kind of trophy. But Kindles are quite pricey, and there's different versions now too. I've been debating this for about a year now.

I have both a kindle and a hand held steam cleaner and virtually never use either.

You can try out the Kindle interface by downloading the free Kindle for phone app.
Mine is Olaplex. I have dry brittle hair but a Superdrug protein treatment fried it 8 years ago si I’m scared to try it. The Aldi dupes have done nothing for my hair.

Robot vacuum
Another set of headphones to join my ever growing collection
The courage to donate about half my clothes as I don’t use them

Have a look on ebay for Kindles. People upgrade and sell their old ones for peanuts. I use mine all the time for travelling and it's a wonderful thing.

I use my hand held steamer almost exclusively in place of my iron. I didnt pay much for it on Amazon

Philips Lumea. I like the idea but it's a lot of money to waste if it doesn't work.

Smart meter here.
So many neighbours have issues.

Shark or Dyson hairdryer. Are they really any better than my standard hairdryer? I have fine, brittle hair.
Not sure I can justify the cost.

Tymo hair curler/waver
Philips Lumea as well!
Hand steamer as well!

I have an old version Kindle, no backlight etc, but I absolutely love it! Really don’t like reading a physical book! Would like to upgrade my Kindle to a newer version but my old one still works fine and I’m so attached to it!!!

@hollyblueivy Robot vacuums are 100% worth it! I would not go back to a normal
one for anything, my house is so much cleaner now.

@Ellanory The Lumea was a game changer for me. I got mine over a decade ago and used it religiously for 3 months. After that my underarm hair never grew back at all and I only get the occasional patch on my legs which I zap and it’s gone again.

@WandaPlaza
i could not live without my kindle. It’s light and easy to carry and I can change the font to help my aging eyesight!! I never thought I could give up real books but now I never read real ones. It’s easy to carry for holidays and day to day and there are so many 99p books to download or join unlimited (free for first 3 months then £8 a month) and you can borrow as many books as you want. I have a paper white so I can read in the sun with sunglasses on.
@scrimblescramble
I love Olaplex too - my hair is dry, brittle and very frizzy as it’s naturally wavy. I tried olaplex when there was a good deal on in the Christmas bargain thread and haven’t looked back. I managed to get a fab deal on a set of 6 different lotions and potions in Sephora in Spain a few months ago for not much more than what I spend on my usual product (no 6 bit can’t remember its name) so I got to try them. The shampoo, conditioner and oil are lovely but I haven’t noticed any difference with the others- 2 tiny wee tubes that are normally expensive but promise so much!! I’ll post what the best stuff is once I remember the name. I put the oil on damp hair and let it soak in then apply the no 6 stuff and it really helps nourish and control my hair. Def worth trying.

Some ideas for PP

If your local library uses the Libby app, then get a Kobo rather than a Kindle and then you can borrow e books from the library (as Kobo is compatible with Libby). Justifies the cost!

Philips Lumea - I clubbed together with friends living nearby and bought one to share, we used it on a rota. It didn’t do much for me (too fair) so was glad I had only paid a fraction. I expect they’re also available second hand.

Olaplex no 3 and no 8 are worthwhile, the rest of the range not so much - according to my hairdresser. I use no 8 on my fine, coloured hair and it does help.

I now want a hand held steamer!

I bought a handheld steam cleaner and it's sitting unused at the back of the larder. What I hadn't appreciated was that it blasts all the gunk off whatever you are cleaning, then you have to wipe up the gunk from wherever it was blasted to.

This is the set I got, the best one to try is olaplex no 6 bond smoother

Me too! My old babyliss is probably awful for my hair but I just can't justify it without knowing if it's really that good?!
OP, I honestly read 4 x as much with my kindle. I absolutely love it. OP bought it for me when breastfeeding at night so I could see and it's been a game changer.

I’ve had mine for years and never had a problem with it. How do they go wrong.

The back lit kindles are handy for reading in the dark rather than having a lamp on. Less obnoxious.

It works! Mine is one of my best ever purchases, and was recommended by a friend who says it’s her best purchase too

I never use my iron now, only my clothes steamer (if that’s what you mean). So quick and easy.

I used my steam cleaner all the time, but this is mainly due to the fact that im lazy and dont want to go downstairs, set up the ironing board and iron, iron it, put it all back then come back upstairs to get dressed every time I want to wear something. The things I seem to need to iron are things that seem to get wrinkled just by being sat in my drawers!
Also want to know about the Dyson!
Oh and at home lash lift kits, if anyone uses one??

I might never use the handheld steam cleaner, but I do use a handheld clothes steamer a lot. The Lumea has been very good for me too, I rarely need to use it now because it works so well. Smart meter is good too, it was a right faff taking meter readings before we had it as both our meters are fairly inaccessible (old house).

Don't bother with the Dyson hairdryer, I have one and main advantage is that filter is in the handle and not at the back so my long hair doesn't get sucked in but thats not enough to warrant the cost.

Definitely get the Tymo Curl Pro (Plus version if hair shoulder length or longer), steam cleaner and clothes steamer.

I have both and use them constantly. I would like to upgrade the steamer to one that uses suction but even my little cheapy one is great, and the kindle is just so convenient for reading on the go or in bed with its screen light, and as comfortable for the eyes as reading a book. My original Paperwhite lasted 10 years before I upgraded last year, and only then because I'd damaged the screen.

My "thing" is a Ninja Creami. I love ice cream but struggle to get flavours I really like as I don't eat chocolate, and would like to be able to use ice cream as a way of eating more protein. But it does seem like a lot of precious space to dedicate to a single use appliance, we don't have much freezer space either for pre-freezing the bowls, and it seems a bit gimmicky.