Every month, new products compete for our attention in the highly competitive lifestyle market. To make your purchase decision easier, we test exciting new products in advance and report on our experiences.
Whether it’s a really funny board game that won’t make you laugh, an innovative device that lets you open curtains at the push of a button or a special chili spice that’s great for seasoning Christmas dishes (for everyone who likes it spicy) – ours Editors are also testing their way through the lifestyle product world this month. And it has new, exciting attractions in store every month. So that you can find your way through the product thicket, we test exciting new releases for you and say openly and honestly whether the purchase is worth it.
Hot & spicy Editor Lena loves spicy food. Does “Asian Fire” keep what it promises? © PR
Product: Chili spice “Asian Fire” by Michael Montecarlo
Price: 25 euros for 120 g
To use: Enjoy delicious food with a hint of chili.
Application: I simply tried out a few recipes in which I mixed in as few other spices as possible so that I could taste the spice mixture.
Conclusion: I probably should have read the information first about shaking the can before use. In any case, I previously thought that the mixture, although tasty, was quite mild. After shaking, I found that it had a very pleasant spiciness and the spices harmonized wonderfully with each other. But I have to say that I’ve developed a pretty good tolerance over the years, so it could be more intense for other people. “Asian Fire” combines many spices that I also like to combine: chili, ginger, sweet paprika, garlic, coriander and sea salt. New to me were galangal root, cinnamon and star anise in the mix. Very suitable and very tasty!
Fun and challenging at the same time Editor Saskia loves doing puzzles. But instead of just recreating the picture on the puzzle box, she wanted to take on a bigger challenge. © PR
Product: WASGIJ Original Puzzle and WASGIJ Destiny Puzzle
Price: 18.99 euros
To use: Puzzle fun with an extra challenge
Application: These puzzles do not recreate the picture on the box. The original version requires you to think from the perspective of a person on the puzzle – in my case, a mirror image of the actual picture. The purpose of the Destiny version was to puzzle out what the location depicted would look like in a few years.
Conclusion: Sounds challenging and it is! At first I kept catching myself trying to find parts in the picture of the box – of course that only makes limited sense. But it’s also really funny to think about what could go there now and how much space it would take up. I can say this much: At times I often thought: “It can’t be that big!” Certainly a great idea for older children and adults to train their imagination and have a fun activity. Maybe too difficult and confusing for smaller children. By the way, tips are also shown on an enclosed card, but from my experience it is also possible without looking at them. My conclusion: Both puzzles were very cool and I will definitely get other motifs.
Come out © Out life / PR
Product: Get out cabins
Price: 139 euros/night
To use: Get out of the city and get into nature.
Application: The cabins from “Raus” are in the middle of nature, i.e. in a field, on the edge of the forest, in the meadow. The name says it all: you can book the tiny houses when you’ve had enough of the city and long for peace and quiet. The cabins are located in a remote location and can be booked by the night; the exact coordinates will only be given shortly before arrival. Then all you have to do is drive there, light a fire, look out the window.
Conclusion: The panoramic view is really beautiful. The stylishly furnished cabins are impressive from the inside and outside. We had an off-grid cabin, meaning it was completely self-sufficient in the field. But that also means: dry toilet, water tank and making a fire. There were briquettes for the night, which provided nice warmth for a few hours – unfortunately you still woke up pretty cold. So: certainly wonderful in summer, in winter we would recommend a heated cabin!
Anyone who laughs has lost. Will editor Susanne be able to stop herself from laughing? © PR
Product: Card game “LOL – The Ultimate Not Laughing Challenge” Edition for ages 18 and up
Price: about 9 euros
To use: Funny fun for the next game evening.
Application: As the title suggests, laughter is absolutely forbidden in this game. This means that the instructions for “LOL – The Ultimate Not Laughing Challenge” are definitely clear – whoever laughs loses. The card game contains over 100 jokes and joke questions. Various game instructions and additional rules increase the fun of the game. The aim is to keep your opponents involved to make you laugh in any way possible. Great for a fun evening in good company.
Conclusion: I was excited to throw the game around after a family dinner. After we decided on a game variant, we started. It was a real challenge not to laugh, but that was more due to the situation and not because of the jokes. They’re actually really shallow, slippery and don’t really suit my sense of humor. I found the experience and humor that arose from the stressful situation interesting. When the children are in bed, this game provides fun entertainment after Christmas dinner.
Open the curtain! Our colleague Laura tests the SwitchBot Curtain 3, which automatically opens the curtains at the desired time. © PR
Product: SwitchBot Curtain 3
Price: 169.98 euros
To use: The device should open the curtains at the push of a button or automatically at the desired time via app or voice control. The integrated solar panel doubles the charging efficiency of the battery.
Application: Unpack, connect to the app to charge and easily attach to the curtain rod!
Conclusion: This product is truly innovative smart home technology. It’s not cheap, but it’s high quality and easy to use. I also think the long running time is great; I was worried that I would have to charge the device every two days. It is also super quiet. When the curtains open automatically in the early morning while we’re still sleeping, I don’t hear anything. I chose this product test because I never close our curtains to sleep because my husband and I like to be woken up by the sunrise. With this device it is now possible for us to fall asleep with the curtains closed and be gently woken up by warm rays of sunshine without getting up. My personal dream!