6 As-Seen-on-TV Tools Put to the Test: What Actually Works

Introduction

As-seen-on-TV products occupy a strange corner of the tool world: big claims, memorable ads, and a permanent place in the collective memory of anyone who grew up watching infomercials. But do they actually work? We tested six of the most recognizable names in the category, from a digital tape measure that promises to replace every measuring tool you own to the legendary Flex Tape. Some surprised us, some disappointed us, and one or two genuinely earned a drawer spot.

King Measure 3-in-1 Digital Tape Measure

At $26.30, the King Measure 3-in-1 promises to be the last measuring tool you will ever need: a digital tape, a flexible nylon tape, a roller wheel mode, and a laser, all in one unit. Out of the package it is impressively light, arguably the lightest tape measure we have handled, and it ships without batteries, so have a couple ready before you start.

In practice, the story is messier. The flexible “nylon” tape is closer to a string, and you have to remove a side panel before you can use it. The buttons sit in an awkward spot, so pressing a measurement often presses the buttons too, and you need to zero the device before every reading. Accuracy was acceptable on short runs, within about a sixteenth of an inch on a 2-foot check, and the roller mode did better on longer distances, though readings drifted by a few inches. Laser mode produced a plausible height reading, off by roughly an inch, but then started throwing repeated errors. After ten minutes of fussing, the king did not feel like a king.

Tiger Wrench Ultimate Deluxe

The Tiger Wrench Ultimate Deluxe costs $16.75 and claims to replace 48 tools in one socket. The trick is in the head shape: the cam-out design works with standard hex bolts plus spline, 6-point, 12-point, and Torx heads. Its four sockets cover 10, 11, 13, and 8 mm on one side and 9/16, 3/4, 11/16, and 5/8 inch on the other, and the brand maps each inch size to a metric equivalent, so a single tool should cover most random bolts you encounter.

We walked the shop with it. The first bolt was a clean failure, but the second seated well and loosened nicely, and being able to flip between standard and metric instantly is genuinely convenient. The real test was automotive: it fit a truck lug nut snugly and broke it loose without drama, despite the claim that it handles up to 300 lb-ft of torque. For the price, this one goes straight into the toolbox.

Gator Grip

The Gator Grip is the universal socket that seemed to live in every kitchen drawer in the late 90s and early 2000s. The concept is simple and still appealing: spring-loaded pins depress around whatever bolt size or shape you are working with, lock in, and let you turn it. It comes in multiple pieces, including an impact-ready adapter for a driver, and it handles up to around 3/4 inch fasteners.

On our impromptu obstacle course of odd fasteners, it was mostly a breeze: a 1/2-inch bolt, a Tapcon with a nut driver, an eyebolt, and even a backwards-threaded fastener all came free. It struggles to land square on some setups and will not reach into deep recesses, so we would not put it in an industrial mechanic’s kit. But it is gimmicky in the good way: it simply works, and it is going back in the drawer.

Speed Out

The Speed Out is the screw extractor set famously pitched to homeowners who have stripped a screw or snapped a bolt head, promising removal in 10 seconds or less. It costs $10.49 and comes in a surprisingly decent carrying case, with several cutter heads and extraction bits sized for different damage levels.

The workflow is exactly as advertised: pick a bit close to the stripped head, drill a clean cone into the damage, flip to the extraction side, run the drill in reverse, and the screw walks right out. Fresh bits performed impressively, removing one stripped screw after another. The caveat is durability: the tips show damage quickly, so the steel is clearly not premium carbide, and the bit sizing is oddly graduated with a huge jump at the top. Still, at this price, it is a must-have for the drawer.

Flex Caulk

Flex Caulk is the newest entry from Phil Swift’s lineup, and its pitch is simple: caulk without a caulking gun. It comes at $38.98 for two cans, which makes it the most expensive item in this test, but the no-gun, one-handed format is a genuinely novel play for bathroom and gap-filling jobs.

Getting it started took some doing: the instructions list multiple prep steps, including removing a tab and a snap-off cap, and the flow-adjustment twist did not feel very effective. Once we dialed it in, though, the application was the easiest bead of caulk we have ever laid. Press the trigger and go, one hand free, no gun to wrestle. The bead was not the cleanest we have produced, and the price stings, but for quick jobs behind a sink or around a door frame, it delivers on its promise.

Flex Tape

Finally, the most anticipated test: cutting a hole in a water-filled bucket and patching it with Flex Tape. A 1-foot roll, 4 inches wide, costs about $15. Out of the package, the material feels familiar, like a heavy-duty exterior sheathing or window-flashing tape, just a bit less tacky, with a liner on the adhesive side and some give to the rubber backing.

We cut a hole in a full bucket, slapped a piece over it, pressed hard, and it held. Immediately. No slow seep, no second attempt needed, and it even works underwater. This one outperformed expectations by a wide margin and turned out to be the most satisfying test of the entire group.

Which Ones Are Worth Buying

Ranking the six by pure value: Speed Out at $10.49 and the Tiger Wrench at $16.75 are the clear bargains, both doing their advertised jobs well for little money. Flex Tape at about $15 is a fun, genuinely effective emergency repair product. Flex Caulk works beautifully but costs a lot per tube. The Gator Grip is a capable drawer tool that will not replace a proper socket set. The King Measure is the one to skip: too finicky, with mediocre accuracy and frustrating ergonomics despite its ambitious feature list.

Conclusion

The as-seen-on-TV category is alive and well, and our testing shows the hit rate is better than the cynics would guess. Skip the overhyped multi-tool gadgets that compromise on every function, and put your money toward the cheap single-purpose winners: a screw extractor that actually extracts, a socket that covers most bolt shapes, and a repair tape that really does seal a hole in seconds.