ShamWoW 

ShamWow vs. Zorbeez: Which works Better?

The Claim: In a radio interview (2/10/09), Billy Mays claimed that the popular Sham Wow had moved in on the turf of Zorbeez, a super-absorbent towel he had promoted in an infomercial in 2007.

The Test: Both items were used in a spill test using blueberry beer, snow puddles and their drying times were recorded.

The Verdict: Sham Wow won by a mile

The Details:

Immediately out of the package, the Zorbeez looked a bit listless compared to the vibrant Sham Wow. After the first champagne flute tipped, though, it became clear that the Zorbeez was outgunned on this one. The Sham Wow soaked three paper towels' worth of blueberry beer on a single swipe, but the Zorbeez pushed the liquid off the edge of the table. We sopped and wiped with both sides of the Zorbeez, but a single stroke of the Sham Wow chugged the beer with fratboyish speed. We threw each rag into two deck chairs wet with puddles of melted snow - the Zorbeez sloshed some out on the ground while the Sham Wow sucked it up as if with a straw.

The Zorbeez measures 19-1/4 x 27-1/4 inches. The Sham Wow, at 19 x 23 inches, soaks more despite its smaller size. A cold-water rinse of the beer-soaked rags caused heavy saturation of the Zorbeez, but the Sham Wow sprung back after wringing and seemed to have already shed most of the moisture. Dry times in the sun proved otherwise - after 5 hours in cool air, the Zorbeez had become dryer than the damp Sham Wow, though neither clammy rag felt ready for storage. After one use, the Zorbeez began shedding, while the Sham Wow retained its rubbery integrity. Both products smelled awful.

The Bottom Line: If you have reusable cloth rags (and a roll of paper towels for backup), then neither product is necessary.

Source: Sham Wow versus Sorbeez, Popular Mechanics