I think of these as jewelry for houseplants, but they do much more than look pretty. They ensure that your green babies have just the right amount of moisture without getting over watered. Maybe you are good at caring for your houseplants, but I’m not. I love plants in but I’m a bad plant mom, and tend to neglect them for long stretches and then overcompensate. I never know which ones I killed from too much care and which from not enough. So over the years I have tried just about every gadget on the market that claims to babysit plants. The ones we experimented with in the past ranged in appearance from cute to downright ugly, but in effectiveness most have earned pretty close to a zero in my book.

That is until now. When we saw the Aqua Globes As-Seen-on-TV, I’ll admit to having been skeptical. Are these going to be ugly, I wondered? Are they going to work? Are they really “hand blown glass” or are they going to end up being some knock-off. The ad was persuasive, but it didn’t show enough detail for us to determine exactly how they functioned.

Before rushing to write a review I wanted to see how they would work, and whether or not there were issues with this product, so we’ve been using them for several weeks, and here are my conclusions:

Yes, they are real glass. Yes, they are beautiful. Yes, they work exactly as advertised. No, there is nothing complicated, no parts to wear out, no batteries or anything else to replace, nor will they be a nightmare to clean. Even if your water has high mineral content and leaves deposits everywhere, soaking these glass bulbs in vinegar periodically will have them sparkling again. Just be sure to rinse.

Going away for a couple weeks? No problem! Aqua Globes will keep your plants happy while you are gone. Staying home, but too busy to even glance in your plant’s direction? You won’t need the chirping frog any more, because these Globes are so beautiful you cannot help looking at them, and you can see at a glance if they need to be filled with water.

Are they a problem to refill? Not at all, you don’t even have to carry the plant to the sink. Just be sure you have a tissue or paper towel in your hand before pulling the stem of each globe out of the dirt. Carry the globe to the sink and wipe off any dirt before pouring water directly into the stem. You could fill them right from the tap, but I prefer to give my plants filtered water and I pour it right in from the spout of a measuring cup. A funnel works too. I love this product and cannot help raving about it, and I’m sure one of the houseplants whispered in my ear, “Mom, we love them too!”

Rating: 10