The first review I did on Green Gear was a Delta 1.6GPM showerhead my wife and I bought at home depot.  That was our first foray into the world of green products..  Since then I’ve probably reviewed more showerheads than any other product type, but each of them have been around the 1.5GPM flow rate.  That is not bad.  But I knew I could do better so I went looking for one with a lower flow rate and found the Bricor B100 Ultra Max .55GPM Showerhead.

This is what I consider a “premier” product review.  Every post I publish with the word “bricor” gets more hits than most others.  Also, there seems to be a lot of buzz around the B100 Ultra Max, but no full reviews.  So, I’m hoping that I can help shed light on the quality of this low LOW flow showerhead. 

I’ve reviewed a Bricor before, They are very well made showerheads that utilize a lot of different technologies to make a little water feel like a lot.  The main technology used is what they call a vacuum flow, which uses air to create a vacuum in the head.  This generates a greater amount of velocity, and thus force.  It worked really well with 1.5GPM, so i was very anxious to see what only half a gallon per minute felt like…

You know when you’re using the B100 that you have a low flow showerhead..  I mean, how can you not?  It uses 20% the water of a regular flow showerhead, and 33% the water of a 1.5GPM.  So, don’t think that you’re gonna buy this thing and get an AMAZING spa like massage shower, you’re not.  But what you WILL get from the B100 Ultra is a good shower, especially considering the flow rate.  I give a lot of credit to Bricor here, it feels like much more than .55GPM. 

The head has a rotating handle that adjusts the pressure created.  With it you have the option of choosing a firm or gentle shower.  It works pretty well and I use both settings each time I shower.  The firm is great for getting soap out of hair, while the gentle is good for those mid-shower snoozes.  You know what i’m talking about! 

The green value here could almost not be higher.  The amount of water you are saving here is staggering.  If have a 2.5GPM and take eight minute showers you’ve just saved 15 GALLONS of water.  That’s three of those big water cooler containers!  That’s a serious amount of water savings… Also, You didn’t need to heat it up.  So, from a “green” standpoint, the B100 ultra Max .55 is what I consider to be THE green showerhead.  If your main goal in showering is saving water, this is the head for you.  Basically very committed environmentalists and anyone who owns a boat or RV!

Now, lets talk about price.  This showerhead was $75.  That is a significant amount of money to spend on something like this.  It’s high quality and bricor usually commands a high price point.  But lets look at this two ways.  If you already buy showerheads at this price or $75 is not a lot of money, this is going to be nothing but savings to you.  If you’re like me and usually buy ones around $35, You will still see the additional $40 investment pay off in one year (assuming 8min showers and $.05 cents / cuft of water).  I have no problem recommend this showerhead in either scenario. 

Two important points of note.  If you like warm showers and have turned down your water heater to save money you might need to turn it up for this showerhead.  .55GPM is great, but it doesn’t transfer the “heat” as well since there isn’t as much water.  Also, make sure you use teflon tape and a good pair of channel lock pliars and screw this thing on there snug. 

So there you have it.  Almost the lowest of low flow.   For anyone who is looking to save a massive amount of water, I couldn’t recommend a better showerhead.  (yet!)

Here is the video review

RATING: 3 out of 5 Gears for (a HUGE) Variable Eco Benefit, Value / Price, and Product Design and Quality

In the humble opinion of this green product reviewer, the best green products are the ones that are designed from the get-go to use less. Products that are designed green from the inside out. Creativity and Ingenuity are supremely important in the process of designing products, especially green products. But, often the greatest result of such high-minded activities and thought are little more than a simple product design that moves around an inefficient obstacle instead of through it.

With that in mind, last week I was happy to receive two bottles of a product that does just that, Flavrz Drink Mix. Flavrz (which i pronounce with an accentuated ZZZZZZZ) is a line of concentrated organic drink mixes designed to be mixed with water. Flavored Water, in other words. Flavored water used to be little more than a slice of lime, but with the advent of Vitamin Water and Gatorade-ish offshoots the market has exploded. Unfortunately, one important result of this explosion is the manufacture and transportation of millions upon millions of plastic PET bottles. Bottles which, if not properly recycled, can last much longer than you or I would care to know.

In comes Flavrz, for the price of 7.99 (for 16-96 servings, depending on taste) flavored water lovers can mix their own flavored water at home or at the office without bothering with the disposable bottle. My first question to the contact from Flavrz was, “why on earth don’t other people do this?” I mean, i used to drink concentrated orange juice all the time. It was good and came in those little cardboard canisters that froze to my hand when they came out of the freezer. Heck, I used to eat these as a sorbet of sorts. Seriously though, you’d think that concentrates would be more popular. They’re making a huge impact on the household cleaner market.

Anyway, Flavrz! Flavrz comes in a variety of um… flavrz! The ones i received were Cherry Berry and Lemon Lime. I’m partial to Cherry Berry but they were all very good. Both Mrs. Green Gear and I liked them. Also, they’re VERY low in calories, especially if you like a little bit of flavor. So, they taste good, they’re less expensive than competators, and they come with the benefit of not being packaged in PET bottles which need to be created and shipped all over the world. This is clearly a fantastic product for anyone who drinks flavored water.

Here is the video review…. In it I chug 40 oz of water in 20 seconds. Also, in the video Mrs. Green Gear expresses her opinion that this product also merits a variable benefit rating for a PET bottle not being used at each consumption… While she is wise and all knowing and I value and honor her intelligence and compassion, Mr. Green Gear feels that this benefit is sufficiently captured in the fixed eco-benefit category.

RATING: 4 out of 5 Gears for Fixed Environmental Benefit, Value, Quality and Design Innovation, and Being Ready for Mass Consumption by All Flavor Drink Lovers.

The battle against body hair has been raging since man first felt stubble and thought, “this is freakin’ itchy!”  The amount of testing that goes into the razors we use each and every day is staggering.  Think shaving is a simple concept?  Check out Gillete’s R&D Budget!  Still, unless you’re shaving Croc Dundee style (“now thatsa noife!”) you probably haven’t found a razor that is too eco-friendly. 

Well, leave it up to the dudes and dudettes over at Preserve to come up with another resource saving, colorful, ergonomically pleasing product that cuts hair like nobody’s business.  I picked up a razor 4-pack at Generation Green about a week ago for around $7.  They had a three blade one for the same price but I figured why not opt for the 4 pack, after all, then Mrs. Green Gear could use one and I’d have an extra for the gym.  Each razor comes with detachable blades, pivoting heads, and a lubricating strip.  Each colorful handle is made from recycled #5 plastic which can be recycled at your local municipality or sent back to preserve to be made into park benches.  Cool eh?

So, how does it work?  Well, not too bad.  It didn’t give me any of the cuts i normally get from razors that come in packs and the lubricating strip helped.  I’d rate it somewhere between a generic bic and any razor endorced by a pro athelete.  Translation, Good Enough.  Replacement blades can be purchased for around $5.

To me, the price is prohibitive.  The quality of the shave is fine, but it would make a whole lot more sense for a dollar and a half less.  Still, if you’re the kind of person who doesn’t mind paying more to preserve earth’s natural resources, it’s not a bad choice.  I’ll have to try the triple blade though, this baby face needs some extra care. 

Here is the Video Review

RATING: 1 out of 5 for being made of recycled material.
Update: This product had its quality gear removed after further use

Since I had so much success with my preserve toothbrush by recycling, I made my way back to Generation Green here in town and picked up a few more of their products.  So, today I’m reviewing a set of recycled plastic cutlery made by recycline.  I purchased these for $5.49.

If you saw my last preserve review or are a fan of their products then you know their basic “green” cred comes from the fact that their products are made with 100% recycled #5 Plastic.  Also, they offer a mail back program where you can send them back your products when you’re done and they’ll turn them into decking or park benches.. Nice right?

I was intrigued by the cutlery because I’ve been looking for a good reusable recycled set of utensils that i could use as my day to day cutlery.  They promote these as reusable, so it was my hope that these would fall somewhere between my regular utensils and the dime a dozen ones you see at picnics…

If I’m being honest, these don’t cut it for day to day regular use.  The strength of them is the same as what you’ve experienced with normal plastic cutlery.  These are flimsy and have little or no “heft” to them.  If you get the spoons in contact with hot soup, they begin to bow and bend.  Also, if you wish to reuse them, don’t wash them on high heat with the rest of your dishes, they will warp.  Every time i used them I just wished that preserve had made them a little more dense so they could stand up to daily use.

This experience got me thinking, what is the point of this recycled plastic cutlery?  What are they marketed to be?  Are they for daily or regular use?  Or are they for last minute picnics and football parties?  Either way I don’t think they live up to the purported use.  If they are to replace regular cutlery, they are not strong or durable enough.  If they are supposed to replace normal plastic cutlery, they are far too expensive and impractical.   If you are looking to host a party, i would recommend reusing your regular cutlery that you already own instead of buying these.  If you are looking at these for daily use, look elsewhere and use what you already have.

Kudos to the preserve company for their green policies and practices, i like many of their products, just not the cutlery…

Here is the video review

RATING: 1 out of 5 Gears for being made with recycled material.

I was shopping at Generation Green in Columbus, Ohio the other day and Mrs. Green Gear pointed me to something I’ve been looking for for a while.  A recycled boot tray for indoor or outdoor use made by DII.

I hate coming in from the winter cold and getting dirt and water everywhere.  Even if i Bang my feet against the door jam it always seems like i end up making a mess.  This product pretty much works like a charm.  It has room for 3 pairs of shoes and boots, with little markings where they go.  It also as a nice reservoir for water collection.

There are a couple things I don’t love about this product.  First, it’s made in India, so that means its shipped here.  Now I understand the labor savings and the rationale for outsourcing, but… still… I’d like it if this Seattle company used US Labor.  Anyway, I’d also think this would be a cooler product if it had tire treads on it… Since it’s recycled rubber, this design would make it a bit more unique.

UPDATE: We’ve been using this product through a very wet icy winter and I have lost a bit of faith in it. The “feet” design on it keep water, so then it never channels away, just stays there. Also the treads are just not deep enough. If all that weren’t enough, i’ve been shopping around and this one is 50% more than others. So i’m changing the rating from 3 to 1 gear. Sorry DII.

Here is the video review.

RATING: 1 out of 5 Gears for being made of recycled material.

I like to spend a lot of time outdoors.  When i’m not reviewing green products or otherwise being busy I enjoy Camping, Running, Hunting, Fishing, and Hiking.  All in all, I enjoy nature.  But sometimes, especially in Ohio, it tends to dip a wee bit below freezing and makes being outside less enjoyable.  I’ve always made good use of “base layers” since the wee old days when they were called “long johns.”  But now that performance clothing is all the rage, I took it upon myself at the beginning of this hunting season to find a new pair, as i had lost mine.  I initially went with a traditional base layer made by fruit of the loom which i bought at Wal-Mart.  It worked and was nice… but it was also somewhat heavy and didn’t fit all that well.

Then Christmas came and I marked off a few items in the cabelas catalog that I thought i could get if i were lucky.  One of the items i saw that struck my fancy was the Capilene series of base layers made by Patagonia.  I’ve never owned a Patagonia product, nor did i know anything about the company when i got my present on Christmas eve… Thanks Mom and Dad. I originally ordered the Capilene 2, but after freezing my tukus off, i ended up sending it back for the Capilene 3 series.  The three series comes with a half zip top, and full lowers.  (the series, BTW, goes up to a “polar” 4).

A lot of patagonia products are made with recycled material from PET bottles and material sent back in through their garment recycling program.  According to the label, this product is made with 65% recycled content, which is pretty good for such a high end product.  I also like the fact that they publicize their recycling program so much, it not only keeps industrial materials in the proper loop, but also increases awareness.  The company in addition has a rich sustainability policy..

So, how did it fare?  I’ve worn the top more than the “feet.”  Both without and with an undershirt (as seen in the video below, HEYO!).  While you’re not gonna throw out your fleece midlayer due to its performance, this is a quality base layer and keeps me dry, warm, and comfortable in the field.  So for its performance I can recommend it.

Not that it will come as a surprise to Patagonia shoppers, but these items are very expensive.  The combined set, with shipping came to over $100… Pretty surprising to a guy upgrading from fruit of the loom.  However, if you consider like alternatives from other “performance” brands such as The North Face, Cabelas Private Label, and Under Armor… it is in line with the competition.  So despite what i say in the video, this is going to get 3 out of 5 gears.

The one thing I do also like is that when getting a size smaller, the top also makes a nice half zip.  Twofer.

Here is my video review, which is a spoof of the awesome show, Survirorman.

RATING: 3 out of 5 Gears for being made with recycled content, price relative to substitutes, and quality.

Milk.  It does a body good.  Seriously.  As long as you can safely imbibe milk, it’s a great drink.  Its loaded with protein and vitamins.  It tastes great and goes well with all sorts of foods.  Milk Milk Milk… Yum..

There are all sorts of different milks and because of my upbringing and body fat percentage I choose to drink fat free milk.  Now, I know it doesn’t taste nearly as good.  I’m not a big defender of fat free milk.  If i were slim and trim I’d be drinking whole milk all the time, but it’s just not an option.  I freely admit that skim (or fat free) milk often begs the question, “would you like some milk with you water?”

The other day Mrs. Green Gear asked me to pick up some milk so i stopped by our local Giant Eagle to perform said task.  I felt sort of spendy and thought it would be nice to get a good Ohio milk, so i picked up the Snowville Creamery Fat Free Milk.  It looked homey and charming.  It was $2.99 for a half gallon.  $1 more than normal milk.  Later when i was putting it away i noticed that these people also farm sustainably.

This is pretty awesome and green on a couple levels.  First, it’s local.  Second, sustainable farming is good because it produces the product it farms without damaging the land, soil, and runoff unnecessarily.  Oh, and the cows are treated with respect… not sure what that looks like but it sure does sound idyllic and charming.

The best part of this is that the milk tastes great.  Seriously.  Best Fat Free Milk I’ve ever had.  If this stuff is in your neck of the woods, check it out.

Here is the video review.

RATING: 3 out of 5 Gears for Sustainable Practices, Price relative to similar products, and Quality.

So I caved. After seeing Vince and that damn Shamwow commercial, I made my way to the “as seen on TV” shelf end at my local target and plunked down $20 of my hard earned green to see if I would say “wow” every time.

For those of you who don’t know. The shamwow is a shammy. It holds water… a lot of water. And you can use it just about anywhere on just about anything. It’s green claim to fame is that if you use it, you will not be using paper towels and thus saving trees everywhere.

The Shamwow commercials are funny. The guy is kind of a jerk in a charming sort of way. He compliments the German people on wonderful engineering, he has a headset on for some inexplicable reason, and he likes to clean up messes with blaze orange towels.

We used the shamwow for about two weeks and while we can report that we did use less paper towels, we didn’t stop. The shamwow is really good at pick up liquid, but that’s about it. it doesn’t clean very well or pick up dirt, grime, or dust with any sort of ease of use. They are washable, but don’t put them in the dryer.

I’m happy we have them around unless I ever need to reenact the commercials at a party, or clean up a bucket of water that was spilled on the floor… but I they didn’t replace paper towels and i’m yet to say “wow,” even just one time. Video Review Below.

RATING: 1 out of 5 Gears for providing a substitute for a disposable product… sorta.

Great Lakes Beer Review by Green Gear

Mr. Green Gear really enjoys beer. Not so much in quantity, but in quality. Sure, I’ve put down more than my fair share of Natural Light, but as I progress in my elder years I’ve begun to drink less, and less of better and better beer. Not bad huh?

Here in Ohio, some of our better beers are made by the Great Lakes Brewing Company of Cleveland, Ohio. They have some really great brews. As a matter of fact, as I’m writing this (and watching the Eagles game) I have GLBC’s Commodore Perry in my fridge, and one of my best friends Darren brought over their Conway’s Irish Ale.

The other day I was looking at some six pack cases of burning river and i noticed that Great Lakes had put a really long writeup on their commitment to the environment on the bottom of the case. I visited their website and found a really detailed and well thought out sustainability policy. This warms my green heart. Most companies who have taken the time to create a sustainability policy really just mail it in and do it for show. But when you read Great Lakes’ different programs and hear them discuss in detail how they wish to move to zero waste you know they mean it. They do it because they want to use resources responsibly but also because they realize that in certain areas of business it makes financial sense.

I mention this in the video, but this is a great example of a company that doesn’t make traditional “green” products make their offering more sustainable. You don’t need to manufacturer CFLs and low flow showerheads to be a green company, you just need to make logical and responsible changes to your business. That’s it.

Here’s the video review.

RATING: 4 out of 5 Gears for having coordinated environmental policy, priced well relative to competitors, product quality, and being ready for prime time.

Mankind hath always enjoyed the look and feel of wood.  It is a sign of strength, power, durability, and elegance.  Its difficult to imagine a world where wood played a lesser part.  Our buildings, our furniture, our fire, and our fences.  The Red Wood Forests, Log Cabins, Ships, and the entire state of Oregon would not exist if not for wood. 

Until now, if you wanted your wood to look tops, you had to get out cleaners that had enough chemicals to sink a scientist.  I mean, think back to grade school… pretty much all of your wood cleaners under the cabinet had that neon green “ick” sticker that they passed out in school.  You may not have learned your ABCs in Grammar class, but you sure as hell learned that the friendly can of Olde English or Pledge under your sink could kill you dead. 

Leave it to the wonderful folks at Method Products in San Fran, CA to develop a non-toxic wood cleaner that leaves your desks, chairs, tables, and gun stocks looking and feeling great!  This was the first Method product I tried and I can credit it for pretty much getting me hooked on the entire line.  We have a beautiful kitchen table that we got on a mega discount and this cleaner makes it look great. 

In addition to being non-toxic, the wipes version seen in the video and photo are made of bamboo and 100% compostable.  The plastic package also uses far less plastic than typical containers.   I mean, what’s not to love about that. But get this, when you stack these up against the new pledge wipes, these are not only better (IMO) but CHEAPER!!!!!

I didn’t know this prior to doing my video, so this drastically changes things in my eye.  Here is the video review.

RATING: 4 out of 5 Gears for Being made with less and 100% compostable, Product Quality, Price, and Being Fit to Print / Good to Go / In Ship Shape / Squared Away / MassConsumptable / Or whatever else you want to call it.