 Evaluation Summary - Category Ratings
Category ratings based on scale from 1 to 5 [3] = Meets Passing Criteria [4] = Excellent [5] = Outstanding / Best
( Only scores of 3 or higher are published. )
Product and service final rating is averaged from the sum of all evaluation category scores.
( With a total of 323 evaluation categories, only 6 of the applicable evaluation categories are featured for public view. )
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Cost Benefit |
Durability |
Ease Of Use |
Functionality |
Innovation |
Visual Appeal |
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5 |
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3 |
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 Safety / Quality Classifications |
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CE Marked | UL Approved | JPMA Certified | | (Not Applicable) | (Not Applicable) | | | | ASTM Compliant | eco-Friendly | eco-Conscious | | (Not Applicable) |  | |
| CPSIA Compliant | Independent Lab Tested | Independent Lab Name | |  (Unconfirmed) |
| | LeadSafe™ - Surface Coatings/Paint
(Complies with 16 CFR 1303/CPSIA 101) | LeadSafe™ - Content / Substrates
(Complies with CPSIA 101) | PhthalatesSafe™
(Complies with CPSIA 108) | | | | |
| BPASafe™ (Complies with CPSI EN71) | Soluble Heavy Metals
(Complies with ASTM F963/CPSIA 106) | Mechanical/Physical (Complies with ASTM F963/CPSIA 106) | | | (Not Applicable) | | | Flammability - Solids/Textiles (Complies with 16 CFR 1500.44/CFR 1610) | Labeling of Hazardous Art Materials (Complies with ASTM-4236/16 CFR 1500.14(b)(8) ) | iWatchDog™ Approved (Complies with ICCS™ Certification Standards) | | (Not Applicable) | | |
| UPC | Manufacturer SKU | Age Grading | | | | |
| Manufactured In | Safety Hazard/Warnings | | U.S.A. | None |
A Perfect Safety Accessory - Houdini Bands
We have all kinds of baby products submitted to us for evaluation, but the Houdini Bands are by far one of the most sensational we have seen so far this year. So simple, competitively priced, and designed to withstand the rigors of an infant or toddler's activity, Houdini Bands are what we refer to a as perfect infant / toddler accessory solution.
What is so fascinating with the Houdini Band is how it handles an age-old issue with infants and toddlers who think they are Houdini and magically manage to get out of their restraining straps, whether in a high chair or other device which use restraining/harness straps.
The Houdini Straps gather the two restraining straps in a strategic position which removes the capability of an infant / toddler from being able to perform another one of their Houdini escapes from the car seat or other item and in turn reduces the level of risk of injury to a child exponentially. The fastening buttons are of sufficient diameter to not pose a potential choking hazard, (if somehow and most unlikely removed), and add even greater stability to the Houdini Band remaining attached securely.
* Although we have used the Houdini Bands in our evaluation with car seats and multiple other products of same or similar class, Houdini Bands have not been inspected or passed the process of being NHTSA approved for car seat use. We strongly recommend you do NOT make use the Houdini Bands for car or booster seat use.
Two Fundamental Concerns Addressed
We had two fundamental concerns in our evaluation in determining how effective the Houdini Band would be in intense situations with more "special children". The first of these two concerns was that many consumers are not fully aware that not all children are created equal.
Special Kids
Many infants / toddlers have greater challenges to overcome than others in their daily living. Children suffering from autism / asbergers syndrome, sensory issues, hyper activity, hypo-manic depression, and so many other health challenges may require more attention being paid to their safety while in a car seat, booster seat, stroller, autism swings, or products of similar class and functionality. The shoulder harness / restraining straps with these same products more often than not do not provide the level of safety these special children need.
This where the Houdini Straps come into play even more so. As referenced earlier, the Houdini Straps gather the two restraining straps in a strategic position which removes the capability of an infant / toddler from being able to perform another one of their Houdini escapes from the car seat or other item and in turn reduces the level of risk of injury to a child exponentially.
More simply put, the Houdini Bands hold the shoulder harness straps closer together so children can not stand up, slip out, slide out, lean out, or escape out of. If you think for a moment, I am sure you can recall all too many times you have seen a child who was un-restrained, teetering on the opportunity to experience a serious injury just waiting for a place to happen. In all of our evaluation including hands-on consumer feedback, the Houdini Bands curtail this risk dramatically.
Houdini Bands - An After-Market Product
If you recall, I was speaking at the beginning of this section about TWO fundamental concerns. The second concern to keep in mind is that although the Houdini Bands are an outstanding accessory to make use of, it is important to remember they are still an "after-market" product. More simply put, although the Houdini Bands may be a CPSIA certified product, they are not officially recommended or approved by the manufacturers of car seats, booster seats, strollers, or products of similar class, to the best of our knowledge at the time of this product evaluation.
As you will see in another section to follow, special needs therapists we have spoken with have recommended the Houdini Bands to their parents who are searching for a way to hold their child inside the shoulder harness straps of products both standard and custom designed for the needs of special kids.
 Independent Evaluator Reports
Obtaining An Independent Perspective...
In this section we will evaluate the "Houdini Straps" from the perspectives of a qualified individual in the specific field associated with the product being evaluated. To accomplish that task we have called upon the assistance of a top level industry professional who possesses the knowledge base to perform the intense evaluation we need and has the credentials to prove it.
Our professional and independent evaluators have formed their own opinions from extensive analysis and produced detailed, in-depth reports connected with their study and evaluation of the"Houdini Bands". The information to follow is comprised of excerpts from this same report which has been paraphrased so that the information being conveyed by this professional is more easily read. This approach provides a completely independent perspective in the evaluation of the "Houdini Bands".
PLEASE NOTE: The names of our independent evaluator is not disclosed to protect the privacy of this individual upon her request. Her labors are provided at no charge to assist us in providing a well-balanced and qualified product evaluation summary. Her title is provided to clarify for our readers the specific type of specialist from which the information provided has been included in each product evaluation summary.
Physical Therapist, NDT Certified
"While I am in the process of preparing my report for you on the Houdini Bands, I am discovering so many possible applications where the Houdini Bands are a literal perfect fit for not only general care giving for infants and toddler children, but even more so for Special Needs children.
With every patient I handle, I find an immense lacking of knowledge in proper safety measures being exercised in regard to their child's care whether the child has no health irregularities or has special needs, in home or travel.
It is my professional opinion that knowledge is not just power but for parents or guardians it can often be a Godsend, especially when it comes to special needs children. In this case, information about the Houdini Bands should be made available to all pediatric doctors and specialists, so that information can become its own Godsend for them as well as for those they serve.
Where other companies have created plastic clips which are designed to serve the same function as Houdini Bands, the Houdini Bands have raised the bar in durability and functionality. The Houdini Bands have overcome the clumsy limitations of their plastic predecessors and help to provide a more reliable level of safety with restraining straps on a countless number of products designed to serve the pediatric community.
The level of safety chosen for a child should not be an option. With a patent pending with this product, the next step for pediatric product manufacturers which incorporate the use of harness straps or what is more commonly known as restraining straps, should be to bundle Houdini Straps as a standard option.
In an actual practical application of use of the Houdini Bands, I monitored 7 different children ranging in age from 9 month old infant, to a 31 month old toddler. The first two children had no medical or psychological challenges, but the remaining children were special needs children. The special needs children were profiled with their conditions as follows;
- Austistic Disorder - AD
- Post Traumatic Seizure Disorder - PTSD
- Downs Syndrome - DS
- Hypo-Manic Depressive - HMD / Post Traumatic Seizure Disorder - PTSD
- Hyper-Active Attention Deficit Disorder - HADD
The HMD / PTSD child was the one who pushed the Houdini Band we provided which was affixed to the restraining straps of his car seat to the very limits ever imaginable. The child suffers from a severe seizure disorder of such severity that he may have as many as 7 or more episodes of Grand-Mal seizures in any one given day. He had two Grand-Mal seizures while the Houdini Band was being used yet the Houdini Band still remained attached and the child avoided any possibility of injury from falling from the chair during the seizures.
* I repeat again that although we have used the Houdini Bands in our own evaluation with car seats and multiple other products of same or similar class, Houdini Bands have not been inspected or passed the process of being NHTSA approved for car seat use. We strongly recommend you do NOT make use the Houdini Bands for car or booster seat use.
In every practical application of use of the Houdini Band with the children who were participants in my testing, the results remained consistent. Houdini Bands proved their claim of a major reduction of the level of risk of injury for these children. While this is not a formalized and published study that does not negate the value of the findings from my report. I strongly suggest further formalized study by manufacturers for potential adoption.
 Consumer Hands-On Evaluation
Honest feedback from hands-on evaluation of products we bring to a location or locations, assists us in seeing virtually all sides of the picture when it comes to product evaluation.
For Houdini Bands we performed consumer hands-on evaluation in a public mall along with several other products. Having several products available for consumer evaluation all at once, it allows us to also get feedback from the consumers in regard to each product they liked best in their evaluation.
Houdini Bands - A Favorite In Baby Accessories
One things for sure with the Houdini Band in our consumer hands-on evaluation was that it created a deluge of questions by the parents participating in our activity.
There were so many people, both male and female, who made inquiries about the Houdini Band we used on multiple products. The most common question was always "Where can I buy this?". Every person was impressed as to how no matter what product we used the Houdini Band on, the results were the same, the children could not wrangle their way out of the car seat, stroller, or product of similar function we provided. Once attached, the Houdini Band will not slip.
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It appears that the majority of the parents felt that Houdini Band was their favorite baby product based upon the following...
- Especially Easy to store in a pocket or purse
- Very durable and easy to clean
- Visual Appeal
- Overall ease of use
- Price Point
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The Houdini Band really pulled the attention of many of our participants and appears to have already assured future sales before this evaluation summary is even published. Just as with some other products we have brought in the past, people find something they like and are eager to find where they can purchase it immediately. They have already had an experience with the product and just gotta have it!
After careful evaluation of our videotapes, feedback response forms and overall notes, the Houdini Band pulled it through this part of our evaluation with quite a positive response from the consumers.
Houdini Bands couldn't be any simpler to use. Just adjust the strap to where you desire, attach the two elastic loops over buttons, and you are ready to go! For more easily understandable instructions, just Click Here.
 A Sampling Of Category Ratings
A small sampling of applicable category titles and the individual rating assigned to each for this product's evaluation are featured here. The categories which have been selected to be featured in this product evaluation summary for public view, specify some of the primary points of how and why that specific rating score was reached.
* If a product is inducted, a product evaluation summary of the complete review is published for public view.
* If a product scores an overall category evaluation rating average of [2] or lower, it fails the evaluation and is not inducted.
* Information for products which do not pass our evaluation is confidential and is shared only with the company submitting the product.
The Featured Category Ratings for this Product Evaluation Summary are listed below.
COST BENEFIT: Rating Level - [5] 
Houdini Bands rose to the challenge of the other baby products and laid them flat. Houdini Bands have the right combination of fashion, design quality, safety, and functionality, and most of all price point that consumers are looking for. What you have here is a product with the right combination of factors to bring this product through this segment of our evaluation.
DURABILITY: Rating Level - [5]
Determining the level of durability of Houdini Bands was quite simple after 30 washings of the Houdini Bands sample we used as well as the wear and tear with the infants and toddlers.
With Houdini Bands you have a product made with materials designed to last, and you have no health risk to worry about either. The durability level pretty much assures extended use under the strongest wear and tear from actual use with children. The final analysis in our evaluation of Houdini Bands in this category was a rating of 5 out of 5.
EASE OF USE: Rating Level - [5]
Ease of use? Houdini Bands couldn't be any simpler to use. Just adjust fhe strap to where desire, attach the two elastic loops over buttons, and you are ready to go! For more easily understandable instructions, just Click Here. Houdini Bands are about as simple as you can get when it comes to ease of use. Houdini Bands pulls a perfect score in this category.
*NEVER LEAVE YOUR CHILD UNATTENDED WHILE USING
THE HOUDINI BAND.
FUNCTIONALITY: Rating Level - [5]
Functionality obviously plays an important part in the evaluation of a product. There is no question about functionality of the Houdini Bands. Throughout all of our evaluation, there was slippage or variance of performance. The children were held securely with no exception. Houdini Bands pulls a perfect score in this category.
INNOVATION: Rating Level - [5]
Innovation is the name of the game these days and scoring just an average score in this category isn't a blip on the radar! Houdini Bands easily moved in and went for the gold! Houdini Bands are a front runner when it comes to innovation with the highest quality of materials, design, functionality, and appeal. In my personal opinion Houdini Bands are a masterpiece of design which the competitors will find hard to match. Houdini Bands pulls a perfect score in this category.
VISUAL APPEAL: Rating Level - [3] 
Houdini Bands were quite popular and scored well in all other categories here, but when it comes to Visual Appeal it was average. There was nothing that really jumped out at you in visual appeal. The focus was more on functionality which of course it should. The textile materials used were good quality yet just didn't have the visual appeal to take Houdini Bands to the top in this category. Once you see them in action, it is all too clear that they are a must-have product yet Houdini Bands pulls a score of "3" in this category.
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| Seal of Approval:
Approved |
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| eco-Recognition™
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Not Eligible |
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| Award of Excellence:
Approved
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| eChoice™
Award:
Not Selected
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THE TOY MAN® PRODUCT GUIDE AWARDS
"The globally recognized awards that are received by a limited few...
and give a product the well earned recognition it deserves!" |
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The
products and online services which become recipients of "The Toy Man® Award of Excellence" acheived an evaluation category rating average of [5] Stars, the highest level of rating available on a 1-5 scale evaluation model. The average is based upon the overall average from all applicable evaluation categories, not just the 6 evaluation categories featured in this summary. |
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