Ok, it isn't worth fifty bucks, but it is fun.

First, the Automatic Eyeglass Cleaner looks exactly like it does in the Sharper Image catalog, or online. The blue translucent plastic is fairly sturdy, and nothing on the machine feels like it is going to break easily.

Secondly, as far as I can tell, all the machine does (and, lest we forget, all it CLAIMS to do) is shake your glasses in the cleaning solution, pop open and shake the excess fluid off, and wait for you to claim your glasses.

Third, my glasses are cleaner than they have been in a long time, and do polish up nicely in between dunkings, because of the residue of the solution on the glasses. (A good residue, not a bad residue, like wax on a shiny car.)

In my self-appointed role as "crip critic", I will say that I think this is a particular good device for people with dexterity issues and handling eyeglasses. I don't particularly have trouble wiping my glasses, but I do have trouble using the various spray bottled solutions for eyeglass cleaning. If you don't have adequate grip strength to both hold the bottle and push the sprayer down, it doesn't work for you, okay?

This device eliminates the need for dealing with those sprayers. Except for pinching the clip open that holds the glasses during the cleaning process, not much fine dexterity is needed; the clip doesn't require much pressure to open and close, but does hold the glasses securely. Further, the clip itself is held in place by a magnet when in use -- no lining it up to slide in a small slot or anything.

It works on batteries so it is easy to move around. The cleaning solution reservoir slides out of the main body of the device, so it is easy to fill and refill.

But here's the kicker -- it looks cool! When you push the button to start the cleaning sequence, a light comes on (I don't know if the light is blue, but it looks blue through the blue shell of the device), glows throughout the process and even changes in intensity a couple of times.

I don't think the light does anything in regard to cleaning your glasses; the light is there to make the machine look cool, and it does.

I just got it a couple of weeks ago and I'm using it all the time. If you have several pairs of glasses like I do, you can clean them all at once with relatively little hassle. I've worn glasses all my life and this is the most painless way to clean my glasses that I've ever found.

At $50 it is over priced, but if you can get it for around $30, I think it's a good deal.

Recommended: Yes