Sanrio, makers of everything Hello Kitty (HK), have recently caught onto the Wii Fit craze. Sure this Hello Kitty Wii Balance Board Bag and Yoga mat will catch the eye of HK fans, but at what cost?
As a game journalist, you can usually hear us mumbling about things like “gameplay,” “graphics,” “playcontrol,” and “frames per second.” Reviewing games and game accessories usually only involve three senses: sight, hearing, and touch. Rarely, if at all, does smell become a factor when reviewing video game material. However, smell is by far the dominate factor when considering the enjoyment of this HK Sack and Yoga Mat.
Immediately after opening the cardboard packaging, a highly potent odor wafted into my nostrils. The yoga mat alone smelled like a combination of a rank chemical, grandma’s century old perfume, ass that’s gone bad, and bug spray. The scent is headache inducing. By no means can I see anyone using this yoga mat purely because of this horrible smell. Yoga involves deep breathing, which means users will be throwing up within moments after starting their workout. Yes, it really is that bad.
Despite the smell, I still gave this HK propaganda the benefit of the doubt. After removing the Velcro strap and unrolled the product on my living room floor, I had to actually wash my hands. Why did I have to wash my hands? Because the mat is coated in some type of invisible greasy film. Is this the cause of the pungent smell? I am not entirely sure, but either way, it is super gross.
The Yoga Mat, while very pink and Hello Kitty-ish, is also paired with a bag that was designed to hold the Wii Balance Board. The bag itself is made of a nice nylon, complete with a strap to give it that “book bag” functionality. But like the Yoga Mat, this bag also has one major, and disgusting flaw – it was dirty. That’s right, dirty. As in actual dirt. The thing about making a pink and white bag is that dirt shows up very easily. Surrounding the zipper and perimeter of the sack was a layer of black soot that easily put this product into the “eww, gross” category. This factor alone makes you wonder about the quality of the manufacturing plant.
Besides looking dirty, smelling worse than three-day old moldy diarrhea mixed with Scrubbing Bubbles, and being caked in a thin layer of mucus, this HK Yoga Mat and Balance Board Bag bundle might please HK fans simply because it has that adorable kitty logo plastered on it. Unfortunately, it is impossible to ignore the poor quality in the manufacturing and shipping of the product (as expected, this product was “made in China”).
Perhaps this review sample that I received was treated differently than Sanrio’s main manufacturing procedures, but I would be very hesitant on handing over $50 for a smelly mat and dirty sack. You have been warned.
Negatives:
– The Yoga Mat was very smelly
– Bag was dirty
– Mat had some type of film/grease coating
– Expensive
Positives:
– Should please HK fans if they don’t have a sense of smell
– Bag has strap for easy carrying and other zipped compartments for additional storage
To see a wealth of other Hello Kitty paraphernalia, visit http://www.sanrio.com/
