Were these 8 viral TikTok products worth the hype in 2023?

TikTok is many things: a music discovery platform, an entertaining way to waste an hour (or two), a search engine, and, most recently, an e-commerce app. With the global rollout of TikTok Shop, it’s never been easier to buy the products you see on your FYP without ever leaving the app. That means that there’s been an increase in the number of products — and affiliate marketing — shared on the platform. It has become an impulse buyer’s best-worst enabler.

“TikTok made me buy it” is simply a way of life now. For every TikTok aesthetic proliferated across the app or viral #CleanTok video, another product gets added to our carts. It’s a bad influence on our wallets.

Mashable is saving you the hassle of deciding which TikTok-hyped product is actually worth the money by giving you a peak at the things the app influenced us to buy this year. So what’s a Skip and what’s a Buy? Read below to find out.

Labigo electric spin scrubber

I hate cleaning the bathtub. Somehow I always end up bent over, scrubbing on my hands and knees, soaking wet, with a headache from breathing in Clorox spray. My TikTok FYP is full of intense cleaning videos, and every fourth or fifth video for a while was of the Labigo electric spin scrubber. I bought it to test for this story, and was honestly impressed by how well it worked. It comes with four different cleaning heads for corners, flat surfaces, bathtubs, and grout, and is pretty powerful. I was able to put a good amount of pressure on it to clean some soap scum off the sides of my bathtub, and the corner brush worked wonders for cleaning where the bathtub meets the wall. The best part is that this brush cleaned my tub way faster than I could have with a rag myself, and I didn’t even have to bend down, thanks to the extendable handle. I could see the Labigo being a great tool for older folks or people with mobility issues who need to clean but have trouble bending down to scrub things.

The only reason I regret buying this is because it ruined my TikTok algorithm. Since I added it to my TikTok Shop cart, nearly every video on my FYP is now of a cleaning brush. — Jae Thomas, Deputy Shopping Editor

The Croptuck

I have to admit, the French tuck has never worked for me. Nothing about grabbing the bottom of my shirt and shoving it down the front of my jeans ever felt comfortable, and it certainly never stayed in place. Not even Queer Eye’s Tan France could help me perfect the technique. So when I saw the Croptuck on my For You Page, styled by women of all different sizes, I added it to my cart.

The Croptuck is almost stupidly simple: It’s an adjustable elastic band that you pop over your head and fit around your hips or waist. Tuck your top up under the band and enjoy an effortlessly cropped look all day. 

The little band has totally changed how I dress for winter and has blessedly banished shirt-shoving from my life. If I’m layering a chunky sweater over a dress, the Croptuck takes the look from bulky to chic. I usually forget I’m even wearing it: My tops don’t budge and there’s no uncomfortable bunching. Plus, if I eat a lot at dinner, I just loosen the band to accommodate the extra inches around my stomach. The only downside I’ve found to wearing the band is that, if you overheat and need to remove a layer of clothing, you have to take the Croptuck off with it. — Elizabeth de Luna, Culture Reporter

Bissell Little Green Machine

Having the world’s best and most adorable dog — this is fact, not opinion — is a blessing and a curse. The blessing? I get to play with a 75-pound pittie, shar-pei mix that makes me believe there are good and pure things in this world. The curse? The little dude sheds like there is no tomorrow. 

So, when the Bissell Little Green carpet cleaner started going viral on TikTok it was not a hard sell. Scores of TikToks showed the little machine performing small miracles: getting out stains, sucking up pet hair, removing years of grime from car upholstery.  When I saw it go on clearance sale via Amazon-tracker Fat Kid Deals, I jumped at the chance. 

And I have to say, it works. It’s not for everyday cleaning — it will get surfaces wet and it does take time and effort. But it works. I’ve used it to remove stains, to clean dirt from a rug, and to suck-up mounds of hair deposited on our couch by the world’s best dog. Every couple of weeks, I’ll deep clean appropriate surfaces in our small NYC apartment with the little green machine and it makes a noticeable difference. There’s far less dust, less pet dander, and everything smells lovely. 

Also, you get to see the brownish results in the tank of the machine, and it’s SO satisfying. I highly recommend it, especially if you have a dog. Even if it’s not the best dog in the world — it isn’t, I’m sorry — the machine will still work for you. — Tim Marcin, Culture Reporter

Glossier Ultra Lip

I love a blurred matte lipstick, but my chronically dry lips do not. After seeing approximately 1,200 TikToks praising the Glossier Ultra Lip, I figured I could attempt to be kinder to my lips in the colder months, so I gave in and bought it in Pony (the closest shade to my beloved Gen G in Fuzz). I do think it’s ever so slightly on the sticky side — at the end of the day I am through and through a satin to matte formula girly — but it’s perfect for those drier days, and for this, I am grateful to my algorithm. — Bethany Allard, Shopping Reporter

The AIRstik

I can’t get away from the AIRstik, the little plastic device that claims to attach to any glass surface and hold your phone there so you can take hands-free photos. It’s been almost two months since I bought it, and it’s still all over my For You Page. It’s been lauded on the app as a must-have tool for creators who want to make content on the go, and I think it’s hanging around my algorithm because, well, it actually works.

The AIRstik uses what it calls “nano suction” technology to adhere to glass surfaces and hold up to two pounds. It’s endlessly reusable, and doesn’t leave any sticky residue behind. Mine clings to my bathroom mirror like a dream and detaches with a swift tug. The product packaging warns to “use on glass surfaces only!” but TikTokkers have managed to attach it to their shower tiles, fridges, and even a rusted pipe at the beach. Stick at your own risk, but know the AIRstik is a pretty good deal at the end of the day. — EDL

Amika Blowout Babe Thermal Brush

Technically, I did not buy the Amika Blowout Babe Brush myself, but I’m certainly not complaining that I got to call one in and test it out as part of of my job after seeing the hype for it online (review incoming btw). Prior to testing out as many Airwrap dupes as I could get my hands on (and the actual tool itself), I did not consider myself someone who was “good” at hair. While I’m still solidly mediocre, the Amika Blowout Brush is maybe the easiest possible way to get a sleek and polished blowout style that makes me look like I possess a much higher skill set. Plus, I love that I don’t need to wet my hair when I want to use it. — BA

Mini ice cube trays

I somehow got onto IceTok in 2023. My FYP became saturated with videos of people aesthetically restocking their freezers with ice trays of different shapes and fillings. Something about it hit that sweet spot of ASMR and aesthetic home organization that had me absolutely mesmerized. I was influenced to buy a set of ice trays that make mini, spherical ice, and I don’t think I can ever go back to using standard ice cube trays. These are trickier to refill than your average mold, but once you get the hang of it, it’s not that bad. The set I bought came with a storage tub, so I can stock up on deliciously round ice and just scoop it out as needed. I stick to plain tap water ice, but drinking out of my Simple Modern tumbler filled with tiny frozen spheres still makes me feel like a TikTok girlie. — Miller Kern, Deputy Reviews Editor

Baggu Medium Nylon Crescent Bag

Believe the TikTok hype. Baggu’s Medium Nylon Crescent Bag is, in fact, magic. And by magic, I mean spacious. I can fit my entire S’well water bottle in there alongside my makeup back, Hello Kitty pill case, sun glasses, wallet, and a book or two. I even shoved my raincoat in there on a cloudy day. It’s become my go-to concert bag, as it’s still small enough for most venues but also big enough to fit merch and a camera — and because it’s nylon and washable, I don’t mind putting it on the floor at risk of being trampled over or spilled on. (Just don’t put your Baggu in the dryer, it’s air dry only!) Did I mention this bag comes in practically every color? I recently copped the Sandy Liang x Baggu Medium Nylon Crescent Bag in the flower market plaid print, and it does make me feel better than everyone else when I wear it.

Anyway, I’m convinced Baggu is a cult because in the span of 365 days I went from having one Baggu to eight Baggus. Do I need eight Baggus? No. But I am easily influenced, and something tells me I’m not alone if the 246.1 million views and counting on TikTok are anything to go by. — Crystal Bell, Culture Editor