Carpet flammability, 1960
Two minutes after samples of wool (rear), Acrilan (left), and an Acrilan Verel blend (right) are ignited, only the Acrilan is burning. After two minutes more, it is almost entirely consumed.

Dog food, 1960
"Consumers will be hard put to judge the quality of most dog foods from their impressive-looking labels," we say. Just in case the brand you buy happens to be deficient, we recommend you supplement your dog's diet with a pound of pork or lamb liver each week.

Pocket totalizer, 1960
As its name implies, the Clicker Quik-Chek lets you quickly check your total purchases--or double-check the sales clerk--by clicking off the price of each item. Some of our test panelists are quite pleased with it, but others are embarrassed by the noise it makes.

Safety belts, 1960
To complement our tests of performance, we examine each safety belt's buckle and anchor design, and we determine the fiber content of the webbing.

Television consoles, 1960
Our tests of eight "private label" televisions--such brands as Anrea, Muntz and Setchell-Carlson--find nothing to justify their reputation for being better than mass-produced models.

Aerosol gloss enamels, 1961
Though they're expensive, aerosols require no messy mixing and no brushes that need cleaning. With practice, most do-it-yourselfers can produce a beautifully smooth finish.

Car record players, 1961
The needle of the Norelco Auto Mignon stays in the groove of our 45s, even when we drive over rough roads. But since there's no record changer, we must insert each record we want to play, then remove it when the song is over.

Electric irons, 1961
The temperature of the iron and its cycling characteristics are measured with a recording instrument (at left in photo). Meters on the right side measure power consumption.

Portable electric hair dryers, 1961
This model is typical of dryers that constrain the user with a short, close-coupled hood. We judge this type least convenient.

Automatic dishwashers, 1962
Our dishwashing tests are tough but realistic. Utensils are "decorated" with 20 varieties of food, such as egg yolk, spaghetti, mashed potatoes, and cereal, plus cigarette ashes.

Binoculars, 1962
Notice the curved lines on the edge of the building and on the window framing. This distortion is typical of the poor optical performance of some binoculars.

Motorized scouring pads, 1962
The Kent Kordless Scourmaster is tested for its ability to clean pots and pans, and polish silver. CU's recommendation: the Scourmaster is a novel gadget but not worth its cost.

Portable electric fans, 1962
What price refreshment? We declare the $33.95 Fasco a Best Buy because it ventilates a room and circulates air as well as the other top performers, including the $64.95 Fresh'nd-Aire.

Gaylord the Pup, 1963
We check out a reader's complaint and determine that this mechanical basset is one hungry hound. It eats up a set of four D batteries in about two hours. In six months of regular play, we estimate, the cost of batteries will exceed the cost of the toy itself.

Lawn mowers, 1963
An engineer measures how well the blade is shielded while the mower's engine is running. A straw is pushed through a hole in the stand; a strobe light helps determine the exact moment the straw is struck by the blade.

Incandescent lightbulbs, 1965
Bulb life is measured on this rack, which regulates electricity to a constant 120 volts. Pilot tests determine the effects of vibration, on/off cycles, and base-up versus base-down position.

Instant Button-On, 1965
Most of our panelists didn't find this device difficult to use. But we judge that it's unsuitable for anything much besides work clothes or rugged outer garments and sportswear. Our conclusion: Hang on to your needle and thread.

One-cup coffeemakers, 1965
In France and Italy, the one-cup coffeemaker is an old standby. The Coffee-Cone, left, and the Brew-a-Cup may emulate the design, but our tests show that with either one, you aren't likely to get a really hot cup of rich-flavored coffee.

Tennis balls, 1965
To test for bounce, we repeatedly drop each ball from a height of 100 inches onto a rigid platform. A technician reads off their rebound height against a measuring rule.

Compact blankets, 1966
The 11-ounce NRC Space Blanket can be folded into a pocket-sized package. But during a field trial at near-freezing temperature, our outdoors consultant wakes up shivering after three hours and switches to a sleeping bag.

Paper dress, 1966
The Paper Caper, a wear-it-once dress from the Scott Paper Co., is rather sloppily made; the "fabric" is not very strong; and the printed color has a tendency to rub off when it gets damp. You do receive discount coupons for Scott products with your purchase.

Portable steam bath, 1966
Each of our panelists who seal themselves in the Super-Sauna report a sense of well-being, though its claim about slimming you down is definitely misleading. And adjusting the temperature can be a hassle--the thermostat is on the outside.

Radio sunglasses, 1966
The Spectra Radio Sunglasses give a new meaning to "Stop, Look, and Listen." The radio's sensitivity and selectivity were poor; if you sit still, without turning your head, the sound you hear might be intelligible, but it won't be very soothing.

Sonic Blaster, 1966
The Mattel Agent Zero M Sonic Blaster 5530 fires compressed air with a deafening blast. Our measurements top out at 157 dB--above a level that can do permanent damage to the hearing of an adult. We rate the toy Not Acceptable.

Liquid shaving lotion, 1967
A few drops of Amazing Liquid Shaving Lotion on the blade, says the manufacturer, and you shave "fast, smooth, clean, close" without any facial lather or shaving cream. Fast, clean, and close it is, say our test panelists, but smooth it's not.

Steam irons, 1967
All tested models perform satisfactorily as dry irons. But when we change from steam ironing to dry ironing without emptying the tank, the Dominion 1092 and Dominion 1099 may then emit steam--or even hot water. We rate them Not Acceptable.

Travel steam press, 1967
The Westinghouse Steam-Press Valet can reach only 2 1/2 inches over a trouser leg from each side. On trousers that need a complete pressing, you wind up with pressed creases bordering an unsightly swath of no-man's-land.

Vinyl wall coverings, 1967
Vinyl wall coverings are tested by machine with extensive cleaning and rubbing to see how they hold up.

Auto vacuum cleaners, 1968
With their power off, most models spill litter if we tilt them the wrong way. The Auto-Vac F-500 is an exception: It spills litter even when it's running.

Guitars, 1968
Our nine-page look at guitars concludes that you can get quite a decent instrument for under $50, but it's essential that you test and inspect it before you buy. As a first step, sight along the edges of the fingerboard to make sure it's absolutely straight.

Recorder-player for messages, 1968
Correspondence through tape-recorded messages can save time and can convey nuances difficult to get across in the traditional written letter. Mail Call, unfortunately, sounds like a shortwave broadcast that's not quite making it.

Cube steak, 1969
Beef run through a butcher's tenderizer can be knitted into cube steaks. The beef may be a single relatively high-grade cut -- or scraps of unidentifiable lineage. About 25 percent of our panelists find cube steaks tough or stringy enough to make a remark.

Melamine dinnerware, 1969
These nearly unbreakable dishes made their humble debut in World War II Navy mess halls. Two decades later, a service for eight may sport a price as high as $60.

1936-1949

1950-1954

1955-1959

1970-1980