This is a phenomenal product. I'd give it ten stars if I could, and while it's certainly expensive, the price is more than matched by the quality. I was a bit reluctant to shell out the money for it, especially given there were no reviews here, but I'm very glad I did. I've had a different tension-pole shower caddy for several years, and it was amateur-hour compared to Good Grips' offering. The old pole was flimsy and bowed slightly in the middle from the tension. The shelves were held in place by plastic sleeves that used friction to keep them in place. The joints in the poles were covered with metallic tape, and the ends were capped with rubber stops that were so flimsy the pole actually cut through them. In addition to all that, the shelves were very shallow, and items placed on them frequently fell off with the slightest bump or knock.
The Good Grips caddy, however, is night and day different. The pole is really sturdy #no bowing#, and is joined with heavy-duty plastic screw ends. In addition, there are several pieces to the pole, so you can adjust it to fit various heights. I've now moved it to a part of the shower where I wasn't able to put the old caddy -which is a huge space-saver in my situation.
The locking mechanism for the shelves is brilliant. Whoever designed it should get a raise. Shelves are easy to adjust, but are also sturdy and very secure when locked in place. They're also quite deep, and the idea of having holes for putting bottles in upside down is genius. I haven't had any trouble with items falling off, either. Oh, and I really like the fact that I can remove the plastic trays from the metal frames to clean them. That's a nice touch.
Finally, the ratcheting mechanism the caddy uses to create tension is very easy to use and adjust, and creates a very secure lock. Also, the end caps are made of heavy-duty rubber, and are shaped to take advantage of corners.
I couldn't be more pleased with the caddy. I never write reviews, but this was just such a great product that I felt compelled to share. It's got so many intelligent design features, and it's easy to install, easy to move, and easy to clean. I can't think of a single negative thing about it, and I also can't think of anything else I wish it had. Seriously, the designers of this product should get an award! I wish all products were as intelligently designed and as well made as this one.
The shower caddies I got in the past all went rusty pretty quickly. I chose the OXO this time hoping that it's rust proof as it is claimed. It's three times more expensive. Unfortunately it did not deliver on the expectation. Two months after the purchase, I've already found multiple spots of rust. I'm planning on calling their customer service.
Buy OXO Good Grips Lift and Lock Pole Caddy Now
I'll admit it: I definitely balked a bit at the price when I first saw this. But after some hand-wringing, I decided to give it a shot because this tension pole caddy looked a million times better than those nasty plastic or chrome-plated ones, and OXO products have always treated me very well. I have to let people know that this is an AMAZING product.
PROS: Extremely easy to install, looks beautiful, and the amount of shelving is incredible. They are generously deep and very level (I made sure the tension pole was plumb using a small level); no shampoo bottles falling over when I put something down. And there are ample drainage holes on each. I actually only have 3 of them up because I don't have enough bath products at the moment! This past weekend was bathroom-cleaning time, and those shelves come off easily to wash if you wanted to, which I did.
CONS: None. It's too soon to comment on it's ability to not rust, but I'll try to remember to update on that after a few more months have gone by.
If you want a tension pole caddy, and this one looks perfect but seems a little too pricey, I recommend going for it. I probably shouldn't have, price-wise, but it's already proven to be well worth it.
UPDATE -September 15, 2010, one year later
Still the best product. Continues to look and clean well, doesn't look a year old, and no rust whatsoever. Again, best $100 spent.
Read Best Reviews of OXO Good Grips Lift and Lock Pole Caddy Here
Seeing the overwhelmingly positive reviews on this item, I purchased it hoping it will last at least a couple of years. Instead, after less than 60 days in service, rust is already starting to show at the welded joints on the buckets frame. Sure, it had sporadic exposure to water drops, but it's a shower pole after all.
I am exceptionally disappointed in this item, given its price. I would give it 0 stars if possible.
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Installed this product 10 min ago. For $130 I would expect this item to be much more sturdy. Once installed, the pole seems in place but is not secure. The threaded endcaps which attach the metal poles together pull out of the poles and make the entire rod bow once installed. All of the latches are made from plastic which is ok but the amount of force required to close them makes me suspect how long they will last. Also you must overextend the pole before installing and then push it into place as the latch only locks the poles placement and doesn't raise it.
If OXO wanted to improve here they should have utilized a jack-like method allowing the user to extend the pole once in place and not have to pound it into the corner.
The shelves are held on by friction from the rubber pads on the back of their clips which under enough weight or with an upward force come loose and slide down. All in all I will be returning this product and purchasing the Simple Human shower caddy. I'll provide a review on that one once I get it.
Extremely disappointed in OXO quality.
**Update
So I decided I would keep it for a little while and test it out further. However I was only more disappointed. The racks began to rest only after 2 weeks of being installed in my shower. I've since taken it back and purchased the SimpleHuman one and like that one a lot better, I'll have a review on that one shortly.
Installation has some problems. When placing the bolts be aware that you can't use the full left/right of the bracket holes. Place the bolt to either side will result in the bolt head hitting the back of the vertical unit and preventing it from fitting. Also don't tighten the bolts too tight or the vertical unit won't slide on the bracket. I ended up having to put a big washer between the wall and the bracket.
