REVIEW | RATIONELL VARIERA
This might seem like an odd product to chose for a review of, but I love this one. If there is one thing I can really appreciate, it’s any product designed well, intended to solve a specific problem, and does it simply and effectively. Hopefully such a product could be produced inexpensively, so more people would benefit. Ikea’s Rationell Variera, designed by K. Hagberg and M. Hagberg, does just that. Intended as the answer for the clutter of plastic bags people accumulate in mass, with no place to store other than in a pantry or under the kitchen sink, the Rationell Variera is about as simple a solution as you can get.
The injected molded plastic body comes in a single flat sheet and is simply folded into shape. No tools, no clips, and no sharp edges to catch and tear bags. The total weight being scarcely a pound, double sided stick pads are enough to hold it to any surface in any orientation. There are holes in the back for anchors, in case you want to use yours for something heavier than plastic bags, which many people do. We moved and left ours behind once, and I actually went and asked to get it back, which I did. There isn’t really much to say about this product other than it works, it’s simple, cheap (1.99 USD!), and it looks great. In fact some people think it looks so great it can qualify as public art. Have some other uses for your bag dispenser? I would love to see.
Pros: Simple, easy to fold into shape, lightweight, easy to hang, easy to use, and for $1.99 you can get a few and think of other uses for them later.
Cons: Currently only available in two colors.
