The Hookup

Have you had the chance to get your hands on one of these purse hooks yet? I've been seeing these clever trinkets all around at craft stores and streetside fairs lately, but I never really stopped to learn more about them, or I would've probably already bought one before the people at www.TheHookup.com sent me over a product sample to try out.

The idea is fairly ingenious. The hook is a simple clasp that can be pried open and twisted so that it forms an S-hook, which can secure your purse to a chair or tabletop. I've seen mostly the metallic variety--but I've also seen plastic, colorful and bejeweled types as well. The Hookup comes in either Platinum or 22-carat Gold. Rather than a circle (which is the shape I've mostly seen prior) it comes in the shape of a heart. It's a little bit nicer to look at, and I also imagine it holds up longer than its competitors due to the quality nature of the materials. It comes in a little pouch inside of a pretty jewelry box, and I think the presentation means that it would make for a great gift for someone, on top of just being a neat trinket to pick up for yourself. Although The Hookup can dangle off the strap of your purse and act as decoration, you can also store it in a pocket of your purse inside of the pouch, so it stays shiny and free of nicks. Between the packaging, the cute name, the quality materials and the heart shape, I really have to hand it to the marketers behind this product for making a variety of this tool that stands out above the rest.

I've been hawking this to all of my friends like some kind of infomercial; and watch out for me in a bar, because even if you are a perfect stranger I might feel inclined to show you how The Hookup works and talk about how cool it is, after a few beers. A bar setting is really, I'll admit, the first thing that popped into my head when I got my hands on this. I can never find the right place to set my purse, and after a few drinks it's harder to keep your eye on all of your belongings. I've had two friends get robbed in the city while keeping their purses on the table-top next to them, or on the floor by their feet, because there wasn't a decent place to stash their purses at a bar. I like that whether you're sitting in a booth, standing at a high-top bar table or leaning against the bar counter, your purse will be right there in plain sight. I was worried about the clasp slipping or not being able to bear the weight of my famously massive purses, but The Hookup is engineered quite well to be slip-resistant and hold up to 30lbs. of dead weight.

As you can tell, I highly recommend this product. I can guarantee that it's going to come in handy more than you'd expect, and you'll start wondering how you managed without it. Every time I head out for a night on the town without it, I want to kick myself--now that's the hallmark of a really useful product.