The Gamechanger: LastObject lastswab
Buy now £9, Lastobject.com
Lastswab is the first product launch from Danish brand LastObject, and combines smart, stylish design with durability, so you’ll never have to use single-use cotton swabs again.
You can choose from a beauty version with one rounded end and one pointed end, well-designed to correct any mascara smudges or perfect your lipstick. It comes in a choice of nine colourful cases, and each hue is more tempting than the next. I have the purple one; it’s so pretty.
There’s also the basic lastswab, which I’ve used for cleaning behind kids’ ears, around mouths and between little fingers. I am a piercing fanatic (for myself, not the kids), and I’ve also used it to keep various new ones clean with soap and water.
It’s durable and made with a nylon rod, textured TPE tips that dry instantly, and it’s stored in a handy swivel case.
The LastObject team have just come up with a new material for the case to replace the plant-based plastic with repurposed, ocean-bound plastic (OBP), in an effort to help clean up current pollution as well as preventing single-use waste. The issue with the current plant-based plastic case is that it has to be disposed of properly in order to biodegrade.
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Lastswab is also super easy to clean using soap and water, and it’s safe to use rubbing alcohol to sanitise it, too. Apparently, you can even put it through the dishwasher, although I haven’t tried that yet.
LastObject is on a wider mission: in addition to eliminating single-use items like tissues and cotton pads, the brand wants to clear the ocean of plastics, and has partnered with Plastic Bank to try to do so.
For each product purchased in April 2021, the brand will remove 2lbs of ocean-bound plastic, with the goal of retrieving 22,000lbs of it overall.
I’m not the only one obsessed by my lastswabs: reviewers tend to be blown away, and the lastswab has just taken home gold award at the Berlin Design Awards 2021.
This isn’t to say there aren’t haters, like those who don’t like the feel of the silicone. Truth be told, I’ve been using mine for so long, I can’t remember what a traditional cotton swab feels like. Some critique the product for using plastic in its design; the brand notes that even if a lastswab does end up getting thrown away improperly, the damage it will cause is less than 0.1 per cent of its single-use counterparts.
One final thing: if you’re into doing your nails, take note not to use it with acetone, as this could damage the silicone tips.
The verdict: LastObject lastswab
Lastswab has been a gamechanger for me because I’m constantly finding new uses for it – for myself and for my kids. In fact, in my anxiety-ridden lockdown state, it became a fantastic fiddle toy to keep me distracted, thanks to its clever packaging. Lastswab makes me smile, and I love giving it as a gift to my friends. It’s well-priced, looks fabulous, and is such a cool thing to spread the word about. Plus, there’s no question in my mind that everyone I know will find some use for it.