The Viral Bat Halloween Wine Bottle Opener: It's Cute But Can It Do The Job?

It's that time of year when you may be considering which Halloween gadgets to add to your reusable collection. There's a chance that you've seen the bat wine bottle opener on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Some people have simply shown the adorableness of the gadget while others have made it dance to the viral song "Hit it! Hit it! Get it! Get it!" Though not an electric kitchen gadget, I was curious how well the bottle opener worked, especially given the potential overuse of the wings while opening bottle after bottle for guests during a Halloween party.

So, I purchased the Ototo 2-in-1 Gothic Wine and Beer Opener from Amazon, to give it a try myself. Its list price is $34.95 — however, while writing this article, it was 14% off at $29.95 with an additional 20% off coupon at checkout, so it is possible to get this item for cheaper than the list price. You can also find this gadget, along with other Ototo merchandise, on the company's website.

Right off the bat, this gadget felt a bit too fragile compared to other wine bottle openers I've used. It was lightweight and felt a bit flimsy in my hands. However, I also wasn't used to my wine bottle opener having silicone wings, so that may have been what threw me off. I didn't want to pass too much negative judgment until I had used it, though. Lightweight doesn't necessarily mean weak.

I will say the details are a nice touch. The ears have ridges in them to make them look like bat ears, and there are little vampire teeth, which are enough to decipher what it is without worrying about accidentally scratching myself with them. Also, I'd be lying if I said I didn't immediately pull the corkscrew up and down to make the bat look like it was dancing or flying. It's a fun gadget, that's for sure. My immediate question, and slight fear, is will it be able to pull a cork out of my last bottle of wine?

This wine bottle opener was fairly straightforward to use, but because it is so flimsy, first I removed the paper at the top of the bottle that covers the cork. After that, I simply placed the bottom of the corkscrew over the top of the wine cork and applied pressure while twisting the bat's head clockwise. I moved slowly, twisting the screw in. I did notice that the screw is a bit shorter than I was expecting, so I had to screw the gadget all the way down to the base to get the cork out completely, without having to wiggle it around.

As the screw moved down into the cork, the wings started to glide up. Once I got enough of the screw inside the cork, I pushed down on both sides of the wings and the cork slid up and out of the bottle easily. To remove the cork, I held it with one hand and twisted the bat's head counterclockwise. Overall, it was a success and brought a smile to the faces of my friends when I used it.

The biggest negative I found is how unstable the gadget is. It worked perfectly fine while I was testing it, but honestly, I can't say how many uses it has in it. Whereas, other more sturdy wine bottle openers feel nearly indestructible and have thick handle space to grab onto, this model feels very delicate when both twisting the screw into the cork and pulling the cork out. It's wise to work with it instead of making the tool do all the work.

Additionally, I used the knife from my Micra Leatherman to see how easily it would scratch up the black paint. It took a lot of force to form a scratch, which is good news. However, I did notice that every time I moved the corkscrew up and down, a piece of black paint was chipping away at the top, and after testing the gadget, much more of the paint came off. Luckily, it's not where the screw goes into the cork, but I am still unhappy about the aesthetics of it.

On Ototo's website, this bat bottle opener has a 4.8 score from over 900 buyers while on Amazon it received a 4.6 rating from over 6,000 users. Many of the positive reviews came from people who bought it as a gift or simply thought it was cute. However, one of the reasons I wanted to review this gadget is because some users were saying that it felt flimsy while trying to screw it into the wine cork and pull it out, and honestly, I have to agree with them. Don't get me wrong, it is an adorable addition to any kitchen, but I wouldn't make it my primary wine bottle opener, and after a few uses of the beer bottle opener, the paint will start to chip. I may just stick to using it as a Halloween decoration and a centerpiece of a TikTok dance party.

The brand Ototo sells many adorable gadgets to add to the bat bottle opener for an even spookier kitchen or addition to any Halloween party. In fact, you can purchase bundle kits to save. One bundle option includes the bat bottle opener, bat kitchen scissors, and a skull meat shredder for $61.89. Another bundle option for $54.85 has the bat kitchen scissors along with a vampire garlic crusher and a skull tumbler to bring the spooky theme on the go.

Furthermore, for year-round fun, there's also the Pinot Wine Bottle Opener for $30 which has the appearance of a parrot, and a Crab Silicone Utensil Rest for $20. However, if you're looking for the classics, the Original Nessie Ladle for $20 and the Baby Nessie Tea Infuser for $12 are sure to bring a smile to your face. In fact, because I've already owned the two Nessie products for a few years, I can confirm that some products by this brand will last a while in the kitchen as long as proper care is taken.