iFixit reveals 2025’s ‘Worst in Show’ CES tech gadgets

So many technologies presented at CES includes gadgets made to improve the lives of consumers – whether through use of AI do devices that help people become more efficientcreating companions to treat loneliness or providing tools that help people with mental and physical health.

But not all innovation is good, according to a panel of dystopian experts, who rated some products as “worst in show.” The award that no company wants to win is given to the “least repairable, least private and least environmentally friendly products.”

“We’re seeing more and more of these things that have surveillance technology built into them, and it allows you to do some interesting things,” Liz Chamberlain, director of sustainability at e-commerce site iFixit, told The Associated Press. “But it also means we now have microphones and cameras in our washing machines and refrigerators, and that’s really an industry-wide problem.”

The fourth annual competition announced its decisions Thursday.

New smart ring every few years?

Kyle Vince, CEO of iFixit, has given the ultra-human rare luxury smart ring the title of “least repairable.”

The rings, which come in colors like dunes and desert sand, cost $2,200. Vince said the jewelry “looks sleek, but hides a serious flaw: its battery only lasts 500 charges.” What’s worse, he says, is that replacing the battery is impossible without completely destroying the device.

“Luxury items can be fleeting, but two years of use for $2,200 is a new low,” he said.

A smart crib powered by artificial intelligence?

The Bosch Revol crib uses sensors, cameras, and artificial intelligence that the company says can help track vital signs like baby’s sleep, heart and breathing rates, and more. The crib can also rock gently if baby needs help falling asleep, and alert parents if a blanket or other object is obstructing their breathing.

The company says users can know how and where their data is stored. Bosch also says that as children grow older, the crib can be turned into a desk.

But EFF executive director Cindy Cohn said the crib plays on parents’ fears and “collects excessive amounts of data on babies through camera, microphone and even radar.”

“Parents expect safety and comfort, not surveillance and privacy risks, in their children’s cribs,” she said in the report.

Too much waste?

While artificial intelligence is everywhere at CES, Stacey Higginbotham, a research fellow at Consumer Reports, believes SoundHound AI’s automotive commercial ecosystem of automotive AI is taking it to unnecessary extremes.

The feature “increases energy consumption, encourages wasteful takeout consumption and distracts drivers—all of which provides little benefit,” Higginbotham said. As a result, the automotive system was listed as “least resilient.”

Vulnerable to hacking

TP-Link’s Archer BE900 router received a CES award for being “least secure.” The company is the top-selling router brand in the United States. However, its products are vulnerable to hacking, says Paul Roberts, founder of The Security Ledger.

“Under Chinese law, TP-Link must report security flaws to the government before alerting the public, which poses a significant threat to national security,” he said. “However, TP-Link demonstrated its Archer BE900 router at CES without addressing these vulnerabilities.”

Who asked for this?

The awards also have a “Who Asked for It?” category. Topping the list is Samsung’s AI-powered Bespoke washing machine, which Nathan Proctor, senior director at US consumer advocacy group PIRG, says is packed with “features no one wants,” including the ability to make phone calls.

“These additions only make the device more expensive, more fragile and more difficult to repair,” he said.

Worst overall

Gay Gordon-Byrne, executive director of the Renovation Association, called LG’s “AI Home Inside 2.0 with ThinkQ” refrigerator the worst product overall. Gordon-Byrne said the refrigerator has “distinguished features” including a screen and internet connectivity.

“But it comes at a cost,” Gordon-Byrne said. “Shorter software support, higher power consumption and costly repairs reduce the practical life of a refrigerator, leaving consumers with an expensive and wasteful gadget.”