Support original journalism
Our award-winning research helps us in our mission to make life simpler, fairer and safer for everyone.
Join Which?By clicking a retailer link you consent to third-party cookies that track your onward journey. This enables W? to receive an affiliate commission if you make a purchase, which supports our mission to be the UK's consumer champion.
Which? Don't Buys revealed: the worst products of 2026
From inaccurate blood pressure monitors to unsafe child car seats, our rigorous lab tests leave flawed products nowhere to hide
With over six years of product testing experience, Rebecca knows exactly which laundry appliances will cut the mustard - or hopefully just remove it.
Thousands of products make their way through our test labs each year, with our rigorous methods ensuring we only recommend the very best. Whether it's a bottle of cleaning spray or a new family car, we help take the guesswork out of those tough decisions so you end up with products you love.
But we don't just recommend the best. To help you avoid wasting your hard-earned money on dud products, we also name and shame the worst. Our Don't Buy badge is the ultimate dishonour in product reviews, whether it's for an inefficient or ineffective product, or even one that could put you or your family at serious risk.
Here we've rounded up the products that failed to make the grade in our independent testing, so you know which ones to steer clear of. We've also suggested similar-priced alternatives for each one to consider instead.
Laboratory evaluation and data points were finalised for publication in the August 2026 issue of Which? magazine. All product testing is carried out by independent laboratories using protocols that, where relevant, go beyond minimum UK and EU legal requirements to better reflect real-world performance and safety. All brands facing severe safety, performance or health accuracy failures were contacted and given the opportunity to respond prior to publication.
1. Kinderkraft Mink Pro 2 + Mink FX 2 Isofix Base (0%, Don't Buy)
The least you expect from a car seat is to keep your child safe during travel, but this one falls short of that by a shocking margin. The seat shell detached from the Isofix base during our tests (which surpass legal requirements), flying through the air and representing a real risk of injury to your baby and other passengers. It passed crash tests when installed using the vehicle seat belt.
Kinderkraft said: 'Customer safety is of the utmost importance to us, and we are committed to meeting and exceeding customer expectations, even though our product fully complies with R129 standards. To facilitate this process, customers can contact us via our dedicated email address safety@kinderkraft.com, which is handled with the highest priority.'
It hasn't been recalled by the manufacturer, but you can ask for a different product or a full refund.
See our Kinderkraft Mink Pro 2 + Mink FX 2 Isofix Base review to find out the full details of our tests.
Maxi-Cosi Pebble S + FamilyFix S Base (83%, Best Buy)
When installed using the FamilyFix S base, the Maxi-Cosi Pebble S is a very safe ride for your baby. It also ticks a lot of other boxes: lightweight, user-friendly and with room to grow.
The newborn insert adds extra comfort, although it just loses a couple of marks for thin padding. But overall it's a great baby car seat and a Best Buy.
Read our Maxi-Cosi Pebble S + FamilyFix S Base review or our guide to the best child car seats.
2. Red Kite Push Me Explor Stroller (43%, Don't Buy)
The last thing you want is your pushchair suddenly giving up the ghost in the middle of a day out, but that's exactly what could happen with this model.
One of the wheels snapped off this pushchair while it was being pushed on a bumpy treadmill during our irregular surface testing - this could put your child in danger. It gets bogged down in gravel and sand, too – not what you need when you're trying to transport an ice-cream-covered toddler across a busy beach.
Red Kite said: 'We take product safety extremely seriously, and we have received no reports of issues in everyday use. We are nevertheless investigating, including further independent testing and a full product review.'
See our Red Kite Push Me Explor Stroller review for more information.
Joie MyDrift (74%, Great Value): SQUIRREL_TEXT_50027436
A versatile, mid-weight (10.5kg) pushchair suitable from birth to 22kg. It has excellent manoeuvrability, thanks to its unique all-wheel swivel function, making it ideal for urban travel.
Although it lacks a parent-facing seat, the one-handed fold and adjustable handlebar make it easy and comfortable to use, plus it copes well on most surfaces except gravel.
Read our Joie MyDrift review or see our guide to the best pushchairs.
3. Braun ExactFit 5 Connect Blood Pressure Monitor (Test fail, Don't Buy)
User-friendly features don't mean much if a monitor can't measure your blood pressure accurately. This monitor failed during our testing against both the AAMI/ISO Universal standard and the BIHS (British & Irish Hypertension Society) criteria, which means it could lead to unnecessary anxiety or even potential misdiagnoses as a result of false high or low readings.
Braun said: 'We feel your analysis does not accurately represent the reality of the rigorous and independent testing we put our product through. Our clinical testing follows the European Society of Hypertension International Protocol to ensure its quality and accuracy.
'This product has been on the market for more than six years and undergoes simulation and static-pressure testing on the production line. We also regularly monitor consumer complaints to ensure that consumers are satisfied with the performance of their devices, with a complaint rate related to accuracy of less than 0.05%.'
See our Braun ExactFit 5 Connect review to get the full results of our tests.
Boots Multi-User Blood Pressure Monitor (Best Buy)
The Boots Multi-User Blood Pressure Monitor is a Best Buy. It proved very accurate in our tests, passing both the Universal standard and the BIHS criteria repeatedly, so you can rely on the readings every time you use it.
It's fairly basic, and there's no smart connectivity or fancy features, but it has a guest mode and memory storage that can hold 60 readings. Plus, it stores blood pressure readings for two people.
Read our Boots Multi-User Blood Pressure Monitor review or see our guide to the best blood pressure monitors.
4. Konsung Pro Dry Biochemical Analyzer Cholesterol Monitor (Test fail, Don't Buy)
Results from this at-home cholesterol monitor and all of the other at-home cholesterol monitors we tested didn't consistently align with clinical reference measurements, meaning Which? believes it's no good at reliably assessing the levels of 'good' and 'bad' cholesterol in your blood.
To test cholesterol monitors, we used 12 participants, who have a mix of low, normal and high cholesterol levels. We took two measurements per person, plus a third if readings differed by more than 10%.
We have contacted Konsung with our concerns.
See our Konsung Pro Dry Biochemical Analyzer Cholesterol Monitor review for more information.
London Medical Laboratory Cholesterol Test (Best Buy): Available from London Medical Laboratory (£39)
Providing accurate measurements for total cholesterol, LDL, HDL and triglycerides, this send-away blood collection kit also impressed with its clear, detailed doctor-style results report and strong guidance on when to seek medical advice.
Results typically arrive within 48 hours. It requires a 1.2ml sample of blood, double the 0.6ml needed for the other kits we tested.
Read our London Medical Laboratory Cholesterol Test review or see our guide to the best cholesterol monitors.
5. Silentnight Airmax 800 Air Purifier (37%, Don't Buy)
Sure, it's nice and quiet, but that could be because it's not actually making much of a difference to the air quality in your home. Our testing revealed that the filter fails to remove gas pollutants released by things such as paint, glue, cleaning products, cosmetics and printers.
Silentnight told us: 'The Silentnight Airmax 800 Air Purifier is designed to remove airborne particles using a HEPA filter. It has never been marketed or claimed to remove volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which require a dedicated activated carbon filter that this product does not contain.'
Blueair Mini Max (65%, Great Value): SQUIRREL_TEXT_50020199
The Mini Max is a good option if you're not looking to pay too much for an air purifier, as it has the highest score among the models costing less than £100.
It's incredibly cheap to run, at less than £6 per year, plus it's good at removing dust, pollen and smoke from the air.
For more details, read our Blueair Mini Max review or see our guide to the best air purifiers.
6. House of Marley Jammin (42%, Don't Buy)
This pocket-sized speaker may have a good battery life, but given the awful sound it produces, we'd be surprised if you actually used it for that long.
Our tests revealed it will make your favourite tunes sound paper-thin, pathetically flat and downright boring – you'd be better off just using your phone's speaker. Is This Love? We think not.
See our House of Marley Jammin review to read the full details.
Tribit XSound Plus 2 (62%, Great Value): SQUIRREL_TEXT_50020557
While the XSound Plus 2 can't compete with Tribit’s bigger Bluetooth speakers on sound quality, it does have enough audio oomph and battery life to make it worth considering.
It's a fair bit cheaper than many of the top-scoring portable speakers, too.
Read our Tribit XSound Plus 2 review or see our guide to the best Bluetooth and wireless speakers.
Which? magazine editor, Harry Rose, says:
'Shoppers shouldn't have to gamble on whether a product will perform as promised. Our 2026 Don't Buys show that a well-known brand or premium price is no guarantee of quality, safety or performance. Independent testing is more important than ever, helping people avoid wasting money on products that simply don't make the grade.
'With household budgets already stretched, people expect – and deserve – products that deliver on their promises. Whether it's a product that could put a child's safety at risk or one that simply doesn't do the job it was bought for, shoppers shouldn't be left out of pocket because a product falls short.'
Become a Which? member
A Which? membership offers far more than you might expect – from personalised expert advice to Great Value and eco-friendly recommendations.
- Product reviews you can trust All our test results, reviews and recommendations are our own. We buy every product that we test.
- Ask Which? for buying advice Chat online with us for personalised one-to-one buying advice on any product we’ve tested.
- We’re not-for-profit Every member subscription helps fund our charity’s campaigns to make life simpler, fairer and safer for everyone.
- Which? magazine on your doorstep Your monthly read for expert consumer advice, investigations, articles, news, views and more.
If you're not yet a Which? member, you can join Which? for access to the benefits above.
