Black Friday: Which? reveals dud deals to avoid in the sales
Which? has identified dud deals that should be avoided this Black Friday, including a shoddy TV, hair straighteners that can damage hair and an energy-guzzling fridge that struggles to chill food.
The consumer champion is warning shoppers not to waste money on poor-performing products in this year’s Black Friday and clearance sales.
Which? tests thousands of products every year in its labs so it can recommend the very best as Which? Best Buys - and help consumers to avoid the worst, Which? Don't Buys. These are products that have fallen so far below expectations that experts would not recommend them to shoppers under any circumstances.
Branded as one of the worst televisions of 2023 by Which?, the Philips 43PUS8108/12 (sale price £369) was deemed a Don’t Buy. This 43-inch 4K TV has real issues with motion and moving objects tending to streak across the screen. Even still images look poor, as its shoddy contrast and unnatural colours leave every scene drab and grey. Instead, Which? recommends the LG 43NANO766QA which is £399 in the sales, the same size and provides a much better picture.
For those looking for hair straighteners in the sales, the Revamp Progloss Ultra X Shine Wide ST-2000-GB (sale price £60) is one to avoid. Though the product did a good initial job at straightening hair, Which?’s panel of testers found its style retention was not great, with frizz or curls reemerging within a day of using them. The level of damage that the laboratory saw caused by these hair straighteners when set to the highest temperature was twice as bad as the next poorest model. For a better alternative, Which? recommends The Beauty Works X Molly Mae Straightener Kit (£50). It costs about the same at a sales price and has a significantly lower chance of damaging hair.
A washing machine that failed to impress was the Haier HW90-B14959S8U1 (sale price £429). Though synthetics washed well, this freestanding washing machine did a terrible job at getting rid of dirt and stains from cottons. Its electricity running costs are about average for machines of a similar capacity, but it uses a lot more water than most. The programs are incredibly short, considering how poorly they clean. Instead, the Zanussi ZWF942E3PW (£399) will cost less - both upfront and over a lifetime, and it is more efficient in both electricity and water.
Which? experts also found a fridge with poor energy efficiency. The Hisense RB327N4WB1 (sale price £399) was described by experts as one of the worst fridge freezers they had seen. The experts said that the fridge takes an age to chill foods, and its temperature will fluctuate depending on the temperature in the kitchen. It’s also very inefficient for its size and will increase energy bills compared to other models. As an alternative, Hisense’s RB440N4WWF can be found at a similar price in the sales (£399), will chill and freeze food without any issues, and can cope with temperature fluctuations in the kitchen.
Another Don’t Buy product in the sales was the Radley Series 1 Activity Tracker (sale price £20). This cheap fitness tracker from fashion outlet Radley is limited when it comes to features. It counts steps accurately but makes a mess of calculating distance covered, and the accuracy of its heart rate monitor is appalling. Consumers will have to pay a bit more, but opting for the Xiaomi Redmi Smart Band Pro (£45) means getting a great Which? Best Buy product that accurately tracks activities and has a long battery life.
When looking for a new vacuum, the Hoover H-Free 100 HF122GH (sale price £99) failed to impress. This hoover only sucked up a measly 34 per cent of the dust in the test carpets, and it struggled to pick up debris from between cracks and crevices. Instead, the Tineco A10 Hero is also in the sales (£125), and in Which?’s tests it cleaned well on carpets and hard floors.
Many people will be looking for an affordable air fryer in the sales, but the Misterchef MC-79754 (sale price £50) was named as a Don’t Buy. This air fryer used lots of energy for underwhelming results, and was inconsistent in the consumer champion’s tests. Although it cooked chicken well, the frozen chips came out underfried on the bottom and burnt on top. Instead, the Instant Vortex 4-in-1 5.7l (£66) cooked chips that were satisfyingly crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, and it also has roast, bake and reheat settings.
When it comes to kettles, Which? recommends consumers avoid the Smeg KLF04PKUK Variable Temp Kettle (sale price £119). This kettle takes nearly three-and-a-half minutes to boil a litre of water, but it then takes nearly a full minute to switch off after it has finished boiling - wasting energy and filling your kitchen with steam. At this price point, there are many better options. The Kenwood Dawn Collection (£33) is the highest rated in Which? tests, and it is quiet, quick to boil, and never overboils for long.
Ele Clark, Which? Retail Editor, said:
“It can be tempting to buy on impulse in the Black Friday sales, but our research has found that so-called bargains could end up being disappointing and a waste of money.
“It is worth considering whether you really need something before you invest your money, and it’s absolutely worth doing some research before making a purchase so you don’t end up with a dud product.”
-ENDS-
Notes to editors:
Prices correct on 22nd November 2023.
If you do want to avoid disappointment and potentially bag a bargain on Black Friday, you can see Which?’s expert pick of deals worth a look at our Black Friday Insider’s Guide: which.co.uk/blackfriday.
Which? reviews are different from the rest – all the products we review and recommend are put through rigorous independent lab tests. Find out more by visiting: which.co.uk.
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How to get the best deal
Check the deal price - use a price comparison website such as PriceRunner or Price Spy to see how much a product has been sold for previously, and work out whether the sale price is good value.
Create a wishlist - some retailers, for example Amazon, let you set up a wishlist for all the things that you want to buy, making it easier to notice when their prices drop. You can then easily click into your list to see what’s on offer.
List products and research them ahead of the day - every year we find products in the sales that aren’t worth buying. In 2022 we even found products that failed our safety tests. Look at product reviews ahead of the sale day to ensure you don’t feel pressured into buying a sub-par product.
Use price promises to your advantage - some retailers such as Richer Sounds will match a price you’ve found elsewhere – meaning you can buy from a reputable retailer offering a good warranty but pay the lower price you’ve found elsewhere.
About Which?
Which? is the UK’s consumer champion, here to make life simpler, fairer and safer for everyone. Our research gets to the heart of consumer issues, our advice is impartial, and our rigorous product tests lead to expert recommendations. We’re the independent consumer voice that influences politicians and lawmakers, investigates, holds businesses to account and makes change happen. As an organisation we’re not for profit and all for making consumers more powerful.
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