These are the deals to avoid this Black Friday
From shoddy TVs, hair straighteners that can damage hair and an energy-guzzling fridge that struggles to chill food, there are some products you should not waste your money on this Black Friday.
Which? has tested these products and they have fallen so far below expectations that the consumer body would not recommend them to shoppers in this year’s Black Friday or any clearance sales.
The Philips 43PUS8108/12, that retails for £369 was deemed a "Don’t Buy". Experts said the 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,” Which? said.
Ele Clark, Which? retail editor, added: “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."
Read more: The fake Apple, Nike and Lego deals to watch out for this Black Friday
For those looking for hair straighteners this Black Friday, the Revamp Progloss Ultra X Shine Wide ST-2000-GB that sells for £60 is one to avoid. The Which? panel of testers found its style retention was not great, with frizz or curls re-emerging within a day of using them. The level of hair 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.
A washing machine that failed to impress was the Haier HW90-B14959S8U1, which has a 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,” the consumer body said.
When it comes to fridges, 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. Which? said it is also “very inefficient for its size” and will increase energy bills compared to other models.
Another don’t buy product in the sales was the Radley Series 1 Activity Tracker (sale price £20). The cheap fitness tracker from fashion outlet Radley was considered “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,” Which? said.
Read more: Black Friday: Best and worst places to buy tech and home appliances
When it comes to kettles, Which? recommends consumers avoid the Smeg KLF04PKUK Variable Temp Kettle (sale price £119). The 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 the kitchen with steam.
Many will be looking for an affordable air fryer in the sales, but the Misterchef MC-79754 (sale price £50) was another "don’t buy" product. “This air fryer used lots of energy for underwhelming results, and was inconsistent in the consumer champion’s tests,” Which? said.
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% of the dust in the test carpets, and it struggled to pick up debris from between cracks and crevices.”
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