Worst in Show 2025: Not All Innovation Is Good Innovation

Every January, the tech world descends on Las Vegas for the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), showcasing the latest gadgets promising to revolutionize our lives. But not all innovation is good innovation, as The Repair Association’s “Worst in Show” awards reveal. Now in its fourth year, this anti-awards ceremony calls out the least repairable, least private, and least sustainable products on display. 

This year’s CES is overflowing with AI and “smart” features, often in places no one asked for. The Worst in Show winners prove that just because you can add tech doesn’t mean you should.

Least repairable (Judge: Kyle Wiens, CEO, iFixit)

Winner: Ultrahuman Rare Luxury Smart Ring

This $2,200 luxury smart ring looks sleek but hides a major flaw: its battery only lasts 500 charges. Worse, replacing the battery is impossible without destroying the device entirely. Luxury items may be fleeting, but two years of use for $2,200 is a new low.

Least private (Judge: Cindy Cohn, Executive Director, EFF)

Winner: Bosch Revol Smart Crib

Preying on parents’ fears, the Revol Smart Crib collects excessive data about babies via a camera, microphone, and even a radar sensor. Parents expect safety and comfort—not surveillance and privacy risks—in their children’s cribs.

Least sustainable (Judge: Stacey Higginbotham, Policy Fellow, Consumer Reports)

Winner: SoundHound AI’s In-Car Commerce Ecosystem powered by its Automotive AI

AI is everywhere at CES 2025, but SoundHound AI’s in-car system pushes it to unnecessary extremes. This feature-heavy platform increases energy consumption, encourages wasteful takeout consumption, and distracts drivers—all while adding little actual value.

Least secure (Judge: Paul Roberts, Founder, Securepairs)

Winner: TP-Link Archer BE900 router

TP-Link is a top router brand in the U.S., but its products are vulnerable to hacking. By Chinese law, TP-Link must report security flaws to the government before alerting the public, creating a significant national security risk. Yet TP-Link showcased its Archer BE900 router at CES without addressing these vulnerabilities.

Who Asked for This? (Judge: Nathan Proctor, Senior Director, PIRG)

Winner: Samsung Bespoke AI Washing Machine

Samsung’s latest AI-powered washing machine comes with features no one needs, like the ability to make phone calls. These add-ons only make the appliance more expensive, fragile, and harder to repair.

Overall (Judge: Gay Gordon-Byrne, Executive Director, The Repair Association)

Winner: LGs AI Home Inside 2.0 Refrigerator with ThinkQ

LG’s AI-powered refrigerator adds flashy features like a screen and internet connection—but these come at a cost. Shorter software support, higher energy consumption, and expensive repairs reduce the fridge’s practical lifespan, leaving consumers with an expensive, wasteful gadget.

The Worst in Show awards highlight a critical question for tech companies: are your products really making lives better—or just adding waste, cost, and surveillance?