We test thousands of products every year in our labs so we can recommend the very best as Which? Best Buys, as well as help you to avoid the worst.
Which? Don't Buys are products that have fallen so far below our expectations that we wouldn't recommend them to anybody under any circumstance.
Get more expert advice to help you shop smart with our guide to .Don’t Buy ‘deals’ in the 2023 sales
Our list of dodgy deals this year includes an appliance that has running costs nearly twice that of alternatives, and another described as 'appalling' by our experts.
Here’s what to steer clear of in the sales – and what to buy instead.
Philips 43PUS8108/12 (sale price - £369)
Why avoid:
This 43-inch 4K TV has real issues with motion, as moving objects tend to streak across the screen. But the problems don’t stop there – even still images would look poor, as its shoddy contrast and unnatural colours leave every scene drab and grey.
There’s also not enough bass in the sound, so everything sounds tinny and underwhelming.
Our experts say:Buy instead:Grab a bargain with our pick of the .Revamp Progloss Ultra X Shine Wide ST-2000-GB (sale price - £60)
Why avoid:
Although these hair straighteners did a good job of straightening hair, with strong results in terms of frizz control and providing shine, our panel of testers found their style retention wasn’t great. Frizz or curls re-emerged within a day of using them.
The large plates make it tricky to get close to your roots, and the higher heat settings on this straightener could damage your hair.
Our experts say:Buy instead:We've tested 15 hair straighteners ranging in price from £Haier HW90-B14959S8U1 (sale price - £429)
Why avoid:
Although it washes synthetics 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.
Our experts say:Buy instead:Save money on your next purchase with our pick of the .Radley Series 1 Activity Tracker (sale price - £20)
Why avoid:
This cheap fitness tracker from fashion outlet Radley is limited when it comes to features, and the features it does have don’t work particularly well. It counts steps accurately but it makes a mess of calculating distance covered, and the accuracy of its heart rate monitor is appalling.
Our fitness tracker tests also involve us checking the scratch resistance of the screen on each device, and this tracker did poorly, coming away with considerable damage.
Our experts say:Buy instead:Need more help choosing? Find a brilliant Best Buy by comparing our 34 .Hoover H-Free 100 HF122GH (sale price - £99)
Why avoid:
Five hours of charging time grants you 20 minutes of battery life with this vacuum, which may not sound like a lot, but it will be plenty of time to demonstrate its poor performance.
It only sucked up a measly 34% of the dust in our test carpets, and it struggled to pick up debris from cracks and crevices.
Our experts say:Buy instead:Dyson and Shark have achieved Best Buys for their models – see our expert pick of the and on offer this Black Friday.Misterchef MC-79754 (sale price - £50)
Why avoid:
The MC-79754 was inconsistent in our tests. Although it cooked chicken well, the frozen chips we tried – twice – came out underfried on the bottom and burnt on top.
It’s a very basic model that lacks the extra features now common in air fryers, which at least means it’s easy to use. It’s power-hungry though, and isn’t the speediest at cooking.
Our experts say:Buy instead:Find the , curated by our experts.Hisense RB327N4WB1 (sale price - £399)
Why avoid:
The freezer part of this fridge-freezer is decent – it works quietly and it freezes quickly. But the fridge… the fridge is diabolical. It takes ages to chill foods, and its temperature will swing up and down with the temperature in your kitchen.
It’s also very inefficient for its size, so won’t be doing your energy bills any favours either; not to mention the extra money you’ll have to spend on food when this unreliable fridge fails to keep things fresh.
Our experts say:Buy instead:Check out the to find the best model for you at a reasonable price.Smeg KLF04PKUK Variable Temp Kettle (sale price - £119)
Why avoid:
This Smeg kettle takes nearly three and a half minutes to boil a litre of water, which is already pretty slow. But it then takes nearly a full minute to switch off after it’s finished boiling – wasting energy and filling your kitchen with steam.
It’s heavy, too, and awkward to pour. The lid-opening button doesn’t always work, and the lid itself gets very hot while you’re using it. There’s simply very little to like here.
Our experts say:Buy instead:See our to compare more than 300 models we’ve tested in our lab.1 By One OUK00-0750 (sale price - £45)
Why avoid:
It’s a cheap turntable, and it produces cheap-sounding music. One of our expert listeners described it as sounding ‘like it's playing from a tiny speaker or old gramophone’ – thin and weedy, with strange artificial audio distortions like radio static. The stylus also puts a lot of weight on your records, which risks wearing them down.
Our experts say: Buy instead:Looking to get into vinyl? Start with our advice on the .Hisense HS214 (sale price - £79)
Why avoid:
Our expert listening panel weren't impressed with this soundbar. It has a serious lack of bass, with a dull, thin and muffled sound that is entirely uninspiring.
It also doesn’t have a proper display – just a small multi-coloured LED to indicate what’s going on, which isn’t the clearest.
Our experts say:Buy instead:Our expert picks out the best models to suit different budgets.Shop with Which? this Black Friday
We're confident about our Don't Buy warnings because they’re backed by our scientific testing. We test products rigorously, comparably and independently.
The products in this article all scored poorly in our tests. Typically, if a product scores less than 40% or 45% it's a Don't Buy, with different product categories having different expectations.
In some cases, we might find issues that can compromise your safety or security. When this happens, not only will we make a product a Don't Buy, but we'll also apply a clear safety warning in the review about what we found and what the risk is for shoppers.
Choose well, buy better and save money using our expert tips: .undefinedsource https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/10-dud-deals-to-avoid-this-black-friday-axshx5v2lqvO