Over the past week, over a hundred thousand people flocked to CES 2026 in Las Vegas to see the latest tech and concepts of future devices – the Stuff team included. We saw plenty of excellent tech there: from incredibly thin TVs and smart LEGO bricks to rollable laptop concepts and AI-guided at-home hair clippers. For the first time in a while, I felt this CES brought back the idea of gadgets – stuff that gets nerds like me excited.
But not all of the tech was exciting. In fact, I saw some gadgets that I can’t imagine anybody has asked for. Ever. AI was plastered over just about everything, including basic home appliances like microwaves. There were also plenty of robots on show that couldn’t really do much beyond wave. And dance, I’ll give the robots that – they’ve got some moves.
Now, after seeing it all, I’ve picked out some of the worst offenders from CES 2026.
- Read more: Stuff’s CES Awards 2026: the tech that stole the show
1. Samsung Bespoke AI Refrigerator Family Hub
As I mentioned, there were a lot of bizarre things slapped with AI labels at CES. But Samsung has really taken the crown with its latest smart fridge. The big innovation? Voice-activated doors. After all, who can deal with the burden of physically opening the fridge door?
Bixby is still somehow clinging to life, and Samsung’s own voice assistant powers the new feature. You can say “Open the door” and the fridge door will swing open over 90 degrees. You can even give it a little palm tap for the same result. It does still have door handles, of course, for those of us that don’t mind using our limbs.
Samsung has also decided it’s time for Google Gemini to enter your kitchen. Gemini powers the upgraded AI Vision, which means the fridge can now identify 37 types of fresh food and 50 pre-registered ones. The idea is that it’ll tell you when food is getting close to spoiling and suggest ordering more groceries. AKA a new way to serve even more ads.
2. Lepro Ami
Lepro’s Ami is pitched as your “AI soulmate,” which is exactly as uncomfortable as it sounds. Described as a “visible, emotionally intelligent AI presence,” this AI-powered companion wants to live on your desk and whisper sweet algorithmic nothings while you work.
It’s got an 8.01-inch curved OLED screen, dual cameras that track your eye movements, a rear camera for “AR overlays,” and enough sensors to make you twitchy. It’s always on, always watching, always… caring. Ami can supposedly tell if you’re stressed or lonely, but perhaps not when you’re emotionally susceptible to anthropomorphised tech. It’ll greet you in the morning, ask how you’re feeling, and maybe one day suggest you stay in tonight and binge old rom-coms together.
If you’re looking for a companion, I’d suggest going out into the real world and making some real friends. It’ll do wonders for you. Just please, don’t turn to digital AIs.
3. Anker Nano Charger
Charging your iPhone with a normal charging brick is so 2025. What you really need is a 45W GaN charger with a screen on it. That’s the Anker Nano in a nutshell – a charger with real-time stats about your charging status and battery percentage, even though your phone already tells you all of that.
This little USB-C brick recognises your iPhone or iPad model (but only specific ones), and lets you see the battery percentage while it’s charging. There is a built-in “Care Mode” designed to reduce charging speeds as your iPhone juices up to protect the battery – another thing your iPhone already does.
It’s small, yes, and fast, sure, but the screen? That’s pure overkill. Charging is supposed to be invisible and boring. Nobody, and I mean nobody, asked for a charger with a screen.
4. Lollipop Star
The Lollipop Star is exactly what it sounds like – a one-time-use sweet that plays a song through bone conduction as you lick it. It vibrates your jaw to transmit sound, which is about as appetising as it sounds. Even more fun? The battery can’t be recharged. It’s single-use. How very sustainable.
Each one costs $9, and it plays tracks from actual pop stars. Peach flavour? Ice Spice. Blueberry? Akon. Someone more cultured in modern music might understand if that makes sense more than me. Nothing screams “cutting-edge tech” like listening to a song seemingly called Smack That through your molars.
Is it mildly amusing? Sure. Would kids love it? I have do doubt. But the concept of sticking a battery in my mouth is a bit much. I don’t even imagine it’s a particularly nice-tasting lollipop.
5. Infinity Handbag
Peuty’s Infinity Handbag is the kind of product that exists solely because someone didn’t say “no” early enough in the design meeting. It’s a luxury leather purse from the French design brand with an OLED screen on it. I’m no fashion expert, but this seems rather the opposite of fine fashion. Miranda Priestly wouldn’t be a fan, I imagine.
With a tap, the screen changes from basic black to whatever pattern or image you fancy. Upload your dog, a motivational quote, or pick a pattern that matches the bag. It’s apparently been designed in the name of personal expression, but just seems like the most impractical screen ever made. I can’t help but think one good scratch or rogue coffee spill will render it a very expensive glass slab with handles.
The bag starts at $800 but goes up to $9000 if you’re really into digital handbags. You can pay that much for a handbag without a screen, mind you.
6. Dreame Halo
Last up is a floor lamp that can allegedly dry your hair. The Dreame Halo is a quintessential CES concept device – a giant, C-shaped contraption that follows your head around, blasting warm air while you stand (or sit) underneath.
It’s hands-free, which could be great for accessibility – a way to dry your hair if you’ve got limited motion in your upper body. But I can’t imagine this device drying hair very well. There’s only a very small section of the lamp for the air to come out and you can say goodbye to the idea styling your hair. Also, are you supposed to wriggle around under the lamp to get full coverage. At the end of what will inevitably be a multi-hour blow dry, it spritzes your scalp with moisturiser and some kind of revitalising red light therapy.
Dreame says it’s whisper-quiet at 59 dB and can be wheeled around like a robot servant, which is all well and good. But at the end of the day… it’s a hairdryer you can trip over.
- Related: CES 2026: all the key announcements from tech’s biggest show
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