"Worst in Show" Returns at CES 2026, Calling Out Gadgets That Make Things Worse
4 months ago
- #Right to Repair
- #Consumer Tech
- #Sustainability
- Repair.org announced the 2026 Worst in Show awards at CES, highlighting harmful, invasive, wasteful, and unfixable tech.
- Amazon Ring AI won the Privacy award for expanding consumer surveillance with AI features like facial recognition.
- Merach UltraTread Treadmill won the Security award for lacking security guarantees despite collecting sensitive biometric data.
- Lollipop Star won the Environmental Impact award for being a disposable electronic lollipop contributing to e-waste.
- Samsung Family Hub Smart Fridge won the Repairability award for its overengineered design and poor serviceability.
- Bosch eBike Flow App won the Enshittification award for locking users into its ecosystem and restricting repairs.
- Bosch 800 Series Personal AI Barista won the 'Who Asked for This?' award for unnecessary AI and subscription features.
- Lepro Ami AI 'Soulmate' won the People’s Choice award for its unsettling always-on surveillance marketed as companionship.
- Samsung Family Hub Smart Fridge also won Overall Worst in Show for failing at basic fridge functionality while adding unnecessary tech.