The Worst Product Design Failures in History

Purchased At: Unknown
Estimated Price: $15-$20*

The strange thing about this stuffed Winnie the Pooh animal, other than the deformed head, is that it actually appears quite normal, other than the face. One toymaker, who we’re sure either doesn’t have a license or is about to lose theirs from Disney, made a Pooh doll with a twist.

Winnie the Pooh @u/pheromonekvlt / Reddit.com

Instead of Pooh’s usual benign face, the stuffed toy has this nightmare. What’s also odd is that the Pooh bear is sitting in what appears to be a waiting room. Hopefully, no one tried to put this into a dentist’s or doctor’s waiting room to make kids less afraid of the doctor.

Purchased At: Unknown
Estimated Price: $35.55*

Made by Globee, you can buy one of these “Real Life Expressions” dolls on eBay for under $40 if you’re into terrifying kids’ toys. Real Life Expressions was a line of wide-eyed, shocked-looking toys from Globee, and they mostly retailed in Europe in the 1990s (the one on eBay is from 1995).

"Real Life Expressions" Doll @u/HufflepuffHomey / Reddit.com

Globee dolls advertised themselves as “adorable dolls” that have “real-life expressions.” If we saw an actual baby that looked like this, we’d call 911. The toys appear to be battery-powered, so we can only wonder what exactly this wild-eyed creation does when you pop a battery in and flip on the switch. 

Purchased At: Abroad
Estimated Price: $1*

Finding the perfect card to congratulate pals on the birth of their new baby can be a tricky affair. No one wants to pick up something overly sentimental, but we also want to be unique. This card might take care of that in one fell swoop. 

Congratualtions Card @madi_shaw / Pinterest.com

Judging by the language, this card was likely made and sold abroad. Instead of being a sweet nod to a baby’s zodiac sign, it unwittingly congratulates the recipient on getting a life-threatening illness. We’ve seen worse things on eBay – but only just. 

Purchased At: Adiwarna
Estimated Price: $10*

Some product design flaws go beyond the realm of plain stupidity. In some cases, not doing enough market research – or not using common sense – is just asking for trouble. Adiwarna’s Turbo Radiator Coolant is probably a decent enough product, but there’s one large problem. 

Radiator Coolant Cans @MissItalyBarbie / Pinterest.com

It looks like a can of beer. Imagine stumbling into the garage on July 4th to grab another brewski. Accidentally picking up one of these and cracking it open might give you a nasty shock, but on the plus side, your radiator will be suitably cooled.

Purchased At: Unknown
Estimated Price: $10-$15*

The manufacturer of this stuffed bear clearly thought that no one would try to take off the bear’s sweater. When the bear has his sweater on, he looks pretty normal, with all his limbs the seemingly-appropriate size. However, when one customer took off the bear’s sweater, they found something much different.

Beary Long Legs @u/liltrigger / Reddit.com

The arms were attached to the sweater, and the bear didn’t have a torso. Instead, his legs went all the way up to his chin, where they were sewn on. The cost of ignoring the torso and extending the legs was too cheap to pass up, and this was the result.

Purchased At: YourGrocer.com
Estimated Price: $6*

When you take Black and Gold’s Canola Cooking Spray and look at it by itself, there’s really nothing wrong with the bright yellow bottle. Similarly, when you pick up a can of the company’s Fly and Insect Killer, it’s A-okay. However, when you stand them side-by-side, you’ve got a recipe for disaster. 

Fly Spray or Cooking Oil @sturat56 / Pinterest.com

There’s a lot to be said for making sure certain products resonate with the overall brand aesthetic, but let’s face it – consumers aren’t always the brightest. These two could easily be confused, and who wants to fry their Walmart eggs in insecticide?

Purchased At: Unknown
Estimated Price: $200+*

Ask any bathroom designer worth their salt what not to do and they will produce a copy of this photograph. The marble swirl effect has been popular for decades, but even wannabe interior moguls can tell you that it’s all about what colors you use. 

Swirl Countertops @buzzfeed / Pinterest.com

Pinks, purples, even blacks would go down a storm – but brown? Go with this rather worrying shade and you’re left with a bathroom that looks permanently unclean. You can buy all the accessories you want from Bed, Bath, & Beyond. It’s still going to look like the contents of a diaper have been sprawled across your sink.

Purchased At: Amazon
Estimated Price: $5*

The Creme Shop thought it had stumbled onto something great when they decided to release a line of animal sheet masks. Customers can sit back, relax, and treat their skin while also turning into an adorable cartoon character…at least, that was the plan. 

Cat Face Mask @khunkhuz / Pinterest.com

The reality was a little different. The “Calm Down, Skin” mask should turn wearers into a sweet pink kitty, but there’s nothing warm and fluffy about this product. The result resembles something out of a horror movie which wasn’t exactly the desired effect.

Purchased At: Unknown
Estimated Price: $20*

A good cushion can transform a space from drab to fab in a mere flick of the wrist. They’re affordable ways to add a touch of glam to your sofa or to your bed, but what if you buy one without realizing it looks like the rear end of a cat? 

Decorative Cushion @cheezburgerpins / Pinterest.com

Once you’ve seen it, you can never unsee it. What’s worse, someone at a factory had to look at this product for hours while making it. It’s likely an experience that isn’t forgotten in a hurry. Next time you pick a cushion, look at it from all angles in all lights before putting it in your cart. 

Purchased At: Wilson Staff
Estimated Price: $14.99*

One golfer looking to hit the green was bemused when he discovered that he was actually expected to play with a camouflage ball—not exactly ideal for an easy golf trip. Wilson Staff makes a camo ball, and we doubt it’s a best-seller, as you’d lose a ball every time you swung your club.

Camo Golf Balls@jenessaSea22 / Pinterest.com

Despite this error, it seems like Wilson Staff is actually a pretty well-liked brand of golf ball. Product design flaws aside, most Wilson Staff balls are white, and they have a 4.5/5-star rating on Amazon. We suggest double-checking the color before you click “buy.”

Purchased At: Unknown
Estimated Price: $5*

Someone who wasn’t paying attention and thought they’d stumbled on a refreshing iced tea or lemonade drink would be in for a nasty, throat-burning shock when they had a sip of Tonix. Tonix Floor Cleaner is proof that bad packaging can, in fact, be dangerous. The name “Tonix” even sounds like “Tonic.”

Tonix...Floor Cleaner? @santask8ts / Pinterest.com

Don’t order a gin and “Tonix” just yet, as it’s unclear how much longer this product will be on the market. The side effects of a delicious summer drink include feeling refreshed. The side effects of accidentally drinking floor cleaner include puking, a burning sensation in your throat, and a very inconvenient ER trip.

Purchased At: Unknown
Estimated Price: $4-$5*

Hasbro probably has to deal with a million and one knockoffs of My Little Pony dolls, and there are so many that the MLP community actually has names for them, like “Fakie” or “Phony.” Collecting My Little Pony dolls can be lucrative, as there are several “Holy Grails” that are worth thousands.

Pony Tail @susa55tfs / Pinterest.com

This is definitely not one of them. One My Little Pony fan bought a blue horse (Rainbow Dash, according to Google). They cracked it open—apparently, some of the dolls actually open—and found that the tail was actually the hair from another doll’s head. It’s still a ponytail, technically?

Purchased At: Unknown
Estimated Price: $3-$9*

This one comes with a bit of a history lesson. Alas, Americans will find this measuring container completely useless, as we don’t understand metric and have no desire to learn it. The imported measuring tool might as well have its notches measured in lightyears, for all the sense it makes.

Useless Measuring Cup @fayeduenes1952 / Pinterest.com

So why does American refuse to go metric? Apparently, it dates back to the Industrial Revolution. Expensive manufacturing centers were a huge source of jobs and products, and the machines in the factories used Imperial Units. The workers were trained in Imperial Units. It would have been too expensive and time-consuming to switch, so America rejected the hassle of change.

Purchased At: N/A (Billboard)
Estimated Price: $300 for 15 hours*

We scoured this photo for signs that it might be a joke, but, alas, it doesn’t appear to be. Fast Fitness promises to not only turn you from pudgy into muscular, it will also turn you into a different race. Fast Fitness’ “Before” photo featured an out-of-shape white guy. The “After” photo was an in-shape Black guy.

Before and After @johnzumpano / Pinterest.com

According to the package, you can achieve all of this for $300 for fifteen hours with a personal trainer. They even throw in two free trial sessions, though it’s unclear how many sessions it takes to change your race as well.