Which? has revealed the “dud deals” it says shoppers should avoid spending money on this Black Friday.
Black Friday falls on November 29 – but the consumer group is reminding shoppers to do your research first before parting ways with your cash. The first item identified as a Which? Don’t Buy is the Beko CNG4601DVPS fridge freezer (£479) for its “inconsistent” cooling and freezing performance and “poor” energy efficiency. Which? recommended the cheaper Fridgemaster MC55251DE instead, which is on sale on for £315 and was praised for “great chilling and freezing power” and an “accurate” thermostat.
The Swan Alexa Smart Kettle SK14650BLKN (£59) was also rated poorly by Which? testers. The consumer group said this kettle “boils slowly, overboils for too long and has a lack of filter” and called it a “terrible choice” for those using hard water. Which? suggested consumers look at the BoschTWK1M123GB MyMoment Delight instead, on sale at Amazon for £30 as it “boils speedily” and is easy to use.
The next item Which? warned shoppers to steer clear of is the Kinderkraft 2 in 1 Nea pram (£349). Which? said this pram “performed very poorly” in its laboratory tests earlier this year and had “a range of safety issues”. Which? said this pram “had a harness that broke under pressure, a plastic toggle on the rain cover that detached too easily and could be a choking hazard”.
Which? said it also had “a broken spring in the wheel suspension”. As an alternative, Which? suggested the Jane Ruler pushchair, which costs only slightly more at £379 and includes the Smart carrycot. Which? described this is a “lightweight all-rounder” pushchair and pram.
Next, the Swan Nordic ST14620WHTN toaster (£49) was slated for its poor test results and toasting slots that “are not deep enough” and leads to “uneven or uncooked bread”. Instead, Which? recommends the Argos Cookworks Illuminated toaster which is £30 and was highly scored for being “speedy” and popping out golden-brown toast every time.
The Withings Scanwatch 2 42mm (£249.95) was described as “a flawed watch that does not track heart rates accurately” and Which? claims it lacks smart features. Even though this is more expensive, Which? advised shoppers to go for the Google Pixel Watch 3 45mm instead, as it offers “accurate tracking and a host of smart features” for £329.
The Hisense HS214 sound bar (£78.17) was labelled as another Don’t Buy item. Which? said it had “nasty audio quality and ease of listening issues” and “lacked a proper display”. Instead, the consumer group recommended the Sony HT-S2000 for £298 as it is a “produces adequate audio”.
Finally, Which? urged consumers to avoid the Tower Optimum VL100 cordless vacuum cleaner (£119). Which? said this vacuum “struggled to pick up dirt from deep within the carpet pile” during Which? tests. The Russell Hobbs RHHS4101 Glide Pro Plus is for sale for £105 on Robert Dyas’ website and was deemed a “solid choice” during Which?’s testing.
Harry Rose, Which? Magazine Editor, said: “It can be tempting to buy on impulse in the Black Friday sales, but our list of dud deals shows why finding the time to do some research could be worth your while and save you money. Which? reviews are based on rigorous and independent testing and separate products that have a hefty price tag but simply don’t perform from the hidden gems that punch above their weight.”
The Mirror has contacted all the manufacturers mentioned by Which? for comment.
