What products do you think are poorly designed?

[EggSheeran]

As a woman I get frustrated with poorly designed female products and often wonder why they haven't been changed to suit us better.

One product for example is the extra gusset bit of fabric in knickers and thongs. In my opinion it's in completely the wrong location or should be longer.

I also think that some sanitary pads/pantyliners should be made with the underside or wing part in a black colour so they are less visible when wearing black underwear.

Does anyone else ponder over poorly designed products like me?

Why do my DCs Rugby Shorts... for the purpose of playing Rugby in... have pockets? What are they going to put in them while playing a sport involving tackling and rolling on the ground?!? And the thick material takes long enough to dry as it is...

Tops of drink bottles that don't snap or unscrew, or you cut your hand opening. Harrogate, I'm looking at you.

Hotel rooms with no plug by the bed, or only on one side, and none by a mirror. Or even more irritatingly, someone has gone to the trouble of fitting an extra small plug socket designed only for the table lamp to fit in, but regular plugs do not fit it.

Hotel bedroom lighting generally, come to think of it, one standard lamp, a table lamp on the dressing table, two bedside lights plus two reading lights, overhead light by the door - and it's still the overall effect of a 20 watt bulb when you have them all on at once.

I just want one really bright main light so I can actually put makeup on plus bedside light. That's it.

@Chunkymenrock that feeds back to why I think women's underwear gussets are in the wrong position. A sanitary pad kind of confirms this.

Yes to teapots that don't pour and kitchen gadgets that are difficult to clean (I binned my spiraliser as it was positively dangerous to wash).

The thing that annoys me most though is children's toys that you cannot store in the original box.

Agree that so many shampoo, conditioner and washing liquid bottles seem to be designed to retain the last 2 cms of product so you have to buy more!

Mammogram machines. Definately build by men ( hard corners, cold metals, awkward poses etc) Plus - there is no way men would accept their balls being thusly squashed.

@SirenSays

I tend to buy my herbs and spices at the oriental market in big bags, but even when I've bought the little jars I've never measured, I just by eye it!/add until it tastes right.

Probably Asda, I got black Bodyform ones from my Sainsburys delivery the other day. I think Always make black ones too.

A-ha! A google search shows they do Always black pantyliners (but no pads from what I can see). They should make the liners more widely stocked in places! Especially Boots or Superdrug's.

I have also found that they do reusable, washable black sanitary products...not sure how I feel about those!

@AnnieKenney

Mammogram machines. Definately build by men ( hard corners, cold metals, awkward poses etc) Plus - there is no way men would accept their balls being thusly squashed.

🤣 We do have it tough as women!

@rocklamp

Lights on cars. Some rear light panels have plastic which is too dark and the lights don't show up properly. You can hardly tell when they're indicating or braking. We saw an dark grey Audi the other day with the light panel also a dark grey so it blended in with the body work. Ridiculous. Lights need to be clearly seen.

I second this I’d like to throw in automatic headlights which don’t come on if it’s rainy and grey. If your windscreen wipers are on, the lights should come on!

Yes yes yes to the gusset on panties. I've spent years wondering if I'm just wearing the wrong size but I don't think so.

And also YES YES YES to bras. Women say, "we don't like uncomfortable underwire bras". Manufacturers say, "tough, underwires are better for you and we can't be assed to look for an alternative solution." (I actually read an article where a manufacturer did say this. I am not being facetious).
Women say, "we'd like front fastening bras please" and manufactures say, "hahahahaahahaha suckers".

Every gas hob I've ever had with a trivet thing on top.... can only accept pots/pans that are at least 23cm wide, notwithstanding that one burner is clearly designed to be v small. So we either balance small pots very carefully (and dangerously) or buy an extra trivet to solve the problem.

All the windows in my house... they open inwards, making curtains etc v v tricky and impossible to use blackouts.

The placement of loos in cubicles. The sanitary bin is on one side, and the loo should be positioned off centre to allow for this.

Sliding shower screens with a million nooks & crannies that are impossible to get clean & shiny, curved ones are the worst.

On the herbs & spices front, I have a set of measuring spoons that are long and thin, almost oblong that are brilliant for this. I can't remember where they came from as so many friends & family want some ...

@EggSheeran

As a woman I get frustrated with poorly designed female products and often wonder why they haven't been changed to suit us better.

One product for example is the extra gusset bit of fabric in knickers and thongs. In my opinion it's in completely the wrong location or should be longer.

I also think that some sanitary pads/pantyliners should be made with the underside or wing part in a black colour so they are less visible when wearing black underwear.

Does anyone else ponder over poorly designed products like me?

Always (I think) used do black pant liners.

I always found it strange that companies didn’t consider that white was a strange colour. I once had a pad show through my dress and knickers under UV lights in a nightclub. Nice.

Almost every tin opener I've ever had.

Why aren't all tins ring-pull?

Sorry should’ve RTFT before saying Always.

Try these spoons for spice jars.

Baby changing units in only the women toilets and baby changing units which are really high on the wall.

Kids toys packaging - not only is it almost impossible to open, causing the poor children on birthdays/christmas to get very upset because they're so desperate, it's often dangerous - spikes wire pieces that you can't get hold of, bits that have to be forced open and often lead to box/toy etc flying in different directions, other bits that require a knife to cut through as scissors can't fit underneath.... ridiculous.

@Aroundtheworldin80moves

Why do my DCs Rugby Shorts... for the purpose of playing Rugby in... have pockets? What are they going to put in them while playing a sport involving tackling and rolling on the ground?!? And the thick material takes long enough to dry as it is...

@Aroundtheworldin80moves - so that they have somewhere to put their gumshield when they're not wearing it as along as they remember to take the gumshield out before the shorts go in the washing machine

Wheelchairs. None of the workings on my electric wheelchair are waterproof. I got stuck in the rain a while ago and the control fused and bad to be replaced.
Do the designers think we all stay at home if it’s wet?!

Foundations that come in glass bottles with a applicator that does not reach the full length of the bottle. As someone else said hotel room lights that are very week and when you turn one on it turns another one off. Toilet cubicles that are so small that you practically have to stand in the loo to close the door.

Oh yes, mammography (or torture) machines win hands down, surely invented by misogynists!

@Ionlydomassiveones the touch screen in my car won't let you do much if the car is driving.

I had sanitary towel wings esp. i don't know who invented them but they barely attach to fabric underwear but are very fond of skin instead. Much prefer no wings

and 30000th vote for pockets in women's clothes! we need more pockets!!!

Maternity clothes ranges. We went to a massive shopping centre yesterday and not one place we went had maternity at all and just told me they had ranges online. DH said if men got pregnant they'd be available on every street corner.

Utility rooms/washer/dryers being in the kitchen rather than upstairs meaning you have to drag all clothes up and down the stairs. i know the arguements are to protect against leaks but most of my friends in usa etc have them upstairs!

I would have hated black sanitary pads or liners.

I don't wear any black clothing and have no black underwear.

I can't stand black things.