What highly recommended purchases have you bought that turned out to be underwhelming, if not totally shit?

[JustinianTheThird]

For me:
> Wool duvet:
No warmer than an Asda synthetic job. Heavy as fuck so hard to change the bed. Stiff so it doesn't mould around your body. Thin so looks shit on the bed.

> Heater clothes airer
Massive monstrosity. Takes forever to dry clothes. Makes clothes smell musty and fusty.

> Spa day
Just boring. And damp.

> Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell
Poorly written to the extent it felt like YA fiction. Unlikable and unrealistic characters. Couldn't find the deep emotional aspects that people go on about.

> Modibodi period pants
The tightest waistband I've ever experienced in my life. Are Modibodi selling these to failed third world states as torture devices? They fucking should.

What about you?

Also, I bought Gatineau Miracle Under Eye concealer- not miraculous, just shite.

Revamp cordless straighteners - don't stay hot and take weeks to charge after using for 5 minutes.

Agree with air fryer. It took twice as long to unevenly heat fish cakes compared to the oven. I can't be arsed to drag it out of the cupboard now.

To offer opposing views: I love weleda skin food. I need the grease.

Philips lumea changed me life. Honestly! I have (had!) alot of body hair. I moved to a hot country. I could just go to the beach whenever. I could wear summer dresses all the time. The bliss. No waxing, no endless shaving. Others who are similarily afflicted will understand. (I had more leg, arm and bikini hair than dh - all dark!)

It's dead now after about 13 years off use. I live in a cold climate now and the main bits are pretty much hairfree or light. I am not sure whether to replace it. (Very boring too use, I agree, and I can get by now in the 2 weeks of summer we have here!)

I love my wool duvet, although I only use it in the warmer months.

However cordless vacuum cleaners can move on, I much prefer my corded Hoover.

Edited to say I don't like bagless cleaners either.

Whoever mentioned Uniqlo Heattech- the quality has gone downhill. Used to be great but not the ones I bought for DS this year.

Lakeland heated airer for me, took up loads of space (we have a small terraced house), took ages to load carefully, hours and hours of drying (anf that's with a cover and a window cracked open), had to huy it a smart plug as the cable was so short I had to have the side with the comtrols facing the wall to reach the plug. We switched to a heat pump tumble dryer which is more compact, just as cheap to run, dries clothes in about a quarter of the time and takes a few seconds to load instead of 10 mins. It might be better than an unheated airer but it's no substitute for a TD.

Cerave moisturiser. Its rubbish , skin felt so tight and dry after I used it.

I just really liked the vibe of it — the reclamation of previously ‘brown’ urban infrastructure for a green(ish) communal space. And it’s up high! I was there on one of those hot, sunny NY autumn days and it was full of young adults ambling and biking and snogging and roller skating. Just had a very different feel from urban parks (full of toddlers) and countryside trails (full of middle aged walkers ie me) — although both of the latter are good things too.

Aigle wellies, so expensive and are leaking after only 2 years. So disappointing, what’s worse is they are so comfortable. It’s a real sadness.

Joules boots. They only lasted a couple of years before the soles came out in holes. I replaced them with a pair from Next for about £100 less. They're still going strong about 6 years later.

Odd Balls do comfortable wireless bras which wash and wear well.

I like the High Line. Wasn't life changing, but it was a nice way to get to the Meatpacking district and Chelsea market.

I did do a rather unLondon shriek of excitement when we first glimpsed tbe Statue of Liberty from it though

Wavy hair systems e.g. Merwave. Lots of products, endless amounts of faffing around, results no different from washing hair with standard shampoo and conditioner and giving it a brisk towel dry.

I've come back to this thread to share that I had a very underwhelming (in fact it verged on being totally shit) experience with my new Tymo CurlGo hair waver thing this morning and have been suffering all day as a result. It didn't give me perfect barrel waves; it just messed up my (thick, coarse, frizzy) hair to the point where I didn't have time to re-do it and have been sitting at work with it all stuffed up in a claw clip, and I absolutely HATE having ANY clips/bands/slides etc in my hair at all, ever. Seriously considering shaving my head. My hair is a puffy scruffy mess.

DO NOT BUY A TYMO CURLGO !!!

Yep - the fit is all wonky and they feel a bit scratchy. Very disappointing. 😠