Every year, Consumer Reports tests thousands of products. Some of them are bound to be losers, and at the end of each year, ShopSmart published their infamous ‘loser list’ of the year’s worst-rated products. Editor-in-Chief Lisa Freeman offered up four from the bottom of the list:
1. Dirt Devil IM130000 ($250) – this is one of the lowest-rated vacuums Consumer Reports tested. Even though it comes with fancy parts, it has a tough time doing a vacuum’s basic duty of getting dirt off the rug, Freeman said.
2. Ecoquest Fresh Air Purifier ($850) – always be cautious of air purifiers. This one claims to help people with asthma but actually generates large amounts of ozone into the air, which can aggravate peoples’ asthma, Freeman said.
3. Kenmore Elite Dishwasher 1134(2) ($1400) – Kenmore tends to be on the top of the list for most appliances, but this particular one is both inefficient and a water hog, Freeman said.
4. Debbie Meyer Green Bags ($10 for 20) – stick with Ziploc bags, which are both cheaper and more efficient, Freeman said.
You can find out more losers at Shopsmartmag.org.