# Stupidest product design you’ve experienced **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 25, 2023, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621 "2023-03-25T02:57:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 31
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/601 "2023-05-24T13:16:58Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > > [@kayaker](#): > > > > I buy socks from Amazon. They’re socks. I’ve never felt the need to feel them prior to purchase, and I’ve never been disappointed. They’re socks. > > ^ > > I used to buy the bag 'o socks. But never cared what they felt like. Some people care what the clothes touching their body feel like. Other people don’t. Humans vary. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/602 "2023-05-24T13:20:18Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > Some people care what the clothes touching their body feel like. Other people don’t. But they’re socks. Can people tell if their socks are cotton versus silk? Are there super-feelers? I won’t wear sweaters. They feel hot/itchy/yucky. But socks?! ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/603 "2023-05-24T13:23:03Z")
I don’t know about silk (never wore silk socks), but I definitely feel the difference between cotton and woolen socks. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/604 "2023-05-24T13:23:49Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Can people tell if their socks are cotton versus silk? Yes. . ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/605 "2023-05-24T13:48:50Z")
Usually, I wear white cotton crew socks but I like the really cushioned ones and not all of them have a lot of that. (Actually, right now, I really like the eight pack from Costco.) ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/606 "2023-05-24T13:49:19Z")
I wouldn’t say I’m a super-feeler , but I can tell cotton from wool from silk from bamboo from polyester. Just like I can tell a cotton shirt from a linen shirt from a polyester shirt. There may be the occasional good quality polyester item that fools me but for the most part, I can tell. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/607 "2023-05-24T13:53:33Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > But they’re socks. Can people tell if their socks are cotton versus silk? Are there super-feelers? > > I won’t wear sweaters. They feel hot/itchy/yucky. But socks?! I think it’s weird that you’ve got an opinion about the feel of sweaters but can’t understand why others feel similarly about socks. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/608 "2023-05-24T14:02:30Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > The Disappointing Socks = band name! Those are the only kind of socks we get around here. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/609 "2023-05-24T14:18:40Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > The public will tear open the bag to feel the merch, then nobody will buy the torn-open bag because cooties. The ziplock lets everybody, but especially the merchant, get what they want. I don’t think so. You usually can’t open the ziploc until you tear off the perforated top strip. Then another person would notice that it had been opened. ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/610 "2023-05-24T15:01:36Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > > [@kayaker](#): > > > > Can people tell if their socks are cotton versus silk? > > Yes. . Yes again. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/611 "2023-05-24T17:31:54Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Are there super-feelers? Yes, me, but not for socks. Touching microfiber isn’t exactly painful to me, but it is very unpleasant. I have to be careful buying skiing gloves to make sure the liner won’t cause irritation. There are other synthetics that are also irritating to me, but microfiber is the worst. Just looking at this image makes me shudder: [![](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/613rRlq4o3L._AC_SX425_.jpg) ](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/613rRlq4o3L._AC_SX425_.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/612 "2023-05-24T20:19:51Z")
> [@wguy123](#): > > Just looking at this image makes me shudder Makes me feel like I should go clean my car windows! ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/613 "2023-05-24T20:33:30Z")
I can use them, but I wear latex gloves. Speaking of that, it’s time for my annual house window cleaning. Not one of my favorite jobs. Thanks for the reminder 😑 ---
**Author:** ![pirviii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pirviii/32/3233_2.png) [@pirviii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pirviii)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2023, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/614 "2023-05-25T04:39:09Z")
> [@wguy123](#): > > Touching microfiber isn’t exactly painful to me, but it is very unpleasant. Same, why do they feel so weird? ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2023, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/615 "2023-05-25T13:40:06Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > Not stupid, exactly, but a mild pet peeve is packets of several socks where each of them is a different colour or has writing that is. Make them all match so they are easy to sort. I’ve purchased many packs of themed socks. Stranger Things, Jurassic Park, etc. There are several matched pairs, but reach pair is different. Since they still all feel the same, I’ll wear any combination within an I.P. pack, regardless of design. It drives my wife crazy when I wear “mismatched” socks. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2023, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/616 "2023-05-25T17:47:34Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > It drives my wife crazy when I wear “mismatched” socks. Lemme guess … That’s a feature, not a bug, amiright? 😁 ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2023, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/617 "2023-05-26T19:27:44Z")
Today’s stupidity: I got a tube of OTC cream out of it’s box this AM. As I was about to throw the box into the recycling something caught my eye. _Glued_ to the _inside_ of the box was a leaflet and a plastic thing to use for something. Glued. To the inside. Practically invisible looking thru the end of the box. Took an unreasonable amount of effort to get it out. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2023, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/618 "2023-05-26T20:21:46Z")
I wonder if tat stuff had been more obvious if you’d opened the box from the other end? But I too have seen an increase in pharmaceutical tubes packed in boxes where important info is printed on the inside surface of the box. With only a small notice on the outside that that’s where it’s hidden. I’ve taken to inspecting the interiors of those boxes pretty carefully. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2023, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/619 "2023-05-26T20:46:17Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > The first time I bought cheap cotton socks, I’d already been wearing them for 18 or so years. So, after eighteen years I’m surprised that they were still around to buy. Did you mail the money in? What? ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2023, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/620 "2023-05-26T20:56:42Z")
They said I shouldn’t bother paying. After 18 years in the same socks, they were so worn and full of holes that they were basically worthless. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621.md?page=30) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621.md?page=32)