# 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:** 52
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2023, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/1021 "2023-12-13T15:33:06Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Why no silencing reminders and no replaceable batteries? Because too large a fraction of the public will keep silencing the alerts until the batteries are dead for good, then never replace them. But how is the current system better for that fraction of the public? If something starts beeping in the middle of the night, whether I can push a button to silence it for a while, or have to remove the battery completely, or in the non-replaceable case smash the detector with a hammer until it shuts up, I still have the future task of getting back to having a functioning detector. And replacing a battery seems a hell of a lot easier and lazier than buying and installing a new detector. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2023, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/1022 "2023-12-13T15:52:27Z")
> [@Al128](#): > > are those made by HP or Epson? If they were, they’d start chiming to warn you when they only had 59 months left. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2023, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/1023 "2023-12-13T16:15:31Z")
Plus they’d have HP or Epson branded batteries, and petulantly fail to work if you used Duracell or Energizer instead. ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2023, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/1024 "2023-12-13T16:30:26Z")
Re smoke detectors: There are actually two types of smoke detection devices in common use. Smoke alarms are listed under UL Standard 217. They must be replaced every ten years (NFPA 72, Sections 14.4.5.6 and 29.11.1.4(5)(b)) unless otherwise specified by the manufacturer. Smoke detectors are listed under UL Standard 268. Detectors can remain in service as long as they meet their calibrated test requirements. Most household installations use smoke alarms, not smoke detectors. As such, they must be replaced every ten years (unless manufacturer’s instructions state differently). Smoke detectors in commercial installations may remain in service for much longer periods. (These references are based on the 2019 edition of NFPA 72, but the requirements haven’t changed in years.) ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2023, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/1025 "2023-12-13T18:02:58Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > If it’s an ionization smoke-detector eventually the Americium-241 will decay to where it won’t work. But if my math is right, it takes about 65 years to get down to 90% of the original amount of radioactive material. Good job with your math. With a half-life of [432.2 years](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americium-241) and use of the [half-life equation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Half-life#Formulas_for_half-life_in_exponential_decay), I’m coming up with 65.7 years. ---
**Author:** ![Tride](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tride/32/13907_2.png) [@Tride](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tride)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2023, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/1026 "2023-12-13T18:56:53Z")
What irks me is that _hard-wired_ smoke alarms come with disposable (not rechargeable) batteries. You have line voltage and the battery is a backup–would it kill you to make it maintain charge in the alarm? ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2023, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/1027 "2023-12-13T19:03:31Z")
There’s extra circuitry needed to charge & maintain a rechargeable battery, that would probably affect the various certifications a smoke detector requires. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2024, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/1028 "2024-01-26T22:52:16Z")
I just saw a Home Depot ad on Facebook featuring Kingsford Garlic, Onion, and Paprika Flavored Charcoal Briquettes. Need I even explain how pointless this is? Then I went to Home Depot’s website and read a bunch of reviews from seriously deluded people (and a few honest ones who admitted it added absolutely nothing). ---
**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2024, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/1029 "2024-01-26T22:59:14Z")
most solar lights are electric miscarriages (generic pic) [![](https://img.kwcdn.com/product/Fancyalgo/VirtualModelMatting/2b7577942d2965fb448be1479822a01a.jpg?imageMogr2/auto-orient%7CimageView2/2/w/800/q/70/format/webp) ](https://img.kwcdn.com/product/Fancyalgo/VirtualModelMatting/2b7577942d2965fb448be1479822a01a.jpg?imageMogr2/auto-orient%7CimageView2/2/w/800/q/70/format/webp) . they need many hours of direct solar exposure to charge, the very same exposure that most certainly fries your LiIon battery in a couple of weeks (the most certain form to destroy nearly all batteries is keeping them in hot environments). so basically a self-distruction-mechanism by poor design. . if in the market for those, get the ones that have the solar-PV segment separately and duck the led/battery segment somewhere safe (again, gen. pic of a smarter design) [![](https://www.kobetradingusa.com/cdn/shop/products/LAM-14100-1_886x.gif?v=1654542959) ](https://www.kobetradingusa.com/cdn/shop/products/LAM-14100-1_886x.gif?v=1654542959) ---
**Author:** ![Heracles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heracles/32/487_2.png) [@Heracles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heracles)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2024, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/1030 "2024-01-31T10:58:04Z")
Speaking of separate power sources: does anyone make a smoke detector with the battery compartment housed separately from the sensor, so that the battery can be changed easily while the sensor remains waaay up there where it should be? ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2024, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/1031 "2024-01-31T14:28:38Z")
> [@Heracles](#): > > smoke detector with the battery compartment housed separately from the sensor Not exactly what you are requesting, but here’s one with a design in which you can change the battery without taking down the sensor itself. > **[Front-Load Battery Operated Smoke Alarm i9070 | Kidde](https://www.kidde.com/home-safety/en/us/products/fire-safety/smoke-alarms/i9070/)** > > i9070 Smoke Alarm is an ionization, battery operated unit that provides users with an easy to operate front load battery door, making replacing the battery simple and convenient. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2024, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/1032 "2024-02-01T02:19:11Z")
> [@Heracles](#): > > does anyone make a smoke detector with the battery compartment housed separately from the sensor, so that the battery can be changed easily while the sensor remains waaay up there where it should be? This is a great idea! Surely someone makes it! If not, you could become rich! ---
**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:** [February 1, 2024, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/1033 "2024-02-01T02:43:49Z")
What they seem to be making now is smoke detectors in which you’re not supposed to change the battery at all; you’re supposed to buy a new detector. You can’t get the batteries out. This is apparently theoretically to keep people from taking the batteries out if the detector’s going off when there’s no actual fire, and then forgetting to put them back in. What actually happens in practice is that if the detector goes off when there’s no fire, people will use the deactivate feature to shut the thing up – and then it can’t be activated again; so instead of forgetting to put the battery back in, they’ll forget to buy a replacement smoke detector. Or, if they’re broke or if they cook smoky stuff in the kitchen, they’ll deliberately not buy a replacement smoke detector. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2024, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/1034 "2024-02-01T03:35:55Z")
A fairly simple one I recall from back when I was my mother’s liver-in caregiver during her last few years. I had to constantly fiddle with her television for her, because the labels for the controls were black ridges on black plastic (it lacked a remote control, as was still common back then), and her eyes weren’t good enough to make them out. I myself had to use a flashlight on occasion. ---
**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:** [February 1, 2024, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/1035 "2024-02-01T05:27:03Z")
> [@Heracles](#): > > …so that the battery can be changed easily while the sensor remains waaay up there where it should be? Not that I’ve seen but there are smoke detectors that are [hard wired](https://www.firstalertstore.com/store/category/hard-wired-smoke-and-fire-alarms.htm) and [plug-in](https://www.lowes.com/pl/Plug-in--Fire-safety-Electrical/1897086949?refinement=4294794463). I would imagine the former would need to be replaced by an electrician after its 10-year life span and the latter would need a socket at or near the ceiling. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2024, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/1036 "2024-02-01T14:11:48Z")
As an entire product category, the vast array of computer and TV / video and audio media cabinets that have opaque panels in back with either round holes or horizontal slats for running the cords in. So so so many times I’ve needed to gain access to the backsides of those components and had no way of doing so without unplugging the cords from the back and then sliding them forward, twisted diagonally to reveal the back surfaces from the front. Followed by the awkward frustrating process of reconnecting all those damn cords and cables. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2024, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/1037 "2024-02-01T14:15:52Z")
So these new smoke detectors have to be replaced any time they go off? That’s insane. ---
**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:** [February 1, 2024, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/1038 "2024-02-01T15:24:03Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > So so so many times I’ve needed to gain access to the backsides of those components and had no way of doing so without unplugging the cords from the back and then sliding them forward, twisted diagonally to reveal the back surfaces from the front. Irritating, yes. But it’s the only time that area was finally dusted! ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2024, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/1039 "2024-02-01T15:34:18Z")
That’s not the case with my 10-year detectors. You can push a button to turn off the alarm, and the detector is still good after that. ---
**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:** [February 1, 2024, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/1040 "2024-02-01T17:22:20Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > So these new smoke detectors have to be replaced any time they go off? I suppose, if you know the problem is smoke in the kitchen and you can stand the noise long enough to get the air clear, the thing will shut up eventually. I don’t think I can be the only one who finds the sound intolerable and needs to shut it up NOW. And sometimes they just malfunction – I’ve had at least three of them do that, over the years, one within a couple of months of installation; though if that’s what’s wrong, it’ll need to be replaced anyway. > [@markn\_1](#): > > That’s not the case with my 10-year detectors. You can push a button to turn off the alarm, and the detector is still good after that. Yeah, the older ones were like that. I don’t know whether any of them still are. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621.md?page=51) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621.md?page=53)