Ask HN: What are your most regretted tech purchases?

Hacker News Discussion ↗

From overpriced “smart” gadgets and gaming chairs to unreliable laptops, TVs and VR headsets, commenters share a long list of tech purchases they wish they hadn’t made. Many regrets stem from poor durability, bad software or cloud dependencies that turn hardware into e‑waste when apps, services or batteries fail. A recurring theme is that simpler, “dumb” gear, quality tools (often bought used), and well-supported brands usually age better than flashy, feature-packed products.

Cheap vs. quality tools

  • Many regret ultra-cheap hardware tools that broke quickly (e.g., drills, specialty tools), but others report long, surprisingly good service from budget brands if used within limits.
  • Emerging heuristic: buy cheap to test whether you’ll use a tool; upgrade to quality if it proves essential. For battery ecosystems, people pick one brand early to avoid charger/battery chaos.

Audio gear & headphones

  • Strong regret around expensive ANC/Bluetooth headphones: connection bugs, bad touch controls, sound changes under ANC, poor durability, annoying voice prompts.
  • Counterpoints: some midrange models (e.g., specific Anker/Soundcore, wired Audio‑Technica, Bose QC wired models) are praised as reliable and enjoyable.
  • Wired headphones and physical media (CDs, high‑fidelity recordings) are rediscovered as more satisfying than years of compressed/streamed audio.

Smart / connected devices (IoT)

  • Sonos and other smart speakers/TV-audio ecosystems are heavily criticized: bad app redesigns, instability, forced updates, bricked/abandoned hardware, cloud dependence, and painful setup. Some still praise Sonos’ audio sync and speaker quality.
  • Smart locks and “smart” appliances (locks, fridges, kettles, scales, doorbells, robot vacuums) often disappoint: poor behavior in real climates, battery issues, unreliable apps, weak UX, and thin or deceptive “smart” value.
  • A recurring theme is regret over any device that requires proprietary cloud apps or accounts; many vow to return to “dumb” devices plus local control.

Computers, laptops, tablets

  • Regrets span: noisy or power‑hungry servers at home, short‑lived gaming laptops, flaky ultrabooks, and some Intel MacBook Air/2016–2018 MacBook Pro models (heat, keyboards, sudden obsolescence vs M1).
  • Others love Apple Silicon laptops and some ThinkPads, noting excellent performance and battery life when well‑matched to needs.
  • iPad Pro (even with Pencil/keyboard) is frequently called a “great consumption device, bad computer” due to iPadOS limitations, odd file handling, and app gaps.

Displays, TVs, lighting

  • Cheap or off‑brand monitors and TCL TVs often fail just after short warranties; warranties and repairability matter.
  • LED lighting sparks strong division: some say modern, high‑CRI warm LEDs are great; others find most LEDs harsh, headache‑inducing, or low‑quality vs incandescent/halogen and stockpile old bulbs.

VR, gaming, and entertainment hardware

  • Many regret VR headsets (Oculus/Meta, PSVR, expensive PC VR): initial “wow” followed by little use, motion sickness, weak game libraries, and rapid obsolescence.
  • Retro mini‑consoles and remasters often become dust collectors once nostalgia wears off.
  • Gaming chairs are widely panned as uncomfortable, overpriced, and inferior to good office chairs.

Peripherals & misc.

  • Split/60%/ortholinear mechanical keyboards divide opinion: some love custom layers; others find layers and missing keys too cognitively costly across multiple OSes.
  • Home printers—especially consumer inkjets and “smart” models—remain a core regret; monochrome office‑grade lasers (often Brother) are seen as the only reliable home option.