5 Overpriced Gadgets I Regret Buying (And You Might Too)

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As a tech writer, I’m often a sucker for buying the latest things the industry pushes out. A lot of the time this works out great, having a number of products around my home that I still use long after support for them has ended. But it also means that I have spent a lot of money on things that quickly begin to gather dust in a drawer or on a shelf.

From expensive game consoles to 3D printers that sit idle, I’m often confronted with my regrets every time that I sit down in my office. In fact, as I write this piece I can reach out and grab each of the various overpriced tech I’ve bought over the years and that I will feature below. 

While not everyone will have the same experience as myself, these are a few expensive gadgets that I’ve purchased over the past several years, and ones you might regret picking up as well. If you are on the fence about any of these, the best advice I can give is to wait for a sale, or see if you can pick up an older model secondhand to see if it’s really for you.

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I wanted a robot vacuum since the first Roomba. The idea of a robot cleaning my floors sounded like a dream come true. Think of all the time I could save if I didn’t have to sweep and vacuum as much during a given week. And because I have wood floors throughout my home, a robot vacuum seemed like a smart addition.

And it was for a little while after buying the Ecovacs Deebot N79W for just under $300. Now, it sometimes wakes itself up from its dock and bumps its way around my home trying to clean. The issue with it, and a lot of more basic models of robot vacuums, is that they simply can’t vacuum much, take forever to clean, and often require supervision.

Mine is always getting stuck, the battery drains quickly, and gets full quickly. Sure, I made a number of common mistakes with my robot vacuum, but it often feels like I’m looking after a pet. If you’re considering a robot vacuum, avoid used and older models and stick to newer devices. They have better batteries, the ability to empty themselves automatically, and advanced sensors that don’t require babysitting. 

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I used to love my Xbox Series S console when I bought it for $300 on launch, especially as the Series X and PS5 were double that. And the Game Pass program was a godsend, especially during the COVID era. Having access to so many games was awesome and if I didn’t like something, I could just move on and try another game without losing any money. 

But in the past couple of years, I’ve found my Series S to be nothing more than a way to stream my Plex server to my office. I dropped Game Pass when Microsoft raised prices last year, realizing I wasn’t playing many games anymore. And the idea of not owning anything hit me hard. If I can’t physically own something, I now try to avoid it. 

The Series S is great, but nothing more than an expensive paperweight for me. Don’t end up with regrets like mine and invest the extra money in a disc-based console like the Series X or PS5. You’ll get more powerful consoles and the knowledge that the disc-based games you buy will be playable for much longer, even if services go down. 

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I really enjoy the concept of VR going all the way back to the early ’90s when I tried a rudimentary VR game kiosk at my local mall. Years later Google Cardboard made basic VR affordable and accessible. I even regularly used the Oculus Go long after it was discontinued, still getting some use out of it today as I work to archive lost exclusive software.

Today, the Oculus Rift CV1 is my favorite VR device, still my daily driver. But the Meta Quest 2 I purchased at launch for $299 sits on a shelf mostly collecting dust. It’s a great piece of kit, with hours spent playing Beat Saber and Pavlov. But for whatever reason, I kept going back to my Rift when wanting to play most VR games.

I think it has a lot to do with Meta itself. When the company forced Facebook integration I began to step away from the platform. The locked-down environment also meant less freedom in terms of the games available. If you have a decent PC, I’d suggest buying a used Rift CV1 for around $80 or less and save yourself hundreds on a device you might not even love.

I picked up an Amazon Echo Show 5 during one of the Prime Day sales that Amazon always has. I was looking for a nice replacement for an old clock radio/cassette player combo unit that I’d been using since I was in high school. The idea of a digital screen to play YouTube white noise videos, play music, video chat with the family, and have access to Alexa seemed like a good idea.

But the longer I had the Echo Show 5, I realized that I was using it less and less, taking almost no advantage of any of its features. Alexa listening in on everything raised too many privacy concerns, the camera feature was never used, and the last straw came when Amazon forced ads onto the platform that you paid nearly one hundred dollars for.

It was also very slow to load content with its under-powered chipset, making navigation a chore. I figured at least I could jailbreak the device until I realized the model that I had was incapable of being modified to run Linux. You’re much better off just using your phone on a cheap charging station as it has all the same functions as an Echo Show device. 

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I love my Monoprice 3D Select Mini printer that I found at Goodwill years ago for a measly $38. Today, this same model is often nearly as affordable on the used market. It features a small print bed, but it has come in clutch more times than I can remember. I’ve printed stands for figures, battery covers for controllers, replacement parts, home gadgets, and more.

There are a lot of great 3D printers out there and I figured after liking the hobby that I would upgrade to something a little more powerful, larger, and capable of creating more detailed prints. I dropped $300 on an ELEGOO Mars resin printer that I fairly quickly regretted. While the machine itself is great, I just don’t find myself taking advantage of it any more than my smaller filament printer.

And resin, unlike filament, can be dangerous. Printing with resin will release fumes that can pose health risks. The UV radiation used in the printing and curing process can also be dangerous to your eyes, and gloves are almost always needed because of all the chemicals. You also have to deal with potential resin spills, all issues you don’t have with a traditional filament printer.