The 12 Ugliest Gadgets Of All Time
- May 16th, 2007
- 47 Comments

Some gadgets are good-looking — chances are the look of your cell phone was a major concern when you went shopping.
Then again, some gadgets are ugly. Very, very ugly. We’ve found the ugliest gadgets ever made, so you don’t have to. Some you’ve likely seen before, others you thankfully haven’t. Just believe us: You’ll never take your iPod for granted again.
Vertu Signature Cobra

The fact that the price tag ($310,000… yes that’s a comma and not a period) isn’t the ugliest part of this phone should tell you plenty. Just spend a few seconds admiring the ruby-studded “Mug Me” snake glued to the phone. Thankfully, they only produced 8 of these. Meaning your chances of running into one are about as good as a slurp-ready Zune to play with in the wild.
Oakley O-ROKR/Thump

Oakley and Motorola tag-teamed for this case of misguided digital/optical convergence. Even with all of their practical shortcomings aside (imagine the decision you have to make when driving at night: do I keep my sunglasses on and drive nearly-blind, or risk getting a ticket for holding my phone?), these things are just plain hideous. These look like something a 7-year-old boy would think looks “cool”, and basically scream “I demand attention!”
Nokia N-Gage:

One word: ChocoTaco
Indicatear

You know when you’re running and you’re in The Zone and you absolutely positively can’t take a second to make it clear to anybody around you what direction you’re about to turn lest it ruin your perfect gait? Wouldn’t it be great if your head had built-in turn signals?
Bang&Olufsen/Samsung Serene

At first glance, it looks like you’re holding a birth control compact to your head. At second glance, people realize you spent too much on an ugly phone.
XACT XQ2500

This wireless headset (it may look Bluetoothy, but it’s all landline, baby) packs the number pad into the earlobe-sized side. The end result sort of looks like the skeleton part one of those cross-section anatomy books that show what your insides look like. And each bone is numbered.
BusLink iBot Mp3 Video Player w/ Speaker

It’s easy to forget that steampunk-inspired gadgets usually look neat.
Techno Privacy Scarf

You know those old-time cameras that featured massive hoods that completely covered their operator? Well once a product shrinks enough to become mobile, that concept rapidly changes from necessary to stupid to dangerous to absolutely hilarious.
Ristretto coffee mouse

I don’t know about you, but the last thing I want to fondle all day is a mouse that looks like nutty stools.
Toshiba Bubble Helmet

360-degree immersion in Halo may sound cool, but balancing six pounds of Space Balls-chic hideousness on your head ain’t.
LED Pong Hat

If you’re going to stick an old-school video game on the front of a hat that looks like it was pulled from the streets of Moscow, the least you can do is make it Tetris.
Flower Power iMac 2001

There’s a reason your MacBook only comes in black and white.




ilya (Who am I?)
1 year ago
Yeah the Bang&Olufsen phone is pretty ugly. Steve Wozniak doesn’t seem to think so. But its basically stripped of features just to make it look like it isn’t a phone.
For some reason I don’t completely hate the Ngage, I somewhat like its form factor.
Ryan (Who am I?)
1 year ago
i like the BusLink iBot Mp3 Video Player w/ Speaker
looks to be straight out of Blade Runner
BOB
1 year ago
hahahha
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Other-BOB (Who am I?)
1 year ago
i like the space balls hat…
Anonymous
1 year ago
Man I haven’t had a ChocoTaco in a while but, yeah, most of those gadgets are pretty ugly.
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Gerard (Who am I?)
1 year ago
I can’t believe Trumps hair didn’t make the top 3?
lisa (Who am I?)
1 year ago
I cant believe that the dildo with built in surround sound didnt make this list.
lisa (Who am I?)
1 year ago
OK…I do have one question though…is the girls head inside of the Toshiba bubble helmet really that big???
nora (Who am I?)
1 year ago
I kind of like the hood for the computer. If someone is trying to sleep in the bedroom someone else can be on the computer without the light disturbing them. Looks hilarious, though! Nora
bob saget (Who am I?)
1 year ago
crai
Niece (Who am I?)
1 year ago
The privacy scarf is a muggers dream! The person in the photo is on a public bench basically blindfolded. How did this ever make it in to production?I can only imagine perverted porn addicts using these things to get some convienent one on one jerk off time with their comps, I was expecting it to come with a genital piece.
LETTY (Who am I?)
1 year ago
nora, you made me laugh. i had a headache, but is gone
faith (Who am I?)
1 year ago
Gerard, i would vote for Trumps hair too, it’s scary stuff. The list the man can do is admit he’s going bold.
Ravyn
1 year ago
Or, heck, get that surgery where they take hair from the back of your head and put it on the top. He’s filthy rich, he could afford it.
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gray (Who am I?)
1 year ago
oh man, im dyin over here from that privacy scarfe. everytime i look at, or think about those pictures of the people wearing it i start to cry laughin. that shit is so crazy. i wish someone in NY would use that on the subway., lmao
Alex (Who am I?)
1 year ago
my favorite uglyest gadget is the privacy scarf, and in New York, not only serves for privacy, but to keep you warm in the winter, its hillarious.:):):):):):):):):):):):):)
Michael Antriasian (Who am I?)
1 year ago
You get me all jazzed up over the 3d headset video gamingwear,
Unfortunatly, NO 3d headsets were offered or available, So what are you running a gripe session???
Michael Antriasian (Who am I?)
1 year ago
More 3D Headset gamingwear!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
sawyer (Who am I?)
1 year ago
IM IN LOVE WITH THE Vertu Signature Cobra,Flower Power iMac 2001,BusLink iBot Mp3 Video Player w/ Speaker,Ristretto coffee mouse,Bang&Olufsen/Samsung Serene,Nokia N-Gage an thats it but my personal favorite is THE Vertu Signature Cobra!!! the privacy sock is so ugly :0!!!
Cryssie
1 year ago
LMAO! The Vertu Signature Cobra isn’t horrible, it’s not pretty and I’d never buy one but it’s not TOO ugly. The Ristretto Coffee Mouse… lmao, it really does look like a nutty terd. :P The Scarf is HILARIOUS! I wish I could see someone in real life with that on!!! Nokia N-Gage makes me think of a PSP, don’t ask. As for the 3D Helmet… how does she balance it? Did her neck break in the process of taking that photo? O__o
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jolko
1 year ago
that bubblehelmet are you shore its really that big it could be custom built for her she may have a huge head
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Catey (Who am I?)
1 year ago
How do they breathe in those things???
Alice
1 year ago
Seriously how does that girl keep that thing balenced? If that were me I would have either snapped my neck with that thing or just fall on the floor! And the privacy scarf… Ive seen people ACTAULLY wear that! it was FREAKY… The XACT doesnt look TOO bad to be in this list…. The thing that SHOULD replace it is my brothers computer… It looks likes its new tech but its sooo old and UGLY you would THINK it would make it on this list!
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Laura (Who am I?)
1 year ago
HOW can you diss the apple flower power. I still have mine and I love it! I don’t care what you guys say. It’s beautfiul!
Sam
1 year ago
that mouse does look like a huge lunk of shit!
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Jensen10801
1 year ago
The oakley/motorola, sunglass/bluetooth combination should be re-visited. Looks better than those goofy bluetooth ear-rings that hang off the side of people’s heads now. Not ssure if they make photochromatic, polycarbonate lenses yet though.
Also… remember the choco-poobox mouse was designed to deturd people from using your PC.
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Christina
1 year ago
does anyone else think the “Ristretto coffee mouse” looks like a bunch of cockaroaches, and the hoodie for your comp and other technical devices looks like a good way to get mugged out on the street……….lmao……i hope ppl start wearin them around here so i can get some free stuff
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James Jerreau (Who am I?)
1 year ago
In a world full of spectacularly ugly things, I just don’t see how these are any uglier than ten thousand others. The wool computer sock is STUPID, but that’s different than ugly.
I mean, none of these is even in the BALLPARK with, say, a Hummer, or one of those plexiglass PCs with neon inside, or a generic modern developer-designed house, or for that matter, MOST cars.
DiddyDog (Who am I?)
1 year ago
Some of these gadgets arn’t that bad! BUT! I have to say that the privacy scarfs are hilarious to see people wearing!! lol
singeasy5 (Who am I?)
1 year ago
Hey! I bought a NOKIA N-GAGE, I LIKE IT!!! It may be ugly to some people
but the fact it was different was what I liked about it.. I still have it and would not trade or get rid of it for anything… So, I like ChocoTacos..
sprinter (Who am I?)
1 year ago
Different strokes for different folks, we have ALL bought things at times that we thought looked really cool or useful before the popular opinion decided they were ugly or useless. If you like or have a use for any of these then go for it. I bet the author of his site drove an AMC Pacer or polyester pants, etc.
coolfkndude (Who am I?)
1 year ago
I agree with Laura I think the flower power ‘puter screen is kinda cool. although if the monitor was outlined in black and then an outrageous tiedye print…that’d be the shit! but, hey that’s just me!
Devynn
1 year ago
i thought that the privacy sock thing was first about how muslim women could be on the computer and be “modest” at the same time. and i was right! :)
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Lisa (Who am I?)
1 year ago
OMG, I am laughing so hard I am crying over that prvacy scarf. I just know that’s where my work is headed. With privacy issues working in the medical field beore you know it we will all have these big things over our heads. So funny!!! :P
Sanford Goldberger (Who am I?)
1 year ago
I love the way NIece described the privacy hood as use for “convenient one-on-one jerk-off time.” That comment made me laugh more than ALL the ugly gadgets combined. Sanford Goldberger from New Orleans
Zach
1 year ago
Is it necessary for the person with the privacy thing at the desktop to be wearing a matching hoodie? Looks like the computer is sucking her in.
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Steve (Who am I?)
1 year ago
That 3D headpiece looks like “Robbie the Robot”. Yeah, I’m old enough to remember him.
Tom
1 year ago
I think the helmet is a good idea, but instead of a helmet turn that into glasses, now it would still be ugly, but the weight would be gone.
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Leilene (Who am I?)
1 year ago
God….the coffee mouse and the XACT thing were bad, sure, but that privacy scarf was the real “OMG” moment. Is this really real? Did it make it to stores? What were they thinking? Nobody’s going to try and peek at your little 2″ cell phone screen, but you’re sure to get stares wearing such a mess.
Anni
1 year ago
Some of these things aren’t that bad but, i really got a kick out of those privacy socks; who thought of that one?
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Merry Prankster (Who am I?)
1 year ago
A little over the edge with the robbing people Christina but it would be a real temptation to sneak up on a person with the privacy screen hood on and, SCREEEEECH! Really loud! They would jump up and drop the game which would be swinging around like the trunk of a rabid elephant while they struggled to get that hidious contraption off their oblivious heads!
What a hoot! You’d be gone before they could get it off, if you can run fast and laugh hard at the same time.
That’s a whole lot more fun than stealing their stuff or hurting them.
m (Who am I?)
1 year ago
The i-bot thing is adorable! I want to know where to get one now X3
Tony (Who am I?)
1 year ago
The oakley/motorola, sunglass/bluetooth combination Was something I could get into just make them light sensitive so the get clear at night and if you could get them fitted to your prescription it would be great. I’ve actually seen a few pair of those around the D.C., MD area they really look cool. The mouse looked like insects or a big insect. The screen/monitor hood is too much. I saw one of those before it was even funnier in person. I could see some using that at the library and coming out from the hood to find all their belongings gone. That ones a definite pass.
george (Who am I?)
1 year ago
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWw
nuff said.
Matt
1 year ago
The Second picture is of the first edition Oakley Thumps, which are MP3 headphones built into a pair of sunglasses. You describe the RazrWire, which in my opinion is far more attractive.
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frank
11 months ago
how come everyones comments were like exactly the same????
the coffe turd was funny…
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Sam (Who am I?)
2 days ago
Oh,my god,the Ristretto coffee mouse is so ugly the it just look like a nauseating cockroach .Who would like to use this mouse?