Tech exhibitions have always brought strange gadgets to the forefront, and CES 2025 is continuing that trend with its peculiar displays. While the best products of the year have already been highlighted, it’s a fitting time to revisit some of the oddest inventions tech companies have released over the past quarter-century.
From personal experience, two and a half decades of covering technology have exposed me to gadgets that seem to have been made just so someone could write a headline about them.
Dyson Zone Air-Purifying Headphones (Photo: Alamy)
There are devices so absurd, they deserve a place in the hall of fame for weird tech – the kind you almost can’t believe made it past the prototype stage. Items like vacuum-enabled footwear, robotic toilet paper assistants, and MP3 holsters for tasers are now ready for their overdue moment in the spotlight.
What makes these gadgets more curious is that several of them – including the Pepe Pet Dryer, the infamous HapiFork, and the strangely designed Hushme – are still available for purchase. Hard to believe, right? But yes, some companies committed to keeping these inventions alive.
1. Dyson Zone Air-Purifying Headphones
Though this device didn’t make its debut at CES, Dyson gave attendees a chance to experience the Zone headphones during CES 2023 in Las Vegas. At first glance, the headset appears to be some kind of health-related mask, but that’s misleading.
According to Dyson’s website, the development of this product started in 2016, intending to filter polluted air rather than offer protection against diseases like COVID-19.
A reviewer even went as far as claiming that the way its built-in fans function might increase the user’s risk of contracting the virus. When CNET’s Katie Collins tested the headphones at Dyson’s UK office, she described the experience as “both excellent and utterly strange.”
2. Charmin Rollbot
Charmin Rollbot (Photo: Getty Images)
Although Razer usually gets attention for launching flashy tech just for events like CES, toilet paper company Charmin had its moment during CES 2020 with something just as baffling.
At the same time when people were panic buying toilet rolls, Charmin introduced a robot designed to deliver toilet paper directly to you. Coincidence? That’s debatable. The Rollbot was never made for mass production, but it still managed to gain strong reactions—some amused, others bewildered.
3. Kolibree Smart Toothbrush
Kolibree Smart Toothbrush (Photo: Alamy)
There was a time when people were encouraged to sing while washing their hands just to time themselves properly. That same logic extended to brushing your teeth, yet somehow, technology had to make things more complicated.
Among many digital toothbrushes released, the Kolibree stands out for claiming to be the first electric brush with full connectivity. So yes, people were encouraged to rely on apps instead of just brushing manually and timing themselves like everyone had done for generations.
4. Taser MP3 Holster
Taser MP3 Holster (Photo: Twitter)
The 2000s saw a flood of MP3 players trying to follow in the footsteps of the iPod’s dominance. Some attempts were so misdirected that they became tech punchlines.
Among them was the Taser MP3 Holster, a hybrid of a weapon accessory and music device. Picture the inconvenience of needing to charge your holster and sync it with your computer just to load 1GB of music. It was as ill-conceived as it sounds.
5. Pepe Pet Dryer
Pepe Pet Dryer (Photo: Alamy)
If you’re trying to get your dog or cat to hold a grudge against you forever, locking them in a plastic box for almost half an hour while blasting them with hot air might just do it. That’s exactly what the Pepe Pet Dryer offered.
At a price tag of $660, users could subject their pets to a drying method that resembled more of a punishment than comfort. One might wonder why a towel wouldn’t have sufficed.
6. HapiFork
HapiFork (Photo: Shutterstock)
Over the years, devices aimed at correcting everyday habits have come in many forms, but this particular one was something else entirely. The HapiFork vibrated whenever the user ate too quickly, to make them slow down and avoid overeating.
The theory was that eating more slowly promotes better health. But for people who usually eat their food as if racing the clock, this gadget probably felt more intrusive than helpful. Some might even choose to eat with their hands instead of being told how to chew by a fork.
7. Xybernaut Poma
Xybernaut Poma (Photo: Getty Images)
Back in 1998, CES presented the Xybernaut Poma, a wearable computer that was well ahead of its time—and not in a good way. Long before Google Glass became a tech buzzword, this gadget offered a clunky and inefficient computing experience.
It ran on a Windows CE system, had a 128MHz RISC processor, and a mere 32MB of RAM. Priced at $1,499, the device strapped to your arm, face, and belt, offering awkwardness instead of convenience.
