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Boxing Day duds: The products to avoid in the sales

Think twice before adding these low scorers to your cart. 

illustration of products not to buy in the boxing day sales
Alice Richard
Pru Engel
Last updated: 19 December 2024

If you don't find that fancy new appliance you want under the Christmas tree this year, the Boxing Day sales can be a great time to bag a bargain. But how do you pick the diamonds from the duds?

After all, for every hot deal on offer, there's a retailer trying to fob off the items they couldn't sell throughout the year.

CHOICE editorial director Mark Serrels warns shoppers to be wary of getting caught up in the hype and recommends you do your homework before hitting the shops.

Much like Santa Claus, you should make a list and check it twice

CHOICE editorial director Mark Serrels

"Much like Santa Claus, you should make a list and check it twice. You're far more likely to get stuck with a dud if you're not specific about the products you actually need before heading into the fray."

While you might see some big-name brands or repeat offenders in this sorry list, don't write them off straight away: one poor performer does not a terrible brand make. The best way to tell what's hot and what's not is to compare products in CHOICE's detailed reviews.

To help you navigate the deals and avoid buyer's remorse, here's a rundown of the worst rated products in the most popular sales categories from our testing this year.

CHOICE members can also access our Boxing Day best buys sales guide. Happy shopping!

On this page:

Air fryers

Were you dropping loads of hints about wanting an air fryer from Santa but no-one took the bait? The appliance of the moment is likely to feature heavily in the Boxing Day sales if you're keen to gift yourself. 

The good news is that you don't have to spend a fortune to get your fry on – there are models in our expert air fryer review that performed well but cost around the $150 mark, and you could pick up a further discount if you shop wisely.

If you're willing to spend a little more, we have also looked at multi-functional appliances, such as benchtop ovens and multi-cookers that have an air fryer function – these can offer good value for money (while replacing multiple appliances in your kitchen). 

Keep in mind, though, that the cooking performance between models can vary significantly and our experts note that many air fryer models in particular can be very difficult to clean and tricky to use. So, it's important to choose wisely! 

cuisinart-express-oven-air-fry-toa-65xa_1

A benchtop oven with an air fryer function can be great value, but not with this Cuisinart fryer.

Lowest-rated air fryers from our tests

Read our detailed reviews to find the best air fryer for your kitchen. 

Stick vacuum cleaners

A great-performing stick vacuum can cost a pretty penny, so they're a popular item to pick up in the sales and there are often some good deals to be found. If you want fab floors after the Christmas carnage, though, don't pick these sticks, below.

While some do decently on hard floors, their poor performance on carpet will have you pulling your hair out (which means even more vacuuming). 

The Acerpure vacuum may only cost $199 but it received the lowest score we have ever given a stick vacuum, performing so badly in our testing we gave it a Shonky award. Before you shop, ensure you check out our stick vacuum review.

Lowest-rated stick vacuums in our test

TVs

If your New Year's resolution includes watching more sport or finally working your way through your 'to-watch' movie list, you might have your heart set on buying a new telly in the Boxing Day sales. 

It's tempting to go for the biggest screen at the lowest price, but try to resist and shop with your head rather than your heart. 

Buy the best quality for your budget and choose a TV that's the right size for your lounge room

Think quality over quantity: there's no point having a huge TV if the picture is terrible and it's so big you can't actually see it properly.

You're better off going for the best quality for your budget and choosing a TV that's the right size for your lounge room. (Check our TV screen size guide to find the perfect size TV for your space.)

And don't be afraid to buy last year's model – it'll likely have similar features to this year's TVs but you'll probably get it at a better price.

You can filter our expert TV reviews by size, price, brand, features and more to find the screen of your dreams.

Here are the ones to avoid, no matter how good a deal they might seem. 

Lowest-rated TVs from our tests

Coffee machines

Coffee machine, or life support machine? They're pretty much one and the same for many of us. 

That's why it's so important to get it right when buying a new machine – choose poorly and you could be stuck relying on janky java to get you through the day. 

Coffee machines range from straightforward pod machines to press-and-play automatic machines to slightly more hands-on manual machines. Regardless of your preferred medium for delivering jitter juice, you should avoid these machines like an insomniac avoids an afternoon cuppa. 

gaggia anima prestige

$1600 for this Gaggia automatic machine that only scored 51%? Hard pass.

Lowest-rating pod machines in our tests

Lowest-rating manual and semi-automatic machines in our tests

Lowest-rating fully automatic machines in our tests

Mattresses

We spend eight hours a day in bed (hopefully), but will often pick a new mattress within minutes in a store. Thankfully, our mattress experts prefer to take their time and a deeper, more scientific approach. 

mattress lab image

Lying down on the job is part of mattress testing.

Conducted with our lab partners in Europe, our reviews assess key factors such as comfort, stabilisation, sagging, sweat resistance and more. In one test for longevity, a cask-shaped roller runs over each mattress 30,000 times to simulate eight years' use.

Some of these poor performers are incredibly pricey if you're paying full whack, so it pays to check our full mattress test reviews before you buy.

And remember, even if a mattress is on sale, don't be afraid to haggle. Mattresses are one of those products we often see hugely discounted on the shop floor. It's always worth asking: 'What's the best price you can do?'

Lowest-rated mattresses in our test

Robot vacuum cleaners

Our robot vacuum tests are pretty fun. Our lab experts set up an obstacle course with chairs and sprinkle the same amount of sand and then pet hair to assess every model's cleaning skills over a set time.

ecovacs deebot u2

Does not compute: This Ecovacs scored 47%.

For some, the obstacles are no obstacle, but other bots do so badly that we wonder if they have a screw loose.

As well as looking at how well each bot cleans and navigates corners and edges, and deals with those obstacles, we also assess how easy they are to use and operate, including whether their app is easy to connect and use, and how easy it is to empty the appliances dirt receptacle (extra points for those self-emptying models!).

If a bot has a mopping function, you'll also find our notes on that, although this doesn't contribute to our overall scores. 

Robot vacuums can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars, so it's important to do your research to ensure you're getting a model that meets your needs, even if you manage to find it hugely discounted in the sales. The models below were the ones we found lacking in key areas.

Lowest-rated robot vacuums in our test

Dishwashers

A dishwasher should make your life easier but if you're picking food scraps off plates after a wash, you're going to be feeling a bit dirty. 

Our lab reviews involve testing every machine with crusty crockery identically stained with foods such as oats, egg, baby cereal and more – left out overnight, then washed and assessed. It's kind of gross, but also great at sorting the leaders from the losers.

These are the models that washed worst in our test. See our dishwasher test reviews for more models.

If you already have one of these dishwashers in house, you might want to look at our dishwasher detergent reviews and buy the highest performer to somewhat offset the poor performance of the dishwasher.

Lowest-rated dishwashers in our test

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In more than 60 years of making a difference for Australian consumers, we've never taken ads or sponsorship.

Instead we're funded by members who value expert reviews and independent product testing.

With no self-interest behind our advice, you don't just buy smarter, you get the answers that you need.

You know without hesitation what's safe for you and your family.

And you'll never be alone when something goes wrong or a business treats you unfairly.

Learn more about CHOICE membership today

We care about accuracy. See something that's not quite right in this article? Let us know or read more about fact-checking at CHOICE.

Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.

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