Need to know
- Our experts have tested Kogan-branded dishwashers, coffee machines, air fryers, stick vacs, fans, steam mops and more
- Some rated well in our tests, but others performed poorly
- Kogan has received two CHOICE Shonky Awards: One for its terrible customer service and the other for its dodgy bladeless fans
Since starting in 2006, Kogan.com has become one of the country's biggest online retailers, selling thousands of products across hundreds of categories, including its own range of house-brand items.
It hasn't been all smooth sales, though.
Along the way, the company has been busted for bad behaviour, including questionable customer service, flouting Australian consumer laws and misleading price discounts (see the ACCC's successful case against Kogan in 2020).
Kogan is a two-time winner of a CHOICE Shonky Award, and we continue to advise shoppers to be cautious when buying from the company.
Kogan is a two-time winner of a CHOICE Shonky Award
But if Kogan's bargains are just too tempting to resist, you should know that our experts have tested many of their house-brand products.
We don't want you to end up with a dud buy, so here are the products that scored lowest in our lab tests. Consider becoming a CHOICE member to see the best performers.
On this page:
Heating and cooling
These bladeless fans were awarded a Shonky for being the 'worst fans ever'.
Kogan SmarterHome™ Bladeless DC Motor Slim Smart Fan.
Kogan SmarterHome Bladeless DC Motor Slim Smart Fan
- Price: $250*
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 44%
Our testers were less than blown away by the performance of this space-age-looking fan – it received the lowest score in our reviews of a wide range of pedestal and tower fans.
Our experts say the air flow was extremely poor and barely above ambient. Which is kind of awkward for a fan, really.
In fact, it's so terrible that it was inducted into our (infamous) Shonkys Hall of Shame, receiving a Shonky Award for its complete and utter inability to actually create a breeze.
And when you consider that many of the tested fans we recommend cost far less than $250, we couldn't see any reason why this would be a good buy.
It's so terrible that it received a Shonky Award for its inability to create a breeze
"It's the perfect example of a sham product, because almost every feature either didn't work or was pointless, and the performance was the worst we've ever seen," says CHOICE expert tester Adrian Lini.
Since we named and shamed it, it's been discontinued, which is good news for shoppers trying to keep their cool.
Find out more about why this bladeless fan won a Shonky Award.
Kogan KAWFSMDEHUA desiccant dehumidifier.
Kogan desiccant dehumidifier
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 48%
- Price: $179*
If you're worrying about the effects of mould and damp on your family's health (not to mention your possessions), you might be looking at buying a dehumidifier. A word of advice: don't look at Kogan.
Sure, this desiccant dehumidifier is a bargain at $179 – especially when you consider that many other models cost $500-plus – but what are you really saving if you're having to run it twice as long because it doesn't work very well?
This model is particularly expensive to run: our experts calculated it'll cost you $18.79 in electricity to remove 10L of water. By comparison, other models cost as little as $2.27 – and they deliver far better performance.
In fact, every single Kogan dehumidifier in our review was disappointing: the highest CHOICE Expert Rating they managed to muster was 56%.
You're better off reading our article about how to protect your home from damp, moisture and mould than buying this dehumidifier.
Kogan's electric oil heater left our testers cold.
Kogan oil column electric heater
- Price: $109*
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 54%
This heater will leave you out in the cold: it couldn't even heat up a room by 10°C in two hours. (The best electric heaters can do this in 30 minutes or less.)
It wasn't quite the poorest performer in our test – that honour goes to an Arlec heater that scored 47% – but it wasn't far off.
Plenty of heaters around this price point are recommended by our experts, so cross this one off your list and look elsewhere.
Read the full Kogan KAOILHTB24A oil column electric heater review.
Insurance
Kogan Comprehensive car insurance
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 44%
- Price score: 26%
Kogan's car insurance scored the lowest of all the 66 policies we compared, so it's one to well and truly steer clear of.
Despite providing decent cover, the Kogan policy costs considerably more than many other policies, which is why our experts rated it so low. It shares the honour of the lowest price score of 26%.
By comparison, the car insurance policies our experts recommend are rated at 75% and higher for price.
The cover isn't that bad but it is one of the most expensive policies on the market on average
Jodi Bird, CHOICE insurance expert
"The cover isn't that bad but it is one of the most expensive policies on the market on average, which is almost the opposite of what you might expect from Kogan – an okay-ish product at a bargain price," says CHOICE insurance expert Jodi Bird.
"But the bottom line is that you can get a much better deal from a car insurance policy recommended by CHOICE."
Regardless of who you take out insurance with, we recommend shopping around for a better deal each year rather than automatically renewing your insurance – you might find a lower-priced policy with the same cover elsewhere.
Check our reviews to find the best car insurance for your ride.
Tech
The entire Kogan online store
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 59%
Yep, that's right: we suggest you avoid buying electronics from Kogan altogether. In our survey of more than 3500 CHOICE supporters, Kogan was rated as the second-worst of 25 electrical appliance retailers.
In our previous survey, the worst overall was Dick Smith, with a score of 64%. Dick Smith is now owned by Kogan, so it seems that mediocrity attracts mediocrity.
In our survey of more than 3500 CHOICE supporters, Kogan was rated as the worst of 25 electrical appliance retailers
Kogan actually scored reasonably well in some areas, such as for range of products and value for money. But its customer service ratings were woeful: just 35% for after-sales service, and 46% for online customer service.
Shopping with Kogan might be fine if you're after a bargain, but if anything goes wrong with the product, you're pretty much on your own. If you're willing to take that gamble, by all means go for it, but this is definitely a case of buyer beware.
Read the full electric appliances store review to see who was ranked as the best store.
All the gear, no idea: Kogan's soundbar with built-in subwoofer.
Kogan 2.1Ch 80W Dolby Soundbar with Built-in Subwoofer
- Price: $199*
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 68%
Music lovers will be disappointed by this soundbar: it scored just 50% for music quality.
It's pretty good for voice quality, so would be a slightly better option for watching movies or the news – but we still suggest looking elsewhere.
Read our detailed reviews to find the best soundbars from our tests.
*Retail price paid by CHOICE at time of purchase.
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Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.
