From a cute little robot that blows on your hot drink to a sexy controller dongle, CES 2025 was full of funky gadgets we can’t stop thinking about. Every year at CES, there are products everyone wants to talk about. Sometimes, this is because the tech is a leading example of innovation and design, deserving of our Best of CES Awards. Other times…well, let’s just say the conversation revolves more around the “what were they thinking?” aspect of product development.
This year, the “what were they thinking?” category was overflowing. It was a veritable cornucopia of the curious, a bizarre bazaar of the baffling. CES 2025 was a breeding ground for the unusual, a playground for the peculiar, and we’re here to give you a front-row seat to the weirdest of the weird.
The Hot Drink Cooling Robot
Imagine this: your coffee is too hot. You’re impatient. Enter the “Puff-Puff,” a miniature robot resembling a pastel-colored penguin that gently blows on your beverage. It’s like a personal, mechanized zephyr, whisking away the heat from your drink. While undeniably adorable, its practicality is questionable. Is this a solution in search of a problem? Perhaps. But the Puff-Puff, in all its ridiculous glory, embodies the quintessential CES oddity.
The “Sexy” Controller Dongle
We’re still scratching our heads over this one. Marketed as a “controller dongle with personality,” this device is…well, it’s shaped like a lipstick. A very glossy lipstick. Its creators claim it enhances gaming immersion. We’re not entirely sure how, unless the game involves applying virtual makeup. It’s a bold choice, to say the least, and one that left us more bewildered than impressed. This dongle is a perfect example of the kind of over-engineered absurdity that makes CES so entertaining.
The Smart Toothbrush with AI
Smart toothbrushes are nothing new, but this one takes things to a whole new level of…invasive? This toothbrush not only tracks your brushing habits, but also analyzes your saliva for signs of stress, dietary deficiencies, and even potential illnesses. It’s like having a miniature lab in your mouth. While the potential health benefits are intriguing, the thought of a toothbrush judging your lifestyle choices feels a bit dystopian. It’s a prime example of the increasingly blurry line between helpful technology and information overload.
The Self-Folding Laundry Basket
Folding laundry. A chore universally loathed. So, a self-folding laundry basket sounds like a dream come true, right? Wrong. This contraption, a complex system of robotic arms and sensors, takes longer to fold a single towel than it would take a human to fold an entire load. It’s a testament to the fact that sometimes, the simplest solutions are the best. This laundry basket is a monument to over-complication, a Rube Goldberg machine masquerading as a helpful household gadget.
The “Mood Lighting” Toilet Seat
Yes, you read that correctly. A toilet seat that changes color according to your…mood. How it determines your mood remains a mystery. Perhaps it analyzes the pressure you apply to the seat? Regardless, it’s a concept that’s both baffling and slightly unsettling. This product raises more questions than it answers. Is it innovative? Debatable. Is it weird? Absolutely. It’s a shining example of the kind of niche product that thrives in the eccentric ecosystem of CES.
These are just a few of the bizarre and bewildering gadgets that graced the halls of CES 2025. While some of these products may eventually find their place in the world, others are destined to remain curiosities, footnotes in the annals of technological history. But that’s part of the charm of CES. It’s a place where the boundaries of innovation are pushed, sometimes to the point of absurdity. It’s a reminder that even in the fast-paced world of technology, there’s always room for a little bit of weird.
