10 Most Hilariously Failed Inventions That Actually Went to Market

1. The Baby Cage – Because Fresh Air Builds Character

In 1930s London, city-dwelling parents faced a problem: how to give their babies fresh air in cramped apartments without backyards? The solution? Metal cages that dangled babies out of windows several stories high.

These “baby cages” were bolted to window frames like flower boxes—but instead of geraniums, they held actual infants. The idea was to allow babies to get sunshine and fresh air in urban areas where outdoor space was scarce. Some models even included mesh netting and padding—so, you know, they were “safe.”

Surprisingly, the concept gained popularity and was even endorsed by some medical professionals at the time, who believed in the health benefits of air exposure for babies. One company in the U.S. even tried to mass-market them.

Today, they seem insane. But baby cages were real, and photos of them are equal parts terrifying and hilarious. Thankfully, the concept faded away by the 1950s—presumably when parents realized that fresh air isn’t worth a 150-foot drop.

???? [Source – British Pathé / Smithsonian Magazine]

2. The USB Pet Rock – A Digital Joke Nobody Needed

In the 1970s, the Pet Rock was a runaway novelty success. People paid real money for a literal rock in a box, with a care manual and everything. Fast-forward to the 2000s, and someone decided this ridiculous concept needed a tech upgrade—enter the USB Pet Rock.

Marketed as the “world’s least demanding USB device,” it plugged into your computer and… did absolutely nothing. No lights, no sounds, no files. It just sat there, draining zero power, achieving nothing, and accomplishing the exact same function as an unplugged rock: being a rock.

Its creators leaned into the absurdity, branding it as a "perfect gift for the techie who has everything but needs absolutely nothing." Strangely, the USB Pet Rock actually sold thousands of units, mostly as gag gifts. It became an ironic hit, with people proudly displaying them on office desks like postmodern trophies of consumer absurdity.

The real punchline? It was priced at nearly $20. That's $20 for a rock... with a cable.

???? [Source – ThinkGeek / Archive.org]

3. The Rejuvenique Electric Facial Mask – Nightmare Fuel for Your Skin

Imagine Jason from Friday the 13th as a skincare influencer and you’ve basically got the Rejuvenique Electric Facial Mask. Released in the 1990s and endorsed by former Bond girl Linda Evans, this battery-powered mask promised to stimulate facial muscles using electric shocks to reduce wrinkles.

The mask itself was a hard, plastic faceplate with dead eyes and a frozen expression that looked more serial killer cosplay than spa day self-care. Users strapped it on and received tiny zaps across their face via 26 electrodes. The marketing claimed it would “firm and tone” your facial muscles just like exercise.

Unfortunately, it mostly left users feeling mildly electrocuted and deeply unsettled—not to mention the trauma of seeing yourself (or worse, someone else) wearing it in a mirror.

Not surprisingly, it vanished from the market fairly quickly, though vintage units still appear on eBay. And yes, the instructions specifically warned not to use it if you have a pacemaker—or an active imagination.

???? [Source – Rejuvenique Archives / Consumer Reports]

4. The iPotty – Toilet Training with a Touchscreen

Because what kids really need while potty training is screen time, the iPotty combined a standard plastic training toilet with a built-in stand for an iPad. That’s right—you could now teach your toddler to poop and swipe at the same time.

The product, unveiled at CES in 2013, was immediately roasted online for being the epitome of modern parenting gone too far. It came with a splash guard, adjustable tablet mount, and even a protective screen cover—for, you know, obvious reasons.

The idea was to “make potty training more engaging” by letting toddlers watch cartoons or play apps while doing their business. What it actually did was train children to associate pooping with entertainment, creating what psychologists called “reward loop confusion.”

Despite the backlash and ridicule, it was sold in real stores—including Toys "R" Us—before being quietly pulled from shelves not long after. The iPotty didn’t just flop—it became a symbol of screen addiction before kindergarten.

???? [Source – CES Tech Archive / TIME Magazine]

5. Harley-Davidson Perfume – Eau de Exhaust

You love the rumble of a Harley, the wind in your face, and the scent of… exhaust fumes? In the early 1990s, Harley-Davidson tried to expand its brand into high-end lifestyle products, which somehow included launching a line of cologne and perfume.

The scents were called things like “Hot Road” and “Legend,” and they came in black leather boxes with chrome trim. The branding screamed biker chic, but the actual fragrance? A mix of musky overcompensation and chemical campfire. It was as if someone bottled the inside of a mechanic's jacket.

Unfortunately, Harley fans weren’t exactly clamoring to smell like an oil change, and people outside the motorcycle community didn’t find the idea any more appealing. The fragrance line bombed almost instantly, pulled from shelves due to poor sales and confusion over who exactly was supposed to wear it.

Today, Harley-Davidson cologne survives only as novelty eBay memorabilia, purchased by irony connoisseurs and nostalgic rebels who miss the scent of midlife crisis.

???? [Source – Business Insider / FragranceX Reviews]

6. The Diet Water – Hydrating Without the Calories

In one of the most unnecessary branding exercises of all time, Japanese company Sapporo released “Diet Water” in the early 2000s—a product that sounded suspiciously like… regular water.

Marketed as a low-calorie alternative to, yes, water, the product came in sleek plastic bottles with minimalist labeling and promises of “fat-burning ingredients.” In reality, it was mostly just water—with a few added minerals or plant extracts, but nothing justifying its higher price or health claims.

It wasn't the first or last time marketers tried to sell water as something else (remember oxygenated water or raw water?), but it was possibly the most blatant. Diet Water became a punchline for health-food critics and spawned countless memes in the emerging blogosphere of the mid-2000s.

To no one’s surprise, it quickly vanished from store shelves—probably because the target audience realized they could get the same result from tap water for free.

???? [Source – Tokyo Times / Diet Fads Archive]

7. The Phone-Finger – Touchscreen Gloves for Your Fingers Only

In the early days of iPhones and capacitive touchscreens, people were still figuring out how to use them in winter. Enter the Phone-Finger—tiny rubber gloves just for your fingertips. Yes, instead of wearing touchscreen-compatible gloves (which hadn’t caught on yet), you were supposed to slide these mini condoms for your fingers over your digits.

They came in packs, in different sizes, and looked like something between a rubber thimble and a latex balloon. They promised to reduce smudges, increase screen sensitivity, and protect your precious iPhone from greasy hands.

But in reality, they made your fingers feel clammy, made typing even harder, and looked utterly ridiculous. People who wore them got strange stares in public, and it wasn’t long before full-hand touchscreen gloves took over the market and rendered the Phone-Finger hilariously obsolete.

Yet, for a brief moment in history, people paid $15 for what was essentially a fancy finger cot—because early tech adopters will try anything once.

???? [Source – Gizmodo Archive / Weird Tech Museum]

8. The Anti-Eating Mask – A Cage for Your Face

In the 1980s, as diet culture reached absurd new heights, one inventor decided to take things to the next level with the Anti-Eating Face Mask—a metal cage you locked onto your head to physically prevent yourself from eating.

The mask covered your mouth with a wire grille and was fastened behind the head with a lock and key. That’s right—if you wanted a snack, you’d have to unlock your own face. The idea was that dieters would keep the key with a trusted person or stash it somewhere inconvenient so that binge eating became impossible.

The mask was marketed as a “self-discipline tool,” but to everyone else it looked like a medieval torture device. Even worse, it wasn’t particularly discreet—you had to walk around looking like Hannibal Lecter on a juice cleanse.

It’s hard to believe this was once a genuine product, but it’s been featured in vintage weight-loss catalogues and is now enshrined in the Museum of Questionable Medical Devices.

Let’s just say this diet plan was… hard to swallow.

???? [Source – Retro Weight Loss Archives / Museum of Quackery]

9. The Toilet Paper Hat – Rain Protection for the Unprepared

Nothing says dignity like wearing a roll of toilet paper on your head—which is exactly what this 1990s Japanese invention asked you to do. Designed for people caught in the rain without an umbrella, the Toilet Paper Hat featured a headband with a roll mounted on top, wrapped in plastic, ready to unspool over your head like a makeshift hood.

You could pull the toilet paper down like a veil to shield your face, or wrap it around your shoulders if you were really committed to the look. The TP roll even had a snap-on cover for extra protection. It was intended to be portable, practical, and disposable.

Instead, it became a global punchline. Critics called it the ultimate image of surrender to the elements—looking like a roll of shame waddling down the sidewalk.

And while it's true that Japan often produces wonderfully inventive gadgets, this one proved that even a culture known for innovation can occasionally hit the wipe-out zone.

???? [Source – Tokyo Gadget Weekly / Japan Trend Shop]

10. The Walking Sleeping Bag – For Napping on the Go

Imagine a sleeping bag with legs. Now imagine someone walking around in public wearing one. Welcome to the world of the Selk'bag—a real product marketed as a “sleeping system with mobility.”

It’s a padded, full-body suit with arms and legs, and it makes you look like a cross between a marshmallow and a cosmonaut. Designed for campers, festivals, and “lounging emergencies,” the Selk’bag promised warmth and comfort anywhere, anytime—even while walking, dancing, or roasting marshmallows.

The problem? It looked ridiculous. It was bulky, difficult to move in, and made everyone who wore it resemble a slow-moving burrito in snow boots. Plus, if you needed to use the bathroom, you had to fully unzip and wriggle out like a butterfly emerging from a down-filled cocoon.

Despite all this, Selk’bags did (and still do) have a cult following—because comfort always finds a way. But for most people, it was just a wearable nap trap, more hilarious than helpful.

???? [Source – Outdoor Gear Lab / REI Catalog Archive]

????‍♂️ Conclusion:

Innovation is a wild ride. For every game-changing invention that reshapes the future, there’s a Pet Rock with a USB cord, a toilet paper hat, or a diet mask that makes you question everything.

These bizarre products made it to store shelves, were bought with real money, and live on as artifacts of capitalist optimism, questionable design—and sometimes, sheer madness.

But they also prove something else: that human creativity knows no bounds, and sometimes, the line between genius and facepalm is drawn in permanent marker.

So next time you’re annoyed at your phone’s battery life or rolling your eyes at yet another gadget, remember: someone once wore a baby cage out a window and thought, “Now this is parenting.”