Top 10 Most Dangerous Tech Products Ever Made

Our first entry is a machine built to save people, which instead claimed multiple lives. The Therac-25 was an 80s radiation therapy machine, built to treat cancer with radiation. Usually, these beams are highly controlled, to prevent blasting patients with a lethal dose. Unfortunately, the Therac-25s software featured inconsistent results due to race hazards, which led to at least six patients getting over 100 times their intended dose. Victims of these overdoses would feel intense burning sensations, with a few dying only weeks later. Initially, manufacturers denied any issue, assuring people the safeguards were working. On the bright side, its now long gone, and it led to major changes in medical safety regulations, making a repeat disaster highly impossible.

In the 21st century, no one bats an eye at having a personal microwave. They were first invented in 1947, but early commercial microwaves were extremely sketchy compared to modern ones. For those unaware, microwaves work by blasting your food with radiation. Unfortunately, when they first hit the market, there were virtually no regulations, meaning they had way more potential to be dangerous. The first commercial microwaves delivered huge doses of power, around 1.6 kilowatts in power, while also weighing hundreds of pounds. So they werent quite Chernobyl in a box, but you could easily get hurt from misuse or a faulty door.

During winter months, few things can keep you warmer than a nice, toasty, electric blanket. Before 2001, however, they were highly likely to burn your whole house down. They had no mechanism to automatically shut off, which prevents dangerous overheating. This meant theyd just keep heating, and keep heating, and keep heating Additionally, erosion over time can expose faulty wires. Combining this with a broken hot water bottle is a recipe for electrocution. Even in recent years, these old blankets still pose a massive risk, with a 2024 study finding 69% of electric blankets in Nottinghamshire were unsafe.

While not quite as dangerous as the lasers of science fiction, where theyre frequently used by evil villains, these can still be extremely hazardous. At first, they look like a harmless toy, something to make your cat chase around. But if you point it the wrong way, suddenly youre risking permanent eye damage. Laser pointers can burn a retina in only a few seconds, which has caused permanent vision loss in countless children. On a larger scale, they can hamper the safety of an entire aircraft. In 2023, there were more than 13,000 reports of laser strikes. Even tiny exposure to a laser during takeoff or landing can temporarily blind pilots, an offense which can get you a $250,000 fine, or even jail time.

Being cautious around an iron is entirely justified. Theyre used for the simple task of de-wrinkling clothes, but their hot temperatures can make them extremely hazardous. And yet, compared to irons used a century ago, theyre remarkably safe. In the early 20th century, irons would be powered with a small internal burner, often powered by kerosene or even propane. It doesnt take a science degree to foresee their dangers. Faulty valves, leaks, and over-pumping can cause fires and even explosions. It makes us extremely thankful that nowadays, ironing your clothes with an active, pressurized fire bomb is not at all common.

Before cell phones, pagers were the ultimate flex. They were perfect for doctors, teens, and black market dealers. But many of these devices use lithium batteries, infamous for their explosive tendencies. These things are so dangerous that in 2024 about 5,000 Hezbollah pagers simultaneously exploded. The incident injured over 3,500 people, with many victims being civilians. Israel had secretly hidden PETN explosives in those devices, making Hezbollahs pagers particularly dangerous. Without the batteries, the explosions would have been tiny. It was so controversial, that the United Nations even said it could be considered a war crime. Any device with a lithium-ion battery poses a risk, with them often causing uncontrollable fires and explosions.

In the mid-2010s, brand-new self-balancing scooters hit the market. They were all the rage for a brief period, but people became less eager once they started catching fire. Airlines rushed to ban them, and the US began investigating their safety. It turns out that, once again, lithium-ion batteries were at fault. Hoverboards went from being a must-have toy, to being the most infamous fire hazard of their age. Alongside combustion, they also frequently caused injuries. Sudden acceleration, sketchy brakes, or balance issues could send you straight to the ER. Mass recalls and bans were announced, teaching everyone not to get new tech on day one.

A baby monitor probably isnt a device youd expect in our top 3. Theyre radios used to monitor children, intended to make them more safe. In actuality, they tend to do the opposite. Older monitors often had long, dangling power cords. If mounted close to a crib, which many would be, as thats where babies relax, they became a major strangulation hazard. It wasnt just a theoretical risk, it happened loads of times. Between 2002 and 2012, at least seven children died from monitor cables. Thankfully now, cordless monitors are relatively easy to come by, instead relying on Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

Electroshock therapy is an old-school medical practice, with quite a bad reputation in modern pop culture. In the Victorian era, it was quite fashionable. One pioneer in the field was Isaac Pulvermacher, who sold the hydro-electric belt. It was literally a bunch of batteries that theyd use to shock any ailment. It became a smash hit, with at least 50,000 people having them at one point. Hindsight is enough to guess how safe they were. One man decided to cobble together a homemade device, which he used to shock his son twice daily until his clothes caught fire. Their popularity continued to rise, eventually being available in mail-order catalogs, with customers using them for a variety of purposes. Thankfully, they had fallen out of fashion by the 20th century.

While the devices themselves are fairly safe, and rarely explode, their impact on health and safety is monumental. Well, devices like the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 could spontaneously combust, because of our old enemy lithium-ion batteries. The roads are where they cause the most havoc. Using a phone while driving is illegal in most countries, since they cause thousands of deaths every year. Mental health also takes a hit, with studies linking them to worse sleep, depression, and anxiety. Theyre also always tracking your location, conversations, and habits, even when theyre turned off. Despite these issues, phones are likely here to stay, and worst of all you can barely get by without one.

Were there any products we missed that you think deserve a spot on the list? Leave them in the comments section below!