Top 20+ Inventions That Solved Made-Up Problems Nobody Had

While people have invented some brilliant things over the decades—commercial airplanes, bounce houses, smartphones—there have been an equal number of questionable creations that history has quietly swept under the rug. From soup-cooling spoons to clap-activated switches for the bedroom lights, here are strange inventions from the past century that made us wonder: Did anyone actually need these?

#1: Casio Calculator Lighter (1979)

If you were a rebel in the 80s, you might have spotted a friend with this oddity. While smoking was commonplace then, carrying a calculator that doubled as a lighter certainly wasn’t. The question “Who would ever use that?” answers itself: almost no one. The Casio Calculator Lighter fizzled out before it could ever ignite the market (pun intended). Today, your smartphone handles everything from advanced mathematics to summoning transportation, but it still can’t light a cigarette for you. Maybe some technological limitations are for the best.

#3: Electric Face Massager (1930s)

Beauty treatments in the 1930s looked a bit different. Diathermy electric face massagers promised to treat spots, acne, and other skin care problems using heating technology, mainly for women. The coin-operated version (pictured above) was communal. You and all your gal pals within a hundred-mile radius would share the same device. It makes you wonder about the hygiene standards and how many bacteria were crawling around the mask. 

#4: The Isolator Helmet (1925)

Need some space? We have just the thing. In 1925, you could strap on your Isolator helmet, which looked more like an astronaut or scuba diving suit, but hey, who are we to judge? This gallows hood would limit your vision and block noise so you could focus on your studies or writing. It was likely used by those who really needed to concentrate and not just as a gag. The device looks a bit more complicated than setting your phone to Airplane mode, so we wouldn’t recommend trying it at home.

#6: The Dashboard Coffee Maker (1950s)

No, this wasn’t just a fever dream. In the 1950s, Volkswagen really did invent a coffee maker that perches on your dashboard. Making hot coffee while you drive may not sound appealing, but imagine the appeal of having coffee in your own car on a freezing winter day. Or after an intense hike in the fall? In 1959, they were sold with Volkswagen Beetles and apparently were never a big hit. We can’t be the only ones wondering how such a brilliant invention died out.

#7: The TV Glasses (1963)

Hugo Gernsback invented TV glasses in 1963. They look similar to today’s AR or VR glasses, but operate differently. Gernsback’s intention was to bring “TV to your eyes” and make it easy to view television no matter what room of the house you were in. It likely comes as no surprise that they were ahead of their time, as most families in the 60s would prefer to gather around the television to watch a show together.

#9: The Banana Slicer (1960s)

Nothing cooler since sliced bananas. Isn’t this how the saying goes? The 60s must have been a time for bananas, or maybe Mom’s hand was getting tired slicing fruit in the morning. The problem with the banana slicer? It’s just as easy to cut up a banana with a knife. Factor in cleaning time for the cutting gadget, and this tool seems more trouble than it’s worth.

#10: The Egg Cuber (1950s)

A jar that looks like a salt or pepper shaker but actually turns eggs into squares? Where do I sign up? As a useless invention, this one seems somehow even more useless than others. If you wonder what people are doing with a square-shaped hard-boiled egg, let us know when you find out. We’re still scratching our heads.

#12: The Soup Cooler Spoon (1950s)

It’s remarkable that someone invented a soup cooler spoon, considering that simply holding a regular soup spoon in the air accomplishes the safe effect. Sure, soup can get hot, but you can also wait a few minutes before eating it. Is there ever a “soup emergency” where you have to eat it right this minute? This gadget seems particularly useless, and we find it hard to believe there were many buyers.

#13: The Portable Sauna Suit (1962)

Sweat it out from the comfort of your home with the Finnish Portable Sauna. At the time, the device was pretty useless because, let’s be frank, no one wanted to pack their portable sweat suit on vacation so they could detox after the buffet in Vegas. Portable saunas like this have made a comeback in recent years, so maybe it’s not so useless after all.

#15: The Pedal-Powered Car (1970s)

You could watch an episode of The Flintstones in real life in the 70s. Yabba dabba doo! The “people pusher,” as they were lovingly referred to, was an invention meant to give people a set of wheels without the price tag of a car. Since it was pedal-powered, it just needed a human or two to get going. It’s not surprising that this invention didn’t take off. Let’s be honest, it’s easier to get around with a car.

#16: The Umbrella Hat (1957)

Wear a cool hat, protect yourself from the rain, and look cool, or at least the first two. The Umbrella Hat makes everyone who wears it look a bit silly, so it’s no surprise it’s been relegated to the most useless inventions list. We’re pretty sure no one ever asked for an umbrella hat, but the universe decided to provide one anyway.

#18: The Wristwatch Calculator (1970s)

Have you ever wished your watch doubled as a calculator? Have you found yourself in a situation where you needed to do some quick math, and could really use a tiny calculator on your wrist? Yeah, we didn’t think so. Still, in the 1970s, someone went ahead and invented the Wristwatch Calculator – a wristwatch that doubled as a calculator with tiny numbers you could press and do simple math. Of course, today, we all have a calculator that we carry with us at all times in our smartphone, and it comes in handy from time to time, but it’s not a feature we use on a daily basis.

#19: The Radio Hat (1930s)

There were actually different variations of the radio hat during the 1930s and 1940s. The latest version (pictured) was introduced in 1949 and featured a portable radio built into a helmet and marketed as the “man-from-Mars radio hat.” Despite how funny it looked, it was actually quite successful and sold in electronic stores across the country.