11 things people bought from influencers and hated—and what to buy instead

It seems like everything we purchase nowadays is based on social media—our clothing, beauty products, home necessities, and the like—but not everything we see on social media is actually worth the hype. Even though an influencer may be hyping up their curling wand on an Instagram Story, some of the things they recommend are not worth a single cent. Do you want to spend your money on a pair of wildly uncomfortable sneakers or a dry shampoo that turns your roots grey? Nope.

These influencers are, well, influential, so it can be tempting to take their recommendations. But we polled shoppers who purchased influencer-recommended products with a not-so-great outcome. To take things a step further, we're also coming at you with expert-tested alternatives that are actually worth it. Here are 11 things that influencers told their followers to buy but they hated—and what to buy instead.

1. A toothbrush that doesn't actually clean teeth

After purchasing the Quip toothbrush seen in many influencers’ morning routines, some reviewers claimed it was so terrible that it didn't really clean their teeth. Who wants that? We put Quip to the test in our roundup of best electric toothbrushes, noting that it was so underpowered that it just narrowly avoided one of our “Avoid” labels.

After rigorous rounds of testing, we concluded that the Oral B Pro 3000 was the best. Its small brush head makes it easy to access every part of your mouth to ensure your teeth get clean and its pressure sensor tells you when you're pushing too hard. Plus, it has a long battery life and a quick charging time to ensure that it's always ready for brushing.

Get the Oral B Pro 3000 from Amazon for $89.94

2. A pair of wildly uncomfortable sneakers

This summer, my entire social media feed was filled with Veja sneakers thanks to Meghan Markle. I would even go as far as to say that they were the "it" sneaker of last year, but according to Reddit users, they are not what they seem. Users claim that they are wildly uncomfortable—even after three months—and take forever to put on. We put the Vejas to the test and also found that they took a while to break in.

For a more comfortable shoe, we recommend the Cariuma Ibi Sneaker. Aside from also being another viral sneaker, Reviewed's style editor, Amanda Tarlton, claimed that they are arguably the most comfortable sneakers she's ever worn.

Get the Cariuma Ibi Sneakers from Cariuma for $98

3. A dry shampoo that just doesn't work

When looking for a dry shampoo, you want to ensure that it doesn't turn your hair white, have an overbearing scent, or make your hair feel sticky. Unfortunately, after influencers recommended the Batiste dry shampoo, reviewers were quick to notice that it made their roots look gray and had an overwhelming scent. We tested out a variety of dry shampoos—including Batiste, which we had the same complaints about—and found that Dove Refresh + Care Dry Shampoo was the best. It leaves little residue or chalky buildup and doesn't weigh hair down at all.

Get the Dove Refresh + Care Dry Shampoo from Amazon for $4.88

4. A curling iron that causes your curls to fall flat

If you're going to spend money on an amazing curling wand, it should most definitely work. Although it's highly raved about by influencers, reviewers were quick to return the T3 Micro Curling Wand as their waves fell flat and loose immediately after usage. Here at Reviewed, the best curling wand we've tested is the GHD Curve Creative Curl Wand. It not only heats up quickly (six seconds to be exact), but also has a well-placed kickstand, with no major negatives found during our testing. It's that good.

Get the GHD Curve Creative Curl Wand from Sephora for $199

5. A pair of hard-to-move-in leggings

If you're going to wear your leggings during an already uncomfortable workout, they need to be comfortable and easy to move in. According to reviewers, some pairs of the highly raved about Fabletics leggings are hot, uncomfortable, and hard to work in. One reviewer even went as far as to say that they "actively try to avoid wearing them." While our tester didn't have an issue with the quality of Fabletics leggings, she didn't like the subscription-based model, which was tricky to cancel.

For leggings that you'll want to wear literally every day sans subscription, try a pair from Lululemon. Our style editor says the Lululemon Align are the best leggings. She says these leggings are her favorite piece of clothing as they're buttery soft, comfortable to workout in or wear all day, and won't cause the dreaded camel toe.

Get the Lululemon Align Leggings from Lululemon for $98

6. A pricey comforter

At the end of the day, we all want to crawl into a soft, cozy bed, which is why having a great comforter is so important. After influencers raved about the Buffy comforter, some reviewers who purchased it were quick to realize it wasn't worth the hype. While using it, many reviewers claimed it caused them to wake up multiple times throughout the night because they overheated. We tested this Instagram-famous comforter and actually found it to be soft and comfortable, but were quite annoyed that it needs to dry cleaned instead of tossing it in the wash.

But our all-time favorite comforter is the Linenspa All-Season Down Alternative Quilted Comforter. At under $30, it's much more affordable than the Buffy comforter, and we love that it's not prone to staining and has a super-soft microfiber exterior.

Get the Linenspa's All-Season Down Alternative Quilted Comforter from Amazon for $29.99

7. A not-so-comfortable bra

Since a bra needs to be worn (almost) all day, you want it to be comfortable. While Third Love bras are all over social media, reviewers claim that every bra style has some kind of issue with it—like popped wires, rubbing on one side, adjusters in the back moving, or it looking bad after just a couple of washes. When we tried ordering Third Love bras ourselves, our tester also had issues with the wire digging into her chest.

For a bra that's both supportive and comfortable, we recommend this Jockey one and found it to be a highly-rated bralette that's great to lounge around in. It not only provides great support, but is also seam-free and comfortable due to its modal stretch fabric.

Get the Jockey Generation Women's Natural Beauty Bralette from Target for $16

8. An uber-expensive meal delivery service

Meal delivery services are truly life-saving if you love to cook, but don't have time to plan out your meals each week. Although it's all over social media, reviewers mention that the Sakara meal delivery isn't worth its $400 a week price tag because the food is actually quite bland. If you're looking for a meal delivery service that's less expensive and incredibly delicious, our favorite meal kit delivery service is Home Chef. It not only has tons of user-friendly recipes but also includes high-quality ingredients and has tons of quick meal options available.

Get a Home Chef box for $9.95 per serving

9. A hair dryer that didn't work at all

Hair dryers can seriously damage your hair if they don't work properly. After seeing influencers using the Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer, some reviewers were sad to report that it just didn't work for them—it clogged easily, caused their hair to feel like straw, among other issues. We even tested the Dyson and found that it wasn't our favorite. According to our experts, the best hair dryer is the Bio Ionic GrapheneMX Professional Dryer, as it is super lightweight and dries hair in less than five minutes.

Get the Bio Ionic GrapheneMX Professional Dryer from Walmart for $179.09

10. A sweatset that just doesn't fit well

We all spend practically every day in sweats these days, and many of us have been persuaded to buy cute matching sets we saw our favorite influencers wearing. After purchasing the influencer-recommended Girlfriend Collective set, reviewers quickly realized that it felt super stiff and did not fit well at all. There are more comfortable sets out there that have been rigorously tested for comfort and style. Our style editor tried another viral sweatpants set from Richer Poorer and gave it her seal of approval. According to her, the set not only felt super soft but also fit perfectly and provided maximum comfort.

• Get the Women's Fleece Sweatshirt from Richer Poorer for $50
• Get the Women's Fleece Sweatpants from Richer Poorer for $72

11. A throw that isn't soft at all

Throws can make or break your bed or couch, in my opinion. The best ones add just the right amount of coziness—without being too hot, heavy, or scratchy against your skin. While it looks aesthetically pleasing on various influencers' feeds, some reviewers quickly claimed that the Parachute Oversized Knit Throw wasn't soft at all and felt super heavy like denim. Not the things you look for when purchasing a blanket. The Barefoot Dreams Throw is a much better alternative. It's not only a favorite of celebrities like Chrissy Teigen​, but also of Reviewed staffers because it has just the right balance of cozy and warm without feeling too heavy. It's bound to be a purchase you won't regret in the slightest​.

Get the Barefoot Dreams CozyChic Throw Blanket from Nordstrom for $147