So first, a few things I want to address right away:

1. No, I don't believe socks are "Buy It For Life" - they will wear out eventually. I was looking for socks that (1) have anti-microbial properties and can be worn for 2 days rather than 1 day when traveling, and (2) will last longer than the average Walmart sock.

2. For anyone tempted to reply that I'm "wEaRiNg ThEm WrOnG" - maybe I am. I don't know. But I wore them the same exact way I've worn all of my socks (around the house + out and about including going to the gym and using the treadmill). I expect socks to have a baseline of durability no matter what material they're made of, and these grossly fell short.

With that out of the way, I wanted to express my great dissatisfaction and disappointment with Bombas socks. I've never tried "premium" socks before, and I decided it was time to give them a shot with the Black Friday discounts + aggressive cash back on Rakuten.

Well, color me unimpressed! The photos illustrate the wear and tear after a day. I reached out to Bombas support asking if this was normal, and was told that this is not normal and I can submit a warranty claim. I got a replacement pair, and the new one experienced similar wear after one day of use (albeit not quite as bad, but close).

All 3 pairs I purchased are wearing like this. I seriously think they'll all have holes in them within 3 months at this rate. Bombas always responds that there's a lifetime warranty and you can get new socks as needed. While I appreciate the customer support (it truly has been amazing), my goal was not to "pre-pay" for 10 pairs of cheap socks that get sent to me as needed. My goal was to buy high quality socks that would last a few years and hold up during travel.

After analyzing how I got bamboozled so badly, I realized I must have fallen for another company with slick marketing and assumed that they "must be good." After making this connection, it dawned on me that Bombas has no reviews on their site - a huge red flag!

I can only imagine that they were great once upon a time and the quality has sharply declined. When I pulled the first pair out of the envelope, I immediately noticed that they were made in China. Alright, sometimes a decent product can come from China (take Apple products, for example), but this did not instill confidence.

The one positive I can say is that their "100% happiness guarantee" is legit. They sent a new pair after the pre-mature wear, they sent a different size compression sock when the original one was too tight, and in the end, when I asked for a full refund for my entire order, they refunded everything and told me to keep all of the socks.

So I guess I will keep wearing them and we'll see how long they really last. I was fully expecting to mail them all back and was happy to do so, but since they told me to keep them, I get to test them for "free"

I've ordered some Darn Tough socks after learning that they are made in America and seem to have a stronger reputation on this subreddit. If you've tried Bombas socks recently, have you had a similar experience?

My moms microwave from 1985. Brand: Electrolux, model: NF4884.

It even has a thermometer extra part; you plug the thermometer into the inside of the microwave, and put the other end into the food in the microwave, and can then set the temperature you want to food/liquid.

It still works great, even though the lightbulb inside went out in october.

Here’s my ultra trusty 1987 Toyota 4wd van my kids and i built during the pandemic. It was their treehouse, playroom, mini kid cave on wheels. Designed to hit the snow and then down to the beaches of southern cal. I love this van.

Bought this Timex Expedition for like $30 with the money from my first ever paycheck when I was 15 and have just worn it every day since then. Most of those years were spent working in a blue collar job and I’m impressed it’s held up. Ive bought a new leather band (leather bands are just not you can use for over a year lol they start to smell) and battery every year from the same watchsmitch since.

It’s just now reached the point where the crystal is so scratched I can’t read the date anymore. It’s like $100 to replace the crystal so it’s not really worth it, especially since the case is damaged too.

Are Timex Expedition watches like this one still as good? It looks like they’re $50 now but does anyone know if the quality is the same? If I buy another one will it last 10 years too or did they stop making them as nice? I wouldn’t expect it last longer than 10 years of every day wear since the crystal will get scratched inevitably and is prohibitively expensive to replace. But do they still make them like the one I have or should I consider a different brand? Any brand recommendations welcome! Just nothing fancy because I’m gonna wear it to work every day and scratch it and get it wet. I don’t expect anything to last a lifetime of that. But I would like something that can last 10 years of that. Thanks :)

I wanted to share my frustrating experience with Travelpro’s Platinum Elite luggage, which I had high hopes for as a durable, reliable investment for semi-frequent travel. I was between this and Briggs and Riley and landed here because of the praise on listicles & price difference. Unfortunately, the zipper failed after two trips (140 days into ownership), while zipping up the bag the crown / lug broken leaving the bag nearly unusable (no TSA lock, sharp edges from the zipper easy to cut).

I paid $400 for this bag, expecting premium quality and longevity, especially given its marketing as a top-tier product for frequent travelers. Travelpro’s response? They offered for me to pay to replace the zipper, but the repair will take ~3-4 weeks and won't be completed before an upcoming trip to Europe, where they suggested that I buy another bag in the meantime!

I also reached out to request a return and exchange for a more reliable model, but they declined, citing that I’m beyond their 100-day trial period—despite the minimal usage and early failure of a critical component.

I chose Travelpro for the appearing reputation for quality and customer service, but this experience has left me questioning both.

14 year old welly boots and still exceptional.

I bought these welly boots from Seeland 14 years ago. They are not just occasional usage. I have worked on farms with them. Walked for hours in them. And used them pretty much consistently for years. Now they are wet weather walking dog kind of welly’s. But still have never needed another pair. I actually bought them because I have unusually large calves and I always had to cut welly’s to fit them. But these are perfect as they expand around the calf area. £100-£150 a pair but Truly a buy it for life welly.

I'm looking to invest in a high-quality pair of winter boots that are durable, slip-resistant, waterproof, and warm. These would be for daily use in the upper Midwest. Preferably l'd like them to be made in either the USA or Canada.

Budget is around $250.

From my research, it seems Sorel, Bogs, and LL Bean have dipped in quality recently and are no longer worth the investment.

It seems the best options are from Baffin, and Kamik. What other brands still make winter boots that are BIFL?

I'm terrible with computers and technology. Like it's embarrassing how bad I am with it all especially considering my age lol. What is a user friendly printer I could buy that will last a good minute. Lmk thanks!

I have a printer right now but it's just too complicated and always stops working and needs to be reinstalled. It just gives me too many headaches.

looking for best clothes ironer that will last a lifetime. plan on using it to iron some clothes, sheets, etc around the house. also might get back into sewing as well

I am tired of the poor quality of those plastic made dysons/robot vacuum
I want something reliable with strong suction that will last many many years.
The usage is for my own home/apartment cleaning dust, debris etc
I dont know my budget yet because I dont have a ballpark of how much a good quality vacuum should cost. I am willing to spend how much something like that will cost
Much love

I've used and abused this American Lawman for 11 years now and the lockup is still fixed blade solid with no blade play whatsoever. The finish has obviously taken a beating but I think it just adds character. The drop point profile is perfect for most cutting tasks, deep wide belly and a dagger point for when you need to thrust cut.

Definitely a buy.

I’ve had a Le Creuset pepper mill for a while and whilst it looks very nice, the mechanism has always been patchy at best.

The grain size is quite inconsistent and so is the delivery of the pepper.

So I ask you, what is a bulletproof pepper grinder that looks nice but also works really well? (Non electric, not a fan of that)

ChatGPT says these came out in the early 90s, but I would swear my mom got this one in the 70s. Still cuts like a champ, but that’s likely due to the fact it only gets used once a year at most.

I am looking for a 1litre (or 32oz) glass/stainless steel water bottle that has an opening wide enough to get my hand inside, so I can clean it out. Ideally I don't want a gigantic cup-style thing with a handle, but will go down that route if it's my only option! Thanks!

Edit to say I've decided to go for the Zulu ace recommended by Budzywudzy. I like the idea of being able to remove the base to properly clean. Thanks all!

We are going to Hawaii on our honeymoon, and I wanted to use this bag as a carry on for this trip. Nothing with hard sides, I'd like to be able to get something that could be easily tossed into the washing machine (or be hand washed).

Went on amazon and there are so many types that i got confused on which ones are good and last for a long time. Some are small and look professional but idk if i should factor in price? I’m ok with spending money but i was afraid that getting the cheap ones might mean they’ll break soon.

It’s my first time even hearing about a humidifier lol but i have issues with dryness and eczema especially in the winter and my room is dry as hell and when i come back from work i feel so crusty. I think my room would just feel cleaner and more fresh with a humidifier.

Anything else i should take into account? Have you used a particular brand that lasted with you?

We're moving into our new home soon and need to purchase a washer/dryer. I've had my sights set on Miele for a while but have spent countless hours researching. That research led me to include SpeedQueen on my list. It's also worth mentioning that we replaced our awful Samsung units with LG ThinQ models we had in our previous home and never had an issue with the LGs after 3 years.

I'm hoping someone who has gone through something similar could share their opinion on which route might make sense and why. Here are some thoughts we've had that are affecting our decision:

• We want something that will be gentle on clothes. This is quite important to us. It sounds like the SpeedQueen might be rougher on clothes.
• We do not want a maintenance headache. We have 2 young kids and may have more in the future, so we'd like something "worry free" if possible. Do either products offer extended warranties that can be purchased for extra peace of mind? Are either of these brands cheaper, easier, and quicker to repair?
• Miele seems to really promote their "TwinDos" system. We don't really like the thought of being locked into a very specific brand (and an expensive one at that) of detergent. Does anyone know if Persil powder can be used in the Mieles? Should we purchase a non-TwinDos unit instead?
• Aesthetics don't really matter to us (we'd prefer whatever we purchase to be long lasting, but also gentle on clothes), but Miele certainly has the upper hand on appearance.
• We've seen a few different posts now about "current quality" of both Miele and SpeedQueen. One post mentioned that SpeedQueen quality has gone downhill after new regulations in/around 2017. Another post mentioned that Miele quality has also gone downhill in the past couple years (the post was from 2 years ago, so estimate 4ish years is what the OP was referring to). Can anyone attest to this or is this all hogwash?
• We really don't care about bells and whistles. As long as something can wash and dry well and lasts long without being terribly expensive over time, that would be our goal.
• Are there any other brands out there we should be considering?
• Is there anything else we're not thinking about that we should be?

I've been looking for a nice baja hoodie that will last a while. The internet is generally no help as trying to search for a "premium baja hoodie" gets me results produced by content aggregator sites. I also can't trust Amazon reviews as they are more recently full of low effort fake reviews. "Great product", "Nice item", "would buy again" comments.

This is the general idea of what I want. No idea if it's a quality hoodie. Or if there is something of better quality.

https://a.co/d/7tc0Y9L

Ideally, I would like to find something that is made to last more than two years, made with intention rather than slapped together. Price isn't a problem either as these don't break the bank at all from what I see.

Suggestions welcome. Thanks!

I've done some research and know that I am leaning towards Panasonic. I currently have one that's 5 years old, but it doesnt have inverter technology. Costco sells one, but it has terrible reviews. Anyone have any suggestions?

Found this beauty the other day. It's an old US made Farberware aluminum clad with the nice smooth bottom instead of a disc stuck on. Holds a whole turkey carcass. It was an absolute steal at $15 at a local thrift. I almost bought one on Ebay for $50 with shipping which still would have been a good price. You almost can't read the brand anymore, that's how much use it got.

I'm looking to get some information on reliable options for a washer and dryer set to replace our current set. I've seen this get beat to death in this sub, but the one thing that separates my request from others is that I'm specifically after a reliable LARGE CAPACITY set. I know BIFL is hard to ask of an appliance like this, but surely there are options that are close. Key features for me are:

• Capacity capacity capacity. Probably a 4 Cubic foot capacity is minimum.
• Reliable. I know brands like Miele, Bosch, Speed queen(although I hear they've gone downhill) are great, but they're just too small.
• I like a more modern-looking machine rather than an industrial looking machine.
• All electric
• I like a front loader, but it doesn't have to be front load.
• Available pedestals are a huge plus for me.

We currently have a Samsung WF457 washer and DV457 dryer. They've been fairly decent over the past 10 years and only needed a few repairs here and there, but now it's time to replace them as I can't figure out what's going on with the washer now and.... it's just time. They both work, but the washer's getting noisy and giving errors. Knowing what I know now, Samsungs are generally considered trash, but I must've gotten fairly lucky with this set.

Based on a lot of recommendations, I HAD my heart set on a new miele WXL860 set, but now I'm having reservations due to the capacity of it. Our current set has a 4.5cu-ft capacity, versus the the 2.26 cubic feet of the top model Miele. We frequently wash bedding and even our current washer is a bit of a stretch to fit the king size stuff from our room.

Suggestions?