“Buy It For Life”: 50 “Best Of All Time” Purchases That Didn’t Disappoint

We all want to get the most bang for our buck when we purchase something new. Whether you’re in the market for a new car, a new air fryer or a new pair of jeans, you want to make sure that you don’t have to purchase another one for a very long time. But in the day and age of planned obsolescence, how can we know that what we’re buying will truly stand the test of time?

A great place to start is the Buy It For Life subreddit. This community is dedicated to sharing “practical, durable and quality made products that are made to last.” And the group has amassed an impressive 2.5 million members over the last 13 years, so you can be confident that, no matter what product you want to learn more about, you can probably find it there!

We’re big fans of the Buy It For Life community here at Bored Panda, so it’s far from the first time we’ve covered the group. We hope that if any of you pandas out there are looking to make a big purchase soon, these photos might help inform you of the brands that will be worth your money. After all, there’s nothing worse than shelling out for a product you were promised would be great and then finding out that it was a huge disappointment.

And unfortunately, that seems to happen often nowadays. When I was a kid, my mom bragged endlessly about the refrigerator we had been using for 20 years, her 15-year-old vacuum cleaner and the washing machine that had been around since before she had any children. She was so proud of these purchases that worked just as well as they did on day one, and she dreaded the day that she would ever need to buy new ones. And I have to admit that, as an adult, I finally understand her excitement about these items.

When you make a major purchase for your home, such as a large appliance, you will likely do plenty of research to ensure that you get the best one for your purposes. But once you’ve bought it, how do you know how long it’s supposed to last? Well, according to The Spruce, the lifespan of a refrigerator should be about 13 years, while an oven and stove should last you 13 to 15 years. Washing machines are expected to work for a decade, and microwaves usually last about 9 years. Your dishwasher also shouldn't give you any problems for 9 to 10 years. 

But if you feel like your household appliances aren’t lasting as long as they used to, you’re not going crazy. They probably aren’t! Everything Breaks explained on their site that modern appliances tend to have shorter lifespans for several reasons. First, they’re more complex. They have more functions and more parts. They might include cameras, connect to Wi-Fi, have touch screens, etc., and the more complex they are, the easier it is for something to go wrong.  

Everything Breaks also notes that most appliances aren’t properly tested before hitting the market to ensure that they work as well as they’re supposed to. Without rigorous testing, many issues arise after consumers have already installed these items in their homes. There’s also not a ton of competition in the appliance market, which means major brands don’t have to try as hard to continue making sales. And of course, companies are quick to take any cost-cutting measures they can, which may end up costing their customers much more in the long run.   

CNBC has also addressed the issue of appliance lifespans shrinking over the years. Apparently, between 1995 and 2005, homeowners were replacing their appliances every 12 to 13 years. Today, however, most consumers say things need to be replaced every 8 or 9 years. And aside from just having to purchase the new item, inflation makes a new appliance cost about 34% more than it did 15 years prior, Todd Tomalak told CNBC.