In a world largely governed by consumerism, it may be hard to discern what purchases are really worth your money, and which ones are just your impulses talking.
Just pause for a moment. This year, shoppers spent a record $9.12 billion on Black Friday and another record $11.3 billion on Cyber Monday, making it the biggest online shopping day in history. This almost irresistible urge to buy things is created by smart selling strategies that largely play on our fears of missing out (who doesn’t like a good deal now and then!).
So how do we find rational ground in this buying craze? How do we measure what things we need and what we don’t, what’s worth our money and what’s not?
Well, this Ask Reddit thread may have some answers. “What brand name is actually 100% worth spending more for?” someone asked and people started sharing the splurges that, according to them, were totally worth their money.
This post may include affiliate links.
Faber-Castell
Pyrex glass cookware and food storage containers.
I've had cheaper things crack on me, lids break. But Pyrex lasts forever.
I had a pyrex shatter in the oven, 3 years later I still occasionally find little pebbles of glass!
I'm a frugal bastard but I swear by Dawn dish soap.
Yep...for dishes, for grease spots on clothing, and for some reason it kills fleas on animals almost instantly without any harsh chemical odors or poisons. Great for kittens too young for flea dips.
“There's a certain hack to buying well-known quality brands,” Lina Survila, the founder of Abstract Stylist magazine and creator of metaverse news newsletter The Wearables Daily told Bored Panda in an interview.
Lina argues that the brand name is not everything, “but if you're a consumer who usually gets bored of your old clothing, it's better to buy brands that other people love too.” In this case, Lina argues, after some time you will be able to easily sell the item.
In all honesty, tupperware.
My mom has some tupperware containers that are almost as old as me and they are still in good condition. It's rare that I can find plastic containers that are even close in quality and durability.
Used to feel the same about Rubbermaid, but unfortunately it's not what it used to be... :(
Crayola. Rose Art crayons have haunted me since I was a child! Till the day I pass.
Moreover, “That would never work with fast fashion brands because worn-out pieces are usually in no condition to sell, and people do not want thrift for fast fashion brands, which they usually can buy with big discounts anyway,” Lina explained.
In that way, Lina continued, “we help consume less and choose ethically made items that have value even after a few years of wearing.” She added that the same rule applies to anything you can think of from household brands to children’s toys, and even art.
Fiskars stuff: axes, shovels, hammers, but also scissors.
It was actually started by Swedes back when Finland was a part of Sweden.
Load More Replies...
As a Finn, been using Fiskars brand all my life. Have a Fiskars gear that has been passed over generations. The modern axe in the picture, been using one for three decades now.
Upgraded my fabric shears to a Fiskar pair years ago. I will fight and die for those shears 😤
I still have the scissors I remember using in the 70s. Still cuts perfectly. Fiskars rock.
I've got a rack of fiskars gardening tools. Never had a single one break or become damaged. Yeah they cost more but they last forever.
We had a Fiskars kitchen knife last us for 30 years. That brand is awesome!
I have a pair of Fiskars scissors that I have used to cut my son's hair for years, and they're still sharp.
Westcott scissors are better. Especially the non stick titanium ones.
And keep the package and receipt if you buy a Fiskars product. Most of them have a lifetime guarantee and if they break they will absolutely replace the product, even if you bought it forever ago!
Good quality tools will last lifetimes ;) Plus, the fact that, in case of an ax, when you sharpen the blade due to lots of use (like we do, chopping firewood for a couple of months every year) it will still be a blade you get to use after ten years ;) We've bought heaper ones to begin with, but they just aren't sufficient fori ntense use. So we follow my fathers advise: Use something often, buy quality, use something sporadicly, buy cheap cr@p ;p
Idk, Fiskars has good designs, but their products are often let down by poor materials or just execution of the design in general.
I just thought they never broke because they were too gimmicky to see real use
Wrong. Have been using one of these for 25 years now. The newer versions are even better.
Load More Replies...
The scissors, not so much anymore. I buy them for work by the 100's and they don't last
Toyota for anyone who drives their car into the ground. Maybe not so much if you lease.
However, Lina agreed that not everyone can spend a lot of money on a new jacket. “But this cycle of conscious consumerism also lets people buy second-hand good quality items for a reasonable price,” she said. “So I would suggest doing your research on quality brands and mixing your wardrobe with new and second-hand items,” Lina concluded.
KitchenAid stand mixer. I’ve had mine for over 10 years now, use it at least once a week and takes a beating during Christmas time and it still works like a charm.
People that have older ones, passed down from parents/grandparents etc, yours ran so nicely for so long because of the all steel motor. Almost all of the models now have some plastic which burn out more quickly. As a professional baker who operates out of a licensed home kitchen, I've killed two motors in 8 years lol. This Christmas I'm finally paying for the pro line that has an all steel motor.
Q-tips.
I don't know what all the other brands and generics are doing, but I swear their cotton to stick ratio is always off. Too pokey or too soft. Can't be just me...
Ugh the off brand the stick always bends too like it's made with a cooked noodle
3M Post-It Notes.
Making an adhesive strong enough to stop the notes curling up at the edge and falling off, but weak enough that you can remove and replace them at will, seems to be outside the skill set of every other company.
Bra. I never had one fit me properly until I was fitted at Nordstrom and then handed a $60 bra with a size I didn't know was even made and it fit like a glove and was comfortable AND it made my boobs look good.
Edit: Thank you to dimpletown for suggesting I edit this comment to add the brand, which is Natori, they make my 30DD "over the shoulder boulder holder".
Do they make double-barrel slingshots in 38GG? I'm weirdly shaped too.
Philadelphia cream cheese!
I tried to make cheesecake (the soft cold type) at home a few times. I tried store brand cheese and Philadelphia and the taste difference was staggering
Corelle ware. That s**t is damn near indestructible and bonus it’s been around for forever so you often find it super cheap at thrift shops.
Broke one the other day and couldn’t believe it. Was like some sort universe glitch.
Kerrygold salted butter
Edit: lol didn't see this blowing up. Thanks for the upvotes and awards!
Yeti. Friend’s brother is a firefighter and was called to put out a car fire. After it was extinguished, they found a Yeti with ice water still in it in the cup holder.
Bounty paper towels
Edit: my highest upvoted comment is about.....paper towels? WTF Reddit
I always pay the little extra for a Bic lighter over the cheap transparent ones. They rarely break and they're more ergonomic.
Le Creuset Dutch oven.
Looks, performance, durability - should last you a lifetime if you look after it.
This will get downvoted but I bought my MacBook Pro in 2010 and it is still running fine. Before that I was going through toshiba and hp laptops every 2-3 years. In my case the MacBook has been the cheapest laptop I've ever had
Any of the top Toilet papers. Don't skimp on s**t tissue. Your butt will thank you.
Oxo. Kitchen utensils, housewares in general, their stuff is so intuitively made and well designed, and just looks great to boot. If they make a version of anything I need, I will always choose their brand over anyone else’s.
Oxo nearly always wins when Americas Test Kitchen (PBS cooking show) tests gadgets
As a lefty, Zebra F-402 pens.
Fine point, no smear, no pressing hard to get a clean line. Since I discovered them I can’t go back to other ball point pens
A Swiss Army Knife. Use that baby everywhere.
Don’t cheap out on appliances.
I got a Bosch set for my washer/dryer and so far they’ve outlasted 3 sets of my father-in-law’s LGs, Samsungs, and another one I don’t remember. People complain appliances don’t last as long as they used to, and while I don’t disagree, it’s often because they buy the cheap models.
My Frigidaire front loader and dryer set are 25 years old and still work like brand new (tip: never use the detergent drawer for anything, and always keep the door ajar between washes). Same with my whirlpool fridge (although I did have to replace the thermostat, $25 on Amazon and 15 minutes after watching the video on YouTube.
Stanley stainless steel vacuum/thermos bottles. I have one that holds a 12-cup pot of coffee that I bought at a neighbor’s estate sale 30 years ago and it was probably 20 years old then. It still works exactly as promised.
I did have trouble cleaning the coffee crud out of the bottom of it until I saw a Heloise Hint on this: Fill it about 1/3 full of hot tap water and drop in about 4 denture-cleaning tablets and let it sit overnight. You wouldn’t believe how clean it is after that treatment!
Wow! I had no idea this would take off line this. Thank you! I thought you want to have a look at my old Stanley:
[Stanley Vacuum Bottle/thermos](https://imgur.com/gallery/38TZfG1)
According to my wife, Feminine products that aren't name brand either don't function well or are extremely uncomfortable. Having a more comfortable time during that part of the month is far superior to using uncomfortable products to make it twice as bad. (Her words, not mine.)
To add: I'm 33 and been with my wife since we were in high school. I've purchased a lot of these products myself, even when I was first dating her. It's either being a paper or cardboard insert that is rough/uncomfortable or the cotton is just not safe and doesn't stay together as it should (as a few have stated here as well). This is mostly from store or off brands at Fred Meyer (Kroger) as that's where we've always shopped, or the occasional Safeway trip. We don't have any Walmart or Costcos near us so we have no idea how their brands are.
Zippo lighters
Amazing quality. Lifetime guarantee with a no questions asked repair or replacement policy. You can find a broken one randomly on the street, mail it to them and they will repair or replace it.
A zippo lighter will last generations.
For anyone interested but doesn’t like using lighter fluid. Zippo now makes inserts for both butane and electric arc lighters.
https://www.zippo.com/collections/lighter-inserts
Reese cups.
Corelle dishware. It's sleek, durable and lightweight.
It's basically the kevlar of dishes
But if you ever drop and break a plate be very careful handling the broken pieces. The edges are razor sharp
Ticonderoga pencils >>>>
i’ll write a whole 10 page essay by hand with one of those babies
Staedtler! Made with wood from the Black Forest. They actually weigh more. Take a Staedtler Pencil and a Ticonderoga pencil and compare their weight… Staedtler is just a more solid pencil. The green ones are my absolutely fave!
Makita, never let me down
Any paints. House paint, car, boat, trains and planes. Usually the higher the cost, the better the paint. Love Sherwin Williams “Emerald” products as house paint.
Michelin high-performance tires - long-lasting tread, quiet, excellent traction.
Michelin is by far the best brand of tires in the world. They invented pretty much all the tech and innovations that are copied by the competition, and their products are not even expensive (all things considered). You won’t get a better quality for the price, guaranteed. But for some reason they suck at marketing and don’t have the recognition they deserve.
Pretty much anything made in America, Japan, or Germany is going to be better quality that all the Chinese c**p being sold on Amazon. Everything from kitchen knives to cars. Of course you'll pay a premium since they aren't made with slave labor.
I disagree. Many American made things I've had aren't as good as their foreign counterparts. Japanese things are almost always the best
Not a brand but the golden rule for tools. Buy the cheap one first. If it breaks buy the expensive one. If the expensive one breaks buy a few of the cheap ones.
Duluth Trading Company (especially for underwear). There was a half off sale a while back and I got enough that I never have to wear other brands.
Bosch appliances
TBH it used to be but quality is declining. So much that Bosch themselves introduced Bosch Pro to provide (for example) very good tools or appliances. But the brand is unfortunately not a quality guarantee anymore.
Note: this post originally had 83 images. It’s been shortened to the top 45 images based on user votes.
I was thinking to add this when I saw your post. AGREE!! Ive had my first pair for over 20 years.
Load More Replies...
I hate when February comes around because my bank account takes such a hit from those little girls in green!
Load More Replies...
I'm surprised no one said Revereware. My parents had the same Revereware set from when they got married in 1961. My father gave us a set then my husband and I got married. Those pots and pans suffered a lot of abuse over the years. we finally gave them to a neighbor when we were limited on moving van space for our trip across the USA. She's still using them and they are 30 years old.
My mother got her Revere Ware in 1962. My sister buried one of the pots in the back yard after burning something in it, some time around 1972. Mom dug it up, and has probably cooked something in that pot in the past week. But here's a challenge: try to buy some brand new Revere Ware today.
Load More Replies... The sad thing is, stuff that used to be good is now made super cheaply in China so you can't even trust known brands anymore
So much yes! The great old brands have been sold off. It's criminal. Brands no longer have meaning. What a sad future.
Load More Replies...
Vornado fans, I will only buy them, and if I have to replace them it is usually because I have dropped them from a height too many times ( I am clumsy ) but it takes a lot of me doing that for anything to go wrong and some of them I have had on for 24 hours a day for years at a time. I am obsessed.
I have the small desk Vornado fan. It is so worth the money!
Load More Replies...
My mother still cooks with Revere Ware pots she got at her wedding in 1962. Turns out they were so good that nobody ever had to replace them, so they don't make them anymore!
Anything that gets absorbed into my skin. Specifically makeup and skin care products. There is definitely a difference between drugstore and higher end in performance and longevity. That being said, there are super expensive high end products that work just as well as their lower cost but higher end buddies. At some point you stop paying for quality and just pay for a name.
Braun, I had a hairdryer made by Braun that lasted for 40 years, it was a compact one, made for travelling.
I have a Braun stand mixer that I got second hand that works like a beast. I had no idea how old it is. Turns out they haven't made them in more than 40 years.
Load More Replies...
Facom tools, Peugeot bikes, Porsche cars if you can afford them ( can get 300000 km on the clock and still look like new), Church's shoes, Motobecane moped: mine is a 1961 model, daily ridden, giving it 10000 km a years, service is just giving it grease where needed, a chain kit a year and that's all
In my family, Tefal’s really popular. We have pots, pans, knives and a lot more from there and my parents never complained and love it all. For the many pots and pans we only have 3 handles that can be put on any of them so we save space aswell.
Kraft american cheese. Still not real cheese but better than other processed cheese products, and makes the best grilled cheese sandwich.
My parents have a Whirlpool dishwasher that still works perfectly after 44 years.
Buy what you'll use. I have a Vitamix that"s been collecting dust 10 of the 11 years I've owned it. On the other hand I still use my $40 Ninja Master Prep I get from the infomercial all the time. I got the Vitamix because I was attempting to upgrade. Don't get me wrong, the Vitamix is top notch and worth every penny if you actually use it!!!
My mother caught the service engineer actively sabotaging her old machine when she refused to buy a new one. honestly they're not that great either. brought our Dyson over to her and followed the kirby around and still filled the bag.
Load More Replies...
Not a specific brand, but on cars, OEM parts, or parts made by the supplier to the OEM are better. I can't tell you how many times a customer has brought me some part off of eBay to save money that ended up costing them more when it failed within a few weeks. Even if the OEM parts is prone to failure, how likely is someone trying to make it even cheaper than them going to be able to make it anywhere near as good.
Agree, Duluth Trading is great. Going on 10 years for a couple of undies. Still look and fit great. I have 4 pieces of Tupperware that are 50 years old. Still great. No stains, lids still good. Willing all of it to niece along with my corelle set with the huge popcorn bowl. I don't use anything but G2 for pens. T-Fal pans. You take care if them...they will last 40 years like mine have. Bought the first pan at the Wisconsin State Fair. Still got it.
Ketchup. I can't buy no name. Heniz or French's. I'm traumatized by the big can of no name Ketchup we had to put into bottles as a kid. There was 4 pls kids my mom tried
Marks and Spencer bed linen. Branson baked beans. Hellman's mayonnaise (the vegan one is sooo good). Neff ovens (same as Bosch). Wiskas cat foods: my cats won't eat anything else.
Merrell and Garmont shoes. Pentax cameras. Honda. Sony Mobile. Technics hi-fi, Sennheiser headphones, Røde mic. Bowers & Wilkins speakers. And McDonalds. I wouldn't say they are great but the Big Mc is the same all around the world.
REVERE WARE! -- the REAL copper bottom stuff. I have my mother’s pots and pans AND cooking utensils (ladle, hand crank whip) a wedding gift to herself before she had us kids. I STILL use them, NEVER lets me down. Cooked in them for my husband. I will never move anywhere without these pots and pans. (And they double as a weapon in a barroom fight!)
Pentel Twist Erase III Mechanical Pencil. I discovered them in college 30 years ago and I never went back. They will last forever if you treat them with just a tiny bit of respect. They have a huge eraser in them that is easy to use, the lead doesn't break all the damn time. I just love them.
Nepros tools. Ave uses ‘industrial’ language but just look at these Japanese tools. Proper. https://youtu.be/eVwc4DZbcoE
Denby - Lurpak - Clarkes - Papermate pens - Unstoppables - Fat face Women's underwear - Samsung appliances - Tesco own nonstick pans - Tupperware - M&S Bras and workwear - Whittards Drinks - Betty's cakes - Costa coffee - Branded toothpaste
Have you tried Weird Fish? They are the Fat Face of 20 years ago. I have been disappointed in Fat Face recently sadly.
Load More Replies... 
Johnston & Murphy shoes! Not inexpensive, but not prohibitively over-expensive. Really hit the sweet spot of quality and value.
Of all the discussion on name brand stuff I'm gonna throw two things I buy generic that I think work better. The dollar store carpet cleaner and dollar store window cleaner. Don't know why but the I prefer the cheap versions over name brand. They just work so much better to me.
LG phones.. now dead but we got the last high end V60's which should get Android 13. The QuadDac music with wired earphones is unbeatable. They are sturdy and reliable. Probly keep them for many years.
Border Biscuits and Elsa's Story for cookies, Fender USA for guitars and basses, Samsonite for backpacks and lugagge, Bosch for every single fucken item they make (from tools, to servomotors, to food manufacturing technology) Edit: also Jules Destropper for cookies
I wonder how many brands among these recommendations are payed commercials that are hidden between regular comments.
I don’t think any are since it would be hard for the company to find the post and they wouldn’t care this much to look for this kind of post.
Load More Replies... Cloud 9 hair straighteners. £150 a pair but definitely worth the expense in my opinion. My hair actually stays relatively straight for most of the day which it usually doesn't which cheaper pairs, and my hair is left feeling soft and doesn't feel as heat damaged since I started using them.
I was thinking to add this when I saw your post. AGREE!! Ive had my first pair for over 20 years.
Load More Replies... I hate when February comes around because my bank account takes such a hit from those little girls in green!
Load More Replies... I'm surprised no one said Revereware. My parents had the same Revereware set from when they got married in 1961. My father gave us a set then my husband and I got married. Those pots and pans suffered a lot of abuse over the years. we finally gave them to a neighbor when we were limited on moving van space for our trip across the USA. She's still using them and they are 30 years old.
My mother got her Revere Ware in 1962. My sister buried one of the pots in the back yard after burning something in it, some time around 1972. Mom dug it up, and has probably cooked something in that pot in the past week. But here's a challenge: try to buy some brand new Revere Ware today.
Load More Replies... The sad thing is, stuff that used to be good is now made super cheaply in China so you can't even trust known brands anymore
So much yes! The great old brands have been sold off. It's criminal. Brands no longer have meaning. What a sad future.
Load More Replies... Vornado fans, I will only buy them, and if I have to replace them it is usually because I have dropped them from a height too many times ( I am clumsy ) but it takes a lot of me doing that for anything to go wrong and some of them I have had on for 24 hours a day for years at a time. I am obsessed.
I have the small desk Vornado fan. It is so worth the money!
Load More Replies... My mother still cooks with Revere Ware pots she got at her wedding in 1962. Turns out they were so good that nobody ever had to replace them, so they don't make them anymore!
Anything that gets absorbed into my skin. Specifically makeup and skin care products. There is definitely a difference between drugstore and higher end in performance and longevity. That being said, there are super expensive high end products that work just as well as their lower cost but higher end buddies. At some point you stop paying for quality and just pay for a name.
Braun, I had a hairdryer made by Braun that lasted for 40 years, it was a compact one, made for travelling.
I have a Braun stand mixer that I got second hand that works like a beast. I had no idea how old it is. Turns out they haven't made them in more than 40 years.
Load More Replies... Facom tools, Peugeot bikes, Porsche cars if you can afford them ( can get 300000 km on the clock and still look like new), Church's shoes, Motobecane moped: mine is a 1961 model, daily ridden, giving it 10000 km a years, service is just giving it grease where needed, a chain kit a year and that's all
In my family, Tefal’s really popular. We have pots, pans, knives and a lot more from there and my parents never complained and love it all. For the many pots and pans we only have 3 handles that can be put on any of them so we save space aswell.
Kraft american cheese. Still not real cheese but better than other processed cheese products, and makes the best grilled cheese sandwich.
My parents have a Whirlpool dishwasher that still works perfectly after 44 years.
Buy what you'll use. I have a Vitamix that"s been collecting dust 10 of the 11 years I've owned it. On the other hand I still use my $40 Ninja Master Prep I get from the infomercial all the time. I got the Vitamix because I was attempting to upgrade. Don't get me wrong, the Vitamix is top notch and worth every penny if you actually use it!!!
My mother caught the service engineer actively sabotaging her old machine when she refused to buy a new one. honestly they're not that great either. brought our Dyson over to her and followed the kirby around and still filled the bag.
Load More Replies... Not a specific brand, but on cars, OEM parts, or parts made by the supplier to the OEM are better. I can't tell you how many times a customer has brought me some part off of eBay to save money that ended up costing them more when it failed within a few weeks. Even if the OEM parts is prone to failure, how likely is someone trying to make it even cheaper than them going to be able to make it anywhere near as good.
Agree, Duluth Trading is great. Going on 10 years for a couple of undies. Still look and fit great. I have 4 pieces of Tupperware that are 50 years old. Still great. No stains, lids still good. Willing all of it to niece along with my corelle set with the huge popcorn bowl. I don't use anything but G2 for pens. T-Fal pans. You take care if them...they will last 40 years like mine have. Bought the first pan at the Wisconsin State Fair. Still got it.
Ketchup. I can't buy no name. Heniz or French's. I'm traumatized by the big can of no name Ketchup we had to put into bottles as a kid. There was 4 pls kids my mom tried
Marks and Spencer bed linen. Branson baked beans. Hellman's mayonnaise (the vegan one is sooo good). Neff ovens (same as Bosch). Wiskas cat foods: my cats won't eat anything else.
Merrell and Garmont shoes. Pentax cameras. Honda. Sony Mobile. Technics hi-fi, Sennheiser headphones, Røde mic. Bowers & Wilkins speakers. And McDonalds. I wouldn't say they are great but the Big Mc is the same all around the world.
REVERE WARE! -- the REAL copper bottom stuff. I have my mother’s pots and pans AND cooking utensils (ladle, hand crank whip) a wedding gift to herself before she had us kids. I STILL use them, NEVER lets me down. Cooked in them for my husband. I will never move anywhere without these pots and pans. (And they double as a weapon in a barroom fight!)
Pentel Twist Erase III Mechanical Pencil. I discovered them in college 30 years ago and I never went back. They will last forever if you treat them with just a tiny bit of respect. They have a huge eraser in them that is easy to use, the lead doesn't break all the damn time. I just love them.
Nepros tools. Ave uses ‘industrial’ language but just look at these Japanese tools. Proper. https://youtu.be/eVwc4DZbcoE
Denby - Lurpak - Clarkes - Papermate pens - Unstoppables - Fat face Women's underwear - Samsung appliances - Tesco own nonstick pans - Tupperware - M&S Bras and workwear - Whittards Drinks - Betty's cakes - Costa coffee - Branded toothpaste
Have you tried Weird Fish? They are the Fat Face of 20 years ago. I have been disappointed in Fat Face recently sadly.
Load More Replies... Johnston & Murphy shoes! Not inexpensive, but not prohibitively over-expensive. Really hit the sweet spot of quality and value.
Of all the discussion on name brand stuff I'm gonna throw two things I buy generic that I think work better. The dollar store carpet cleaner and dollar store window cleaner. Don't know why but the I prefer the cheap versions over name brand. They just work so much better to me.
LG phones.. now dead but we got the last high end V60's which should get Android 13. The QuadDac music with wired earphones is unbeatable. They are sturdy and reliable. Probly keep them for many years.
Border Biscuits and Elsa's Story for cookies, Fender USA for guitars and basses, Samsonite for backpacks and lugagge, Bosch for every single fucken item they make (from tools, to servomotors, to food manufacturing technology) Edit: also Jules Destropper for cookies
I wonder how many brands among these recommendations are payed commercials that are hidden between regular comments.
I don’t think any are since it would be hard for the company to find the post and they wouldn’t care this much to look for this kind of post.
Load More Replies... Cloud 9 hair straighteners. £150 a pair but definitely worth the expense in my opinion. My hair actually stays relatively straight for most of the day which it usually doesn't which cheaper pairs, and my hair is left feeling soft and doesn't feel as heat damaged since I started using them.
