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88 Times Other Countries Totally Outclassed The U.S. With How They Do Things
Once upon a time, the U.S. was the greatest country in the world. But, with the advent of technology, other countries caught up and started doing some things better. According to the 2026 Best Countries in the World ranking, the U.S. didn’t make the top 10, while Switzerland was named the best country in the world.
Several categories caused the U.S. to fall behind, including health, infrastructure, and civic health. But there’s still time to learn and catch up! Here are some things that people online have noticed in other countries that make the U.S. feel like it’s still in the Dark Ages: solar-powered public benches, sidewalks for smartphone users, and emergency toilets in elevators are just a few.
Check out more cool things other countries have that the U.S. should steal immediately, and maybe then they’d have a chance of becoming the greatest country in the world again!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
My Australian Tax Return Shows Where My Money Went
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#2
Projected Markings In Oulu, Finland, When Snow Covers The Ones Painted On The Street
#3
Traffic Light With Shining Pole
With so many of these innovations, it’s not just the U.S. lagging behind — many other countries should adopt these genius inventions as well. Take the hands-free sunscreen machine, for example, aka SnappyScreen. It’s the perfect solution for sun protection without getting your hands oily and gross.
Developed as a startup in 2014 by Cornell graduate Kristen McClellan, SnappyScreen started out as a business offering its machine to luxury resorts, hotels, water parks, country clubs, and private homes. Today, it also offers sunscreen in spray, stick ,and lip balm form. Many hotels in the U.S., Mexico, the Caribbean, and Aruba now have the machine.
While the idea is genius, the execution leaves something to be desired, especially for people sensitive to the sun. As the team at How To Be A Redhead writes, the machine offers at most SPF40, and spray-on coverage often isn't enough for full protection as it is, so it’s better to double-apply even with the machine.
#4
This Pizza Box In Japan That Has A Handle In The Middle To Keep The Pizza Flat
#5
This Burger King In Norway Has A Spot For You To Empty Your Sodas In Before You Throw The Cup Away
#6
Japanese Police Cars Can Raise Their Blinking Lights To Be More Visible
We’re all humans, yet there’s one thing we often feel ashamed about — our bodily functions. Public restrooms can often become places of embarrassment; for example, 41% of Brits worry about other people hearing them in the bathroom.
Japanese engineers have solved this problem by introducing privacy sounds. Satoshi Wakuda, the creator of one such innovation, Sound Decorator, is a device that plays the sound of gurgling and splashing water for 25 seconds so that those who visit the restroom don’t have to feel mortified by the sounds that they’re making.
Similar noise-makers first appeared in Japan in the 1980s, and Wakuda and his team tested many different sounds: birdsong, jet aircraft and car engines, violins and piano, and radio static, but the sound of water turned out to mask toilet noises the best. “The noise of one liquid can mask another,” Wakuda explained. “It’s like the ‘cocktail party effect.’ You can’t follow a conversation when there are other people talking in the room.”
#7
In Order To Start A Positive Change, Supermarkets Across Asia Have Started Using Leaves To Pack Their Vegetables
#8
When You Turn 18 In Sweden, You Get This Guidebook For How To Be An Adult
Russell Bowman 1 day ago
We have an similar old Soviet book for girls turning 18. Hilarious read
#9
This Solar-Powered Bench In Croatia Lets You Charge Your Phone And Emits WiFi
No matter how much we don’t like to admit it, many of us are unhealthily dependent on our smartphones. Research shows that pedestrians are distracted when they’re on their smartphones and are at high risk of falling and injuring themselves. So, the idea of a sidewalk dedicated to smartphone users exclusively seems like a good idea.
#10
Modern Icelandic Houses Are Built With Geothermally Heated Water Pipes Under Their Sidewalks So Icelanders Never Have To Shovel In Winter
#11
This Is The Medicine I Take Once Every Two Weeks, Which Allows Me To Live A Fairly Normal Life. If I Had To Pay Myself, They Would Cost 6,129 Dkk/1,126 USD. Thank You Universal Health Care
#12
Public Air Shower In Tokyo To Blow Pollen Off Hay Fever Sufferers
Some cities, like California, Idaho, Yamato in Japan, and all of Lithuania, already have legislation that fines pedestrians crossing the street while on their smartphones. Italian government is currently weighing in on a similar proposal. And a few Chinese cities, not only Warsaw, have tested out the sidewalks for smartphone users, Chongqing and Xi’an, for example.
#13
In Belgian Train’s Toilets There Is A Sos Button Close To The Ground In Case People Fall And Can’t Get Up
Multa Nocte (she/her 8647) 9 hours ago
I always think of the episode in The IT Crowd where Roy accidentally pulls the cord in the handicap accessible restroom.
#14
Lisbon Consists Of 7 Hills. In Order To Make It Easier For Residents And Tourists To Move Between The Different Neighbourhoods, This Open-Air Escalator Was Installed
Ixanga Cancun 1 day ago
They have a very famous one in Hong Kong, Mid-Levels Escalator, where it goes down in the morning for people to get to work and then up again in the afternoon in time to go home. It's the longest one in the world at 800 metres.
#15
This Scaffolding In Amsterdam Has A Mural Of The Building It's Covering
Dont listen to me 12 hours ago
Yes well it's one of Amsterdams most expensive hotels so I guess they can afford it.
Some locals think that separate lanes for smartphone users do more harm than good. They say people are even more distracted and might not even notice when a car or another pedestrian bumps into them. “Everybody walking along here thinks that it's very safe; at the side of the road, there are cars, and the vehicles also come onto here, and sometimes only just avoid you,” local Wei Xiaowei told the news website The Paper.
#16
Today In Copenhagen There Was Car Free Sunday
BarkingSquirell 9 hours ago
We have that on certain streets for different events and some last a month or more.
#17
If You’re An Elderly Or Disabled, You Will Receive A Card That Enables You To Cross The Road With A Longer Countdown Time (Singapore)
#18
This Car Park In France Has Soft Barriers Between Parking Spaces To Stop People Scratching Other Cars
Croatia isn’t the only country to rock solar-powered benches in their cities. At least 37 cities have similar innovations, all from one Serbian start-up, Strawberry Energy. These benches provide smartphone charging, Wi-Fi, air quality monitoring, and local real-time information.
#20
In Sweden We Have Trash Cans With WiFi To Attract People To Throw Some Trash
#21
In Amsterdam, You Can Spot These Little ‘Menstruation Stations’ Where Anyone In Need Can Grab Tampons, Napkins, And Cups For Free
Which of these innovations do you think is the coolest, Pandas? If you’re a Panda living outside of the U.S., share the most futuristic thing in your city that’s streets ahead of what the U.S. has to offer. And while you’re here, don’t forget to check out things that America does better than the rest of the world, and these shocking transformations of women before-and-after moving to the U.S.
#22
A Hands Free Sunscreen Machine That Rotates As It Sprays Your Body With Sunscreen
#23
Lights To Get Your Waiters Attention Silently In Maastricht, Netherlands
#24
UPS In Italy Uses These "Bicycle Trucks" To Deliver Packages To Places In Narrow Streets Of Rome
#25
The French Supermarket I'm In Started Warning Its Customers About Shrinkflation And Which Specific Brands Are Doing It
#27
‘Pay Phones’ In Australia Are All Free
Jonas Fisher 6 hours ago
Yeah, there are about 15k of them in the entire country. Or, 1 for every 200 square miles. Or, to be fair (since much of Australia is uninhabited) one for every ten square miles (25 square kilometers). Wooo.
#28
This Medal My Dad Received From His Hospital For Beating Cancer
The medal in Korean says that his treatment for cancer has ended. It was prostate cancer.
He no longer needs yearly check ups. I didn't ask him if the medal was gold plated.
WindySwede 14 hours ago
Came to think know the episode in Futurama, but here it was better "not d***h by snuhsnuh"! (Sorry! 😬)
#29
For Anyone Curious, This Is What A Birthing Suite Looks Like In A Public Danish Hospital
#30
Here's My Awesome Korean School Lunch! Schools Have A Qualified Nutritionist To Plan The Lunch Menu
Trophy Husband 12 hours ago
I wonder if it's free... School lunch debt is a real problem in the US and politicians ignore it. Florida started a program to give free lunch, but only in a few areas that are very poor.
#31
These Two Different Sets Of Shopping Baskets At A Department Store In Bangkok - For Those That Need Help Or Want To Be Left Alone
Michael Largey 7 hours ago
I should carry one of the the pink ones with me at all times in all places.
#32
This Emergency Elevator Toilet In Japan
#33
This Bill In Turkey Tells You How Much Each Person Would Need To Pay If You Split It Equally
Trophy Husband 11 hours ago
A lot of restaurants in the US have started having a per seat total with tax and the a for the table section
#34
Shopping Cart Cleaning Machine In Germany
#35
These Sprinklers On The Road Near The Ski Resort I’m At In Japan To Keep The Road From Freezing Over. (Salt Water If You Were Wondering)
#36
There’s A Solar Farm In China Shaped Like A Panda
#37
There’s A Privacy Button That Plays Sound In The Toilet In The Background In Japan So Your Bombing Sound Wouldn’t Be Heard
#38
In Morocco, Utility Poles Are Disguised As Palm Trees
#39
This Heated Bench With A Wireless Charging Pad For Your Phone At A Bus Stop In South Korea
#40
Mascots On Sugary Cereal (And All Candy) Censored In México To Fight Childhood Obesity
#41
The Elevators In My Office Building Have An Umbrella Sign That Lights Up If It's Raining Outside (Osaka, Japan)
#42
In Norway The Packed Meat Has A "Thermometer" That Tells You How Many Days Are Left Until Its No Longer Safe To Eat It
#43
This Crosswalk Pedestrian Pushbutton Has A Tactile Display Of The Intersection
#45
They Have Pet Carts In Grocery Stores In Italy
#46
This Belgian Supermarket Has A Parking Spot Just For Pregnant Women
Trophy Husband 11 hours ago
This is common in some parts of the US. In Miami it is required for some types of businesses.
#47
Knee-Activated Water Taps At A Supermarket, Italy
#48
Robot Lawn Mower In A Hospital In Denmark
Jonas Fisher 6 hours ago
My neighbor has one (US). A college I was at yesterday has a fleet of them (US).
#49
The Airport In Seoul Has A Robot Which Will Carry Your Luggage To Your Gate For You
Dont listen to me 12 hours ago
Rather have one to take me to the gate. Some airports are very big.
#50
To Encourage More Young People To Donate Blood, Sahlgrenska University Hospital In Gothenburg, Sweden, Sends A Text To Donors When Their Blood Plasma Has Been Dispensed To Someone In Need
Rusty’scate 12 hours ago
I used to get extra credit in college once a semester for donating blood/plasma.
#51
This Supermarket Has Confectionary Free Checkouts For Parents Unwilling To Have Children Demanding That They Buy Some
#52
Paris Has Sparkling Water Fountains
#53
They Have Built In Child Seats In The Madrid Bus
#54
These Bins In Sweden Show You What To Recycle
TheElderNom 1 day ago
I've never seen bins like these and I've lived in Sweden my entire life.
#55
They Have Umbrella Vending Machines In Hong Kong
#56
This Toilet In Japan Has A System Of Occupied/Vacant Toilets Information
Debby Keir 2 hours ago
A bit of overkill - surely you can tell by whether it's red/locked, green/open. Other than knowing that there are free cubicles, explore...
#57
Cakes Sold In South Korea Usually Come With Free Candles And Matches Hidden In The Plastic Cake Knife
#58
This Bus In Edinburgh Translates Announcements Into Sign Language
#59
The Toilet In My Hotel In Filled With Seawater
General Anaesthesia 10 hours ago
Occasionally there might be a distinctive sea water ... and I expected "taste" so maybe they should mention "do not drink". :)
#60
This "Pick Up, Drop Off" Machine At Yokohama Station Lets People Transfer Goods Without Meeting In Person
#61
This Is How Much An Emergency Ambulance Ride Ended Up Costing Me In Germany (10.00€)
WindySwede 13 hours ago
Somewhere 15-40€ here? But if real emergency it could be zero i think??
#62
I Saw A Scottish Mobile Cinema Today. People Go In The Front And The Screen Is At The Back
#63
This Stall For Your Dog Outside A Super Market In Copenhagen!
#64
This Mcdonalds Has A "Drive-Thru" For Boats. Located In Hamburg, Germany
Debby Keir 2 hours ago
Lots of canal boat cafés have have shore and boat serving hatches. Some supermarkets on Brit canal have a dock for boats - if you're by a canal, it makes good business sense.
#65
This Train Has An Information Screen Which Shows How Full Each Carriage Is
#67
My Country Has Both A Handicap And Elderly Parking Spots
#68
This Sidewalk For Smartphone Users In Warsaw, Poland
#69
Height Adjustable Headrest In Denmark
BarkingSquirell 9 hours ago
Everyone here uses the pillow things that go around the neck (look a bit like life preservers.)
#72
The Trains In Japan Have Women Only Cars
#73
This Quiet Room At Narita Airport For People With Autism
Debby Keir 2 hours ago
Spoiler alert - there's no flight info in there so you can miss your flight...
#74
This Cinema In Croatia Has Beds Instead Of Seats In The Last Row
Ixanga Cancun 1 day ago (edited)
I would have liked these as a teenager when we used to sit in the back row and kiss.
#75
Solar Power On Buses In Hong Kong
Ixanga Cancun 1 day ago
Again, many countries have these, why are these being presented as unique?
#77
These Helpful Robots That Wander Incheon Airport, Seoul, That You Can Use To Check Flight Information
#78
Scaffolding In Hong Kong Is Made Of Bamboo
Ixanga Cancun 1 day ago
It is much of the South East Asia and other countries that grow bamboo. In Bhutan they put it up differently with two pieces standing and crossing and tied together, looks really nice.
#79
Microsoft (Copenhagen) Has Tablet/Phone Holders In Their Toilet Stalls
BarkingSquirell 8 hours ago
A huge-gross out for me is people sitting on the toilet whilst talking on their phones. Just ick.
#81
In China, Urinals Can Conduct A Health Check-Up For You, For A Fee
#83
Bahrain Airport Offers Actual Functional Strollers For Kids!
Ixanga Cancun 1 day ago
Many airports do this, mostly it's free but not always, in Hong Kong there is a rental fee.
#84
In South Korea, China, And Germany, They Have Specific Painted Parking Spots For Women
Elladine DesIsles 23 hours ago
Are these about safety (located in a well-lit area, close to exits/elevators and security or other staff)? Or are they about misogyny (the stereotype that women are less skilled drivers and need more space to park)?
#86
Weird Plastic Finger Covers To Eat Chips With In Korea
Daisydaisy 14 hours ago
I think we need to stop inventing more and more "wonderful" things made of plastic
#87
Robot Tourist Information In Tokyo
#88
Decent Public Transportation, And Bike Friendly Cities. The City I Live In Is Supposedly On Of The Most Bike Friendly Cities In The Country, And It Still Sucks. Also, Bus Routes Are Virtually Non Existent
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What do you think ?
Jeolas1 9 hours ago
Why single out the USA as outclassed here? I bet most of these "hacks" are not common in many other countries, too. I know they are not in mine.
Onan Hag All 33 minutes ago
No other nation goes about bragging how they are the greatest on earth.
Load More Replies... Justin Case 6 hours ago
88 Times Bored Panda editors blatantly displayed their arrogant disdain for the US.
Onan Hag All 34 minutes ago
The USA has worked hard to earn it's status as "most despised nation", credit where credit is due.
Load More Replies... Jeolas1 9 hours ago
Why single out the USA as outclassed here? I bet most of these "hacks" are not common in many other countries, too. I know they are not in mine.
Onan Hag All 33 minutes ago
No other nation goes about bragging how they are the greatest on earth.
Load More Replies... Justin Case 6 hours ago
88 Times Bored Panda editors blatantly displayed their arrogant disdain for the US.
Onan Hag All 34 minutes ago
The USA has worked hard to earn it's status as "most despised nation", credit where credit is due.
Load More Replies...
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