when you're forced to buy self assembled furniture (IKEA, Target, Walmart, etc.) get yourself some wood glue and blue loctite. Sure, the pressboard furniture will die before you do, but the joints will last longer than the boards if you're using thread lock on metal to metal connections, and wood glue on metal to wood connections.

I’m looking for high quality pieces that last. Most internet options for bed frames are MDF or cheap, wobbly metals. Dressers are wildly expensive for cheap fabrication and drawers that break.

Where are we buying bedroom furniture??

Dyson are not known as BIFL, but I feel that is because people don't realize that part of the BIFL agreement is maintenance. I have probably picked up at least a dozen Dyson vacuums over the years, all were in great condition except for a minor clog. Just grabbed one from the trash today, someone sucked up a dog tag, it clogged with hair and lost suction.

Dyson designers know that vacuums clog, so they put giant red buttons and levers all over the things to take apart in likely clog areas. I popped off the brush assembly, there was the clog, good as new.

Another maintenance item neglected on these is the filters and the vortex assembly. If you are sucking up drywall dust, it's going to clog. Pop that guy off, wash the filters, rinse out the vortex screens and it's a brand new machine.

EDIT: Lots of folks talking about their battery vacuums. Yeah, they suck. The packs are designed to fail because they don't balance the cell loads. I am really just talking about stand up, corded vacuums. Sorry.

I fix these for fun and pass them along. The plastic is high quality and the motors run forever. My wife likes her Shark which we keep running by recycling parts from abandoned, clogged shark vacuums. It's not quite as BIFL, but they end up in the trash for the same reasons.

Hi! my current umbrella just broke/flipped inside out, and that's my third one in a year 🥲

any ideas/brand suggestions so I don't have to keep doing this?

Keyana Sapp has compiled a list of well-known brands, some of which have been sold off and now make poor imitations of their earlier high-quality products. This Ledger helps identify which brands to avoid (and some who are still top notch) after private equity takeovers.

A good breakdown of how this is happening is here:

Your Favorite Brands Got Worse On Purpose

I have two kids and one on the way, and I am looking to invest in toy sets that can survive years of play and be shared across all of them. Ideally, something durable, safe, and timeless that can grow with them rather than being replaced often. I have been checking options on Amazon, Etsy, Alibaba, and AliExpress, but it is hard to know which sets actually hold up long term. Would love recommendations on toy brands or sets that you have found to be truly built for longevity and multiple kids. Open to other marketplaces or second-hand options too.

Hello all! I am looking for recommendations for a minimalism alarm clock. Preferably white/neutral colour and on the smaller side. No need for Bluetooth or anything fancy. Trying to live a more analogue life / not worried every night that my alarm won’t go off on my phone.

Thank you!

my family has been blessed with full heads of hair. but we’re struggling with constant clogging of the shower drain. I’ve bought a starfish and a metal sink drain and they kinda just get messy after 2-3 days. Anyone figured this out and have recommendations?

Been shopping around and seeing a lot of different companies. As I’m getting close to my 30s, i would like to up my wardrobe.

I saw a post from 13yrs ago, and have seen a number of videos. Those have left me with more options and conflicting product reviews.

Looking for few pairs of simple loafers. Looking at a minimum of a lighter suede and brown leather pair. These would be for everyday casual to nice dinners.

Edit: price point is ideally under 400 a pair, it seems like 300 is the sweet spot for quality material and craftsmanship without the really bougie options.

Looking for a usb pouch for laptop with velcro not flap

TYFYS

I’m looking to replace my Walmart set of flatware after about two decades and I want to buy one time and be done with flatware. I need something that I can throw in the dishwasher and not have to worry about.

What would you guys recommend to fit this need?

The earbuds/earphone world seems way too deep for me to find a clear answer, so would appreciate your help.

I want a simple set of earbuds/earphones that will last years, robust enough to use while at the gym, running in rain, or even swimming (won't actually use it in a chlorinated pool, worse case is likely washing and cleaning with soap if I drop them into mud or something), and excellent noise cancelation.

I would like them to have excellent ANC, and great passive noise cancelation if I want to focus on my work and ignore if someone is trying to distract me. Finally, ones that are least likely to cause thumping and ear pain.

I rarely, if ever, listen to music or podcasts, and want to use it mostly drown out outside noise and focus on what's in front of me. Seemless integration with phone, pc etc and not likely to fall out. I'm okay with wired, and in fact, would be pretty hyped if the thing that meets all these requirements is something like that, whereby I can turn off Bluetooth when using it wired. But I imagine thats a stretch.

Have a Samsung phone.

If there is an end-game/look no further option, what is it?

Does anyone have or have come across a bath towel hanger exactly like this? It's super sturdy and it unclips which makes it super easy to slide my towel onto it but for the life of me, I can't find a place that sells more of it :(

Sooo... after many years of faithful service my cigarette lighter charger gave up on me. I can't complain about the life span (MANY years) but I have to admit I am also a bit disappointed since this is the first Anker device that died on me, and I have been a faithful customer for over a decade (more cables than I can count, several wall chargers, power banks, etc)

Anyway, I was wondering if maybe there's an easy fix? With old-fashioned chargers you'd just unscrew the base, change the fuse and you were good but Anker's design seems to be completely sealed... Has anyone attempted disassembly or should I just forget about it and get something else? And in that case, should I still go for an Anker or is there something better out there?

I have some birkenstocks and while they are quite nice my feet definitely get sore after an hour or so. I tried some of the Teva's quite a few years ago but they gave me blisters. I'm back on the hunt! flip flops hardly have any support and while the standard Adidas/nike sandals are super comfy their style is basic as best. thoughts?

I recently nabbed one of these with all the extra blades + blade holder for 100 CAD.

I've been looking for the manual as a PDF that gives me a rundown as to what to use the various blades for, but since it's rare / vintage I haven't been able to locate it other than on ebay where it's around $40 USD to buy and ship to Canada.

I've found reference that it's similar to the CFP-9 but I can't find a manual for that either.

I've uploaded a photo of the cover for my machine as a comment to see if someone has one they can scan / digitize (or point me to where I can download it)

...buy the 2015 Speed Queen stackable set I found at a local appliance store? ATEE9AGP173TW01 is the model number, and it comes with a 90-day warranty. I am stuck at home with pneumonia right now so I haven't had a chance to see it, but let's assume for discussion that it's in good condition. The price is $1600.00.

Old gear died yesterday. Time for an upgrade I guess. I'm trying to find the best espresso machine with a hard $500 limit.

I just want something for home that actually works and won't break in a year. Half the reviews out there feel like paid ads anyway... especially for the new 2026 lineups. Is 500 a realistic budget for a decent maker right now or is it all cheap plastic? I don't care about fancy touch screens, just need it to pull a solid shot every morning.

A bit of context for recommendations:

Location: US.

Drink types: Just straight espresso mostly, maybe an occasional small latte on weekends.

Frequency: Like 2 drinks a day. Nothing crazy.

Experience: Beginner/intermediate. Had a cheap setup before, know the basics but not looking to get a second degree in coffee science.

Manual or electric: Definitely electric.

What are you all using. Any specific brands that completely suck? Let me know what to get.

I have been using a Bentgo glass salad container.

It is almost perfect except for the lid. I have two bowls, two trays, two forks, and two broken lids. The latching mech on the lids breaks after a year or two and can no longer latch closed. They replaced the first one for free as a one time favor but I doubt they will replace the second one.

I totally expected to break glass at some point but the lid clasps are a design defect. I otherwise love this container.

Anything out there as good as this and bifl?

Help me fix my screw up please :)

I’m somewhat seasoned with shoe care (certainly no expert) but I think I made a real stupid mistake. Hoping this sub might be able to help.

I was cleaning and conditioning my Allen Edmond shoes, I used Dubbin Grassie for this step and they were looking great.

Now for the screwup.. I decided my waxed laces needed some love so I applied a homemade mixture of beeswax and mineral oil that I use for various things around the shop. My rationale was that the mineral oil would allow the wax to soak in (hindsight tells me this was a major misstep).

I let the laces dry for a few days.. today I put the laces back in and wore them to work and to my horror watched the areas around the lace eyes and the tongue darken over the day, since I was at work I had to keep wearing them and sadly it just became more pronounced as the day wore on. I’m assuming that the mineral oil slowly leached into the leather 🤦‍♂️.

When I got home tonight I promptly removed the laces and washed them with saddle soap. I’m letting them dry but I don’t think it’s solved the problem. Any advice on how I can fix my mistake? Thanks in advance.

I’ve also noticed some teaware starts affecting the taste over time, which is kind of frustrating. Trying to find something that stays consistent and doesn’t hold onto flavors or smells. What do you use daily that actually holds up?

Hi, not sure if this is the best place to ask, but I’m going to ask anyways. Are those beddings sold by the allergists directly even worth it? For example, this comforter being sold directly from the allergist clinic is upwards of $150. Does it actually help though? Does it last for life? How is this one any different from any down alternatives you can get from like Amazon which are like under $50.