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Planned obsolescence is the sort of issue sci-fi satire would have mocked a few decades ago, but these days it can be hard to find items that actually hold up for years. The internet is flooded with fake reviews, making it pretty hard to actually make an informed decision.

So we’ve gathered some of the best examples of products that you really only need to buy once, according to people online. Get comfortable as you scroll through, take notes for your next shopping spree, upvote your favorites and be sure to share your own examples in the comments down below.

#1 Which Manufacturer Made The Refrigerator?

#2 My Grandmother’s Goschveimachina Sewing Machine, Brought Home By Horse Carriage And Used Until She Passed Away At 93

#3 Got This Crockpot For A Wedding Gift In 1997. My Marriage Didn’t Last, But The Crockpot Is Still Going Strong – And It Has Never Cheated On Me! 😆

It really comes down to the simple math of staying in business in a world that demands constant growth. If a company makes a washing machine that survives for four decades without a single hiccup, they have basically lost a customer for the next forty years. From a purely financial perspective, that is a bit of a disaster for a corporation that needs to report growing profits every single year to its shareholders.

This leads to a strategy where designers intentionally choose materials that have a predictable expiration date. You might notice that gears which used to be made of heavy steel are now frequently replaced with molded plastic.

#4 I Just Want To Remind Everyone My Alarm Clock Turns 50 This Year

#5 This Company Ended In 1990, Which Means We’ve Been Using This To Mark Off Our Calendar Days For 35+ Years

#6 I Found This Legendary Item Buried In My Dad’s Driveway. It’s Indestructible, Unstoppable, And Easily My Favourite Demolition Tool

This makes the product lighter and cheaper to ship, which saves the company money, but it also ensures that the machine will eventually fail under normal wear and tear. It is a delicate balance because the product has to last long enough that you do not feel cheated, but not so long that you never need to browse their catalog again.

#7 Some Of My Copic Markers Are So Old (Over 20 Years) That The Cap Is Cracking And Discoloring, But They Just Keep On Drawing Flawlessly

#8 The DVD-Player I Bought In 1999 Gave Up Today

#9 Cutco Knife Set Given To My Wife’s Grandparents On Their Wedding Day In 1957

The concept is not exactly new, even if it feels more aggressive lately. One of the most famous examples from history involves the Phoebus cartel back in the early twentieth century. A group of lightbulb manufacturers actually got together and agreed to limit the lifespan of their bulbs to exactly one thousand hours.

#10 100 Years Old And This 1925 Ge 6″ Desk Fan Still Looks And Works Great. Still Has Its Original Paint. Converted To Have 2 Speeds, And Wiring Replaced For Safety. United States

#11 Buy Scissors That Can Be Sharpened

#12 Scored Myself An Oster Regency Kitchen Center For 26 Bucks At Thrift. Works Perfectly

Before this agreement, some bulbs could last for a significantly longer time, but that was seen as a threat to the stability of the industry. They even issued fines to members who made bulbs that were too durable. While we like to think we have moved past such blatant conspiracies, the modern version is often much more subtle. Instead of secret meetings, we have high tech devices that are sealed shut with industrial glue instead of screws.

#13 30+ Years Old Snoopy Hairdryer Still Going Strong

#14 My Parents Just Re-Webbed Lawn Chairs That Were My Grandparents

#15 After 7 Years And Thousands Of Miles Hiking I Treated Myself To A New Pair Of Altberg Boots

This makes it nearly impossible for a regular person to swap out a battery or fix a broken screen. When the cost of a professional repair is almost the same as buying a brand new model, most people will just choose the upgrade. This creates a cycle of waste that is great for the bottom line but pretty hard on our wallets and the environment. Groups like The Restart Project are working to change this by teaching people how to fix their own gadgets and pushing for better laws.

#16 My Pilón, Serving Puerto Rican Homes Since At Least 1911

#17 My Family Has Been Using The Same Sno-Tubes Since 1994. Still Holding Air In 2025!

#18 Can I Get An Honourable Mention For This Warhorse Of An Oral B Toothbrush That Has Just Finally Bowed Out After 27 Years Of Daily Use?

There is also the issue of software and how it interacts with hardware. Even if your phone or laptop is physically in perfect condition, it can become useless if the software updates make it too slow to function. This is sometimes called systemic obsolescence. Companies stop supporting older models, which means you lose access to security patches or your favorite apps suddenly require a newer operating system that your old hardware cannot handle.

#19 I Gave My Dad This Batman Wallet 10 Years Ago, I Was Like 4 Or 5 Years Old And I Got It In Preschool. He Uses It To This Day

#20 My 43 Years Old Microwave, Hoping To Last Another 40

#21 Best Grill I Ever Owned, And Designed For The Elements!

It feels like a forced upgrade because you are essentially being locked out of the digital world you rely on every day. It is frustrating because the device itself might have years of life left in it, but the digital ecosystem has moved on without it. This is why the Right to Repair movement has gained so much momentum recently. People are tired of feeling like they do not actually own the things they pay for. Organizations like iFixit provide free guides and tools to help consumers take back control, showing that many things are fixable if we are just given the chance to try.

#22 My 1945 Girard Perregaux Refuses To Die

#23 This Restoration Belongs Here

#24 Buy Your Pyrex Measuring Cups From Thrift Stores If You Want Them Last A Lifetime

Beyond the technical side, there is the psychological pull of the new and shiny. Fast fashion and the rapid release cycles of consumer electronics play on our desire to stay current. Even if a product is working perfectly, the marketing department is very good at making us feel like it is out of date. This creates a culture of perceived obsolescence where we replace items not because they are broken, but because they are no longer trendy.

#25 I’ve Had This Guy Since 1994 I Was 7 And I’m Now 37, He’s My Favourite And Still Is To This Day

#26 My Fiancé And I Rehabbed This Bifl Kroehler Sofa From The Mid 60s!!

#27 Keeping Toasty With My 1920s Perfection Firelight Heater During The Cold Snap In The Northeast. Still Works Good As New

When you combine this with the fact that products are getting harder to fix, you end up with a society that views almost everything as disposable. It is a massive shift from the way our grandparents shopped, where buying a high quality tool or appliance was seen as a lifetime investment. Finding those rare items today requires a lot of research and a willingness to look past the flashy advertisements.

#28 Bought A Taco Years Ago, 200k+ Later And Been More Reliable Than Anything I Have Ever Owned. Planning To Try To Get It To Over A Million

#29 1960s Stanley Handyman Drill, Works Flawlessly

#30 Got A $200 All-Clad Pan For $1.50 At The Goodwill Bins

It is about choosing quality over convenience and realizing that sometimes the most expensive option is actually the cheapest one if you only have to buy it once. By supporting companies that prioritize durability and repairability, we can start to shift the market back toward things that are built to last. It might take more effort to find these treasures, but the peace of mind and the savings over time are definitely worth the search.

#31 Mom Bought It For Me In The 90’s. Still Take It On Trips

#32 Blue Onion Corelle That I’ve Been Eating Mac/Cheese From Since The 80s

#33 Hamilton Beach Mixer From Great Grandmother

#34 24 Years And Still Going Strong! Truly Bifl

#35 I’ve Had This Pencil Box Since Kindergarten. I’m 33

#36 I’ve Had This Over Half My Life (24 Years) But I Wish Teenage Me Had Better Taste

#37 Bad News/Good News: Parent Of Friend Died, None Of The Kids Wanted The Set Of All-Clad

#38 Found An Unopened Set Of Duralex Glassware For 4 Dollars At A Thrift Store

#39 Man Has Used The Same Christmas Lights Since 1956 And Has Never Changed A Bulb (Philips Decoration Lights)

#40 My Mom Has Used This Same Lint Roller Since The 70s

#41 My Grandpa In Sweden Has Had This Soviet Made Bench Vice For Almost 55 Years

#42 Ray Ban Aviators: 21 Years, Countless Miles, Still Stylish

#43 My 1979 Oven That Works Perfectly Except For The Clock. Timer, Thermostats, Self-Clean Still Work. Heats Fast

#44 Found This Faribo Wool Blanket At A Resale Store. Confirmed With Faribo That It’s From The 30’s. Can’t Wait To Use It For Camping/Outside

#45 “An Advertisement Essentially Telling Their Customers To Not Buy A New Jacket” Was Not On My 2024 Bingo Card But Here We Are

#46 32 Years And 200,000 Miles Later My Great Grandfather’s 1992 Ford F-150 Lives On

#47 12 Years Old With No Signs Of Slowing Down

#48 Every Christmas Since 1998/99 My Wife’s Aunt Has Bought Her A Couple New Pieces Of Villeroy & Boch… We Use It Every Day

#49 Hard To Justify Buying New Jackets When Thrifted Bifl Pieces Like These Exist

#50 Og Fat Ps3 Still Working It 19+ Years Later

#51 This Vitamix Was Bought In 1994 And Still Blends Smoothies As Good As The Day It Was Purchased

#52 Got This Coors Light Cooler Off Marketplace Years Ago And It’s Still The Coolest Cooler!

#53 I’ve Had These Socks For 10 Years

#54 1991 Toyota Corolla With Over 939,000 Miles Exchanged As A Trade-In

#55 2 Years And 150+ Flights With Marlondo’s Executive Briefcase

#56 L.l. Bean Duffle From 1982

#57 Back In 2005 In Fear That I Would Be Bullied For My Lion King Sleeping Bag, My Parents Went Out Last Minute And Got Me A “Mature Sleeping Bag” For A Sleepover

#58 Rip. Probably Drank 10,000 Gallons Out Of This Thing Over The Years. Anyway, I’m Off To Submit A Lifetime Warranty Claim

#59 Mary-Kate And Ashley Hairdryer That’s Lasted 24 Years And Still Going Strong

#60 2007 Toyota Prius – 355k Miles, 1 Fire, 5 Wrecks, And 1 Divorce Later It’s Still Going Strong!

#61 Behold! The Iron On Crotch Patch. Save Your Jeans!

#62 The Turbie Twist Microfiber Hair Towel! Over 16 Years Of Love

#63 Never-Used Stanley 1975 Thrift Find

#64 15 Years Ago I Renovated And Used This Powertex Ratchet Strap To Pull A 20m (65ft) Palm Tree Away From The Fence And Forgot About It

#65 Just Bought This Rice Cooker For Less Than $4

#66 433,820 Miles And Still Going

#67 This Is A Microwave With A 100+ Years Lifespan

#68 My Wife Noticed A Small Hole In Her Glerups And Was Able To Felt Over It With A Small Mushroom

#69 2 Weeks Ago I Asked “What’s The Best No-Frills Coffee Maker”, And After 400+ Recommendations, I Bought My Mom The Moccamaster

#70 New To Me Toyota Tacoma

#71 Jeans. God Damn Jeans

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