r/BuyItForLife

I am looking for the best mattress that suits my needs. My boyfriend weighs more than I do so our current bed gives me a lot of back pain and minimal support. (For reference, 140 lbs and 210 lbs) We also both sleep on our sides but lay on our backs. I want something that is both comfortable but firm so that I can finally get back support. My budget is about $1200.

I recently got an EV & I camp frequently. I’m looking to replace my propane stove with an induction stove & run it off my car.

I currently use a Coleman double burner propane stove, so something that size or smaller is ideal.

I mainly cook with cast iron skillets or pots for rice & pasta. For that reason, I’m open to single burners, but leaning double. Budget is not a concern, but under $200 is my preference.

(There are plenty of induction combo ovens in this subreddit, but I couldn’t find a stove-only thread. Hopefully this is unique enough to stay up!)

done with the appliance graveyard at this point. got a 1000ish sq ft finished basement, sits around 60-70% relative humidity in summer, and every unit I've owned has died from compressor or pump failure within like 2years. trying my level best to get this purchase right instead of grabbing the cheapest at the box store again.

real quick question first, has anyone here gotten like 7+ years out of a 250 box store unit running continuously in a basement? every thread I've read says a big no, but I'd rather hear it from people who've actually tried before I drop $ $.

here's the framework I landed on, based on what's actually been killing these things for me and everyone else I've read about:

if your last unit died because the pump clogged or gave out, pay attention to this first. it's the most common failure mode by far, a lot more than the compressor itself. cheap units either make you empty a tank by hand or rely on gravity draining, which usually doesn't work in a basement because there's nowhere lower for the water to go. what actually holds up is a real built-in condensate pump, not a bolted-on retrofit, that can push water uphill into a utility sink or out a window on its own. if I had to pick one spec worth paying extra for, it's this one.

if your unit died from the coils corroding or losing refrigerant, that's the other big one. basements are humid all year round. this leads to unprotected coils corroding within 18-24 months and you end up with a slow leak that just quietly stops the unit from pulling water one day. coils that are epoxy coated or copper aluminum and rated for continuous high humidity duty hold up much longer.

if your basement gets cold in spring or fall, you should know that most consumer units just stop working below 65°F because the coils ice over. if your basement dips into the 40s or low 50s for part of the year, look for automatic defrost that keeps it running down to around 40°F.

if the power bill is a real factor for you, these run close to nonstop, so the gap between a unit with a decent energy factor and a cheap one adds up fast over a year. energy star certified is worth filtering for no matter which of the above applies to you.

quick reference if you want to skip straight to your situation:

what’s been going wrong	spec to prioritize	example unit
pump clogging/failing	real built-in condensate pump, not retrofit	Santa Fe Compact 70
coil corrosion/lost refrigerant	epoxy coated or copper aluminum coils	Aprilaire E080
freezing up in cold months	automatic defrost down to ~40°F	Aprilaire E080
high power bill	energy star certified, solid energy factor	Santa Fe Compact 70
tight budget, still want durability over box-store	integrated pump, bigger effective capacity	Midea Cube 35

leaning toward the Santa Fe Compact 70 for my situation specifically, since pump failure is what's killed both of my last two units and that's supposedly the strongest built-in pump out of everything I've looked at. still not fully sold given the price though, more on that below.

three I've been comparing, based on what each one actually solves:

Aprilaire E080 - best if you want the option to duct it into your existing HVAC instead of running it freestanding. 80 pints a day, 5 year warranty, digital controls, built specifically for crawl spaces and basements. around $1200-1400. anyone who owns one, is the ducted install actually worth doing or does freestanding hold up just as well over time?

Santa Fe Compact 70 (Therma-Stor) - best if pump or compressor longevity is your actual problem, this is the one people claim 15+ years out of. 70 pints a day, a real MERV rated filter built in, commercial grade compressor. around $1500-1800. for anyone running one 24/7, what's the noise level actually like?

Midea Cube 35 - best if $1200 plus just isn't on the cards and you want the closest thing to real durability at consumer pricing. the base itself is the reservoir with an integrated pump, so effective capacity ends up around 4x a normal unit despite being around $300. reviews read it's quieter than most consumer units too. is this actually lasting longer than the typical Frigidaire or hOmeLabs cycle?

a few other things that came up a lot were skipping the continuous drain hookup means you'll eventually forget to empty the tank and the mold just comes back. setting humidity below 50% just wears the compressor out faster without doing much for you, and airflow around the unit matters a lot. a corner with no circulation tanks performance no matter how good the unit is.

last thing I can't seem to find a straight answer on, for anyone whose consumer unit died young, did you ever actually try repairing it instead of replacing it? compressor failure feels like a lost cause, but I'm wondering if pump failures specifically are worth fixing versus just upgrading to something built properly from the start.let me know if you’ve got any other reccs that stood out. 

I never really saw myself buying a robot mower, but this summer I finally tried one.

We went away for a few days recently, and I set it to mow while we were gone. Came home to a lawn that still looked tidy, which was a hell of a lot nicer than coming back from a trip and immediately having another chore waiting for me.

Before this, if we had somewhere to go on the weekend, I’d either squeeze in a mow before we left or deal with an overgrown lawn when we got back.

Definitely one of those purchases I thought I’d use once in a while and now use all the time. At this point I’m just hoping it holds up for years, because I really don’t want to go back lol.

I want something for my toddler (but I’m not liking the kid ones- I don’t want it glowing red all night) that tells him it’s ok to get out of bed once the light is on but I don’t want it to actually wake him if he is sleeping.

-I want to chose a dim sunlight light and don’t want it to gradually get brighter

-no alarm sound

-no wifi or Bluetooth

-I want the light to stay on until we turn it off

any suggestion?!?

Hi all. I'm looking to buy more sustainable natural fiber clothing (cotton, linen, silk) for the summer and I love the look of brands like Sézane, Reformation, French, timeless more old money style. I'm trying to find summer sets that look cute on vacation and something I can wear to office. I've been looking at brands like Meshki for reference. Please drop down any brands you love to buy! Any links would be appreciated.

Please don't include American brands as I can't get them without high taxes and shipping fee.

people here say theirs lasted ~15 years which isnt completely useful as the product would have become shitty more recently. what electric toothbrush has lasted you 2-5 years?

Burned through 2 handheld vacs in the last couple years, both lost suction/battery life way too fast. Money's not really a factor here, just want the best one out there that'll actually hold up for years, not months.

Mainly for car detailing and quick pickups. If you've had one survive way longer than expected, or found the "buy it for life" option in this category, let me know.

thanks in advance!!

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I recently won a contest at work and the prize was basically "pick something costing less than $500 after tax and shipping and we'll get it for you." I'm not generally buying a single item worth anywhere close to ~$400 so I'm looking for any suggestions from this community on how to spend it on something that will be a good investment.

As far as my interests, my main hobbies include photography, cooking, and sewing. I am open to clothing like a heritage BIFL jacket or sweater or something of that sort. I own a waxed canvas fall jacket but nothing else in that category.

Thank you in advance for the help!

Every time I buy a leather bag or wallet from a recognized brand, I know I'm paying 5x what the product is actually worth in materials and labor. What are best finds for factory-direct or small workshop leather goods that are genuinely BIFL quality?

Hi there! So I am looking to purchase some merino wool underwear. I have worn merino wool for hunting and think it’s truly worth the investment. But I’ve never owned a pair of underwear in merino wool.

Looking to wear them everyday and also use for hunting/hiking. Anybody have any recommendations? I own darn tough socks and love them. I love the socks and their warranty. Is there anything out there at all like darn toughs lifetime warranty? I doubt it but doesn’t hurt to ask. Thanks!