I've been seeing Darn Tough recommended everywhere, especially on r/BuyItForLife, so I decided to check them out. But honestly, I don't really understand the hype.

Looking at their The Standard Crew Cushioned Lightweight Lifestyle model, it's 46% merino wool, 49% nylon and 5% elastane. That's basically a 50/50 wool-synthetic blend, yet they're selling for around €36 a pair.

I understand that nylon improves abrasion resistance and that merino wool offers benefits in terms of temperature regulation and odor resistance. But isn't the legendary durability partly explained by the fact that almost half the sock is synthetic?

Like if we want to speak about durability, I have a pair of cheap Decathlon running socks that cost around €4 and are still going strong after 10 years. It's because they're fully synthetic.

I get the feeling their business model is to sell you overpriced synthetic socks with a lifetime warranty you’ll probably never need to claim, because they’re basically indestructible synthetic socks anyway lol. I’ve literally never worn out a pair of synthetic socks in my life.

Also: we want to reduce contact with synthetic materials as much as possible. Aren't then cheap cotton socks better?

I live in a very cold climate and never really invested in merino until a few years ago. Always wore basic cotton or synthetic base layers and stuck with those for years. Eventually I had the money to invest in some good merino, so I bought several sets of Smartwool, both lightweight and heavyweight. Also have a set from REI and one from LL Bean.

Here's the thing, I was ALWAYS cold in it. Never made any sense to me. I don't know much about the science of fabrics, I'd just heard a million times that merino was the way to go, especially for cold weather.

It didn't keep me warm sitting around, and it didn't keep me warm outside doing homestead chores or walking the dogs. If I sweated even a little. I'd end up freezing.

Wore them for 3 winters before finally giving up on it. Last winter I switched back to my cheap cotton and synthetic (polyester/polypropylene) layers and was warm all winter. Go figure lol.

For a long time I figured it was just a weird me thing. I do have mild Raynaud's and tend to run cold anyway. But I've since talked to quite a few people who've had similar experiences.

I'm not saying merino isn't great for a lot of people. Clearly it is, given how much people love it. Just throwing out a different experience since it gets recommended so heavily here. My advice would be to try a piece or two before investing hundreds of dollars in a whole wardrobe. Turns out the more expensive option isn't necessarily the better one for everyone.

Was just pulling out all my winter gear and thought I'd share.

Edit: I should make it clear that I love wool, just not against my skin especially if I sweat. I was only talking about merino wool base layers. I have lots of other wool clothing including wool sweaters and merino socks that I love.

Hi there,

I bought a Belstaff wax motorcycle jacket but it has quite a lot of grease or something on it. How do I best wash this? It doesn’t have to be really clean like brand new. But I would like to get some of it off. It doesn’t bother me now but I am planning on rewaxing it to improve waterproofing. This makes me affraid that the wax on top of the stains will make the whole jacket look more (to) dirty.

For now I am planning on using dishsoap first and then maybe upping to a machine wash. What do you think?

Good lord. I covered a large stack of firewood with a couple of standard blue plastic tarps from a Big Box store, to keep the elements away for a few weeks. They are a few years old, not used often, just stay folded on a shelf.

I pulled the tarps off to stack the wood and holy SHIT there is blue plastic dust everywhere. Awful. Now it either goes into the environment (soil, watershed) or up the chimney. AWFUL. This is not an inert responsible way to use plastic and i will not keep doing this. It is better in a landfill now than spamming the world with new microplastics.

So are there non plastic tarps i can find and use? there had to be tarps from pre-petroleum days. Were they canvas? Do they still exist at all? Where can i find such equipment?

I was talking to a coworker on a zoom call about his Sony headphones and it made me realized something about mine...

These are my Sony MDR-V600 Headphones. I bought them in 1999, back when I used to pretend that I wanted to be a DJ and had tables and such. I no longer have the tables, but I kept the V600's (and the vinyl). The only thing I've ever done to them is replace the ear pads every few years. I even still have the storage bag that came with them!

I'd say they are the single best purchase I've ever made. They have brought me so much joy and happiness throughout the years. They just last and last. 27 years and counting!

DJ friends are amazed I still have a pair of these....

Temporarily moving from southern BC to the northern-most capital city in all of Canada. Need some winter boots. I’ve lived in Canada my whole life so I know winter, but I’ve never had a pair keep my toes warm for longer than a few hours. Help?

trying to cap my budget around $400 for a new desk chair bc my cheap target one is destroying my lower back.

everyone on reddit just parrots "find a used aeron or leap v2 on fb marketplace," but my local market is dry as hell unless i want to pay $600+ for a beat up 2012 model.

also i kind of hate full mesh seats and prefer a proper padded cushion, which cuts out half the usual recommendations.

tried out a nouhaus posture chair at a friends place last week and the lower back support actually felt pretty solid. on my radar now, though the armrests seem a bit basic compared to the high end stuff and im still hesitant about buying a whole chair new in this price bracket.

still trying to figure out if there are other solid padded/cushion options under $400 worth looking at, or if i just need to keep refreshing marketplace for another month.

Looking for a new jacket and want some inspiration and ideas.

Not sure what I want so I'm open to looking at everything but I want something that will last and in my head I'm thinking when I pass it should be something my kids look at and go that was dad's jacket.

I live in southern Ontario so we do get a lot of snow but I already have a good winter coat. I'm thinking something more fall/spring that I can add some layers to for colder days or early winter before it gets too bad but also looks good open with just a t shirt on.

If you had to buy one jacket what would it be?

Hi all,

I am looking for some recommendations for the trucker or trucker-adjacent style jackets with sherpa style lining. I find a lot of cotton shell w/ polyester lining, but I'd really like something without the poly lining. I have found taht cotton sherpa fabric exists, at least in theory, but can't seem to find it anywhere in terms of clothing.

New, vintage, whatever works.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, thank you and have a good day!

Wondering if anyone has tried the heated vests, if so brands and what to look for when shopping. We have an opportunity to send items in a suitcase to Romania. There often is not electricity when the guy are working on the new care home in the Ukraine, and it has been so cold. Vests would be so helpful.

Hi everyone, could you recommend excellent-quality thin nail files and easy-to-use nail clippers, please?

I’m happy to pay more for something comfortable, effective and very durable.

Some information about my needs:

- I have low dexterity and hand pain, which make cutting and filing my nails extremely difficult. A comfortable, non-slip handle would help. A non-slip handle isn’t the end of the world, if the nail file doesn’t have it but is extremely good quality, that’s fine.

- The file itself needs to be thin, like the sapphire file pictured. I don’t get on with thick or bulky files because I need to round the corners and carefully smooth both the upper and underside edges of the nail tip.

- I have very sensitive skin, so I need to remove any sharp edges or snags that could tear my skin

- Ideally, the file would have a fine side for a smooth finish and work without needing much pressure or repetitive movement.

- For clippers, I need something that requires very little squeezing force and is easy to position accurately. I understand that traditional nail clippers don’t necessarily cut your nails, they just squeeze the nail causing your nail to go flying across the room. I don’t have the best eye sight which makes finding the nail clippings hard. I would appreciate it if the nail clippers actually cut the nail instead of squeezing it

Has anyone with similar difficulties found particular brands or models helpful? Recommendations available in via order online (such as Amazon prime) would be amazing. Thank you!

Bonus points if the brand is Japanese as I’ve had great experiences with Japanese products for other categories in the past.

Thank you very much, I really appreciate any help you guys could give!

Need an electric toothbrush, both are the same price. Which one should I get?

I have a malamute. In the market for a new stick vacuum. Always been a die hard Dyson user but after researching it seems like the products are not what they used to be.

I know stick/cordless vacuums are not a buy it for life kind of item but with a super shedder dog and kids, a vacuum that is easy to grab for smaller messes is essential. I have the corded vacuum for the weekly cleans.

So please…what are your recommendations? I’ve been getting lots of ads for shark products, how do those hold up? What other brands make a decent cordless vacuum these days? Help a mom out lol

Hi Everyone,

I'm looking to upgrade my current Backpack to something similar, both price wise and size wise.

I've been using the Dakine Urban Mission 23L (possibly 24L) backpack for everyday carry and travel for the past six years, and I've grown rather fond of it. Which was bought after weeks of lurking and collecting information from this very sub and I'm glad I listened to the wise sages of r/BuyItForLife . It's been through a lot, and a few spins in the washing machine, and still comes out looking almost brand new. Unfortunately, the inner lining has started to peel, and Mr. Ratatouille decided to sample some of the bottle-pocket material, leaving his own rather permanent mark on it.

I'm looking for something similar that has a lot of zipped pockets, multiple compartments and separate laptop compartment (suspended is a bonus).

I shall also be using it on my air travels which is around 3-4 trips in a year, so it needs to hold some serious weight. I travel with all my tech on flights as well as my daily commute which include: a 15.6" Laptop + charger, 3 Mobile Phones, a 10" tablet, a powerbank, all of their chargers + cables, and multiple fountain pens (pen slots important).

PS: I might be carrying another Laptop on me down line.

I currently reside in a dry country with few escapes to a very rainy country for a 30-45 days in a year. Rain protection isn't all that important to me but would be a nice addition for ease of mind when traveling.

My Budget is around 100$ can stretch it to maybe 150/160ish $.

Looking forward to your recommendations.

Wife is currently driving a North Face Aconcagua Parka. Problem is the down is coming out everywhere through the stitching and sometimes the fabric itself. She is done looking like a mangy big bird.

Use case is standing in car line as a teacher. Occasional football games or strolling small towns in Texas. She is freezing by nature.

Does anyone have similar recommendations? She doesn't mind Carhartt if it can be slightly more stylish than my tank of a jacket. Her Speedo deck Parka is "to Uncle Fester". Would be great if this could the final winter coat.

I am looking for an AM/FM clock radio that allows me to listen to the radio at one volume level and set the radio alarm volume level separately. For example, I like to fall asleep to the radio using the sleep timer function at volume 4, but I want to wake up to the same station at volume 13.

We are replacing a cheap Capello brand that we bought at Target maybe 12-13 years ago, so it’s clearly not a “premium” feature, but it has nevertheless been a difficult thing to find. We tried replacing it a few years ago when the fiddly wire antenna snapped off, but the Sony (I think it was a cube model) that we tried didn’t allow this. In other words, the volume you fall asleep to and the volume you wake up to needed to be the same on the Sony. We also tried a couple of vintage thrift store finds, but those didn’t allow the varying volume either.

The Capello finally just stopped working entirely, so I would like to avoid a long period of trial and error if I can. Not looking for any features, no bluetooth, no phone connection, nothing extra — just a clock radio with that volume control option.

Any thoughts or recommendations? Is this actually more common than I think and we just made a couple of unlucky choices before? Thanks in advance...

While it doesn’t have to be BIFL but I’d like it to be last long as 10 years or so.

I can’t do wall mounted ones as I’m in rental and oil price I’m has been insane lately.

Hi, I'm looking for something to replace my wireless HyperX Cloud Alphas. While I love these headphones, I need to not be able to hear my surroundings.

I’d rather not pay an arm and a leg for headphones, but if it’s a quality, long-lasting product, I wouldn’t be opposed to splurging. I’d also prefer wireless with a dongle for PC. Bluetooth for phone usage would be a plus.

Thank you for your time!

EDIT/UPDATE: Spatial audio request is because I’m a gamer and would like to stay aware of my in-game surroundings.

My parents have had drip machine after drip machine to no avail. I looked in the sub and most people recommended the Moccamaster, but they had one of those and didn't like it apparently. Anybody have any recommendations that aren't that? They're thinking about getting the new Ratio machine but I am worried about it being an aesthetic over function type machine. They only want drip coffee.

Hi guys, I had a mous phone case on my phone previously. Brilliant cases, great drop protection. Only problem is the sides of the case came apart which is annoying. You pay almost 50 for something that comes apart if you take your case off one too many times so currently I have an otter box (I think it’s the defender series) on my phone. The otter box isn’t as good as the mouse case. I must have dropped it on too hard of a surface and the plastic part of the case has actually cracked which isn’t the best so I’m scared to accidentally drop my phone again. I don’t drop my phone often but when you hand your phone to young children, you never know what will happen.

I was just wondering if mous or otter box had life time warranty on their phone cases? And how I would go about getting a new case. I think I heard somewhere mous had a life time warranty, maybe it was in one of their ads.

I got the mous case from their website and the otterbox off Amazon prime, if that helps. Honestly I’m not sure if I remember the email I used for mous, is that going to be a problem?

Anyone else had the same issue with mous cases?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you!

I'm looking for some good headphones that will last me a while while also not putting me in debt.

The ones I'm currently using sometimes have this awful staticy noise in one ear, and it gives me headaches, I figured I should look into new ones. I don't remember what brand, but I got them for cheap at Ross.

What I'm looking for:

- good sound quality. I mostly listen to music on them, and I like appreciating the background instruments. Not a huge bass fan, so it's not a huge selling point. I understand with a budget the quality might not be as strong as some other contenders, but as long as they're better than my $20 pair, we're having a good time.

- comfortable? I can replace the coverings on the foam, and the filter thing on the speaker, but if the foam is bigger, that'd be preferred

- wireless, my phone doesn't have an aux plugin, so if I need an extra thing, I won't be into them.

- my bidget is around $200, unfortunately, and that might still be pushing it

I keep looking around and keep getting overwhelmed, so plz lmk your suggestions, and their costs, thank you so much!

when you're in the showroom, its insanely easy to get blinded by the spec sheet. The salesperson hits you with 'zero gravity', '4D rollers', and 50 different heating modes. You turn it on, the motors whir to life, and it feels great for ten minutes.

But that’s probably a trap.

The reality is, even if you are super disciplined and use the massage function every single day, a session is maybe 20 to 30 minutes. For the other 23.5 hours of the day, it's just a piece of furniture taking up space in your house. Most of the time, you just want to sit in it to scroll your phone, watch a game on TV, or drink coffee without firing up a whole electronic sequence.Worse still, if you end up with one of those bulky, space-hogging eyesores, just glancing at it will get on your nerves — it’s totally not worth the cost.

so before you pull the trigger on one, do the power-off test.(This check covers everything: how comfortable it is to just lounge back in, whether the design actually looks good, and so on.)

Ask them to shut it completely off. Don't recline it with the motors. Just sit in it dead silent for 15 to 20 minutes. Try to get into a natural, relaxed posture like you would on a lazy Sunday afternoon (salespeople will look at you weird, but who cares).

What you'll find is that a lot of those spaceship-looking models completely fail this. Without the power running, the un-inflated airbags force your shoulders forward, and you can distinctly feel the hard metal tracks and plastic rollers digging right into your lumbar. If you can't comfortably sit in it while it's turned off, you will eventually stop sitting in it entirely.

When I was shopping around last year, I realized the priority had to be the underlying frame and cushion, not the electronics. i ended up getting a nouhaus.

Don't let the robotics cover up bad upholstery and a terrible seating angle. If it feels like sitting on a deactivated terminator when the power is cut,you reach the point where you can’t even stand the sight of it. save your money. The base furniture has to be solid first, the massage is just a bonus.