I'm looking for a BIFL winter coat that looks great (which to me means an emphasis on timeless styles, natural colors, and emphasis on organic materials like wool, down, waxed canvas, animal skins, etc.) but is also very warm and can stand some weather. Not necessarily something I'd go skiing or climb Mt. Everest in, but I want to be comfortable while caught in the sleet on a walk in the middle of a 20 degree winter day.

I don't want to just go to REI and get something that is highly functional but is super boring. I want some kind of rancher waxed canvas coat lined with alpaca fur, or something like that. Something that is a work of art, and that sends a surge of pleasure up my spine whenever I put it on.

Ideally under $1000 but that's flexible if I love it enough.

This sub is likely good and bad for me. It certainly indulges me in spending a LOT of time searching for the VERY best of whatever item I need. It can get a little obsessive.

On the other hand, I like the mentality of limiting my consumption and selecting for quality. I think a good number of items can last much longer when we know how to clean and take care of them.

This is going to be a super general prompt, but I want to know:

What are some habits that you've picked up for maintaining your items? What habits have made any of your items (even if not normally BIFL) last well? Some of these may be super obvious, but learning them later in life has made a big difference for me.

I'll go first:

• Desktop PC: only recently learned these should actually go on the desktop, not on the floor. Going to be blasting mine out soon with some canned air to help with dust.

• kitchen knives: learning how to straighten an edge and doing so regularly keeps my knives sharp. Makes it less tempting to start thinking of my knives as worn out and fantasizing about replacing them.

• Mainly I used to borrow vacuums from residence halls and roommates- most of them have been poorly maintained and ineffective. I've only just taken the time to learn that firstly (1)bagged vacuumes are usually superior, and (2) changing out your bag regularly (once a month) can really help your vacuum live a good a long-sucking life.

-vehicles: There arent many daily driver BIFL vehicles perhaps- especially with salty roads like where I'm from. However on those roads I've learned that washing your car 1/week and ideally using some kind of anti rust film (annually) can make a big difference.

TLDR: it's easy to blame an item for not being BIFL and then purchasing another. What are your best maintenance habits for BIFL?

Looking to renovate my kitchen. Which are the top BiFl appliances in each of these categories?

Dishwashers Gas cooktops Speed/Combi ovens Wall Ovens Range hoods

Thanks

I like a relaxed but not super baggy fit. Im around a 34-36 waist. Wanting to buy a pair that’ll wear in like a good pair of leather boots.

What should I replace carhartt with? They just don’t last anymore.

I know it's Amazon but they have a lot of bills stuff - knipex, north face, etc.

Hi! I am looking for recommendations for a good trimmer for body hair especially the groin region.

I don’t believe any underwear can truly be BIFL but I tried a few pairs of Bombas and was impressed with how well they held up. Based on that experience, I reordered several more pairs. Unfortunately, the product I received this time was completely different, and it seems others have had similar experiences based on recent reviews.

When I tried to leave a review, I discovered that the option to do so has been disabled for this product. Looking through the existing reviews, I noticed what appears to be fake reviews mixed in with genuine complaints about the decline in quality.

I really appreciate Bombas’ mission and what they stand for, but I hope they address these quality concerns and provide greater transparency about the reviews.

The socks are great still.

I'm looking for speakers that aren't too large but have great sound quality to connect to my wife's computer

Hey BIFL community!

First-time poster here, a friend of mine told me you guys would appreciate this. We were talking about Rimowa and how the quality surely is great, it is basically a luxury brand now owned by a massive fashion conglomerate. I also recently learned that they offer a lifetime guarantee for their new suitcases. However, my jaw dropped after I checked out their prices lol. I believe Proteca is a great alternative and as far as I know they’re the only suitcase manufacturer left in Japan who still produces locally.  

https://preview.redd.it/7uokpo4u183e1.jpg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e59a4483f1879a870b31b1714881ccc61e58b9e0

I bought this trusty travel companion when I went on a trip to Japan in 2013 for around 60k yen. I was initially drawn to its lightweight design and the promise of durability. Fast forward 11 years, and this bag has been through quite the journey with me: I've taken it across North Asia, Southeast Asia (including Thailand and Vietnam), and Europe. The reel is still as smooth as day one, and it handles rough roads with small rocks in SEA and Europe like a champ. I’ll be honest – I’m not the most careful traveler, but this suitcase has never let me down. It’s been tossed around, dragged over all sorts of terrain, and still, it holds up incredibly well (I think a suitcase is a bit like a pair of white trainers: it needs to be worn in to really look good). 

Most recently, I took it back to its homeland in Japan, visiting Aomori, Morioka, and Sendai. It felt like bringing the suitcase full circle. There are so many memories connected with it and I am quite attached to it. My partner recently told me he would like to buy me a new suitcase, something newer but I honestly don’t want one. This is my suitcase and we are going to ride it out to the end. 

If you’re considering investing in a suitcase that’s built to last, I can’t recommend Proteca enough. Granted, this suitcase doesn't have the same bling factor as Rimowa or Tumi, but for these brands you pay a lot for branding. Proteca is not cheap, but I’ve always believed that quality comes at a price, especially when it’s made in Japan. They do have a Black Friday at the moment. Unfortunately, I noticed that the exact model I own isn’t available anymore, but I’m sure their current lineup is just as robust.

Exterior Materials (roof & siding) for our forever home

Hello! Long-time lurker and have not seen a post in here that might answer this, but if I missed one please link it!

Primarily interested in roof materials and siding materials but open to all suggestions you might have for exterior longevity.

We are planning to stay in our ranch-style home built in the 90s for a long time. We're located in Michigan, so cold winters and plenty of rain and snow. We have lots of trees and are planting more. Mold/mildew is a big problem in this area (and we've dealt with our fair share).

Currently considering a copper roof (but worried about decline of skilled trades and whether we can trust installer). Also considering cedar siding with TWP penetrating transparent and semi-transparent stain (low VOC formula).

Budget is not much of an issue as this is something we are hoping to invest in.

Some factors to consider:

• sustainable/regenerative/permaculture principles are important to us. Obviously this is difficult when considering long-lasting building materials, so longevity/recycle-ability might be the best we can do here while still getting quality

• We are willing to make investment up front to avoid replacement and (large) maintenance costs.

• Our current t 1-11 siding has serious water damage in some areas

• we don't want to get scammed by good marketing or poor craftsmanship of course

• I am semi-handy, can learn quickly but tend to work very slow and do have a toddler and planning for more, so at least for now we really do plan to outsource a lot of work unfortunately. My partner has health issues and is of minimal assistance in this area lol.

Next up is windows so if you have any bifl window products or advice please let me know too!

Thanks in advance, can't tell you guys how much value I get from this sub every day! :)

Been burned before with expensive but cheap sets. What’s the gold standard?

I have recently been a fan of earfun for their price/ quality ratio and am looking for recommendations. I have had a problem in the past where my young children help me relocate individual ear buds and would prefer to be able to "self insure thethem" at a reasonable price and not have a difficult decision regarding reaching into a public toilet to retrieve one.

Which to go with? A bagged vacuum or bagless? Pretty tired of my bagless stick vacuum and wondering if going old school would Be better?

Hi all! I have 4 animals in a small house, I need a vacuum that's going to be a POWERHOUSE but I have rugs/hardwood/carpets.

Looking for something either professional or industrial maybe? Bagged is fine as long as the bags are accessible from somewhere other than Amazon.

Thanks for the help!

As the question states. I’m looking to see if anybody has any information on these promotions on the TikTok shop for darn tough socks? Thank you so much!

So I'm looking for a recliner and have a few I'm looking at and am wondering if these are good quality and durable, please share your thoughts!

In particular order

1. https://www.raymourflanigan.com/living-rooms/recliners/dana-pushback-recliner-280010051

2. https://www.raymourflanigan.com/living-rooms/recliners/dryden-leather-power-recliner-w-power-headrest-280233392

3. https://www.raymourflanigan.com/living-rooms/recliners/goliath-recliner-280091148

Please share your opinions and any recommendations you may have to be from Raymour and Flanigan please, I have a store credit I want to use thanks!

Price range is around $100-300. Never owned an espresso machine and I am not really interested in Nespresso

Title says it all

Dear Internets: I want one outfit that is quality and timeless. I teach at a community college, so I could dress up a bit (shirt, tie, slacks) or down a bit (slacks and a plain T-shirt). I hate thinking about what to wear, keeping up with fashion trends, and buying clothes that don’t last. Your suggestions are welcomed.

I did a search and surprisingly not a lot of posts on this. I would love some BIFL-ish casual leggings for lounging. That don’t look too “athletic” with stripes and such. Must have a pocket for the phone

Basically the title.

My wife has an extensive coat collection - which means some don’t get worn for a year plus.

What does this sub recommend that is sturdy enough for heavy garments but also crafted to not result in misshaped shoulders.

Looking for a nice portable charger, I have been using the inui powerbank for a few years and it has worked well but it is kind of inconvenient to carry around. I'm a sucker for gimmicky stuff too so if you know of one that has cool features but is still good, I'd love to hear it lol

Hi! My wedding is next year and I’ve had a few people start asking me about my registry so I’m trying to put one together. I really want some good quality items that will last. I’m totally overwhelmed by the amount of choices so I was wondering if you had any insight on items that will be good for a newly married couple that will retain it’s quality after years of use. Thank you!!

Looking for the best budget battery operated lunch box (could rechargeable or replaceable batteries).

I’m a bit lost scouring mixed reviews all over Amazon. Does anyone have any that they recommend?

Hello everyone,

I'm looking for a BIFL PC controller / joypad, I've bought a few over the years : Playstations, XBOXs, specific PC brands etc..They always seem to be very fragile and something always goes wrong with them after 1 year or the first few falls (solo strafing, key not working).

Anyone got recommandations?

I have a rain shower head in one of my bathrooms that broke and is leaking water. Anytime have any recommendations for a replacement that will last longer than 4 years? Current one broke when we had to turn off the water in our house. When it was turned back on again, the air pressure must have broken something where it now leaks on the side.