What Makes a BuyMeOnce Product?

Over at BuyMeOnce HQ, we are asked three questions time and time again; why are the products we sell expensive, why are there products on our site without lifetime guarantees and what makes a product BuyMeOnce worthy? We wanted to take the time to address these questions and talk to you about what we do, how we do it and what makes a BuyMeOnce product. 

1. Consumer Champions first and foremost

We make it our mission to act as a consumer champion by finding the longest lasting things on the planet. We do this because it’s true, ‘they don’t make ‘em like they used to!’ Or at least, for many things this is the case prompting us to buy more stuff, more frequently. What’s broadly available, while potentially cheaper and more immediately accessible, is often of reduced quality and non-functional long term. The upfront cost may be less, but over time we are parting with more cash as the need to replace failing, low quality items increases.

When you invest in an sustainable, made to last item, the cost is greater because the materials used are of higher quality, the construction is considered and well executed and those involved in the process are fairly paid for their work and skill. We have become so accustomed to the availability of cheap products that when faced with a higher price tag, the tendency is often to resist. We’re not here to judge, we know a bigger upfront cost isn’t always a possible load to bear. However, it is our hope that the combination of a consumer perspective shift with the help of careful planning and more manufacturers building products to last not break, will mean buying once and buying well will become more easily achievable for everyone.

2. What does ‘Best in Show’ actually mean?

We search high and low for the products that are ‘best in show’ in their category. We rigorously compare products to others in their category until we’ve curated a shortlist of items that outperform their competitors in terms of longevity. While team BuyMeOnce works tirelessly to track down items with no quibble lifetime guarantees, the reality is that, in some categories, these don’t exist. For example, we have yet to find a lifetime guaranteed laptop (a pipe dream?!) or a washing machine as these products simply aren’t available on the market.

Yet. That said we have found something pretty exciting on the washing machine front... stay tuned and subscribe here to be the first to know when it launches.) We know that demand for these products is strong, so for BuyMeOnce to truly act as a consumer champion and be useful to the community, we do the work to find the best options available on the market.

3. What do we look for?

The starting point for our research is always the following questions; we present to you our five point criteria, our guiding principles:

• Do the materials and craftsmanship make this product more durable that its competitors
• Do customer and independent reviews confirm its durability?
• Is it made ethically, and, if possible, made of sustainable materials?
• Are the aftercare and after-sales policies offered by the manufacturer exceptional?
• Is the design timeless and future-proof rather than trend-driven?

When we say that a product is not available ‘yet’, did we mention that we’re also engaged in trying to close the product gap in our offering? We campaign for manufacturers to create products with longevity built in. We know they can do better; there’s enough skill and knowhow within manufacturing industries to get heads together and design things that are built to last not break. If enough people lend their voices to challenge planned obsolescence and demand more from the makers as well as voting with their wallets, real change is possible.

Hopefully this has illustrated how BuyMeOnce is so much more than a compilation of lifetime guaranteed products; through our rigorous selection process we aim to not only find you the best and longest-lasting products available today, but to raise the bar for longevity across the entire market. We never said we weren’t ambitious.