Ask Wirecutter: What Are the Best Buy-It-for-Life (and Beyond) Products? (2024)

Leather gets better with age, and signs of wear are indications of lives well lived (a little leather conditioner goes a long way). With some care, the Cuyana Classic Easy Tote from our guide to the best tote bags will last for generations.

“I’ve had my Cuyana tote for four or five years now. I’m not remotely fashionable, but it feels like the kind of thing the grandkids might find in the bottom of my closet one day and make them think I secretly had great taste,” said senior staff writer Jackie Reeve. “It’s pretty indestructible as my go-to Mom bag, and I’ve thrown everything from applesauce pouches to sunscreen to crayons in it over the years. It still looks incredible.”

There’s nothing like a piece of well-constructed, natural-fiber clothing to make you feel like you’re getting a hug from a loved one. “I’d admired versions of this fisherman’s sweater for as long as I can remember, but it wasn’t until a Wirecutter colleague pointed me toward Blarney Woolen Mills that I found the perfect one,” said supervising editor Hannah Morrill.

“The 200-year-old Irish textile company makes a handful of versions, but the one I have—crewneck, cable knit, loose but unbulky fit—will be a huge score for my daughter (after I wear it for another 50 years, God willing).”

Beloved by multiple people on staff, the classic Bialetti Moka Express is gorgeous to look at, and it makes espresso-like coffee without the big machine. The pressurized brew method forces steam up from the lower chamber into the grounds above, resulting in a strong, rich coffee.

“I have been using the same moka pot for over 20 years, and it was old when I bought it at a Miami Goodwill. Replace the gasket every two to three years, which takes about 10 seconds and costs about $2, and it will live forever,” said senior staff writer Tim Heffernan.

Adding bone china to a wedding registry no longer feels like a social necessity, but having beautiful and functional glassware that you’ll use and love every day feels like a perfect match.

“I love my Duralex Picardie glasses, which I have in multiple colors. And the Emma Bridgewater 1/2 Pint Mugs are such fun to collect—I have many of the chicken and gardening designs, and I sometimes scout eBay for older, discontinued versions. They’re not too big, not too small for tea and hot chocolate. And, honestly, I’ll pass down my Le Creuset Mugs, too. They’re sturdy and feel great to hold. I just want the grandkids to take all my cups and to stay hydrated,” Jackie said.

I spoke to senior kitchen editor Marguerite Preston, and her advice is to buy the colored versions directly from Duralex to avoid backstock. Until 2024, the color was coated onto the glass, and it could scratch over time. Now the company has switched to coloring the glass itself, but the old version may still be sold by some retailers.

Just think about the faces of your loved ones at the will reading when they discover you’ve passed down a fashionable and functional pepper mill. Priceless. “I bought our beloved pepper-mill pick on sale for $35. I crank that little baby with joy because its cost per use goes down the more pepper I add. (Can I put pepper on strawberry ice cream? I can now!) And I have no doubt that with a little care, that little wooden guy could easily outlast me and make many, many more people just as happy as I am,” said deals writer Mike Cohen.

I have a cast-iron skillet from my friend’s grandmother that we use daily—it’s probably 100 years old. But if I ever need a new one to add to my collection (doubt it!), I’m going with the Lodge Chef Collection 12-Inch Cast Iron Skillet because it’s 2 pounds lighter than a classic cast-iron skillet.

Le Creuset’s Dutch oven—a wedding-registry MVP—deserves a spot on this list, now and forever. “I own both the 5½-quart Le Creuset Round Dutch oven and the larger, 9½-quart oval model,” said supervising editor Ingela Ratledge Amundson. “I wouldn’t want to live without either of them, but surprisingly, my family gets more use out of the big one. Turns out, this thing is a lifestyle as much as a pot: You’re not just buying a 19-pound, comically oversized cooking vessel—you’re also signing up for elaborate Sunday suppers, a quixotic quest for the perfect short-rib recipe, and frequent squabbles over who’s responsible for cleanup, now that your dishwasher is strictly off-limits.”

A well-built vacuum will last a lifetime and beyond. I am still using my grandparents’ Oreck upright. It does the job and doesn’t complain, and I’ve been hoping it continues to be a good influence on my other appliances.

The SEBO Airbelt K3, the top-pick canister vac in our guide to upright and canister vacuums, has an ergonomic handle and an extra-long hose, and the brush head can be removed easily for cleaning. In our tests, we found that it picked up debris more thoroughly than any of its competitors, and we loved the generous warranty.

“This is a for-life vacuum if you treat it nicely,” said Wirecutter vacuum expert Sabine Heinlein. That means emptying the bin or replacing the bag regularly, washing or exchanging the filters when they are dirty, and always removing clogs and tangles from the brush head.

Although the golden age of wearing a smart suit and a fedora for your airline travel are long gone, there’s something delightful about well-made, dependable luggage, even if you’re wearing sweats while rolling it through the airport.

We’ve loved Travelpro Platinum Elite Luggage for years. And while its longevity depends on how often you travel and factors outside of your control (like whether airlines treat it with care or not), the suitcase’s solid construction and lifetime warranty will certainly help prevent your bag from experiencing an early demise.

“And unlike the warranties covering other bags, Travelpro’s warranty on this luggage remains in effect even if the airline wrecks it. (Just make sure to register your luggage with Travelpro.) You can also order user-replaceable parts to fix your own bag,” guide author Kit Dillon wrote in a love letter to the bags.

A sure sign of adulthood is owning a hammer. And using the same hammer that a parent or grandparent used feels extra grown-up. The 16-ounce, steel-handled, curved-claw Estwing E3-16C—the top pick in our guide to hammers—is the best among the 22 hammers we’ve tested over the years.

“I’ve had an Estwing hammer for over 25 years, 10 of which were when I was a full-time carpenter. Other than the great weathered patina it’s taken on, it’s the same as the day I bought it,” said senior staff writer Doug Mahoney, who wrote the guide.

A Leatherman tool is one of the handiest everyday items you can carry. It will get you out of almost any pinch, from tough-to-open packages to removing a splinter.

In our multi-tool guide, we list not one, not two, not three, but five Leatherman tools, all of them backed by the company’s 25-year warranty. Our top pick, the Leatherman Skeletool CX, is the one senior staff writer Doug Mahoney, the guide’s author, carries around daily.

“It’s great. There’s just no fluff to it. It only has what I consider the essential tools, so I’m not carrying around all this stuff I don’t need,” Doug said.

As for the others, that really depends on your needs. Do you want even more tools in your multi-tool? The Leatherman Free P2 could be a fit for you. Are you outdoorsy? The Leatherman Signal is great for emergency prep. Consult our guide to read all about the feature nuances before deciding which one will work best for you (and your progeny)

If you’re part of a green-thumbed family, you know that the satisfying snap of a pair of sharp, well-built garden pruners is unmatched. The Felco 2 pruners are the top pick in our guide to the best garden pruners.

In our tests, the Felco 2’s hardened-steel blades opened and closed smoothly and made clean cuts. These pruners are easy to sharpen, and the plastic-coated forged aluminum alloy handles are truly long-lasting. In the unlikely event you need to replace a part, they’re usually available on the Felco website for less than $5, said associate staff writer Ellen Airhart, co-author of the guide.

“If you need new Felco pruners, it’s probably not because your old pair broke. More likely they slipped into your gardening buddy’s pockets,” Ellen said.

These delightful, well-designed watering cans are easy to fill and comfortable to hold, and they have a steady flow that’s perfect for, you guessed it, watering plants. Our pick, the Haws Mini Watering Can, comes with a five-year guarantee, but we suspect it will last way beyond that. We also recommend the larger Haws Warley Fall 2 Gallon can for outdoor use, and it has a 10-year guarantee.

“And if you really struggle with cans rusting or corroding, and you live in a harsh climate, their super expensive, lifetime-guarantee Warley Fall HDG outdoor can would be an incredible gift,” said guide author Jackie Reeve.

Make that a gift to yourself and your kids.

This article was edited by Jason Chen.