Inspired by the tremendously useful subreddit r/BuyItForLife, here’s my own occasionally-updated list of not-inexpensive purchases I’ve made over the years that continue to be worth every penny:
- Herman Miller Aeron office chair – this is my personal Mac Daddy of BIFL purchases. If you work at a desk it could be one of the best things you ever buy. I got mine in 2014 and in 2025 it’s still going strong, in excellent working order after tens of thousands of hours use. The only wear and tear to speak of: the light texture on the rubber arm rests has worn smooth, but there’s no hint of them wearing through and it’s made no difference to the usability or experience of sitting in the chair. Supremely comfortable and adaptable – you can adjust the chair height, reclining resistance, seat front edge depth, armrest height, width, and angle, and lumbar support height and strength. And you won’t ever get hot and sweaty in it as the entire seat and back is fully breathable. It really is absolutely superb.
- Global chef’s knife – I got mine in around 2000 and 25 years later it’s a little duller around the tip only because I haven’t been as consistent at sharpening it as I should have been. But otherwise it’s as perfectly balanced and comfortable to hold and use as it was the day I bought it. I use it for almost every kitchen chopping task, every single day of my life (when I’m at home).
- Waterrower – got mine in 2020 so not that long ago but an absolutely incredible piece of fitness equipment; sustainably built, simply engineered, beautiful to look at, extremely effective in use.
- Mathmos Lava Lamp – if lava lamps are your thing, go the extra mile to get one made by Mathmos, the British company that created the very first lava lamp back in the 1960s. They’re still based in Poole in the south of England, which is also where the lamps are made. I got mine around 1995 and it still works perfectly in 2025. The bulbs do go eventually, of course, so in that respect I suppose it’s not fully BIFL, but the main unit itself if cared for should last you decades of careful use. Also, spend a bit extra to get official Mathmos bulbs. The ones I get from Amazon etc are much cheaper but tend to not last long – sometimes a couple of days, sometimes a few weeks, in rare cases a few months. The ones from Mathmos are actually guaranteed for a year, and do generally last that long.
- Dualit Classic toaster & kettle –
- TinyMight 2 vaporiser –
- Thermapen food thermometer –
- Leatherman utility tool –
- Anglepoise desk & floor lamps –