If you’re not one of the 922,000+ members of the Reddit ‘buy it for life’ community, you may not have heard of the term BIFL, or the movement it represents.
What is BIFL?
BIFL (‘Buy it for Life’) is the consumer philosophy of mindfully choosing to purchase high-quality products that are built with durability and longevity in mind over cheaper items that are prone to breakdown.
The BIFL community proposes that adopting a strict durability and longevity-minded mentality when making most, if not all of your purchase decisions, is not only better for you, but also the global community at large.
They might be right (we certainly think so), but the movement is also subject to criticism. Some argue that a BIFL represents a certain amount of financial privilege, and perhaps even forces consumers into paying too much for certain items.
So, does the buy it for life community and philosophy achieve what it promises to achieve? Do you actually save money and/or the environment when you choose BIFL products? And what defines whether or not a product is truly BIFL?
Read on for our expert answers and opinions on all of the above.
It is more of a mindset…
The first thing you may have noticed is that BIFL products technically don’t need to last an actual lifetime (though it’s great if they do).
The idea is to select products with certain features relating to their build quality or post-purchase servicing that will mean the product is likely to last significantly longer than other products within the same category.
…Ok, but why?
Why choose BIFL products?
‘Take lots of time to research products and spend more money on every purchase you make’ doesn’t sound all too enticing, but the core principles behind it are pretty convincing.
Adopting a BIFL policy allows you to do the following –
Save money
Simply put, buying higher-quality goods means you will save money over time due to not having to continually repurchase the same products that easily break or wear.
Terry Pratchett framed this principle beautifully in his novel ‘Men at Arms’, wherein a character explains that a good pair of boots will cost $50 and last years and years, but an affordable pair would break and leak over the course of one or two seasons.
This is now known as the ‘boots theory of socioeconomic unfairness’, and it’s a perfect demonstration of the value that BIFL products can offer.
Reduce your impact on the environment
In today’s extremely value-oriented, disposable convenience-goods environment, it’s all too easy to pick the quickest or cheapest option when making purchase decisions.
But as we can plainly see, this is coming at a great cost to the environment.
Affordability is great, who doesn’t love a bargain? But when prices seem suspiciously low, that’s a cause for concern. It usually means that the product uses low-grade materials, is poorly constructed, or sourced via unethical means.
And that means that it won’t be long before your product either start showing troubling signs of wear and no longer works to its full abilities, or completely breaks down and becomes useless.
Then, it joins the endless piles of trash that are filling landfills across the globe.
BIFL products try to avoid this fate, hopefully lasting for years and years with great care, helping you to reduce the overall demand for cheap, throwaway goods.
The problems with BIFL
The BIFL concept is not without its flaws, however.
The core promise of BIFL is to save money, but these effects can only be experienced over time.
To someone with limited disposable income, spending the ‘correct’ amount of money that the BIFL community suggests for a certain product to last a lifetime may be impossible.
Additionally, how can you ensure that a product will give you back in value what you paid for it?
As passionate members of the BIFL movement and community, we can recommend a few different strategies to minimize these issues.
Firstly, it’s our suggestion that not all products need to be BIFL.
There are some – perhaps even many products that are both affordable and long-lasting by design. These are typically medium-to-low value items or items that are not used with much regularity.
So, you can save the BIFL analysis for only the products that you know you will use and abuse very regularly, products that exist to protect you in dangerous environments, or products you need for your industrial, military, or defense job.
Examples of these items include pocket knives, external hard drives, protective eyewear, and tents.
As for how to determine whether products are BIFL? Well, we’ve spent the last year perfecting a system for just that.
How do you spot BIFL quality?
There are a set of common features you can look for in BIFL goods that can give you a good indication as to how long the product will last, and whether the price might represent good value over time.
Some well-known examples of these features include rugged build materials, extended warranties, high IP or NEMA ratings, and industrial or military specification and grading.
Our sole mission is to perform deep-dives into these rugged product categories, identify a selection of the best-performing ones, and rank and compare them all for your convenience.
To do this, we’ve developed a system that can be applied to any and all rugged gear and tech in order to produce a robust rating that you as a consumer can trust as an indication of the BIFL value.
Our Rugged Ratings BIFL system ensures each product we include is one or many of the following:
- Rugged – products built to industrial or military standards like MIL-STD-810G or IP68, and products that use high-quality, durable materials.
- Repairable – products with longer than average or lifetime warranty, warranty repairs included, satisfaction guarantees, extended servicing, or replaceable components.
- Upgradable – products with modular components that can be upgraded or products that offer the option of a rugged version.
- Multipurpose – products that can perform one or multiple different functions and therefore could replace the need for other products.
By identifying to what extent a certain product features all of the above qualities, we can give each one we review an accurate and consistent BIFL score.
It’s our hope that by performing these rugged product reviews and comparisons, you as a consumer can be armed with reliable and independently verified information and data relating to product value and longevity.
This way, you can make the most informed decisions when buying durable gear and tech from a BIFL brand that offers the most value for your money and reduces the environmental effects of product wastage.
We love to review products for police and military officers, defense personnel, industrial and manufacturing workers, adventurers, outdoor enthusiasts, extreme sports aficionados, and the average consumer who wants their tech and gear to last a lifetime.
#BIFL
So, we hope you’ll join us in our journey in highlighting all the incredible gadgets, tools, and military gear that are built with extreme ruggedness, longevity, and durability in mind.
We update the site with new articles regularly, covering a huge range of product categories and niches. The Discounts and Offers page might be also interesting for you.
You can subscribe to our email list (check our homepage) to be the first to receive new product reviews, announcements, and exclusive discounts.
We can’t wait to bring you more of the best military-grade durable tech & gear that will last a lifetime. #BIFL.
FAQ
What does BIFL stand for?
BIFL stands for “Buy It for Life.” People use this term on Reddit and other online platforms to discuss whether or not they should buy an expensive purchase and how durable it is.
What matters more in BIFL, the price or quality of products?
Pricing is important, but in the long term, it’s the quality of the product that ensures that customers stay loyal to your brand.
Buy It For Life: Are Quality Products Worth the Investment?
Owning a quality and reliable item is absolutely worth it. In the long run, you will save a lot of money on repairing or buying a replacement.
Should I trust BIFL’s recommendations?
A “buy it for life” (BIFL) item may be more expensive, but it will save you significant money in the long run. You won’t have to repair or replace it as often, and it will “shine” over time.
What is not worth buying BIFL?
BIFL is worth buying, but in some situations, BIFL is a waste. For example:
- Items that are meant to be replaced frequently, like toddlers’ clothes.
- Items that can be upgraded with new potential technologies.
- Items that are durable by themselves (such as the aluminum mug).
Is BIFL just a marketing term?
BIFL is supposed to refer to “practical, durable, and quality made products that are made to last.” With time, it becomes more like “expensive products with functional design.” A bad company will use it with bad intent, attaching a “BIFL” mark to achieve a higher price. However, there are plenty of BIFL quality products in today’s market. You just need a “clear head” to get them.
Where does the BIFL term come from?
BIFL comes mostly from a hashtag discussion on Reddit.
What standard did BIFL need to follow?
A BIFL product should be built with high-quality materials based on military standards (MIL-STD-810G, IP68). It should come with replaceable and upgradeable components and an extended warranty. It would be perfect if that BIFL product could perform well for multipurpose too.
What’s the disadvantage of BIFL buying?
The biggest con of buying BIFL items is that they are expensive. Due to the durability or functionality, the price goes up. Sometimes, their brand claims are true, and they last a lifetime. Sometimes not, and they are just a scam.
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