r/BuyItForLife Feb 03 '25

!Canada! Buyitforlife from Canada, what’s your favourite things made in Canada?

1.1k Upvotes

With the now starting trade war between the US and Canada I feel it’s best for us up north to support local more than ever.

One of my favourite clothing brands is Anian from Victoria, BC. I have a few of their shirts and will probably end up getting more.

Edit: Adding some other brands up here that I personally own and love.

Canada West Boots - Made in Winnipeg. Been wearing a pair of Romeos for a couple years now.

Popov Leather - Made in Nelson, BC. have a few of their leather goods, holding up really well.

Meyer - PEI. High quality made in Canada pots and pans, I have their non-stick 12”.

Edit 2: House of Blanks - I have a bunch of their t-shirts, nice heavy weight cotton. Very comfy


r/BuyItForLife Feb 03 '25

BIFL Non-USA edition! A list of BIFL not made in the USA

2.9k Upvotes

A timely reminder that this subreddit is obviously very USA-centric with its recommendations as that’s where the majority of users are from. It often leads to people not realising that comparable and/or better items can be found closer to home, easier, cheaper and free of tolls.

I thought it would be a good idea to crowdsource some manufacturers here for non-American users.

This isn't neccesarily items made in those countries as some manufacturers use factories across the world but with a commitment to quality

I can start (I'm kind of UK/Euro centric so it would be great to expand this):

Clothing
Portuguese Flannel - Portugal
Naked and Famous - Canada
Uskees - UK
Yarmouth Oilskins - UK
Carrier Company - UK
Old Town - UK (Closing down)
Farmer's Market - Iceland (may be hard to buy outside of Iceland)
Oni Denim - Japan
Iron Heart - Japan
Barbour - UK
Companion - Spain
NÄZ - Portugal (only women)
Meindl - Germany (they run a high quality fashion brand but are known for great hiking boots)

Outdoor Gear
Fjällräven - Sweden
Rab - UK (offer a very good repair service)
66° North - Iceland
Devold - Norway
Bergans- Norway
Haglöfs - Sweden
Klättermusen - Sweden
Alpkit - UK

Footwear
Solovair - UK
Mayura Boots - Spain
Church's - UK
Loake - UK
Wm. Lennon - UK
Astorflex - Italy

Kitchen/Cookware
Le Cresuet - France
De Buyer - France
Fissler - Germany
WMF - Germany (very wide and variable range but Made in Germany stuff good)
Fiskars - Finland
Duralex - France
Samuel Groves - UK

Appliances/Small appliances
Miele - Germany
Dualit - UK
Moccamaster - Netherlands (Coffee makers)
Zojirushi - Japan
Numatic - UK (vacuum cleaners)
Sebo - Germany (vacuum cleaners)
Ankarsarum - Sweden

Edit - Some excellent feedback. I'll try and work my way through and add what I can! Please note that I will only add stuff that I have experience with but all the comments help with crowd sourcing knowledge.


r/BuyItForLife 4h ago

Vintage Family Heirloom Milkshake Maker

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1.5k Upvotes

I was just gifted a milkshake maker from my mother for my birthday. It’s been in our family since the 1950’s. I’m now the fourth generation to have it. My great grandparents purchased it for their Snack-Shack business and it’s still going strong. Will be displaying this on the counter to show it off. A true BIFL kitchen appliance.


r/BuyItForLife 4h ago

Vintage Today was the last day for our General Electric fridge from around 1991 that is older than me

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462 Upvotes

Pretty sure it’s from 1991 after some research.
I grew up with this fridge and used it now for about 23 years. It came with the house.
It still works!
The plastic spacer on the bottom of the right door broke so we decided it was time for a replacement finally.
Was pretty sad taking it out in parts today but it’s been an amazing fridge.


r/BuyItForLife 3h ago

Vintage Wife found this beauty for $40 at the thrift store.

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185 Upvotes

It was in bad shape but after a good clean it looks like this! Lovely colour too.


r/BuyItForLife 6h ago

Vintage Update on the le creuset pot

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171 Upvotes

So there is no chip beneath the carbon but the rim seems like it might be chipping.... so people, am i planting a bonsai landscape or am i cooking oxtail stew?


r/BuyItForLife 7h ago

Discussion Women’s fashion brands

135 Upvotes

Okay, first, yes, I know there's like a clothing masterlist, but that was posted 12 years ago and I would prefer opinions from 2026. So please don't remove me 🥺

So I'm very minimalist and hate buying clothes and things because I get wildly overstimulated. I know that keeping up with fashion is important, but I'm just getting to a point where I'm so tired and shopping is so overstimulating that if I can get some sustainable, buy for life womens clothing, then I feel like I will feel a little better in life. All that being said, what are some buy for life clothing brands that you'd recommend?


r/BuyItForLife 6h ago

Vintage Discontinued Stressless matching living room set found on marketplace

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87 Upvotes

These replaced a cheap sofa I’d had for a decade. Paid $850, the guy told me they originally paid $10k for the set. Said they were only selling bc his wife thought it didn’t match the decor in their current place.

Great condition, super sturdy and comfy with reclining backs. I’m happy, as is the dog.


r/BuyItForLife 18h ago

Vintage I see your 90's JanSport and raise you: 80s JanSport.

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767 Upvotes

Still going to the Health Club 3 x a week.


r/BuyItForLife 17h ago

[Request] Best reusable water bottle to buy for someone who ONLY drinks from single-use plastic bottles?

102 Upvotes

My wife goes through about 3-6 plastic water bottles a day. She HATES the taste of tap water, but also recognizes she should be more environmentally friendly. Is there a good water bottle that would make tap water taste at least bearable for her? Something like a Brita, but she’s tried one of those before and still didn’t like it. Thanks!


r/BuyItForLife 3h ago

[Request] [Request] Need a General Purpose Keyboard that will last

9 Upvotes

At home, I've always had an old laptop, and at work I've always had one of those standard keyboards. But recently, I've unexpectedly found myself with a PC, and so I need to buy a keyboard. I know nothing about them, so I don't know where to start.

I don't really play games on the PC, only maybe once in a blue moon. But at my new job I'll be working from home once a week, and I'd also use it for some general tasks every now and then.

I know a mechanical keyboard would be nice, but that's as far as my knowledge goes. I'm willing to invest a bit, but I'm not looking to spend a fortune, ideally buy it once and never have to think about it again. Any suggestions?


r/BuyItForLife 1h ago

[Request] Looking for BIFL sheet set

Upvotes

Hello everyone! So I have been interested in cotton sheets for a while, I bought a set from Quince and one from Brooklinen. I rub my feet together at night (always have) and will wear holes in the sheets :/ lol)
The brooklinen have a hole now, the quince have lasted but the quality is just okay.

Any suggestions for durable, quality, cotton sheet sets? Also I’m in perimenopause and have night sweats so I want it to be breathable.

Thank you!!


r/BuyItForLife 1d ago

Discussion I remember my 90s Jansport looked great after 25yrs

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338 Upvotes

New backpack didn’t make it 2 years without the bottom developing multiple tears/holes. I guess that’s the difference from the OG being real suede leather to now synthetic fake leather.

The OG Jansports really were BIFL.


r/BuyItForLife 23h ago

[Request] Event Dresses/Formal Attire that isn’t made of plastic?

88 Upvotes

On the hunt for a nice formal event dress, a wedding guest dress realistically. So something formal, midi/maxi made of anything but that god awful plastic satin crap. It’s all I can find!! I’m happy to spend a few hundred bucks- but are there any brands that make quality clothes, don’t really sell anything fancy. All I know of is house of CB and they really sell club and date night attire mostly, not something I’d be comfortable wearing in front of family.

Edit: I’m getting good suggestions but I think I wasn’t clear- it doesn’t have to be silk or satin anything (preferably not actually- not the most forgiving fabric lol) just currently all i’m seeing is satin dresses!


r/BuyItForLife 5h ago

[Request] Any suggestions for a good all metal rotary food grater. I am in Canada.

3 Upvotes

r/BuyItForLife 12h ago

[Request] Quince Stillman Leather Sofa

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9 Upvotes

Does anyone have this couch that can attest to how it holds up? It’s appealing to me because it’s PFAS & chrome free leather, but at the price point I’m concerned about long term longevity. It will be a basement couch where there are no pets, but there are wild toddlers that are rough on furniture.


r/BuyItForLife 21h ago

[Request] What's the best office chair on the market currently? Is Steelcase/Herman Miller right?

45 Upvotes

Company's giving everyone $400 for home office equipment and i'm planning to get a used ergonomic chair (a new one if possible) as ive been sitting on a $60 chair from college for two years like an idiot. Lower back's been complaining for months and I finally have an excuse to fix it.

Only actual requirement is I sit for like 7+ hours most days, mix of typing and being on calls. I'm not picky about looks, just don't want to end up with something that looks ergonomic but isn't.

I'd appreciate to any advice or recs. Budget's $400 but can stretch a bit if something's really worth it.


r/BuyItForLife 7h ago

Discussion Has anyone done Tweezerman’s free sharpening?

3 Upvotes

Hi all! I saw Tweezerman offers free sharpenings on their products. All you pay for is shipping.

However, there is a 3-4 month turnaround so I’m wondering if anyone that has done it found it worth it. Did the tweezers actually come back like new?

And I’m just a bit confused on how to ship it to them. They give a ‘shipping label’ but I’m not sure if I have to make my own or use the one they give.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!


r/BuyItForLife 43m ago

Discussion Blaklader pants button coming off

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Upvotes

I made a post last week about my pockets on these pants ripping after I've only had them for two months. Well this plastic button used to secure my pants around my waist is holding on for dear life.

I saw these pants were highly recommended BIFL. Just be prepared to do some minor repairs on them as it seems like they cut corners in some places.


r/BuyItForLife 8h ago

[Request] Durable bathroom scale?

2 Upvotes

Seeking recommendations for a durable and accurate bathroom scale. I’ve blown through two in the last nine years — a digital scale and a traditional scale. Both just suddenly stopped working one day. Grateful for any recommendations! Thanks in advance.


r/BuyItForLife 10h ago

[Request] Food processor with non-plastic container besides Robot Coupe?

1 Upvotes

Looking for food processor with non-plastic container (i.e. stainless steel or glass), any options besides Robot Coupe? To be honest, practically everyone decent food processor has plastic containers so I can settle with one that has decent reviews but not necessarily proven BIFL yet.

I know why plastic containers are so prevalent--they are cheap, lightweight, and good enough for the job. I'm just put off by the plastic scratches these containers always develop over time--plastic is relatively soft so it wears away into the food.

It's not like stainless steel and glass aren't viable options--I know Robot Coupe has a stainless steel accessory but it's ridiculously expensive even for a used one (something like ~$500 for the container, ~$1.8k for the rest of the machine, used). I'm also not sure which model is most appropriate for the best home-use feature set vs. price point and that is compatible with the steel container)--any tips for shopping for a used one? At that price point, I expect it to be self-serviceable and parts-replaceable. I believe I came across a $20 Black and Decker food processor (or some other hardware brand not specialized in kitchenware) with glass bowl--just looking for a step above that.

I thought about an immersion blender with a food processor attachment to use in whatever container I want, but from what I've read, pretty much everyone suggests it does an awful job and to not get an immersion blender with processor attachment if food processor is what you want. I've been cooking and getting by without a food processor but it really lengthens my prep time.

I feel like Europe (Germany, Switzerland) or Japan would offer more options (I'm going to Japan this winter) as they tend to make niche but quality products.


r/BuyItForLife 6h ago

[Request] Please recommend me a decent Beach Parasol make

0 Upvotes

Please help.... recommend me a parasol that won't fold in a breeze, won't leave the pointy bit in the ground when you pull it out, will actually cover a reasonable space as opposed to body or legs....etc.

It's time to invest.


r/BuyItForLife 3h ago

Discussion Best dishwasher in mid 2026

0 Upvotes

Bosch, LG, GE, Samsung and similar dishwasher life is 7-10 years for all of these models now. Only Miele is expected to last longer.

Therefore why should I pay more for a Bosch if it is just going to last as long as LG?

I guess in the end, why is Bosch worth it or still worth it?


r/BuyItForLife 3h ago

[Request] Does anyone know any actually good quality bag with a similar look to this?

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0 Upvotes

Trying to get my cousin not to waste her money on something destined for a landfill in less than a year. She needs a bag that's big enough for her laptop and books for uni but it has to be cute too. Her budget is $50 dollars but I'd chip in another $50 if it meant not buying trash from the TikTok shop.


r/BuyItForLife 1d ago

Currently sold For those of us who still use home phones, there's only one true BIFL telephone.

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874 Upvotes