Consumer Reports Staffers Share Their BIFL Favorites

The famous Barbour waxed jacket, beloved by British royals, isn’t, on its face, a bargain—the Beadnell costs $398. But Emma Pyle, an associate director of philanthropic partnerships here at CR, inherited her grandmother’s waxed jacket from the 1970s. “It’s held up for literal decades, and is still fashionable,” says Emma. “It’s warm, rainproof, has a million pockets, and looks even better with time.” It’s made with waxed cotton and has a corduroy collar, and similar versions are available in men’s and women’s sizes. 

If you have a Barbour waxed cotton jacket that needs a little TLC, the company, for a fee, will repair and re-wax it for you.

Yael Grauer, a cybersecurity research program manager at CR, has had her current pair of Chaco Z/1 Adjustable Strap Classic Sandals for six years now. “I sent them in to be resoled and they gave me this new pair,” she says. “Before that, I had it for . . . as long as I can remember” (which she estimates to be about 2016). She loves that she can wear the comfy, hiking-friendly sandal with nearly any outfit and for any occasion, and, she says, “I don’t need to purchase a new pair because I am convinced these will last forever.” Chaco Classic Z sandals come in medium and wide widths, and are available for men and kids as well as for women.

Chaco has a lifetime warranty (though it won’t, according to the Chaco website, cover normal wear and tear). And as evidenced by Yael’s glowing experience, you can send your Chacos in for repair.

These socks really are tough. “Every other pair of hiking socks needs to be replaced after 100 or so miles,” says Erik Maxwell, a product designer at CR who has hiked 500 miles over the past three years. “These have lasted at least 400 miles, with no sign of wear on the heels and toes.” Erik has replaced all his socks with Darn Tough socks. Erik’s not the only one who loves Darn Tough socks here at CR; Yael Grauer, who recommended Chacos above, also counts herself a Darn Tough fan, as does Kathryn Marx (a visual editor), and Jessica Waller (from whom you will receive another BIFL recommendation below). Darn Tough socks are available for men, women, and children.

Darn Tough has the kind of warranty that is difficult to find these days (or so it seems). It covers any damage: “As long as we can tell that they were once a pair of Darn Tough socks, our warranty will apply,” the brand claims. The exception is if you cut or dye your Darn Tough socks; this voids the warranty. 

Jessica Waller, a writer on the Baby team at CR, first bought Patagonia Retro-X fleece jackets for her toddlers. She was so impressed she had to get one for herself. “It’s pricey, but often available secondhand, and I know I’ll have it forever. The super warm recycled fleece is the perfect grab-and-go jacket, no matter the weather,” she says. “My kids wear theirs to school and sports until it’s below 40º. They’re windproof, mostly water-resistant, and keep them feeling insulated without the bulk of a winter coat.” (Though the jacket isn’t technically water-resistant as determined by Patagonia, it can protect the wearer from light, short-lived rain.) The Patagonia website often has used options available, if that’s more your speed. Retro-X Fleece jackets are available for babies and toddlers, kids, and men as well as women.

Good coffee starts with good beans, yes. But the next most important thing—and this is almost as important as the beans themselves—is a good grinder. Rich Handel, a senior test project leader at Consumer Reports, has had his Cuisinart burr grinder for 15 years. “It works great, and I’d get another if it stopped working,” he says. It has 18 grind levels, with “fine” and “coarse” directions clearly labeled on the dial. It has a limited 18-month warranty. 

This grinder got only middling scores in our tests, which just goes to show that sometimes, love is in the eye of the beholder. You might also consider the burr grinder to which I pledge allegiance, the Baratza Encore, which I also bought about 15 years ago, when I still worked in coffee. I don’t even treat it very well, and it performs like a star anyway. Baratza offers a limited one-year warranty.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I love my Miele canister vacuum. My parents have had theirs since I started vacuuming the house every Saturday at the tender age of eight or nine, and it still works. I’ve had my current Miele since 2016, and (knock on wood) I haven’t had a single issue with it. This thing has toppled over, vacuumed up water and food (you’re really not supposed to do that), been used with an overfull bag, and otherwise been abused; nevertheless, it persists. 

This Miele canister vac isn’t cheap, but the handful of less expensive vacuums I’ve owned haven’t lasted more than a couple years each, so the Miele canister vacuum is worth the investment. 

Going to the beach? Consider a pair of flip-flops from Rainbow Sandals, which CR social producer Jamison Hermann swears by. “These sandals are sturdy, comfortable, and have a classic design. I’ve worn them on countless beach trips and hot summer days,” he says. “I’m not a small person, and as a result I often wear through the soles of my shoes, but these have held up beautifully through the years.” And by “through the years” Jamison means “a decade or more,” a data point which has me glaring at the pair of (brand redacted) flip-flops I bought on vacation last year and which lasted, oh, two weeks? before the paint flaked off. 

The Classic Rubber sandals are available for men and women, and similar styles are available for kids. Though Rainbow offers a six-month warranty for some sandals, it doesn’t for its Classic Rubber flip-flops. It does, however, offer a lifetime guarantee on the soles of all its sandals.