Our Method

How we cut through the noise, decode the fine print, and turn rare finds into evidence-backed product scores.

Finding what’s worth keeping

Most products on the market are designed for the unboxing moment, not for year five of hard use. At What Lasts, we hunt for the rare exceptions — the unicorns — and then put them under careful analysis. Our process looks past shiny marketing claims and focuses on durability, repairability, warranty coverage, and real-world owner evidence, so you know which products are actually built to endure.

The problem with reviews

Most review sites highlight how a product feels out of the box. But what about year 5, 10, or 25? You’ll rarely hear when a zipper fails, a coating wears thin, or a motor burns out. And too often, reviews are a patchwork of anecdotes, with no real method or intent behind the picks.

That’s why we built What Lasts: to move past short-term impressions and give you a clear view of durability and longevity.

What we do differently

  • Decode warranties: Clear out the jargon so you know what’s really covered.
  • Examine manuals & data sheets: Look for maintenance guidance and signs of build quality.
  • Read forums & long-term reviews: Spot the real-world patterns other sites miss.
  • Synthesize evidence: No cherry-picking, no guesswork—just documented facts.

The process

This first stage is mostly a hands-on, grassroots effort: we seek out products that go beyond “good enough” — heirloom-quality tools, cookware, furniture, and gear that can be relied on for decades and sometimes even passed down. We scan buy-it-for-life forums, listen to reader suggestions, and draw on lived experience to spot standouts.

To support this work, we use search tools to surface products and brands worth investigating — but selection is never automated. If a product makes it into our catalog, it faces the same evidence and scoring gauntlet as every other. This isn’t about chasing short-term “deals.” Our mission is to help people buy things that last. Every purchase is a kind of vote, and if we want a better world — one filled with durable, repairable, well-made goods — then we need to support the companies making them. Or as we like to put it: “A life well-made deserves things well-made.”

  • Signals: brand stability, product lineage, heirloom reputation, documented service history
  • Exclusions: novelty drops with no support path, products with chronic failure patterns, or items where too little credible evidence exists to support a fair ranking

We gather the documents and data that actually matter for longevity: manuals, warranty PDFs, technical specs, care guides, safety standards, repair guides, independent lab tests, and long-term owner feedback from forums and review platforms. Our search algorithms keep improving to surface new and relevant sources, but we also rely on the broader community to point us toward material we might have missed. If a source could affect a product’s score, we want it in the mix.

Discovery doesn’t stop once a product is listed and scored — the search continues. As new information appears, our evidence base grows, and rankings update to reflect the best available knowledge. We also examine credible, independent review sites and incorporate their findings as part of the collective evidence, always linking back to the original source.

Recency matters too: when a product’s manufacturing process changes, or if recalls and updated warranty terms are issued, newer sources take precedence over older reports. That way our rankings reflect the current reality, not just historical performance.

  • Priority: primary docs and test standards over marketing copy
  • Traceability: every claim in our write-ups links back to something real
  • Living process: reviews evolve as new sources and data are added
  • Recency weighting: newer, credible evidence carries more weight when circumstances change

Every product category has its own set of qualities that determine how well it will hold up over time. To capture this, we define category-specific aspects within five core dimensions: Brand, Warranty, Durability, Fixability, and Function. Some aspects are universal (like warranty coverage or brand reputation), while others are tailored to where products in that category actually differ.

We use AI to help surface which aspects are most critical to evaluate for each product type — either because they are essential to performance, or because they’re areas where manufacturers vary widely. That means bakeware is judged on heat resistance and material thickness, while folding knives might hinge on pivot strength or lock reliability. By focusing on the factors that truly matter, we give shoppers the clearest picture of long-term value.

For each aspect, we define what the ideal looks like — the benchmark against which all products are scored. This keeps our scoring transparent and consistent, while allowing us to adapt to the realities of each product group.

  • Category-specific: aspects are chosen based on importance and where products differ
  • Consistency: core dimensions like warranty and brand remain standard across all groups
  • AI-assisted: algorithms help surface patterns and priorities that guide aspect selection
  • Ideals defined: each aspect is measured against a clear benchmark for fair scoring

Most review sites lean on anecdotes or popularity to drive affiliate commissions. We take a different approach. By leveraging AI, we can transform scattered, messy information into structured, comparable evidence. Instead of one-off opinions, our process produces a collective dataset that captures the full picture of product longevity.

AI helps us extract the signal from the noise: pulling out measurable claims, weighing them by credibility, and presenting them in a format that can be scored transparently. It’s not about speed — it’s about depth, scale, and quality of analysis that would be impossible by hand alone.

  • Structured facts: every data point is extracted into pros/cons/values with a source citation
  • Trust weighting: more credible sources carry more influence than unverified chatter
  • Human oversight: analysts review, resolve conflicts, and reject weak or biased evidence
  • Public accountability: anyone can flag issues with extractions or sources so we can improve

We never use AI to invent answers. Every claim is traceable to a real source. AI gives us the power to work at a scale no human team could match, while human judgment and community feedback keep the process honest.

Our scoring system is designed to be transparent and straightforward. We keep the math as simple as possible, while still accounting for evidence quality and confidence. The technique and algorithms will continue to improve over time, but the guiding principles stay the same: fairness, clarity, and evidence-backed results.

Every product is evaluated across five core quality dimensions:

  • Durability — materials, construction, and design choices that stand up over time
  • Fixability — availability of parts, documentation, and repair options
  • Warranty — coverage length, clarity, and real-world usability
  • Brand — track record for quality, stability, and honesty
  • Function — consistent performance day one and day one thousand

Each dimension is broken down into quality aspects (for example, heat resistance or hinge strength). Every aspect is scored against an ideal benchmark. These aspect scores roll up into a dimension score, and the dimensions combine into a final product score. Importantly, if the evidence for an aspect is thin or conflicting, the score is adjusted downward in confidence so it has less impact on the overall ranking.

Aspect → Dimension
Dimension Score
= Σ (Aspect Score × Aspect Weight × Confidence)

Aspects carry different weights, and weaker evidence reduces impact.

Dimension → Final Score
Final Product Score
= Σ (Dimension Score × Dimension Weight)

Weights are fixed per category to keep comparisons fair and predictable.

Evidence Confidence: HIGH / MED / LOW Pros/Cons with citations Category-specific weights

User engagement

Help us make the rankings sharper and more complete:

💡 Suggest a Product

Know of an item that truly lasts? Share it with us so we can research and score it. Your tips help expand the catalog for everyone.

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🔎 Submit a Source

Got a repair manual, durability test, or long-term review? Send it our way and help strengthen the evidence behind our scores.

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⚠️ Report a Problem

Spotted an error, broken link, or missing detail? Let us know and we’ll review it quickly so the site stays accurate and trustworthy.

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Live rankings

Most review sites publish a one-off narrative or chase the latest trends. Our focus is different: we’re committed to longevity across product categories — from everyday essentials to heirloom-level goods designed to last for decades. When we find products built to that standard, we highlight them, but our broader mission is to surface the options that will simply last longer and serve better.

That focus means our rankings don’t sit still. We continually refine our data, incorporate new sources, and strengthen our scoring engine. “Live Rankings” isn’t about swapping products in and out with the latest fads — it’s about steadily producing stronger, more reliable, and more evidence-backed answers.

  • Auto-refresh: New sources and products trigger rescoring.
  • Engine improvements: Advances in evidence extraction and scoring reprocess the entire catalog.
  • Transparency: Sources of data are published

Why it matters

Durable products mean fewer replacements, less waste, and better value. But the impact goes beyond the practical. When we surround ourselves with things that are built to last, they become part of our daily story — tools that serve faithfully, objects that gather meaning, and possessions that earn their place in our lives.

A well-made knife, a trusted pan, a sturdy bag — these are more than purchases. They are companions that can be repaired, relied on, and even passed down to the next generation. Every time we choose longevity over disposability, we cast a vote for a better world: one where quality is valued over waste, and where products carry their own life stories.

We believe, simply put: “A life well-made deserves things well-made.” Just as the old saying goes “you are what you eat,” we think the things we live with shape us too. By choosing products that endure, we choose a culture of care, permanence, and pride — a life surrounded by things worth keeping.

Want to explore the bigger picture — the ideas, history, and cultural movement behind buying things that last? Visit our Movement page to dive into articles, books, and facts that inspire this mission.