product recommendations

Summary

I spent way too much time researching high-quality objects to buy, so you don’t have to.

introduction

I’ve come to believe that for each respective QoL enhancement there is an optimal level of engagement at which you reap pretty much all of the benefit, and any further cognitive energy and money you funnel into it is just chasing a non-existent white whale.

In an effort to make hundreds of hours of forum-trawling worth something, below is a list of the various niches I’ve become obsessed with over the years and associated products which I think represent the pragmatic peak. Go no further, just buy it and enjoy it and do more useful things with your time.

— Manav Ponnekanti, Min-Maxing Quality of Life Enhancements (the primary inspiration for this post)

Even the nichest of product categories seem to offer dozens of choices these days. I’ve gotten fairly good at filtering through the noise and figuring out what works for me, though this process often takes hours and/or involves trying multiple different offerings.

If you’re weird like me and enjoy scouring the depths of the internet to perform impromptu market research, feel free to use these as a data point in your searches. Otherwise, you’re welcome to just buy the thing and move on with your life.

Your own recommendations and experiences with the following are welcome! I am always looking to improve my taste/ability to discern what is and isn’t effective.

my guardrails against rampant consumerism

Retail therapy is very real, but there are also lots of reasons to not impulse-buy everything you think you need! Here are a few rules I set for myself when choosing to purchase a new item:

• Unless the item/brand is obviously alone in its category, I identify at least 2 competitors/alternatives to it and make a list of reasons why I’m choosing that specific item over the others.
• If a product isn’t intended to be consumable (i.e. it’s not food, cleaning solutions, toilet paper…) I decide what I’ll do with it if I might outgrow it before purchasing it (donate it, sell it on ebay, give it to a friend/family member…) to ensure it doesn’t go in the trash.
• I prefer to spend a little extra to get things that last a long time.
  • It’s actually cheaper in the long run, e.g. buying $500vaccumcleanerthatlasts10yearscostslessthanbuyingthree$200 vaccum cleaners that last 3 years each.
  • High quality things are usually much more enjoyable to use.
  • Buying fewer things is better from a sustainability perspective. (Higher-cost items are also often produced with more sustainable practices— less packaging, locally manufactured, cleaner supply chains…)
• Nothing on this list is worth accruing credit card debt for. If I can’t afford it, I can work around not having it (or buying a temporary cheap option I know I’ll replace once I can).

coffee

If you drink coffee regularly, you should consider getting a home setup. It will save you a ton of money and will taste way better than the big coffee chains like Starbucks. Ignore this section if you are a hobbyist and intend to spend $1000s on your setup.

• Grinder: Baratza Encore ESP (or non-ESP if you never intend to make espresso and want to save $50)
  • Budget option: Timemore hand grinder
• Pour-over: Hario V60 pour-over kit (ceramic cone + glass container + Hario #2 filters)
• Espresso: Breville Bambino (get the Plus if you want auto milk steaming)
  • Budget option: Bialetti Moka Pot
• Beans: Buy locally-roasted beans whenever possible (Philz, Peet’s, and Verve are the most popular local roasters in the Bay Area).
  • 25% cashback for shipped beans from the Beanz program if you have a Breville espresso machine. I like the Black & White Traditional the most from their offerings.
  • Hydrangea Coffee Roasters if you’re looking for the most interesting, fruity coffees for showing off.
• Bean Storage: Kaffe glass canister with airtight lid (available on Amazon)
  • Fellow Atmos for a premium option.
• Syrups: Portland Syrups

shoes

• Running shoes: Asics Gel-Nimbus (or Novablast for more serious runners)
• Hiking boots: La Sportiva TX4’s
• Climbing shoes: I prefer comfort over aggressiveness/performance, so I primarily use TC Pros.
  • La Sportiva Finale for a great starter shoe (<$100) or Miura for downturned bouldering shoes

home improvement

• Bedding: LL Bean percale sheets/pillowcases (sateen if you prefer smoother+heavier)
• Dishwasher: I have had only positive experiences with Bosch, and only negative experiences with every other brand of dishwasher. It’s well worth the price tag.
• Tableware: Heath Ceramics (i have seen these get chucked into the dishwasher 100s of times in my office and none of them have any visible scratches)

portable tech

• MacOS laptop: Any Macbook with an ARM chip (M1 onwards), >=16GB memory and >=512GB SSD.
• Windows laptop: Framework
• Headphones: Sony WH-1000XM6 (or XM4 for a more affordable, last-gen option)
• Earbuds: Airpods (or Nothing Ear, if you’re like me and don’t want to be yet another person with airpods)
• Mouse: Logitech MX Anywhere 3S (Logitech Lightsync G203 for a budget/wired option)
• USB-C dongle: Plugable

keyboards

See Everything i know about keyboards for more details.

• If you just want a good keyboard to use and don’t care about it as a hobby, get whatever Keychron offering best fits your budget and layout.

pc parts

See PC Part Picking for small homelabs if you intend to run server-like workloads on your PC. Otherwise, read along for a more standard consumer gaming/work setup (as of mid-2025).

I recommend getting used and/or previous-generation parts wherever possible (from eBay or r/hardwareswap), since it’ll be far cheaper in most cases.

• CPU: AMD currently has an edge over Intel’s offerings. Get a Ryzen 5 for mid-tier or Ryzen 7/9 for high-end.
• GPU: NVIDIA currently has a edge over AMD’s offerings. RTX 3090 for ML-at-home workloads, and whatever you can get your hands on at/below MSRP for gaming (impossible challenge).
• Case: Fractal or Lian Li
• CPU cooler and fans: Noctua
• RAM: if DDR4, anything >=3600mhz; if DDR5, anything >=5600mhz. 16GB absolute minimum, ideally 32 or 64GB.
• PSU: whatever you can afford/on sale in your power range, 80+ Gold or higher, semi- or full-modular, with an A+ rating in this spreadsheet.

glasses

Brands owned by Luxottica (Michael Kors, Oakley, Ray-Ban…) or Marchon (Nike, Flexon, Calvin Klein…) tend to be extremely overpriced. They’re often difficult to avoid because they’re so prevalent, and your insurance/optometry clinic probably only offers them exclusively at 2-3x the price they’re offered out-of-network.

• If on a budget, consider purchasing cheap glasses online via third-party sellers like Costco or Zenni— even if they don’t accept your insurance they will almost always be cheaper anyways.
• For more premium frames, consider independent brands like Maui Jim, Matsuda, and Lindberg.
• Lenses: Zeiss, high-index (if prescription strength is >4), anti-reflective

personal care

• Skincare: See skincare. This category is generally too subjective to give universal recommendations; the only product I’ll recommend to everyone is the Skin1004 Hyalu-cica Water-fit Sun Serum. Best sunscreen, will change your life.
• Shampoo/conditioner: Tsubaki (the one that comes in the red pump container)
• Soap: Softsoap or Meyer’s Clean Day
• Toothbrushes and razors: Philips
• Belts: Mission ratcheting belt

misc

• Ballpoint Pen: Smootherpro bolt action (Pilot G2 refills)
  • premium option: Tactile Turn Bolt Action

anti-recommendations

A list of things I have tried that didn’t work for me.

• Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 earbuds: big case, didn’t stay in ear, average sound quality, died after less than a year and had to RMA.
• Neutrogena Deep Clean Invigorating Foaming Scrub: could never get used to the “tingly cool” sensation advertised. it feels super weird to me…
• Darn Tough Socks: $20apairandwerelesscomfortablethanmy$1/pair Hanes socks. Whether or not they’re indestructible remains to be seen, but they’re holding up so far.