25 Companies That Are Really Committed To Creating High Standard Products
“What companies have extremely high quality standards for products that people might not realize?”
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In the bustling landscape of consumerism, quality often takes center stage, dictating the success and longevity of a product or brand. While some companies are renowned for their unwavering commitment to quality, there exists a realm of lesser-known entities that meticulously craft their offerings to perfection.
When a curious Redditor posed the question, "What companies have extremely high quality standards for products that people might not realize?" the floodgates opened, revealing a treasure trove of unsung heroes in the realm of quality assurance.
Image source: Below-avg-chef, Mk2010 / Wikipedia (not the actual photo)
Bush's Baked Beans. I've never worked at another facility where quality was focused so much more than actual production. The line stops all the time over anything remotely impactful to quality to make sure that the product is safe, and the standards are met. I've seen them shut production down for 3 days while they diagnosed and solved an issue *that they could have ignored and just let the filters catch*. Oh and they continued paying their employees through the downtime. Absolute amazing company.
Image source: RUB_MY_RHUBARB, Ryan Wallace / unsplash (not the actual photo)
Some people may know, but Lego. Lego has EXTREMELY tight manufacturing tolerances, aiming for around a precision of ±0.01mm in dimensions to ensure consistent and reliable interlocking of pieces across different sets. That's why pieces made years or decades apart snap together like they were all made yesterday. There really isn't a competitor that comes close.
Image source: OddDragonfruit7993, CARTIST / unsplash (not the actual photo)
Fiskars. Scissors and branch loppers.
I broke a set of loppers and I was pretty sure it was my fault because I was cutting a branch that was WAY too big and I twisted the loppers. I did this many, many times over the years. Finally it broke the blade.
I sent them an email asking how much to get a new lopper blade and explained that it was my fault. They said "no worries" and sent me a new blade for free. And a whole new set of loppers for free.
I only buy Fiskars for scissors and loppers now.
Image source: CrystalKite, Héctor Achautla / unsplash (not the actual photo)
Casio is underrated.
Image source: sjbluebirds, Kenneth C. Zirkel / Wikipedia (not the actual photo)
King Arthur flour. They've rejected multiple train cars full of unprocessed wheat, because the protein content was off by a few hundredths of a percent, contravening the requirements set forth in their Commodities contract.
It put them behind in production, and pissed off their suppliers. Most other flour producers would have accepted it with a variance sign-off, and moved on.
Image source: Life_Argument_6037, Zippo / Wikipedia (not the actual photo)
This thread made me think of zippo. More for their free repairs and replacement on authentic lighters. all you have to do is mail them the lighter. in this day n age thats incredible. they dont even care where you got the lighter just as long as its a real zippo.
Image source: Eneamus, Greg Rosenke / unsplash (not the actual photo)
Obvious Bic reference. Aeronautic tolerances under a cheap af pen.
Image source: dixon-bawles
Most people probably realize this, but Toyota has insanely high quality control down to the individual parts. There's a reason they last forever.
Image source: henaine, Ruel Del Jamorol / unsplash (not the actual photo)
IKEA toys for children currently have tougher safety standards than what all the global laws requires.
Image source: PiLamdOd, Abir Hiranandani / unsplash (not the actual photo)
Mars.
I'm talking about the candy company. I used to work in their pet food division and we had a blank check from corporate to make sure there was never a recall.
Our marching orders were to do whatever it took to make sure "Mars Inc." and "Recall" were never in the same headline.
I know for a fact I cost the company tens of thousands of dollars in lost production and product waste during my time there, all to prevent any possible problems making it to market. When a customer would send us a complaint, those details would make it all the way to the facility floor for an investigation, even if they were clearly b******t.
I've since moved on to other industries, and it still blows my mind how the people making dog food and candy had stricter quality assurance than aerospace manufacturers.
Image source: c-fox, Deva Williamson / unsplash (not the actual photo)
KitchenAid. My food mixer is 25 years old, is used 2/3 times a week and looks and operates like new.
Image source: Redbeard_Rum, Edoardo Botez / unsplash (not the actual photo)
Yamaha musical instruments. Their guitars often get overlooked but I have never played a bad anything by Yamaha.
Image source: xmagusx, Dgg32 / WIkipedia (not the actual photo)
Most people know that Zeiss makes really good glasses.
What some folks may not know is that they also make the ultraflat mirrors used in ASML's EUV lithography machines - the ones that make every high end computer chip in the world.
Why mirrors and not lenses? The light used passing through a lens of any material, regardless of how perfect, is too disruptive. How flat are the mirrors? To the atomic level. If the mirrors were scaled up to the size of Texas, the largest imperfection would be less than two millimeters tall.
Image source: VintageStrawberries, QuietJapan / Wikipedia
I've never been disappointed by pens created by Pilot or Mitsubishi Pencil Co. (who created the Uni-ball pens).
Image source: wreckoning, Taylor Sondgeroth / unsplash (not the actual photo)
Kong Dog Toys - the red rubber stuffable toys. The rubber is a precision made compound with such high quality control to always be the same whether it is being made for a small size kong or the red kong frisbee. Because it is a ubiquitous item available at many pet stores worldwide, shelf stable and always smells the same to the dog, it is used in detection dog programs for security, police and military around the world. They cut up pieces of kong into incredibly small shavings to train the dogs to find before moving onto other target odors, as well as using the kongs themselves as a reward toy.
The one exception to the “red kong material” is the red kong keychain. For whatever reason Kong changed the formula for that one, so it can’t be chopped into pieces and used in place of other kong rubber.
Image source: Pyrowrx, Jen Theodore / unsplash (not the actual photo)
Ball the jar company. They make satellites.
Image source: RockerElvis, Anne Nygård / unsplash (not the actual photo)
YKK zippers. The best.
Image source: Autumn1eaves, Jonatan Balderas Cabañas / unsplash (not the actual photo)
They’re super expensive, but Herman Miller chairs.
I sit in mine for several hours every day and it is by far the most comfortable, least back pain chair I’ve ever had.
Image source: mshaef01, Urban Versis 32 / Wikipedia (not the actual photo)
Most Kirkland products from Costco.
#1
Image source: Below-avg-chef, Mk2010 / Wikipedia (not the actual photo)
Bush's Baked Beans. I've never worked at another facility where quality was focused so much more than actual production. The line stops all the time over anything remotely impactful to quality to make sure that the product is safe, and the standards are met. I've seen them shut production down for 3 days while they diagnosed and solved an issue *that they could have ignored and just let the filters catch*. Oh and they continued paying their employees through the downtime. Absolute amazing company.
#2
Image source: RUB_MY_RHUBARB, Ryan Wallace / unsplash (not the actual photo)
Some people may know, but Lego. Lego has EXTREMELY tight manufacturing tolerances, aiming for around a precision of ±0.01mm in dimensions to ensure consistent and reliable interlocking of pieces across different sets. That's why pieces made years or decades apart snap together like they were all made yesterday. There really isn't a competitor that comes close.
#3
Image source: OddDragonfruit7993, CARTIST / unsplash (not the actual photo)
Fiskars. Scissors and branch loppers.
I broke a set of loppers and I was pretty sure it was my fault because I was cutting a branch that was WAY too big and I twisted the loppers. I did this many, many times over the years. Finally it broke the blade.
I sent them an email asking how much to get a new lopper blade and explained that it was my fault. They said "no worries" and sent me a new blade for free. And a whole new set of loppers for free.
I only buy Fiskars for scissors and loppers now.
#4
Otterbox phone cases. I’m an idiot with my phone, and this case has kept my crusty a*s iPhone 7 damage-free lol. Image source: aint_no_wifey#5
Image source: CrystalKite, Héctor Achautla / unsplash (not the actual photo)
Casio is underrated.
#6
Image source: sjbluebirds, Kenneth C. Zirkel / Wikipedia (not the actual photo)
King Arthur flour. They've rejected multiple train cars full of unprocessed wheat, because the protein content was off by a few hundredths of a percent, contravening the requirements set forth in their Commodities contract.
It put them behind in production, and pissed off their suppliers. Most other flour producers would have accepted it with a variance sign-off, and moved on.
#7
Image source: Life_Argument_6037, Zippo / Wikipedia (not the actual photo)
This thread made me think of zippo. More for their free repairs and replacement on authentic lighters. all you have to do is mail them the lighter. in this day n age thats incredible. they dont even care where you got the lighter just as long as its a real zippo.
#8
Image source: Eneamus, Greg Rosenke / unsplash (not the actual photo)
Obvious Bic reference. Aeronautic tolerances under a cheap af pen.
#9
OXO brand cleaning supplies. I buy the scrubbers and scrub brushes for home use and they hold up way beyond anything else I've ever tried. Image source: whitesquirrle#10
Image source: dixon-bawles
Most people probably realize this, but Toyota has insanely high quality control down to the individual parts. There's a reason they last forever.
#11
Nintendo's former president willingly took a 50% salary cut due to poor sales of the wii u so he wouldn't have to lay off staff, this keeping morale high and quality top notch. Image source: Ambitious-Mongoose-1#12
Image source: henaine, Ruel Del Jamorol / unsplash (not the actual photo)
IKEA toys for children currently have tougher safety standards than what all the global laws requires.
#13
Image source: PiLamdOd, Abir Hiranandani / unsplash (not the actual photo)
Mars.
I'm talking about the candy company. I used to work in their pet food division and we had a blank check from corporate to make sure there was never a recall.
Our marching orders were to do whatever it took to make sure "Mars Inc." and "Recall" were never in the same headline.
I know for a fact I cost the company tens of thousands of dollars in lost production and product waste during my time there, all to prevent any possible problems making it to market. When a customer would send us a complaint, those details would make it all the way to the facility floor for an investigation, even if they were clearly b******t.
I've since moved on to other industries, and it still blows my mind how the people making dog food and candy had stricter quality assurance than aerospace manufacturers.
#14
Image source: c-fox, Deva Williamson / unsplash (not the actual photo)
KitchenAid. My food mixer is 25 years old, is used 2/3 times a week and looks and operates like new.
#15
Image source: Redbeard_Rum, Edoardo Botez / unsplash (not the actual photo)
Yamaha musical instruments. Their guitars often get overlooked but I have never played a bad anything by Yamaha.
#16
Image source: xmagusx, Dgg32 / WIkipedia (not the actual photo)
Most people know that Zeiss makes really good glasses.
What some folks may not know is that they also make the ultraflat mirrors used in ASML's EUV lithography machines - the ones that make every high end computer chip in the world.
Why mirrors and not lenses? The light used passing through a lens of any material, regardless of how perfect, is too disruptive. How flat are the mirrors? To the atomic level. If the mirrors were scaled up to the size of Texas, the largest imperfection would be less than two millimeters tall.
#17
Image source: VintageStrawberries, QuietJapan / Wikipedia
I've never been disappointed by pens created by Pilot or Mitsubishi Pencil Co. (who created the Uni-ball pens).
#18
Image source: wreckoning, Taylor Sondgeroth / unsplash (not the actual photo)
Kong Dog Toys - the red rubber stuffable toys. The rubber is a precision made compound with such high quality control to always be the same whether it is being made for a small size kong or the red kong frisbee. Because it is a ubiquitous item available at many pet stores worldwide, shelf stable and always smells the same to the dog, it is used in detection dog programs for security, police and military around the world. They cut up pieces of kong into incredibly small shavings to train the dogs to find before moving onto other target odors, as well as using the kongs themselves as a reward toy.
The one exception to the “red kong material” is the red kong keychain. For whatever reason Kong changed the formula for that one, so it can’t be chopped into pieces and used in place of other kong rubber.
#19
Image source: Pyrowrx, Jen Theodore / unsplash (not the actual photo)
Ball the jar company. They make satellites.
#20
Image source: RockerElvis, Anne Nygård / unsplash (not the actual photo)
YKK zippers. The best.
#21
Victorinox Swiss Army knives. It was founded back in 1884 and when you think of a Swiss Army knife, you’re basically thinking about Victorinox. The level of quality of these knives is top notch. There are knives from WWII that still function properly. Image source: MTLinVAN#22
Tabasco. Their factory on Avery Island is the most immaculate industrial facility I've ever seen. The grounds are beautiful and the people are great. The "Disney" of hot sauces. Image source: cshotton#23
Image source: Autumn1eaves, Jonatan Balderas Cabañas / unsplash (not the actual photo)
They’re super expensive, but Herman Miller chairs.
I sit in mine for several hours every day and it is by far the most comfortable, least back pain chair I’ve ever had.
#24
Image source: mshaef01, Urban Versis 32 / Wikipedia (not the actual photo)
Most Kirkland products from Costco.
#25
Stanley thermos flasks. Yeah I know they became a big Tiktok craze. I don't know how that model holds up. I do know that my regular Stanley's have been solid as a rock. I have one that I got from my grandmother's house which is (I am pretty sure) older than I am. It still keeps my drinks hot for 10+ hours at a time. Despite now looking like it was dug out of a fallout shelter. Edit: Honestly I don't even care if they're everywhere. Stanley trucked along turning out sensible quality products for 100 or so years. If they invested in some fresh R+D, found a smart marketing guy and in response genX 10x their sales - well good on them. At least the fad chasers end up with a decent thermos. Likely better than whatever influencer branded tat Tiktok will latch on to next. Image source: Alternative_Boat9540DE
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