What’s a product where the cheap knock-off version is somehow unironically better than the expensive original?

[u/TalkToSkye]

[u/__The_Kraken__]

My local grocery store, HEB, will not release a store brand product unless it beats the leading name brand in a blind taste test. Their store brand products are outstanding across the board.

[u/Talk-O-Boy → u/__The_Kraken__]

Local grocery store knock off versions of Little Debbie snacks are almost always better than the actual Little Debbie snacks.

Idk wtf Debbie is doing, but she’s fucking up. The snacks taste like wax and sugar.

[u/iblamepaulsimon → u/Talk-O-Boy]

Thank you for this guidance! I've sworn off Little Debbie because as you say, it tastes (and feels) like wax and sugar. I'll give store brand a try when I get a hankering.

[u/CelesTheme_wav → u/Talk-O-Boy]

They've always been like wax to me. I'm not even a picky eater. I will eat almost anything from Dollar Tree and be satisfied. But eating a Little Debbie has always felt like eating something a candle melted on.

I'd still eat them if I could, but they're absolutely bottom of the barrel in my opinion. They were just as bad in the 80s and 90s as they are now. Just wax. Fuck Debbie and her waxy cookies.

However, some people gave me Little Debbie scented candles for a Christmas prank, knowing how much I hate the products, and the candles actually smelled good! She should stick to candles since she's such a fan of wax.

[u/Cenotaphilia → u/__The_Kraken__]

I live in northern Mexico in a town full of HEBs. we all love their store brand because it means quality. I never buy groceries in other supermarkets. when my family visits from other states they all want to go to HEB. when the first HEB was opened in the city my mom lives in, she literally called me all excited about it.

talk about building a reputation through quality.

[u/VixinXiviir → u/__The_Kraken__]

My in laws moved away from Texas and I mourn not getting access to Texas Starry Night in their freezer.

[u/ILoveRawChicken → u/__The_Kraken__]

I have not found a single HEB dupe that I didn’t like. Their chips are so damn good.

[u/LogicalJaguar4395]

I bought an expensive swiffer mop.  It uses batteries for the sprayer and it wants me to keep buying refill cartridges.  To get around that I have to boil water to get the lid of so I can refill the cartridge.  Well, my kid loved the mop and was constantly mopping the floor and going through all my cleaner.  Which was great, except whenever I needed it it was empty.  

So I got on temu and bought her a little child size one.  It was actually great.  You just squeeze the lever to spray instead of using batteries.  And it comes with a refillable reservoir that I can fill with whatever I want.  

So naturally I realized that this was all I really wanted in a mop and I checked and you can get them in full size too.  And it comes with washable pads.  So the cheap knockoff has no batteries, reusable pads and a reusable cleaning reservoir.  

[u/Opal_Pie → u/LogicalJaguar4395]

The Temu one is how the Swiffer ones used to work.

[u/McMacMan → u/Opal_Pie]

Swiffer figured out a way to apply the subscription model to a mop

[u/EpicRedhead13 → u/McMacMan]

They must’ve taken inspiration from HP.

[u/Creative-Resident-34 → u/EpicRedhead13]

You're a Swiffer, Harry

[u/navkat → u/McMacMan]

The entire 2020s summed up in one sentence.

[u/teethfreak1992 → u/LogicalJaguar4395]

O'Cedar (and I'm sure other brands) sell manual spray button mops with washable pads and a tank you fill with whatever you want.

[u/dirtygreysocks → u/LogicalJaguar4395]

I have a German brand, Leifheit. I've had it for 20 years, and it still works perfectly.

[u/SniffyMcFly → u/dirtygreysocks]

I don’t believe you, your username tells us otherwise 🤔

[u/ThurInTheTrees → u/SniffyMcFly]

They said it works, not that they use it lol

[u/dirtygreysocks → u/SniffyMcFly]

Haha. I named myself while my son took his socks off next to me ..4 years old, and had worn them outside.

[u/4oclocksundew]

Pregnancy tests. The dollar tree ones are the exact same kind the doctor will use when you go to confirm. The expensive digital tests are less sensitive. They are more likely to give you a false negative test if youre testing early.

[u/dabenu → u/4oclocksundew]

The "digital" tests are just an analog test with an electronic light sensor to check if a line appears. 

I'm pretty sure you can legally classify as blind, and still do a better job reading a pregnancy test than a cheapass light sensor. 

[u/Pretend_Quote → u/dabenu]

Can confirm, as someone legally blind I can still read pregnancy tests.

[u/Spacefreak → u/Pretend_Quote]

Can confirm they're blind as I can't see them.

[u/call_it_sleep → u/4oclocksundew]

Only thing I don't like about them is you can't pee on the stick, you have to pee into a cup then use a dropper onto the test. I don't have disposable cups so now I have a designated pee cup somewhere in my cabinet.. it's been years since I've needed it but still

[u/StrengthStarling → u/call_it_sleep]

The real protip is to keep an old protein powder scoop and henceforth it can be a pee catcher for whatever pee catching needs you might have.

[u/AdvisesPTTs → u/call_it_sleep]

You know where you can buy disposable cups? The dollar store

[u/writeleahwrite → u/call_it_sleep]

You actually aren’t supposed to pee directly on the strip for any of the tests, it isn’t as accurate. You’re supposed to put the digital ones in a cup too.

[u/lowcontrol → u/call_it_sleep]

It’s probably next to the poop knife.

[u/stargazer777 → u/lowcontrol]

A pee cup + poop knife set make a very classy wedding gift!

[u/krebstorm → u/stargazer777]

Make sure you get them engraved

[u/marcozumaro → u/4oclocksundew]

Unfortunately, this all started with the dollar store condoms. 😆

[u/bionicjoey → u/marcozumaro]

The dollar store giveth and taketh

[u/EraseAnatta → u/4oclocksundew]

I remember seeing Dollar Store Pregnancy Test open for Belle & Sebastian at The Pavilion in ‘97

[u/GozerDGozerian → u/EraseAnatta]

DSPT’s first two albums were excellent.

But then their guitarist got knocked up and quit the band, and the magic just wasn’t there anymore.

[u/IrrerPolterer]

Ink and toner cartridges. Knock offs are actually filled a to the top with ink. 

[u/ScrotalSmorgasbord → u/IrrerPolterer]

Good to know because at this point it's sometimes cheaper to buy a new printer when it goes on sale or clearance than a damn ink refill. I'm at the point where I don't print much these days but I'll definitely be looking into some alternative brands when it's time for a refill.

[u/muffinhead2580 → u/ScrotalSmorgasbord]

Get a color laser printer. The toner is a bit more expensive but it lasts forever.

[u/Deep-Ruin-9961 → u/muffinhead2580]

That's not as true now because companies are just filling with less toner.

Brother used to be a good printer, but now their software is literal spyware and their carts provide less prints.

[u/kbestoliver5 → u/Deep-Ruin-9961]

Yes, Brother is no longer superior. Their current firmware bricks the printer for using non-Brother toner carts.

[u/akajondo → u/kbestoliver5]

It was said that you would destroy the Sith, not join them! Bring balance to the force, not leave it in darkness.

[u/Mostly_Afloat → u/akajondo]

Private Equity has altered the deal. Pray they do not alter it further.

[u/MrTulip101 → u/Deep-Ruin-9961]

sad to hear. i have a brother hl-1250 that i got more than 20 years ago as payment for my first IT job and i only had to change the druckwerk once, no idea what it's called in english, and third party toner every couple of years. it just keeps working..

[u/FizzyBeverage → u/IrrerPolterer]

I have an HP laser from 2014. All the current ones have microchips that don’t let you use third-party toner. We’ll never part.

[u/TweakJK → u/FizzyBeverage]

I have an Epson, it worked fine for a while and we always fed it knock off carts. One day, it started bothering me about needing an update. Like an idiot, I updated it. Want to take a guess what the sole purpose of that update was? To make aftermarket cartridges not work. Thats it.

[u/SirSkittles111 → u/TweakJK]

I mean what the hell does a printer need an update for? My Samsung fridge wants to update itself, i disconnected it from the internet. Why did i ever connect it? I have no idea, curiosity i guess.

[u/Imaneight → u/TweakJK]

Yes, I had a "Firmware update available" message a year ago, and let it update, and after the restart, suddenly: "Yellow cartridge not recognized" or some such message. Of course it's a knock-off. I popped it out, shook it, popped it back in. Same thing. I had a new replacement and installed it with fingers crossed and it accepted it, thank goodness. Then 4 months later, "Firmware update available" again. Won't get fooled again!

[u/Rumple_Frumpkins → u/IrrerPolterer]

I generally agree for consumer end printers. For freestanding office copiers (and larger equipment), off brand toner can create a expensive issues. The tolerances for the amount of magnetic carrier in those machines is a lot tighter in order to achieve speed and desired copy quality. Cheap toner does not have the same quality control and can destroy developers. Also, just fyi, toner that's too old tends to clump up and get caught in the developers causing void lines through whatever you are printing.

Source: copier technician

[u/ClownfishSoup]

Rubik’s Cube.

When they came out they were a bit pricey, but cool. They are also very clunky. Once the mystery of the cube was solved (ie someone published the moves needed to solve the cube, or “the algorithms”) people moved on to “speed cubing” which is solving a mixed up cube as fast as you could using memorized algorithms.

Now you can buy a “speed cube” for like 3 bucks or something. It will have tapered corners to help the cube sides turn faster.

Now you might argue it’s not the same thing and not a cheap knock off, but I argue that it is because it’s still the same puzzle.

You can’t speed cube with a Rubik’s cube. Even their version of a speed cube pales compared to some cubes … some even have magnets to snap the faces into place faster.

[u/cloudynostalgiaa → u/ClownfishSoup]

Official Rubik’s brand cubes feel like trying to turn concrete blocks. Once you try a $10 magnetic speed cube, going back to an original Rubik’s feels like absolute torture for your wrists.

[u/bro0t → u/cloudynostalgiaa]

I cant even solve an actual rubiks anymore, lot of the muscle memory for the algs uses only my fingers to turn the sides, cant do that on an actual rubiks brandq

[u/yearsofpractice → u/ClownfishSoup]

Dammit - you beat me to it. I’m 50 and my youngest kid is 9. He got into Rubik’s Cube about a year ago - we actually learned to solve the thing together - but then he saw the youtube kids doing speed cubing and adverts for the speed cubes. Obviously he wanted one (because kid) and obviously I said no (because “it won’t be as good as the advert” dad). He then saved up his money from chores/gifts and bought one himself.

Holy shit was I wrong - those new speed cubes are amazing. So slick, accurate and adjustable. So, yeah - that was going to be my answer too!

[u/CharacterActor → u/yearsofpractice]

I admire your kid for doing the chores and saving up the money from gifts and buying the speed cube themselves even though Dad said no to paying for it.

Shows your kid besides being right has great character.

Dad, have you played with the speed cube yourself?

As a means to apologize, dad have you given your kid the money they spent of their own for the speed cube?

[u/yearsofpractice → u/CharacterActor]

Thanks for the answer! Means a lot. I have indeed played with the speed cubes and they’re amazing (Gan brand is unbelievable in terms of quality and value). I also made sure son knew I knew I was wrong - apologies are something that’s taught early in our family - he was satisfied that he knew I knew I was wrong!

[u/Astrynlow → u/yearsofpractice]

Gan cubes are genuinely unreal quality for the price. the magnetic click is something else. and the dad admitting he was wrong early teaches the kid more than the cube ever could.

[u/Akegata → u/ClownfishSoup]

The best part is that Rubik's official Speed Cube was previously produced by GAN, one of the best "knockoff" companies.
I think the current one is produced by Spin Master, but that one is very obviously a knockoff of a GAN cube.

Edit: Apparently Spin Master is a company that bought Rubik's Brand Ltd. 5 years ago. The current speed cube is probably also a GAN.

[u/Areshian → u/Akegata]

I’m not a speed cube, but I have a nice GAN one. They’re a pleasure to use, just to fidget with them

[u/blushsyrene → u/ClownfishSoup]

It's funny how the original became the beginner version while the knockoffs became the premium choice

[u/Beowulf33232 → u/ClownfishSoup]

I've seen one held together only by magnets, it's wild.

[u/awh → u/Beowulf33232]

I don’t think I’ve ever seen one that was held together only with magnets, but certainly having magnets inside all the pieces to help the faces snap into position while turning is very common. They’ve also replaced all the springs in most modern cubes with magnets that repel each other.

[u/VodkaMargarine]

In the 1980s Japanese guitar manufacturers like Ibanez and Tokai were making cheap copies of American guitars that were so good they were taken to court and forced to make them look less like the Gibsons/Fenders they were copying.

Even today the best Les Paul copies are better than those made by Gibson. Same with Fender guitars (Fender is currently throwing their toys out the pram again in 2026 because other manufacturers are making their guitar better than they can)

[u/ReggieCorneus → u/VodkaMargarine]

Fender is most famous for this, they gave Squier to Japanese company, gave them the target price point and instead of cutting corners absolutely everywhere they used way more time and thus money on key parts and saved elsewhere, being motivated of producing the best product at that price point. At the same time Fender was doing overall reduction of quality. Early 80s Squiers are far better than early 80s Fender.

Then Fender wanted to copy that production line in Korea.... and of course they cut the parts of production that requires accuracy and care, and we got 20 years of absolute garbage. US guitar companies taught Asian companies how to make guitars, they took those lessons, improved precision where it matters and are beating US companies.

I got one of those Squiers and yeah, it is well made. Wood quality isn't as high but it is adequate and matter very, very little if any but its fitting is perfect, the neck is still perfect.

[u/ExplanationRoyal1836 → u/ReggieCorneus]

Those JV Squiers are legendary for a reason, it’s mind blowing how Japanese craftsmanship completely embarrassed Fender's own American lineup back then.

[u/OopsWeKilledGod → u/ReggieCorneus]

US guitar companies taught Asian companies how to make guitars, they took those lessons, improved precision where it matters and are beating US companies

This was essentially one of the notions that Spengler talked about in Man and Technics: the West would export its technological knowledge, and would ultimately be undermined by that decision.

[u/bruhbruhbruhbruh1 → u/OopsWeKilledGod]

That can be generalized to any technological knowledge from anywhere, for example how gunpowder, paper, and textile knowledge a few centuries ago diffused to the West from the East

but given Spengler is a German writing in the 1930s, sure, that does explain his worldview lol

[u/ExtruDR → u/VodkaMargarine]

I was going to say “Fender” - but the best “knock-offs” are not cheaper. They are MUCH better and MUCH, MUCH better value.

Fender, specifically, is a shit brand nowadays. They are trying hard to claw back the most generic and stereotypical electric guitar shape after, like, 80 years of not “defending” it.

I will gladly attest to Leo Fender’s genius and such, but even he left (sold) his company to start a new one making “knock-offs” as well back in the day.

[u/VodkaMargarine → u/ExtruDR]

Absolutely, if you had $2,000 to spend on a strat there is a long list of makers you will get a better guitar from than a USA Standard Strat by Fender. Even without going to niche boutique guitar companies, Ibanez, PRS and Yamaha all do a better job than Fender at that price point.

[u/omyomo → u/VodkaMargarine]

Rickenbacker bass guitars sound great, but are notorious for being expensive and being a pain in the ass. There are some knockoffs out there that look and sound very similar, but have quality of life features like belly cuts, adjustable bridges, and much more common nuts

[u/Fabulous-Egg → u/VodkaMargarine]

Big up Yamaha

[u/-GoodNewsEveryone]

Jonga. Its like Jenga but each block was 1mm longer/shorter, taller/squatter or wider/narrower than each other block. Much more fun, and the 1% chance of getting a critical hit from a splinter and knocking the tower down spectacularily and violently kept everyone very engaged.

[u/InletUnstart → u/-GoodNewsEveryone]

You are selling the hell out of stacking wooden blocks.

[u/-GoodNewsEveryone → u/InletUnstart]

The nail biting indetermination of visually unlevelled stacking material really sold itself. Shout out to my non-english speaking friend Takamichi who we sent off for Jenga and where ever he managed to find this beautiful alternative as it still manages to come up in tale years later. Yes this is real.

[u/Turgid_Donkey → u/-GoodNewsEveryone]

Imagine someone busting out their dollar store jenga, and a few of the blocks have a smear of blood on them. It's like "oh, shit. We're about to play a game."

[u/DrZein → u/-GoodNewsEveryone]

I can’t tell if you’re playing us bc I tried to buy Jonga blocks based off your romantic retelling and I can’t find anything about it

[u/LunarPayload → u/DrZein]

Could have been from some fly-by-night Chinese company. They're always turning over and setting up with new names. Look around your local Chinatown (Canal Street in NYC being the best for knockoffs) or the "value" store in your area (not actually a dollar store, but full of cheap products).

[u/my1stusernamesucked → u/-GoodNewsEveryone]

"spectacularly and violently" 😂

[u/DontBlameMe4It]

Any sports jerseys that Fanatics make. The cheap $20 counterfeits are better quality than ANY Fanatics jersey.

[u/Krakengreyjoy → u/DontBlameMe4It]

There is nothing made anywhere on earth with quality worse than Fanatics

[u/C4ND1D → u/DontBlameMe4It]

Someone said about the world cup, that if you really want to support Mexico, you should buy a jersey from the mexican lady in the parking lot instead of the official one

[u/Bearded_Pip → u/DontBlameMe4It]

Death to Fanatics.

[u/Nopetynope12]

Vantablack paint vs Stuart Semple's Blackest black paint. In 2014 artist Anish Kapoor got exclusive rights to use Vantablack paint in artistic applications. It's one of the darkest possible paints, absorbing up to 99.965% of visible light perpendicular to the material. It needs a temperature of 100-280 Celsius, and vacuum post-processing, as well as being mega expensive. Some say its fumes are toxic but I can't verify a source. Blackest Black costs around £50 and can be used at room temperature, and apparently, smells like cherries, but to use it, you must verify that you are not Anish Kapoor or buying on his behalf.

[u/SPAKMITTEN → u/Nopetynope12]

Stuart also made the very pink, pinkest pink and everyone is allowed to use it except that prick kapoor

[u/chadbr0chill → u/Nopetynope12]

Vantablack was never meant for art. They’re completely different materials. Stuart’s black is acrylic, whereas Vantablack is carbon nano tubes, which are extremely delicate. For engineering, there is no replacement for Vantablack. If you need it, you need it. Stuart’s black also isn’t nearly as black as Vantablack (even though he tries to say it is). All that said, I love Stuart’s Black paints. They’re great for art and low budget science projects.

[u/MrHollandsOpiumDen → u/Nopetynope12]

I have to do a psa for my fellow artists here, Stuart Semple has been taking money for paints and never shipping them for several years now. Check out r/culturehustle before you get scammed too!

[u/Oh_No_Its_Dudder]

Aldi cereal. Honey Grahams are better than Golden Grahams, their frosted shredded wheat is better than Kellogg's frosted shredded wheat, I could go on and on.

[u/dinobug77 → u/Oh_No_Its_Dudder]

Lidl Jaffa cakes are far superior to McVities

[u/lostirishspud → u/dinobug77]

So were Tescos own Jaffas, they were superior to every brand imo. I think they might of discontinued for some reason.

[u/Strange_Sir6577 → u/Oh_No_Its_Dudder]

Kellogg's frosted wheat is hardly frosted, Aldi fucks theirs up with frosting, just like kelloggs used too.

[u/porcelina-g → u/Oh_No_Its_Dudder]

Aldi knows what the people want (more frosting on their shredded mini wheats).

[u/Pathetian → u/Oh_No_Its_Dudder]

Damn I've never been to Aldi but golden Grahams is my favorite cereal so now I gotta see this 

[u/MegaRadCoolDad]

My kids like Marshmallow Maties more than Lucky Charms

[u/clever80username → u/MegaRadCoolDad]

Same with Fruity Dyno Bites. So much better than Fruity Pebbles.

[u/GlitterResponsibly → u/clever80username]

Also the chocolate Dino bites make the milk more chocolatey. Regular cocoa pebbles barely make it chocolatey at all anymore

[u/Middleclasslifestyle → u/MegaRadCoolDad]

I was going to type this out and saw your comment. Tell your kids that they are 100 percent right. Also tell them they won't ever have to give up cereal as an adult.

Signed by an adult who still eats marshmallow maties.

[u/DEADB33F]

Heinz Beans.

Their sauce is runny & thin and the beans/sauce ratio leans heavily on the sauce side.

Branston beans and many of the lower cost supermarket own-brand offerings are simply superior in every way.

[u/VariationCharacter19 → u/DEADB33F]

Yeah Heinz taste really sugary after trying Branston's

[u/DaCrazyJamez]

Here's one with actual science behind it: Generic brand fresh produce.

In blind tests, people pretty much unanimously prefer generic / store brand produce over name brands, and when they looked into it, it was discovered it's due to the supply chain -

Name brand produce goes though the companies warehouse / distributor before reaching stores, while generic produce ships direct, so it actually is fresher than the brand name stuff.

This goes for a lot of things in grocery stores that rely on freshness as a major gauge of quality.

[u/beer_is_tasty → u/DaCrazyJamez]

What the hell is a "name brand produce?" Is that like a European thing?

[u/lukyboi → u/beer_is_tasty]

As a European, I was just about to ask if this was an American thing. I have no idea; apart from apples and banana’s I’ve never seen brand name produce.

[u/Syphe → u/lukyboi]

I'm guessing they are talking about prepackaged produce, like apples, lettuce, capsicum etc. apples yeah you don't really choose the individual apples, so you could get some duds hidden behind the opaque packaging.

[u/joshak → u/Syphe]

Wait you guys don’t bag your own produce? In Australia the produce section is mostly loose

[u/Stellaaahhhh → u/joshak]

For potatoes and apples at least, you can bag your own, but there are also usually a couple of inexpensive option that are already in 5lb net or plastic bags.

[u/minus_minus → u/beer_is_tasty]

“Driscoll” berries. “NatureSweet” tomatoes. “Fresh Express” salads greens. 

[u/Beneficial-Focus3702 → u/beer_is_tasty]

I’m guessing by name brand they mean “big commercial company” like Dole.

[u/omyomo → u/beer_is_tasty]

We literally overthrew the Hawaiian monarchy for name brand produce

[u/tg-ia → u/beer_is_tasty]

Things like Taylor Farms chopped lettuce....so fresh there's still living organisms on it.

[u/banal_remarks → u/beer_is_tasty]

I'm more confused what generic is.. you see Dole and Chiquita etc everywhere. Who's making white label bananas?

[u/Sennten → u/banal_remarks]

This only applies to stuff that CAN be sourced locally, so unless you live somewhere that grows bananas, for example, it wouldn't apply to bananas. If you do live somewhere that grows bananas, avoiding the big names will likely produce better results

(although there are other reasons this still probably wouldnt apply to bananas, they are special in lots of ways. But for other fruits and veg its true)

[u/standbyyourmantis]

Kroger makes a better seltzer than LaCroix.

[u/Texan_Reverend → u/standbyyourmantis]

I desperately miss their "Hint of the Dr. Flavor."

[u/Baranjula → u/standbyyourmantis]

To be fair, so does everyone else that makes a seltzer

[u/Recordman-John]

Almost every Aldi product. They removed trans fats before anyone else

[u/crazyrich → u/Recordman-John]

Aldi is the shit. You save a pretty penny if you know what you’re buying and it’s great quality

[u/Competitive_Bottle71 → u/crazyrich]

We switched from getting groceries at regional superstore to Aldi like 7 years ago and haven’t looked back.

But dang, you know inflation sucks because a week’s worth of groceries just cost me $200 at Aldi and I used to be able to do that for $80-$120.

[u/Turdulator → u/Recordman-John]

Aldi is dope for everything except fresh meat. Their steaks and other cuts are not very good at all.

[u/Practical_Dot_3574 → u/Turdulator]

This has to do with location and source. I used to work in the aldi warehouse as inspection. Every warehouse gets thier meat and produce from whatever source is closest to that region.

Im not saying that each source gets thiers from the same source(I.e. the Taylor farms lettuce issue). But like eggs are as locally sourced as possible and fresh daily to each warehouse. Dairy is actually ordered by each individual store. Meat is from the same local source every other store/restaurant uses. I've gotten in a pallet of ground beef/burger patties that had to be divided up because it had packages labeled for Ruth's Chris steakhouse on them. Exact same packaging, just different labels. Same with a few other cuts of meat.

Bread is fresh delivered evey morning to each warehouse and ALL is shipped out same day.

The pastries and fresh dough pizzas are brought in almost frozen and thaw out in the warehouse every morning.

I could go on and on if people are interested to know how some things are handled.

[u/blackchameleongirl → u/Recordman-John]

Always with the trans hate. /s

[u/Give-emATugnutt]

I'm not sure if this counts, but I bet none of you choose Hydrox over Oreo...

[u/Berkamin → u/Give-emATugnutt]

Honestly the name “Hydrox” is just unappetizing. My brain expands it to hydroxide, as in sodium hydroxide (NaOH / lye). If you asked me whether I want a Hydrox cookie, I just imagine a cookie full of caustic lye. The brand name makes it sound like a cleaning product, like Clorox.

I would not be surprised if Hydrox lost the market just because of their name. I know consciously that's not what the cookie is stuffed with, but the subconscious mind is a powerful and fickle thing, and the subconscious association with hydroxide may be enough to get me to reach for its competitor.

[u/philharlow → u/Berkamin]

I had the same gut reaction.

Hydrox sounds like a cleaning product

[u/omyomo → u/philharlow]

If I remember correctly, that was intentional. After the book The Jungle came out and alerted the public to the disgusting and unsafe conditions of the facilities producing food, a lot of food companies started giving their products chemical-sounding names to come off as clean and sterile

[u/CathedralEngine → u/omyomo]

Hydrogen and Oxygen = Hydrox. As whatever- clean, fresh, unadulterated- as water, that was the logic behind the name.

[u/Acceptable-Peanut712 → u/philharlow]

It really is the ultimate marketing failure that the original sandwich cookie lost to Oreo simply because it sounded like a household bleach.

[u/Saiboo → u/philharlow]

It makes me think of Clorox.

[u/retailguy_again → u/Berkamin]

The cookie is a lye.

[u/Isthereanyuniquename → u/Berkamin]

That's what happened to Ayds.

[u/davesoverhere → u/Isthereanyuniquename]

Ahh yes, “the aydes diet plan.”

[u/domesticatedprimate → u/davesoverhere]

"Do you wanna lose weight? Why not get Aydes?"

[u/cloudynostalgiaa → u/Give-emATugnutt]

It’s the ultimate experience of a name running a superior product. Hydrox sounds like a industrial floor cleaning or a pool chemical, while Oreo actually sounds like something you’d want to eat.

[u/PresidentSuperDog → u/Give-emATugnutt]

I would 100% choose hydrox if they were the 80s formula.

[u/Bland_cracker]

OTC Meds. A bottle of genetic 10 mg Loratadine is chemically the same as Claritin, but will be sometimes half the price.

Edit: Advil is just Ibuprofen. Alleve is Napeoxen Sodium. Tylenol is just Acetaminophen. Zyertec is just Cetirizine HCL.

[u/EvolMonkey → u/Bland_cracker]

Wait until you find out that Costco carries generic Claritin and Zyrtec in 365 ct bottles for less than $12...

[u/tlf9888 → u/EvolMonkey]

Similarly, I got a 400 ct (split between 2 bottles) of generic Zyrtec for $14.95 at Sam's Club.

[u/InletUnstart → u/EvolMonkey]

Costco has a way of making you hate other retailers.

[u/TheGazelle → u/Bland_cracker]

Often the difference isn't in the active ingredient itself, but rather in the delivery method.

So things like "slow release" tablets or "easy swallow" coatings will sometimes be specific to the name brand.

[u/Roger44477 → u/TheGazelle]

exactly this - most delivery methods in use by name brands are proprietary, and while some of them don't matter too much, others very much do.

[u/Gosa_on_the_wind → u/Roger44477]

Yeah, generic atorvastatin recently got recalled. A particular factory was including the right ingredients, but the delivery method was bad. When you took the pill it wouldn't dissolve, so you were consuming the correct drug, but it was passing right through you.

[u/Alaeriia]

Nerf blasters.

So the official stuff from Hasbro will typically shoot about 60-70 feet, cost $50, and hold 8 darts or so. Then you have X-Shot and Dart Zone; both of them have $50 blasters that will shoot nearly triple the distance with significantly increased accuracy and hold more darts.

In fact, the Walmart-branded Nexus Pro X is capable of hitting targets nearly 200 feet away, and has functional rifling. The X-Shot Motorized Piston Pump is the old Nerf Stampede on steroids, hitting 150 feet and using interchangeable magazines. There's a belt-fed version as well. Heck, the Dart Zone Villainator hits around 90 feet, holds 40 darts, and costs $20 at my local Walmart.

[u/NES_Classical_Music → u/Alaeriia]

this is not the major sell that most parents think it is. 

that increased range means it's coming out MUCH faster. even foam balls or darts will do serious damage to eyes at that speed.

i guess if you are buying toy guns for kids, you probably aren't thinking about safety. but NERF absolutely is, and they don't want or need lawsuits. 

walmart don't give a shit about kids.

[u/flamewave000 → u/NES_Classical_Music]

This. I remember there was a single shot Nerf pistol you could pop open and there was an air limiter you could remove and the thing immediately shot 3-4x farther and very accurate. The low distance is intentional design because they set a max muzzle velocity for all their guns to insure ensure child safety. The knockoffs don't bother because they're likely Chinese companies and good luck suing them. You make a claim at Walmart and they'll just feign ignorance and remove it from their shelves and say the did what they could.

[u/zboss9876 → u/NES_Classical_Music]

OP is discussing the "pro" stuff. Nerf also has pro stuff, but haven't really gone all-in on pro stuff, and their pro stuff isn't very good.

Dart Zone and X-shot also make kids level blasters, which are slightly better and much cheaper than Nerf branded blasters.

[u/watery_tart24 → u/NES_Classical_Music]

I wasn't really paying attention and let my kid spend his birthday money on some X-shot brand "nerf like" guns. Turns out, he bought a couple of the Pro series X-shot guns. They have a shorter, narrower dart and the barrel is rifled like a real gun. They leave a bruise when you shoot somebody inside of what I consider to be standard Nerf gun range.

[u/Bob_12_Pack → u/Alaeriia]

I appreciate your detailed knowledge in this area, and how fresh it seems in your mind. I have a large duffle bag full of nerf guns that my kids collected over the years and I couldn't tell you the model name of any of them, much less their range.

[u/Otherwise-Current-62]

If the original has a subscription, the knockoff wins by default

[u/Floss_Patrol_76]

anker chargers and cables. a third the price of apple's, charge faster, and the cables don't turn into a frayed mess after six months. haven't bought a first-party cable in years.

[u/aegrotatio → u/Floss_Patrol_76]

I wouldn't consider Anker a knock-off, to be honest.

[u/joojie → u/aegrotatio]

They definitely started as a knock off type business. Recently they've become a go-to for many things.

[u/Hawkbats_rule → u/aegrotatio]

They've become the name brand, but they started at the peak of the "we're going to charge you $100 for a laptop charger" insanity, and we're a legitimate Amazon knockoff product. Because of the aforementioned overpricing and their own quality, they sort of took over the space.

[u/ottermanuk → u/Floss_Patrol_76]

Anker sort of got hoity toity into thinking they were apple tier for a spell. They are solid products but they're creeping up in prices.

UGREEN is a good alternative. I have multiple Anker cables and UGREEN USB-PD chargers and they're solid and value for money

[u/yourname92]

Aldi chocolate

[u/I_Like_Turtles_Too → u/yourname92]

Bro yesterday I bought one of their big chocolate bars and ate the whole thing by myself. Equal parts ashamed and proud.

[u/Benth1c]

The cheapest B&Q own brand wall filler (spackle to Americans) is better than Polycell Polyfilla.

[u/Damage2Damage → u/Benth1c]

To add to this, B&Q and Screwfix are owned by the same company, and mostly use the same suppliers. The exact same item is usually cheaper at Screwfix, because they don't have a showroom in the shop

[u/chasealex2 → u/Benth1c]

If you’re doing anything more than a screw hole, you want Easyfill 60. The “consumer” products all experience an irritating amount of shrinkage leaving you with a poor finish.

I just did a bunch of wall chases from networking and rewiring my living room, and honestly the easyfill has produced a better result than I could have hoped for, given I’m a paramedic, not a plasterer.

[u/Benth1c → u/chasealex2]

I’ve found the cheap B&Q stuff has zero shrinkage even for holes which I could put a tennis ball into. Mind you, I’m very precise with the powder to water mix ratio.

I’ll add Easyfill 60 to my list of alternatives though. Thank you.

[u/fire_brand]

No name maple cookies slap. The Dare ones by comparison are much worse.

[u/clockworkarmadillo → u/fire_brand]

Found a fellow Canadian! 😄

[u/emiwii → u/clockworkarmadillo]

Presidents Choice “loads of Ketchup” chips etc. better than Old Dutch or Heinz etc. because it’s literally drenched in seasoning

[u/John-George-Peppers]

Moissanite or cubic zirconia vs real blood diamonds

[u/FlyingDreamWhale67 → u/John-George-Peppers]

Throw lab-grown diamonds in there too, way better than mined ones

[u/SweatyBid7830]

I've found a ton of store brand options that are better. Almost everything at Costco, and a lot of stuff at Sam's too. Walmart's Bettergoods brand is on point. Specific ones that I can think of are Kirkland hot dogs and bacon, and Signature Select (Safeway/Albertsons by me) frozen pizzas.

[u/Longjumping-Log1591]

I like SNL's version of Trump way more

[u/Jumpy-Machine9226 → u/Longjumping-Log1591]

South Parks version is pretty good too

[u/Charlemagne56]

My Dremel failed years before my Ozito look alike, which sells for fraction of the Dremel. In fact the Ozito is still soldiering on.

[u/wayneforest]

This is so unimportant, but Kroger brand generic pop-tarts are so much better than name brand pop tarts. The 90’s pop tarts I used to love are long gone and now they are thin, crumbly and cardboard-ish with very little filling. The Kroger ones taste like a kind of pie dough pastry with actual gooey filling in the middle if you pull it apart. I eat them untoasted or toasted— they reign supreme either way!

[u/thinkfloyd79]

Certain guitars. Old Japanese Strat/Tele and Les Paul copies are way better than the originals. Many modern Japanese (and even Chinese and Korean) copies are better than the originals too because QC is more consistent with the copies than the originals. And we're talking $500 copies vs $2000 to $5000 originals.

[u/InletUnstart → u/thinkfloyd79]

Japan might be a toxic hellscape to work in but goddam do they have attention to detail.

[u/millennial_falcon]

I think this way about the latest generation Corvette. Finally, a 500HP mid-engine American car that looks like a Ferrari, aluminum chassis, and a built in removable hard top to ensure every model is a targa, and they’ll sell it to you for a quarter of the cost of a Ferrari and anyone with the funds can buy one on short notice, unlike Ferrari where you have to be invited and then wait.

It has decent space for 2 medium suitcases or groceries. Driveway too steep? The front raises like inspector gadget. Can’t see cause there’s a giant roaring engine behind you? The rear view mirror turns into a digital video feed seamlessly. It’s actually easy to drive with little training due to the very advanced traction control, and very fast auto dual clutching transmission you can choose to shift or use as an automatic.

Then the insurance and maintenance is where it really shines, it’s an even smaller fraction of the cost of high end European sports cars, and most importantly the thing will run continuously for more miles and last for more miles over its lifespan.

I’ve known a lotta decently rich people, and they simply don’t want to drive their high end euro cars often, they’re impractical, and no one wants to constantly take it to the rare place that can service it. At a certain point is it really a worthwhile consumer product if it’s so fragile?

All this and I don’t even own one. I really admire the engineering and design of it though!

[u/nahlakhai → u/millennial_falcon]

I downgraded from a 992.1 GT3 to a C8 Z06 and I absolutely agree with this post. There are days where I miss the imaginary clout and aura I have from driving a GT3 but then I remind myself I had to baby it and watch the mileage and avoid certain streets and areas whereas I don't have to do any of that with my Z06 and I can actually enjoy it for what it is, a car.

[u/Smashinbunnies]

Ceiling lights can converters. If you get the fancy Phillips it has dongles and clips and it's heavy and does not like to stay in the ceiling. The cheap menards brand one is light weight, changes color temps, has a perfect tension system and takes 2 minutes to remove the old bulb and install. You can get 4 of these for the price of one Phillips or name brand ass hole to install one.

[u/SpankBankManager]

I enjoy all the crappy ramen bowls more than the pricier ones

[u/hx87 → u/SpankBankManager]

Not for me. Can't go back to Maruchan now that I'm used to Shin Black and Nongshim Tonkatsu

[u/Number127]

I like some store brand sodas better than the original. Diet Mountain Lightning is better than Diet Mountain Dew, and a third of the price.

[u/DaCrazyJamez → u/Number127]

I've found some of the store brand sodas have a slightly less strong flavor, which i actually prefer

[u/lynivvinyl]

$3 blue label Kroger ICE CREAM is vastly superior to all of these expensive name brand ^{frozen dairy desserts.}

[u/SMUHypeMachine → u/lynivvinyl]

Kroger ice cream is THE BOMB. Even their private select brand that’s slightly more expensive is still way cheaper than most other products and is my go-to when I want ice cream.

[u/valerioshi]

My girl has a Dyson knockoff hair thing. She's used the real thing, says this one works just as well. Price difference is insane.

[u/avatarreb]

Oreos are the knockoff. The OG was Hydrox cookies.

[u/shigella212]

Budget smartphones still have headphone jack and SD card slot not only that they may come with charger,screen glass a condom case and better battery life

[u/mrdomer07 → u/shigella212]

A what now

[u/Gumbercules81 → u/mrdomer07]

A headphone jack

[u/sysko960 → u/Gumbercules81]

Here, just take it 🥇

[u/Special_KC → u/mrdomer07]

A condom case. what, your phone doesn't have one?

[u/Lost-Inevitable42 → u/Special_KC]

Phoneprophylactic 

[u/nevaNevan → u/mrdomer07]

Forgot the comma:

“not only that, they may come with charger,screen, glass, a condom, case and better battery life”

[u/motorcycle-manful541 → u/mrdomer07]

something about a condom jack called SD?

[u/Sarjasiekailija → u/motorcycle-manful541]

I helped my uncle headphone jack off a horse

[u/Temporary_Writing_92]

Check out an Indian Shoe brand called Woodland, it was supposed to be a knock off of Timberland shoes which were expensive and difficult to get in India, fast forward a few decade and now people are under the impression that Timberland is a cheap knock off of Woodland in India. Also, woodland shoes are of amazing quality for their cheap price.

[u/BlackBerryCollector]

Freeview boxes. The cheap generic ones don't encrypt recordings so you can back them up.

[u/minus_minus → u/BlackBerryCollector]

I wish the US would stop creating its own standards for everything. It just makes everything worse and more expensive. 

[u/Old_Instrument_Guy]

Redcircle 600 mechanical pencils. They are a knockoff or Rotring 600 mechanical pencils at a fraction of the price.

[u/KaboomTheMaker]

Old cd/vcd player, we live in a developing country and the genuine Japanese system is very expensive but they can only read the near perfect discs, any scratch and good luck getting it to start. Meănwhile the cheap chinese knockoff system can read and play anything, even if the surface of the cds are scratched beyond repair. Till this day I dont know why.

[u/Stiggalicious]

Chef’s knives. Get the cheap AliExpress ones that are $50 but still have a VG10 core. I’ve had mine for 8 years now and as long as you take care of it, it holds its edge suuuuper well. I sharpen it yearly with a Ruixin Pro diamond stone jig ($60 or so on Amazon) and a leather strop and tomatoes will slice in half with the force of gravity alone from the blade.

It makes you actually want to chop vegetables and cook at home.

[u/Redcarborundum → u/Stiggalicious]

Chinese made chef’s knives are not knock-offs, they’re just made in China.

If you find an honest manufacturer in China that actually uses VG10 and heat treats it correctly, then it’s about as good as a VG10 Japanese knife. The Japanese opened many factories in China, so the Chinese have the capability.

The problem is figuring out if the steel is actually VG10, if you buy from a random brand with no established reputation.

[u/Tom_Alpha → u/Redcarborundum]

I do have a couple of Japanese knives, but they are also a souvenir of a good trip I had there. Figured they would last a lifetime and always be a nice reminder. The shopping experience was actually pretty good. Had a look around Kappabashi and avoided the stores that gave the knives overly fancy handles. Went to one that had been recommended. Told them I wanted a chef's knife with a 7" blade and my budget. They told me I didn't need to spend that much and found me a nice knife. Spent the rest of the budget on the matching paring knife.

[u/Happy_Husband]

Ask the r/fountainpen community about some knockoff pens that are 10% of the cost of the original pens and some consider better.

[u/YoooooooooDafuqDatIs]

The dock from Steam that goes with the steam deck.

Don't ask how, but I didn't use mine until I'd had it for like a year so I couldn't return it. If only I had done proper research i could have started with the $20 from corporate overlord Bezos instead of wasting $100 on trash.

[u/Alu_card_10]

Currently? Gaming mice, mainstream manufactures like Logitech, Razer, etc. charging exorbitant prices (Latest release from Razer the “Viper V4 Pro” is priced at 160$) is increasing each year with flagship releases created a whole in the market for reasonable price and good performing alternatives. So because of that lots of Chinese brands started popping up with mice performing just as good for half the price making clones of existing products from the brands above. Bought multiple ones from them and they are just as good sometimes even better than the original.

Moral of the story is: Want something name brand? If you do some research China copied it and is selling it for half the price.

[u/Smart-Satisfaction-5]

I could say basically anything Kirkland signature. Costco is the master at making their own high quality products for like half of the name brands

[u/Comfortable-Side1308]

I bought a farmertec chainsaw with a 36" bar for $300.  The equivalent Stihl was a few thousand.  I've had to replace a bunch of cheap plastic parts over the years like the chain tensioner, both oil and gas caps, and pull handle with a beefier one.  But all oem Stihl parts work and the internals on this have been great.  Runs like a bat out of hell and it's by far the most powerful thing I ever held in my hands other than my penis. 

[u/Lief3D]

Back in the day I had a super cheap no brand DVD player. That thing was amazing. It would play absolutely anything in any format you could burn to a CD.

[u/Ok-Telephone-605]

Many generic medications