I know some companies offer 90-day returns etc, but what item would you think everyone would benefit from if it was an industry standard to have a test drive like new cars?
My nitpick would be microwaves. I have tried picking out what I thought was decent microwaves in the past but it’s hard to know exactly how it functions without using it. For instance, my microwave has an express button (30 seconds) or a minute plus button. You can only use one of them, if you’ve hit the minute button the express button doesn’t let you add 30 seconds while it’s active and vice versa. Also the beeping, even if you hit the stop button and open the door when it gets to 0 seconds, it still goes through it’s “I’m done” beeping which is loud and repetitive making you stop it at 1 second and still having to click cancel which makes noise. So what’s your choice?
Spatulas with overly-long handles. Nothing like constanty banging it all over a small kitchen.
Those little lights made to look like light switches, with their weak-ass magnets.
Clamp lamps that have scant threads on the reflector. They like to pop off and can actually instakill an incandescent.
As far as a house itself: installed carpets. It’s everything you hate about carpets, but permanent. They’re especially loathesome in bathrooms.