New gear is expensive. But cheap gear tends to end up in the landfill years before quality items. That’s not good. But how do we make sure we’re not only buying smart as conscious consumers but saving our cash and keeping tents, backpacks and sleeping bags out of landfills where they will take decades if not centuries to break down, emitting harmful methane gases as they do? Buy products and gear from outdoor brands that offer lifetime warranties, of course!
Lifetime warranties often mean the manufacturer will repair or replace a defective item, usually for free, for as long as the item is fixable. Some manufacturers limit what they’re willing to fix, so read the fine print first, but others, like Osprey and Outdoor Research, will cover just about anything and everything. You will often have to pay for shipping to send the item in to be repaired, but that’s still a heckuva lot cheaper than buying a new bag or jacket, so it’s still a major win.
So we went ahead and compiled a handy list for you rounding up some of the biggest outdoor brands that offer lifetime warranties so you can feel good about spending your hard-earned cash knowing you won’t have to spend it again in 3 years.
Outdoor Brands that Offer Lifetime Warranties
Osprey: Probably the best warranty out there, the All Mighty Guarantee covers any reason, any product, any era.
Camelbak: The “Got Your Back” guarantee means they’ll replace any item that malfunctions, including water bottles and hydration packs.
Nalgene: Similarly to Camelback, if anything goes wrong with your Nalgene, from a cracked bottle to a leaky lid, they’ll replace it for free. We’ve had lids replaced before.
The North Face: Coats, tents, sleeping bags, it’s all covered in this brand’s warranty. Just not shoes. You only get a year with shoes.
Arc’teryx: This warranty covers manufacturing defects with the option of paying to repair any damage you managed to inflict that’s not covered.
Darn Tough Socks: Socks wear out, right? It’s just what they do. Except Darn Tough will replace them if that happens, so I guess it’s not what all socks do. They do make several wool-free varieties.
Nemo: This outdoor brand makes tents and sleeping bags, among other items, and all come with a material and manufacturer warranty so if something happens on the trail, you’re likely covered.
Outdoor Research: “Infinite Guarantee.” Need we say more? That means for the life of the product and beyond, whatever that means.
Patagonia: Their Ironclad Guarantee will cover everything except normal wear and tear.
Marmot: Like similar brands, Marmot will replace or repair items with manufacturing defects.
Cotopaxi: The average lifetime of someone in a developing country is 61 years, which is how long Cotopaxi, best known for their bags and packs, guarantees their products.
Therm-a-Rest: It’s a limited lifetime warranty, but they’ll replace or repair items that incurred damage due to manufacturing defects.
Klymit: When one of our inflatable sleeping pads sprung a leak, we shipped it to Klymit and they repaired it for free.
Big Agnes: These tents and other products aren’t cheap, so it’s good to know manufacturing and material defects are covered for the product’s lifetime (barring normal wear and tear).
Black Diamond: It’s not just climbing gear they’ll repair or replace for free if there’s a defect or you’re not happy with the product, it’s jackets and other gear, too.
Topo Designs: They will repair or replace any item that has an issue because the brand aims to craft gear that stands the test of time.
Chaco: We love our Chacos. And we love that if something goes wrong due to a manufacturing or materials issue, they’ll fix it. And if we’ve worn down the soles, well we can pay to get those replaced, too. (Keep in mind not many of their shoes other than sandals are vegan).
Did we miss any brands with stellar warranties? Let us know in the comments below! Wander on!
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Alisha is a freelance outdoor journalist and photographer based in Ogden, UT. She loves backpacking, hiking, mountain biking, kayaking and snowboarding (even though she’s terrible at it). She’s also pretty sure she’s addicted to coffee. alishamcdarris.com