a Dishwasher.
Before buying it I would spend 45 minutes every night doing dishes.
Now I load the dishwasher in 10 minutes tops and go to bed half an hour earlier!
More sleep => better humor in the morning => happier family
Ask HN: What did you purchase that measurably improved your quality of life?
11–20 of 530 posts
Re: Ask HN: What did you purchase that measurably improved your quality of life?
#12Leaf razor... overall my favorite purchase in the past 2-3 years.
Re: Ask HN: What did you purchase that measurably improved your quality of life?
#13A Xiaomi Mi Pocket Magic Massager which I use almost daily. Because of decades of bad posture, I often have crippling tension in my neck muscles. After I discovered acupuncture, I realized that this small tens unit could provide a similar effect more conveniently.
Re: Ask HN: What did you purchase that measurably improved your quality of life?
#14Apple Airpod Pros -- long battery life, near instant bluetooth tethering. Even other expensive headphones/earbuds (Bose) for instance could not compete with the ease of use, noise cancellation, and comfort. I don't think about headphones anymore, they just work the way they're supposed to.
I do love them, but the noise cancellation does bad things to bass and for my real low end stuff, produces a rattle? I turn it off when i want it full volume
Re: Ask HN: What did you purchase that measurably improved your quality of life?
#15A Xiaomi Mi Pocket Magic Massager which I use almost daily. Because of decades of bad posture, I often have crippling tension in my neck muscles. After I discovered acupuncture, I realized that this small tens unit could provide a similar effect more conveniently.
What muscles do you use it on? My forearms have been super tight recently.
Re: Ask HN: What did you purchase that measurably improved your quality of life?
#16A bicycle.
Re: Ask HN: What did you purchase that measurably improved your quality of life?
#17Books. A few handfuls of them, combined, made a magnitude of a difference in my quality of life.
An incredible amount of similar content is available now in video and text form for free, but I think that the same ideas non-book form wouldn't have had the same impact on me.
Re: Ask HN: What did you purchase that measurably improved your quality of life?
#18Automated cat infrastructure: automatic USB water fountain[0], food dispenser[1], Litter Robot 3[2] (as of recently, with a homebrew controller[3]).
These allow me a good four days of absence from the house - for camping or whatever else. Doesn't happen often that both the wife and I are MIA, but when it does, these things are indespensable.
[0]: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07WGLYV22/
[1]: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VIXRB6O/
Re: Ask HN: What did you purchase that measurably improved your quality of life?
#19Cordless vacuum
Seconded. The stick kind with a variety of heads, including a head for hardwood floors. Game changer, at least since having a kid.
Re: Ask HN: What did you purchase that measurably improved your quality of life?
#20This is very easy for me, I bought a Boosted Rev electric scooter last year. It cut my commute time nearly in half compared to biking to work (before covid), I don't arrive hot and sweaty in summer and in winter a helmet with a visor keeps me totally warm. It is powerful and sturdy enough that my wife and I can ride together, now that's how we get around Manhattan. All the benefits of a car + bike in a smaller package that can fold down to fit in the back of a taxi or be carried on the subway.
I've said this here before I think, but the Segway inventor was claiming cities would be designed around it and everyone was laughing, but with an electric scooter I can totally see this happening.