Buy American, whenever possible, avoid Amazon
Buying American doesn’t take much effort once you prioritize it. You just need to start reading packaging labels, the same you would for food, and after you start paying attention, you’ll come to celebrate seeing little American flags on packaging or prominently displayed on websites.
Costco sells a number of American made goods. I’ve found Nordicware pans, Snapware food storage, Greenmade storage bins, and Vitamix blenders on their shelves. Another reason to prefer them over Amazon.
Firsthand Reviews
These are things I actually own, use, and am happy with.
Biking
- GUTR Sweatband - the only sweatband I’ve ever found that even comes close to working the extreme sweat I produce. Made in Texas.
- K-EDGE Gravity Top Cap Mount - love this for a clean cockpit. Made in Idaho.
- Original StrapPad - a neat little mount that fits on your water bottle cage bosses. I use it to hold my titanium cook pot. Handmade in Arizona.
- Original Cargo Net - also from Original Free Range, this cargo net is super handy. I wrap it around my saddle bag both for extra compression in addition to securing small bits and bobs.
- Revelate Tangle frame bag - fits my bike, carries my stuff. Not much more to say. Revelate have a pretty interesting and transparent manufacturing statement. The Tangle still seems to be made in the US, but not all their bags are.
- Voile straps - the gold standard, and you can never have too many of them. They’re made in Utah.
Camping
- Platypus QuickDraw Microfilter - personal water filter. It’s competitive with the Sawyer Mini, which is also made in the US, so you can’t really go wrong here.
Car Stuff
- etrailer Trailer Hitch Receiver - says it was made in the USA. Read more on my campervan page
Clothing
Todd Shelton maintains a very nice complete list of American-made clothing brands that you should check out.
- American Giant - the best hoodie you can buy, period. Unfortunately their t-shirs are cut a little too big and boxy for my body. Made in North Carolina.
- Dearborn Denim - “quality goods made in Chicago”. I have two pairs of their commuter jeans and love them. I am an odd size: 30x29 and it’s so refreshing to have off-the-rack stuff fit just right.
- Duckworth - I was on a quest to find a merino hoodie forever, and love my Duckworth. The cut and fit is like a potato sack, but the comfort level is maximum.
- softwear - incredibly soft and comfortable. I have a hoodie and their tees are my new go-to basics.
- Todd Shelton - these are expensive shirts, no question. You are paying for quality and semi-custom tailoring. I have one and love it.
- Vermont Flannel - I have their “shacket” and a fitted flannel shirt. Nice patterns, high quality materials and construction. One minor complaint is the wrists are too small to fit over my watch.
Housewares
- Anchor Hocking - American made glassware. I own a set of their nested mixing bowls and they get the job done.
- Greenmade - storage totes. I have about a zillion of these, picking up another one almost every time I visit Costco.
- Nordic Ware bakeware - they make over 300 products in Minneapolis. I have some baking sheets and a non-stick wok and can highly recommend.
- Snapware - glass food storage containers, available at Costco.
- Vornado Evap40 Humidifier - made in the US from US and imported parts
- Vornado 293 heavy duty fan - I use this to stay cool while exercising indoors
- Twin mattress - for the kid bed
Skiing
- BlackStrap baselayers - best known for their iconic balaclavas, but they make a bunch of other baselayers too. Made in Bend, OR. According to this story, they “mill fabric, cut and sew garments, source packaging & run all warehousing operations (quality controlling, packaging etc.) within the USA”.
- Moment Skis - IYKYK. I own the Wildcat 108. Hand-made in Reno, NV.
- Edgie Wedgie - helps your kid learn how to ski, hand-made in Utah.
In Memoriam
- Kitsbow - high-end bike clothing, shut down in March of 2023. I had a few pieces of gear from them that I really liked, but regret that I never got their Icon shirt. One lesson here is that if you see an American maker whose stuff you like, don’t wait because you don’t know. Read more over on bikepacking.
Noteworthy
I don’t personally own these, but they’re on my radar for one reason or another.
- New Balance - I don’t actually own anything from NB (see my problematic feet), but it’s cool there’s at least one shoe manufacturer building in the US. Looks like they’re made in Maine and Massachussetts.
- WhatVests - replace your bulky annoying backpack with a utility vest. I don’t actually own one, but thought they looked cool. Made in Laramie, WY.
Some additional reading:
- Tech Companies Slowly Shift Production Away From China - Vietnam seems to be the winner, and the article says that Foxconn is offering $300/month vs $650/month in China. Over 10 years, workers in China have managed to triple their pay to $9300 annually.
