These 9 Costco Home And Kitchen Products Get Returned Most Often, According To Employees

If you're shopping for home goods like mattresses, patio furniture, or even versatile kitchen organization finds, Costco is a total hotspot. The warehouse store is home to groceries, sure, but also a vast range of furniture, kitchen tools, appliances, and even decor items that can help you outfit every room of your home. But not everything at Costco delivers amazing quality or suits shoppers' needs perfectly. If you're wondering what's worth investing in and what you should skip, you need to know what products are frequently being returned, according to employees who actually work in the stores. Certain items, and even products from specific brands, tend to appear at Costco's return counters more often than others. 

Costco is beloved by so many shoppers, not only because it has a total wealth of home goods at great prices, but also because this warehouse retailer offers a pretty generous return policy. Whether you're thinking about investing in a new living room sofa or need to replace an old washer and dryer duo, Costco will refund shoppers who aren't satisfied with their purchase. Now, there are some notable exceptions to this policy — like electronics, which can only be returned within a 90-day window — but for the most part, shoppers are able to return just about anything, and employees can attest to that, given these frequently returned items.

Keurig's convenient single-cup coffeemakers are usually a hit. After all, they're easy to use and quick at making a cup of joe. But if you've ever owned one, odds are you know just how quickly these handy kitchen machines can break down. In fact, Keurig's machines aren't often the best when tested against similar single-cup coffeemakers from other brands. Costco employees on Reddit have reported seeing Keurigs come back more often than just about any other product – at least one of these coffeemakers daily – making them regulars at the returns counter. One worker specifically noted that the smaller Keurig machines are returned most frequently.

There's another product — and brand — that sees almost as much action at Costco's return counters. Dyson vacuums are one of the retailer's most frequently returned products, according to employees, as they consistently fail to live up to shoppers' expectations. One clerk even called it the "number on[e] return item," so it's best to think twice and heavily research before you invest in a Dyson model. While some products outside the brand's vacuums can deliver perfect performance, the vacuums tend to be a problem for many Costco shoppers.

Thinking about skipping a Dyson vacuum in favor of another vacuum model sold at Costco? Well, you might want to pause before you spend your money. Costco employees on Reddit say that vacuums in general tend to see a high return rate, regardless of what brand or model you choose. While there is a pretty broad selection of vacuums at Costco, including upright, cordless stick, and even robot vacuum-mops, you might want to do some digging into the best vacuums to buy before you invest one that may not deliver.

Samsung may have a great reputation when it comes to consumer electronics like smartphones, but Costco staff on Reddit see a different side of the brand. According to their reported experiences, Samsung's home appliances are among the most frequently returned. Reports from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission confirm Samsung refrigerators have had poor reliability and owner satisfaction over the years, while certain top-load washing machines having faced recalls. So, Samsung is one brand you might want to skip while shopping at Costco.

Just like Samsung's home appliances, Costco workers point to LG appliances as another not-so-smart investment. Based on employees' experiences, LG appliances tend to see a high return rate and poor customer satisfaction. However, for this brand's products, refrigerators are the most problematic. LG refrigerators have been found to experience compressor issues across the board, regardless of the style of fridge you choose. Replacement parts, too, have experienced failures and issues that leave refrigerators far too warm to function.

While large appliances from specific brands might get a bad rap returns-wise, small appliances are often brought right back to Costco, too. According to one employee on Reddit, this oft-returned category of items includes coffeemakers (beyond the Keurig single-cup options we mentioned earlier) mixers, and immersion blenders. The issue? Often, these appliances pose frustrations or problems for customers — or, according to some shoppers who've weighed in, they break within just a few uses.

If you're looking to upgrade your bed and choose a new mattress, Costco has exactly what you need thanks to a surprisingly large selection that includes popular brands like Casper, Purple, and Avocado. But no matter what size, type, or brand of mattress you're considering, you might wind up returning it – employees reported on Reddit that mattresses are frequently brought back. Unlike other common returns, though, mattresses do have a unique quirk. It's nearly impossible to know how a mattress will feel while standing inside Costco. It's a product you need to sleep on, and if the comfort isn't just right, it won't be a keeper.

Seasonal items also tend to see a high rate of returns at Costco. Plenty of shoppers will pick up fun seasonal toys — like backyard playsets — keep them while the weather is warm and sunny, then bring them right back for a return come fall. According to Costco employees, playsets and swing sets are a common sight at the return counter. One employee noted on Reddit that the line customers use is that they're "always defective," but based what clarks have seen, playsets, swing sets, and other outdoor items like trampolines and above-ground pools tend to be brought back seasonally ahead of winter.

Portable air conditioners, or indoor air conditioners that sit on the floor versus in a window or wall, are another popular return at Costco. They're unsurprisingly in demand when the weather warms up, but based on employees' firsthand experience — as explained on Reddit – these devices tend to come right back to the store. That's because, as a whole, portable air conditioners don't really deliver effective cooling. While they seem like a convenient, room-cooling option, portable A/C units are likely getting returned because they barely alter the temperature, leaving customers just as hot as before.