5 Common Items To Avoid Buying From Lowe's (And 4 That Are Worth It)

Lowe's is a reliable ally to have in your neighborhood when it comes to renovating your home and getting your DIY projects done right. The big box retailer carries everything from lumber and power tools to gardening supplies and kitchen countertops. Since the store carries so many things, it can be tempting to think of Lowe's as a one-stop shop for all your home goods and hardware needs. Unfortunately, not everything on the shelves at Lowe's is quite worth its price tag. Small, everyday items like batteries, for example, may be cheaper at other stores. There are also larger products, such as some stock cabinets, can also be best to avoid due to potential quality concerns.

To identify which items from Lowe's are best avoided, we've read product reviews, checked prices from competitor brands, and looked at discussions on social media. During this process, we also ended up identifying a number of things you can get at Lowe's that actually are worth spending your money on. Generally speaking, the store usually has no shortage of good deals. There are often excellent discounts on large appliances, for example. The sheer variety of paint options and painting supplies at Lowe's also makes the store worth a visit. This is especially for anyone who's looking to choose paint colors for a home. And when it comes to outdoor living, the retailer has furniture options that customers love.

Lowe's has an extensive selection of curtains and drapes on offer online, and it's easy to sort through these products on their website by color and the level of light control they provide. However, there are sometimes few options actually present in the retailer's physical stores. Additionally, the prices of Lowe's curtains can run a bit higher than comparable offerings from competitors. You can sometimes get cheaper blackout curtains on Amazon, for example. For sheer white curtains, meanwhile, you may save a bundle if you drive to IKEA instead.

If you're short on disposable batteries, it can be tempting to add a few of them to your cart when you approach the checkout area at Lowe's. However, resisting this temptation might save you a good chunk of change. Smaller packages of AA batteries from Lowe's, for example, can cost you more than a dollar per battery. Even when you're buying such products in bulk, you'll most likely find a better deal at Costco or Target. It's worth noting, however, that Lowe's often has a receptacle to dispose of old rechargeable batteries, and it doesn't cost money to use.

Every home needs a good quantity of plastic containers and collapsible fabric boxes for storage and organization. The big ones with latching lids come in handy in the garage and basement, while the small ones are great for closets and cabinets. You may not find the best of deals on such products at Lowe's, however, especially if you're buying them individually instead of in sets. If you compare their prices to what's on offer at IKEA, for example, you'll likely find that the Swedish retailer is cheaper and has more options.

Many people buy stock cabinets for their kitchen remodel from stores like Lowe's because the prefabricated products are affordable and available for immediate installation. However, the quality of the materials is generally going to be on the lower side. Some of the bottom-tier options are made from particleboard and budget-friendly hardware that can wear out quickly. On the retailer's website, you may also notice that many offerings from series like Diamond NOW and Reliabilt have review scores that are less than four stars.

Lowe's is a big store, and when you have to walk around the warehouse space in circles looking for specific products, it's easy to get exhausted. The retailer knows this, and that's why it puts a selection of candy bars, salty snacks, and sodas near its checkout lanes. They're often offered at inflated prices, but they're so convenient that they sell anyway. Next time you're off to the home improvement store, consider getting a bite to eat elsewhere so that you aren't tempted to open your wallet for these.

Lowe's carries a vast selection of paints from recognizable brands like Valspar, Sherwin-Williams, and Rust-Oleum. They have tons of swatches you can take home for testing, too, plus all manner of brushes, rollers, and sprayers. There are a couple of other perks that accompany these products as well, such as online visualization tools on the Lowe's website and eligible same-day delivery on paints in some places for orders placed before 2pm. If you're about to redo a room or spruce up your cabinets, the sheer variety at Lowe's makes it a good place to start shopping for new colors.

Want to revamp your outdoor living space? Allen + Roth-brand outdoor furniture, which is sold exclusively at Lowe's, might be worth a look. Many of the sets from this brand, from both the Thomas Lake and Leo Springs lines, have excellent review scores on the Lowe's website and come with free shipping. Furniture assembly, however, does come with a fee. Regardless, the brand's large range of options allows customers to plan patio layouts for a variety of backyard setups.

If you're trying to pick out new kitchen appliances, or perhaps a washer and dryer set, you'll definitely want to do your due diligence by checking on the prices of these products at Lowe's. They frequently have good bargains timed, most predictably, around holidays such as Black Friday and Memorial Day. There are all sorts of familiar brands to choose from, including Whirlpool, Frigidaire, LG, and KitchenAid. Don't forget to check the terms of an appliance's return policy before buying, and consider asking the store about their protection plans, too.

Lowe's carries a staggeringly large collection of power tools, from cordless drills and saws to palm sanders and routers. Oftentimes, they'll go on sale in combo kits or sets, which is great for homeowners looking to swiftly stock up their workbench. Many of the brands they carry, such as DeWALT and Craftsman, are easily recognizable. The exclusive tool brand at Lowe's is Kobalt, and it generally has a good reputation for everyday household use. Products in this series are sometimes covered by special limited guarantees that last longer than the 90-day return policy the store normally provides.

Lowe's is a large-scale retail chain with more than a thousand locations spread throughout the continental United States. As a result, the availability of particular products and deals can vary significantly based on geographical area. Because of this, we first researched broader product categories, and then looked for patterns in review scores and deals to identify specifics. We performed price checks against competitor brands, such as IKEA and Home Depot, for all of the items discussed in this list. We also looked for expert opinions that discussed the value of the store's overall offerings.

Aggregated review scores from verified buyers on the Lowe's website were also factored into our recommendations, as were social media posts from Lowe's customers on sites like Reddit and Facebook that discussed the quality of the retailer's products. For things like patio furnishings and cabinets, durability was as essential a factor as cost when determining value.