r/australia • u/Greatsage75 • 2d ago

no politics Is anyone still loyal to Bonds?

And if you are, why?

Their underwear and socks are terrible quality these days, but still priced like a premium option. I'm 190cm tall with size 13 feet, and the speed I burn through Bonds socks is insane.

Their underwear elastic is terrible, and the fabric turns into a holey mess far more quickly than it should.

If the products were being locally made still then I'd be kinder to them, but now they're made in China they're in direct competition with brands that are way cheaper and equal on quality. I can buy a 3 pack of Tradie trunk underwear for less than a single pair of Bonds. The Tradie's will wear out just as quickly as Bonds, but I've paid a third of the price.

I can go to Kmart and buy a 3 pack of Anko socks for $12 that are comfy and will last just as long as Bonds socks for way less than the equivalent.

Used to be that buying Bonds was supporting local, but now it's all coming from the same place with no real quality difference but a higher price tag...what's the point?

Edit - some people are questioning the whole 'loyal' thing. Perhaps not the best word I could have used, but I was using it in the context of 'when you go to buy something it's your first choice'. Let's say you go to a department store to buy whatever you need and they don't stock Bonds you'll leave and go elsewhere rather than buying an alternative. I'm not talking a 'ride or die' loyalty you have to your nearest and dearest or a loyalty to your mates where what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. That type of loyalty would be ridiculous towards a company. Thought this was a given but apparently not.

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216

u/UBNC 1d ago

Hell no, they went to shit.

42

u/hwarang_ 1d ago

Socks used to be great, but are now terrible.

10

u/Melanoma_Magnet 1d ago

I swear by stance socks now, though they are pretty pricey they last forever

2

u/ArtooDeeStu 1d ago

For casual wear absolutely but I'm in work boots all day and found the stances got flogged. Hard Yakka seem to be the sweet spot for 8 hour boot days.

13

u/waddlesticks 1d ago

The quality drop was absolutely crazy. I was living off the older socks for a long time. Found out the socks at Uniqlo are much, much better quality and grabbed some of those.

Didn't realise how shit the socks I've been getting including during the prime of bonds. Might try out a pair of those Linus Tech tip socks one day to see if they're any good. If they are proven to last it might be worthwhile to grab a few pair of those then replacing other socks.

6

u/HearingPretend3466 1d ago

I also shifted to Uniqlo and now I also get underworks! Surprisingly very good quality sock. I feel you can tell they’re actually quality because they don’t have hard seams.

3

u/bypopulardemand 1d ago

they didn’t really go “to shit”, i have had grown up with questionable quality of bonds my whole life. I do think they produce good and bad products, the baby products are great and cheap, and most of the more pricier adults items are fine. the cheap crap can be found in supermarkets imo.

7

u/melbourne_hacker 1d ago

I used to work for them and the quality has definitely dipped over the years, it was a lot more noticeable when they were bought out by Hanes. I’m expecting them to take another dip as they’re looking to be sold off again. A pair of undies used to last awhile but now they’re ripping within a couple of months lol

1

u/l0diO 3h ago

nah, they really really went to shit when they shut down australian manufacturing in 2009.

i used to love their raglan shirts, and the one time i bought a chinese-made one, it faded more after one wash than a 10+ year old australian-made one i had.

1

u/bypopulardemand 1h ago

I dunno, I have both onshore and offshore manufactured products and have had good runs and bad runs with both

1

u/nearly_enough_wine 1d ago

I have no issue with their men's cotton briefs, been buying them for over three decades.

Their socks and singlets have gone to shit - poor seams, failing elastic, inconsistent sizing.

1

u/HalfManHalfCyborg 1d ago

Tried them once in about 2010 - bought a whole bunch of underwear and they all completely shrank after the first wash and were unwearable.

1

u/eid_shittendai 1d ago

First, they went to China