What’s in a name?  If you’re talking about a name-brand product, the answer is a price increase.  While some retailers repackage the brand names under store labels, what if there was a store without brands?  Could taking away the brand name really save you money?

That’s the idea behind the online retailer Brandless.  They use independent suppliers and manufacturers to product foodstuffs, bath products, and kitchen utensils sans brand name.  And everything on the site sells for just $3.

But are the products any good?

Kyle and I filled a big box with snacks, utensils, lotions and more to give them a try.  Some of the products were okay, some were not good, and a couple were phenomenal.  Here’s a rundown of the memorable products.

Kitchen spoons, measuring cups, and miscellaneous kitchen tools?  Amazing.  I’ll never buy these at Target again.  Soaps, bath products, cleaning products?  They’re fine.  The scents are really heavy, but they work well.  Aluminum foil, parchment paper, etc.?  Just buy these on sale, the Brandless versions are a little flimsy.

As for the food products, the quality of everything was good.  The portions were right.  The issue was the taste of some of the items, which is a matter of personal preference.  I really liked the baking mixes for quick, semi-homemade snacks.  The sweet potato chips were tasty.  But the spaghetti sauce was god-awful; so sweet it tasted like a bad jam.

The rule for Social posts is this: I buy it with my own money, and I ask myself, would I spend my own money again.  For the kitchen utensils, yes, yes, I would.  For everything else, not really.  The novelty of a brandies product and the semi-affordable price is a cool concept.  But we bought almost $100 in products and found fewer than five food items we loved enough to special order from a retailer we don’t regularly shop.

Brandless is expanding their selection of products, and as they add more staple items, I think it will become a better resource. Kyle and I don’t eat a lot of cookies or chips or snacks, so maybe we’re just not the market for this store yet.  If you have kids or you’re a big snacker, this might be a good fit.

All products featured on Saw It On Social are purchased by me with my money.  No sponsorships or freebies are solicited, nor accepted.  There are so many garbage products being pumped as hot and new on social media that someone needs to wade through the weeds for an honest review, so it might as well be me.  To read more of the posts in this series, click here.