{{Short description|Ability of a product to continue to function}} {{About|the physical property|the database property|Durability (database systems)|the cognitive bias|Durability bias}} [[File:MER No.6.jpg|thumb|The Manx Electric Railway on the Isle of Man still operates with its original tramcars and trailers, all of which are over one hundred years old, the latest dating from 1906.]]
'''Durability''' is the ability of a physical product to remain functional, without requiring excessive maintenance or repair, when faced with the challenges of normal operation over its design lifetime.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Cooper|first=Tim|year=1994|title=Beyond Recycling: The longer life option|url=https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/24666/1/201125_7266%20Cooper%20Publisher.pdf|journal=The New Economics Foundation, Whitechapel Road, London|pages=5}}</ref>{{rp|5}} There are several measures of durability in use, including years of life, hours of use, and number of operational cycles.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Longer Lasting Products: alternatives to the throwaway society|last=Stahel|first=Walter|publisher=Gower|year=2010|isbn=978-0-566-08808-7|editor-last=Cooper|editor-first=Tim|location=Farnham|chapter=Durability, Function and Performance}}</ref> In economics, goods with a long usable life are referred to as durable goods.
Because there is no objective measure of durability for clothing, price has become an important indicator.<ref name="affm">{{cite journal |last1=Guo |first1=Yue |last2=Morris |first2=Kate E. |last3=Sumner |first3=Mark |last4=Taylor |first4=Mark |date=March 2025 |title=A framework for measuring physical garment durability |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666784324000780 |journal=Cleaner and Responsible Consumption |volume=16 |doi=10.1016/j.clrc.2024.100245 |access-date=|doi-access=free }}</ref>
== Requirements for product durability == thumb|upright|Durability test in Japan, 2010 Product durability is predicated by good repairability and regenerability in conjunction with maintenance.<ref name="durabilityBook">{{Cite book|author=J. Lienig|author2=H. Bruemmer|title=Fundamentals of Electronic Systems Design|pages=201–203|chapter=New Design Strategy – Product Durability|publisher=Springer International Publishing|date=2017|isbn=978-3-319-55839-4|doi=10.1007/978-3-319-55840-0}}</ref> Every durable product must be capable of adapting to technical, technological and design developments.<ref name=durabilityBook/> This must be accompanied by a willingness on the part of consumers to forgo having the "very latest" version of a product.
In the United Kingdom, durability as a characteristic relating to the quality of goods that can be demanded by consumers was not clearly established until an amendment of the Sale of Goods Act 1979 relating to the quality standards for supplied goods in 1994.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Longer Lasting Products: alternatives to the throwaway society|last=Ervine|first=Cowan|publisher=Gower|year=2010|isbn=978-0-566-08808-7|editor-last=Cooper|editor-first=Tim|location=Farnham|pages=187–188|chapter=Durability and the Law}}</ref>
Reliability testing verifies the resistance of a product or material to wear.<ref name="widt">{{cite web |date=22 October 2024 |title=What is Durability Testing |url=https://fdm-makers.com/en/what-is-the-durability-test/ |website=FDM Environment Makers |access-date=25 February 2025}}</ref> Common tests evaluate fatigue, abrasion, corrosion and exposure to environmental conditions.<ref name="widt"/>
== Product life spans and sustainable consumption == The lifespan of household goods is a significant factor in sustainable consumption.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Cooper|first=Tim|year=1994|title=The durability of consumer durables|journal=Business Strategy and the Environment|volume=3|issue=1|pages=23–30|doi=10.1002/bse.3280030103|url=https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/8822/1/NPS_1086a_Cooper.pdf}}</ref> Longer product life spans can contribute to eco-efficiency and sufficiency, thus slowing consumption in order to progress towards a sustainable level of consumption.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Cooper|first=Tim|year=2005|title=Slower Consumption Reflections on Product Life Spans and the "Throwaway Society"|journal=Journal of Industrial Ecology|volume=9|issue=1–2|pages=51–67|doi=10.1162/1088198054084671|url=https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/994/1/NPS_1081a_Cooper.pdf|doi-access=free|bibcode=2005JInEc...9...51C }}</ref> Cooper (2005) proposed a model to demonstrate the crucial role of product lifespans to sustainable production and consumption.<ref name=":0" />
==Types== thumb|Waterproof textile, 2021 Durability can encompass several specific physical properties of designed products, including:
*Ageing (of polymers) *Dust resistance *Resistance to fatigue *Fire resistance *Radiation hardening *Thermal resistance *Rot-proofing *Rustproofing *Toughness *Waterproofing
==Examples== *Chemically strengthened glass e.g. Superfest *Durable medical equipment *Durable water repellent
== See also == {{wiktionary|durability}} *Availability *Consumables **Disposable product *Interchangeable parts *Maintainability *Product life *Product stewardship *Throwaway society *Waste minimization
==References== {{reflist}}
Category:Broad-concept articles Category:Materials science Category:Waste minimisation