Durability

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title: "Durability" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["broad-concept-articles", "materials-science", "waste-minimisation"] description: "Ability of a product to continue to function" topic_path: "science/chemistry" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durability" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Ability of a product to continue to function ::

::callout[type=note] the physical property ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/MER_No.6.jpg" caption="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. There are several measures of durability in use, including years of life, hours of use, and number of operational cycles. 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.

Requirements for product durability

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/Durability_test_in_Okinotorishima.jpg" caption="Durability test in Japan, 2010"] ::

Product durability is predicated by good repairability and regenerability in conjunction with maintenance. Every durable product must be capable of adapting to technical, technological and design developments. 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.

Reliability testing verifies the resistance of a product or material to wear. Common tests evaluate fatigue, abrasion, corrosion and exposure to environmental conditions.

Product life spans and sustainable consumption

The lifespan of household goods is a significant factor in sustainable consumption. Longer product life spans can contribute to eco-efficiency and sufficiency, thus slowing consumption in order to progress towards a sustainable level of consumption. Cooper (2005) proposed a model to demonstrate the crucial role of product lifespans to sustainable production and consumption.

Types

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/Drop_of_water_on_water-resistant_textile_(100%_polyester).jpg" caption="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

References

References

1. Cooper, Tim. (1994). "Beyond Recycling: The longer life option". The New Economics Foundation, Whitechapel Road, London.
2. Stahel, Walter. (2010). "Longer Lasting Products: alternatives to the throwaway society". Gower.
3. (March 2025). "A framework for measuring physical garment durability". Cleaner and Responsible Consumption.
4. J. Lienig. (2017). "Fundamentals of Electronic Systems Design". Springer International Publishing.
5. Ervine, Cowan. (2010). "Longer Lasting Products: alternatives to the throwaway society". Gower.
6. (22 October 2024). "What is Durability Testing".
7. Cooper, Tim. (1994). "The durability of consumer durables". Business Strategy and the Environment.
8. Cooper, Tim. (2005). "Slower Consumption Reflections on Product Life Spans and the "Throwaway Society"". Journal of Industrial Ecology.

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::