Why You Might Want To Think Twice Before Buying Small Appliances From Hobby Lobby

Whether you're decorating your home for the holidays or stocking up on crafting supplies, Hobby Lobby's your one-stop shop. With a massive inventory of items, you can find some hidden gems, including an unexpectedly large selection of kitchen cabinet hardware. But not everything you find at Hobby Lobby is worth the price. For instance, some customers feel like the small appliances may seem like a good value at first, but the limited selection and lack of customer feedback make them a risky purchase.

You'll find plenty of novelty kitchen items, from Star Wars-themed mini waffle makers to toasters modeled after the Xbox Series S game console. You'll also find everything from basic small appliances like immersion blenders, glass kettles, and mini food choppers to specialty items like cotton candy makers and Hawaiian shaved ice machines. But that's about it. Additionally, many of these items have few, if any, customer reviews, making it difficult to know whether they're actually worth buying.

You're usually not headed to Hobby Lobby specifically for a small appliance, but when one catches your eye, especially if it's on sale, it can be tempting to toss it into your cart. The problem is that many of these appliances don't give shoppers much information beyond what's printed on the box. If you're looking for a small appliance that's actually worth your money, we'd start with these small smart kitchen gadgets instead.

Aside from the limited selection of small appliances, another major drawback to buying them at Hobby Lobby is its stringent return policy. First off, you'll need the original receipt to make a return within 90 days of purchase for an exchange, store credit, or full refund. Some customers say the process can be frustrating even when they have a receipt. "I've had too many problems returning merchandise in the past, even with a receipt, ESPECIALLY reduced price merchandise," stated one Redditor.

Without a receipt, you may only be eligible for an exchange or a "merchandise credit based on the lowest selling price in the last 60 days," according to the retailer's FAQ page. And if you buy the item online, you can't make returns in-store. Additionally, items must be unopened and unused to qualify for a return, meaning you won't know how well an appliance works until after you've committed to keeping it.

With so many factors working against Hobby Lobby's small appliance purchases, you're usually better off shopping at retailers like Amazon, Walmart, and Costco. Those stores offer a much wider selection of well-known products, thousands of customer reviews, and more flexible return policies. If you're considering Costco, our guide to the small kitchen appliances to buy and avoid can help narrow down the best options. But if you've had your eye on a Hello Kitty coffee maker, Hobby Lobby may still be worth a look.