The object that photographs well may still be awkward every morning.

Purchases now get made from images, and an image tests only one thing. A shape can be beautiful in a photograph and wrong at seven in the morning, when you need to open it half awake, carry it in one hand, or clean it after a spill. Daily use asks questions the picture never asked. Once the thing is in the house, that single good angle stops being relevant.

Before buying, imagine using the item on your worst morning rather than your best. Where you can, handle it first and let your hands overrule the picture.