5 Products That Cost More at Walmart

Editor's Note: This story originally appeared on Money Crashers.

Sometimes, the larger, “economy” package of cereal or some other staple costs more per unit than buying several smaller boxes. It pays to do the math to make sure you’re really getting the best deal.

Similarly, Walmart is usually a mecca for ultra-low prices, but that’s not the case for all products. With some categories of items, you’re usually better off shopping elsewhere.

1. Healthy foods

Walmart is a good source for cheap dairy, snack foods, and frozen treats. It’s less of a good deal for healthier options.

Organic foods, for example, cost less at rivals like Aldi and Trader Joe’s. If you’re buying for a large family, per-unit pricing for organic and other healthy options is better at Costco.

The same goes for fruits and veggies in general. A Consumer Reports 2015 piece ranked the quality of produce at Walmart at No. 67 out of 68 grocery chains. Although their produce was cheaper than the same items at Safeway or Kroger, the discount wasn’t worth it.

2. High-quality bedding

You spend one-third of your life in bed, so even budget-conscious consumers should buy the highest quality bedding they can afford. Although you can get super-cheap sheets and pillowcases at Walmart, if you want higher-quality bedding, you’re better off shopping elsewhere.

For example, this queen set of 1,800-thread count microfiber costs $28.99 at Walmart as of February 2022. A comparable 1,800-thread count setcosts $21.99 on Amazon and comes in a wider variety of colors.

The difference isn’t just between Walmart and bulk-offer giant Amazon. According to MarketWatch consumer savings expert Andrea Woroch, you can get higher-quality bedding at a comparable price to Walmart by shopping sales at stores like Macy’s. This is especially true if you wait until January when most significant retailers put remaining bedding stock on deep discounts.

3. High-quality meat

Don’t get us wrong; Walmart still outperforms most competitors on meat, fish, and poultry when it comes to price. The issue here is quality.

Consumer Reports surveyed more than 50,000 shoppers about the best and worst places to buy groceries, and roughly three-quarters of respondents complained about Walmart — specifically, about the quality of Walmart’s fish, meat, and poultry.

Although those foods still cost less at the register, consider this list of health issues that can come from low-quality meats:

• Stomach cramps
• Diarrhea
• Fever
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Organ failure
• Death

Even a moderate case of meat-based food poisoning will cost you health insurance copayments and deductibles well above the few cents per pound you save on sticker price.

4. Appliances

Walmart isn’t the best for appliances for three reasons. The first is selection. They have a small section in the corner of the store for washing machines, refrigerators, and their kin, meaning you have to choose from what’s there instead of between models and features you like.

The second is warranty coverage. When you’re spending hundreds or even a thousand dollars on an appliance, you want it protected during the first years of use. Walmart’s warranties are not comparable to its competitors’.

The third is price. For example, as of February 2022, a 7-cubic-foot Whirlpool electric dryer costs $775 at Walmart. The same model costs $549 at Lowe’s and $570 at Best Buy.

A Frigidaire stainless steel dishwasher runs $549 at Walmart but only $495 at Home Depot and Best Buy.

Even when Walmart offers a model on sale for a comparable price, other retailers with better warranty coverages offer price matching for appliances.

5. Certain home electronics

Much of what we said about Walmart’s appliances applies to high-end home electronics like speakers, cameras, and drones.

Brian Meiggs of Millennial Money Guide told GoBankingRates that the “level of service and accessories was subpar at my local Walmart — not to mention the price was much higher.”

He specifically mentioned a DJI Phantom 3 Drone selling at Walmart for $924 and at Amazon for $799.

An HP Pavilion laptop with 4GB memory and 128 GB SSD costs $450 at Walmart and $370 at NewEgg.com.

An HP LaserJet all-in-one printer sells for $550 at Best Buy and $510 at Amazon.

This isn’t true of all items. Research for this article found comparable prices on the same models for Bluetooth speakers, digital cameras, and phone accessories.

Walmart also carries a selection of off-brand electronics, offering lower quality electronics for less than you would pay for high-end items elsewhere.

“But that’s not all!”

In many other categories, Walmart’s daily prices beat the everyday costs at different stores but are higher than their sale prices, prices after coupons, and similar deals.

Many of their competitors also have price-beater deals where they honor a daily price from Walmart if you show them the sticker.

The moral here is to perform your due diligence. Comparison shop, especially when researching high-ticket items.

Final thought: Apples to apples

The categories we mention above compare similar products, identical models, and brands. Walmart shopping can also be a bad deal when shopping based on price alone.

It’s no secret that Walmart sources many goods based on price alone, with the quality a distant second or third consideration. This means a low-priced alternative to something from a different store might be an overall worse deal.

If you spend $10 on something you have to replace four times in three years, it’s wiser to spend $60 on a similar item that will last you a decade. This situation applies to Walmart goods more often than they’d like to admit.

Chase Matinghouse is a freelance writer in Cleveland who covers finance. He’s the primary grocery shopper for his family of six.