My hood lifts had gone bad so I went exploring options and the dealership wanted $350 to replace them. After searching online, I found that these were relatively simple to replace and all you need is a flat head screwdriver.

There were a couple of options on Amazon but settled on Lift Supports Depot for $50. They were easy to install and work just fine. Saved $300 so it was a good buy.

The strange thing is the hood is much harder to close now. I have to slam it down with much more force in order to get it to lock.

 

It's likely that the ones you got were more generic in terms of size to fit the mounting points of the hood, and they were likely strong enough to lift a heavier glass hatch (again, in a generic application). I'm betting if you got some OEM struts that they wouldn't be as "strong"/"stiff", so it'd be easier to close the hood. The ones you got may soften over time....