How We Pick
What goes into the recommendations in our guides, and what does not.
We research; we do not test
We do not test products in a lab or hands-on. Our guides are research: we read what the manufacturers publish, what independent reviewers have measured, and what owners report after living with a product, and we pick from that.
When a guide cites a measurement, it is someone else's measurement, and we say whose.
What we look at
The category
We start with the category itself: what the buyer needs, which specs matter for that job, and which products are current and widely available.
Manufacturer specs
We read the manufacturer's spec sheets and product pages to confirm what each product is and what it claims to do.
Expert reviews and published measurements
We read reviews and measurements published by named third parties such as RTINGS and Tom's Hardware. These are sources we read, not tests we ran.
Owner reviews
We read owner reviews and long-term owner reports to find the problems that show up after months of use, and the praise or complaints that repeat across many owners.
Price checks
We check the price on the Amazon listing at the time we write or update a guide. Prices change often, so the price at checkout is the one that counts.
Keeping guides current
We re-check the listings in our guides for products that have gone dead or changed, and we replace or remove those picks.
Editorial independence
We earn commission from qualifying purchases through Amazon Associates and other affiliate programs. This keeps the site free for readers.
We don't accept gifted products, sponsored placements, or payment for positive reviews.
Read our full affiliate disclosure policy for more details.
Questions about a pick?
If you want to know more about a specific recommendation, reach out through our About page.