How We Pick Products

RateLab compares the products in a category side by side and gives each one a clear Buy, Consider, or Skip verdict. This page explains where our information comes from, how we decide, and what we never do.

Where our information comes from

• The maker's own information. Product pages, spec sheets, manuals, warranty terms, and safety certifications. When a number comes from the maker, we say so.
• Public safety records. Recalls from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, and FDA or NHTSA records where they apply.
• Independent tests and reviews. Findings from specialist publications, summarized in our own words. When we rely on a specific finding, we name the source.
• Our own comparison. We line up the specs of every product in the category and explain what each difference means for the person buying it. This is the biggest part of every page.

How we decide the verdict

• Buy: the specs and independent findings support it for most people shopping in the category, and no open safety or reliability problem is documented.
• Consider: a real trade-off that suits some buyers and not others, such as weight, size, features, or warranty.
• Skip: a documented problem, such as a recall, an independent test showing it falls short of its claims, or a clearly weaker spec sheet than the other picks for the same use.

If there isn't enough reliable information to support a verdict, we leave the product out.

What we don't do

• We don't test products hands-on, and we never claim to.
• We don't use Amazon star ratings, review counts, or Amazon's review summaries.
• We don't show prices, because they change constantly. The "Check current price" button takes you to the product on Amazon.
• No brand pays to be included or ranked.

How we make money

As an Amazon Associate, RateLab earns from qualifying purchases. You pay nothing extra. Commissions don't influence which products we include or the verdicts we give.

Keeping pages current

Pages published before October 2026 were written under an older process. We are re-checking them against the method on this page.

Questions and corrections

Spot something wrong? Email hello@theratelab.com.