Reliable reviews in 2022

November 8, 2022 5:19 AM

Are there any sites (other than, I'm assuming, Consumer Reports) that currently reliably only write about things the writer has physically examined or tested themself? It's OK if items include affiliate links (I know web hosting costs $!) but ideally they wouldn't avoid reviewing items that can't be purchased using an affiliate link (e.g. something only available direct from a manufacturer's website.)

These days most articles reviewing items (small appliances, computer hardware, whatever) seem to be written primarily to earn money via monetized affiliate links, to the point that a lot of lists recommending things seem to be written by people who haven't even purchased and physically examined the items themselves, let alone tested or used them more than once. It's gotten to the point that I'm not sure if sites I've heard of and might, a few years ago, have been more inclined to trust, are doing that, and sometimes I'm a few paragraphs in before I realize they are.

Amazon and other ratings/reviews are also a bit of a mixed bag these days--there's definitely an issue with paid reviews and other ways of gaming that system.

Soo I'd like to compile a list of places to find trustworthy reviews of different things (any item, really--computer hardware, kitchen gadgets, small appliances, whatever.)

posted by needs more cowbell to Shopping (20 answers total)

I know the Wirecutter has taken a lot of criticism after it was purchased by NYT, but I still use it and find that its recommendations are good most of the time. They are certainly trying to make money with their site, but I find that they recommend purchase options like direct from manufacturer or other alternatives to Amazon. They also explain exactly what they did for testing, examining, etc.
posted by Mid at 5:26 AM on November 8, 2022 [14 favorites]

outdoorgearlabs.com does sensible reviews for outdoors clothing and gear, and I think their focus helps keep them honest.

I mention this to say that you might need to make a list of sites instead of just one. That's my plan, anyway....
posted by wenestvedt at 5:35 AM on November 8, 2022 [5 favorites]

Tom’s Hardware for computer hardware and peripherals.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 5:37 AM on November 8, 2022 [3 favorites]

This is largely that I got with this AskMe:

What are the best focused review sites?
posted by zamboni at 5:38 AM on November 8, 2022 [7 favorites]

For the rather niche world of pocketknives, flashlights, and the occasional pen or bag or something, Everyday Commentary is a gem.
posted by box at 5:39 AM on November 8, 2022 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: you might need to make a list of sites instead of just one

Oh, definitely! I'd love for this post to cover a wide range of categories. I'm happy to have different go-to sites for different kinds of things, but it would be nice to bookmark a handful of sites rather than having to google and evaluate articles/lists anew each time I'm looking for reviews.

Also--if anyone has noticed particular sites that used to seem reliable but have become focused on affiliate links to the point that they're not reliable, that would be helpful info as well.
posted by needs more cowbell at 5:42 AM on November 8, 2022 [1 favorite]

I use the BuyItForLife subreddit if I want to find out if a particular product holds up.
posted by toastyk at 5:44 AM on November 8, 2022

To be honest, the archives of AskMe are where I find a lot of my product info.

In fact I just sat down to ask about recommendations for a pair of pants! :7)
posted by wenestvedt at 5:59 AM on November 8, 2022 [4 favorites]

America's Test Kitchen gives pretty thorough reviews with detailed reasons for their decisions.
posted by Eyelash at 6:07 AM on November 8, 2022 [3 favorites]

For emergency and security gear, The Prepared thoroughly explains their testing.
posted by NotLost at 6:34 AM on November 8, 2022

The Serious Eats “Equipment” portion of their website seems pretty promising for kitchen gear and appliances - looks like they thoroughly test each item and do comparisons. Though I haven’t combed through it or bought anything from it yet, so can’t vouch.
posted by SomethinsWrong at 7:38 AM on November 8, 2022

For kitchen stuff, I really like Smitten Kitchen's gear list, because she's a real person who cooks in a real, New York apartment kitchen (meaning, small and no room for stuff that doesn't pull its weight). For most items, she lists multiple purchase options (so, easy to avoid Amazon if you want to), and also keeps a separate list of kitchen stores that ship domestically.
posted by BlahLaLa at 7:44 AM on November 8, 2022 [2 favorites]

I like to peruse The Esquire Endorsement, too, for like clothes and stuff geared towards men. I wish there was an equivalent geared towards women. The Strategist, maybe, but those products seem less vetted.
posted by SomethinsWrong at 7:45 AM on November 8, 2022

ohjoysextoy.com!
posted by spiderbeforesunset at 7:50 AM on November 8, 2022 [1 favorite]

Project Farm is a great YouTube channel for engine performance and shop equipment testing.
posted by winesong at 9:55 AM on November 8, 2022 [3 favorites]

If you don't mind video, MobileTechReview on youtube is good for phones, tablets, & laptops.
posted by juv3nal at 2:38 PM on November 8, 2022

DC Rainmaker is pretty well regarded as a reliable source for reviews of different fitness tech.
posted by synecdoche at 3:35 PM on November 8, 2022 [1 favorite]

If you sort Amazon reviews by "most recent" rather than "top reviews" you're more likely to get reliable information. Top reviews are more likely to be years old and/or bogus, and the recent reviews are less likely to have been purchased by the seller as part of a launch campaign.
posted by Winnie the Proust at 7:57 AM on November 9, 2022 [1 favorite]

Which is UK based, but very very reliable for things like white goods. You do have to pay a subscription but they're frequently discounted and they often do a free month.
posted by In Your Shell Like at 1:50 AM on November 10, 2022

Fakespot is handy to filter out fake reviews on Amazon and other sites.
posted by gottabefunky at 4:10 PM on November 29, 2022