How We Test

Every product on this site is used hands-on for at least two weeks before we publish a verdict. For categories where battery life or comfort matter — earbuds, wearables — we extend that to a full month wherever possible.

What a 0–10 score measures

Our score is a weighted judgment across five consistent dimensions: core performance for the category, real-world battery life (measured, not the spec-sheet number), build quality and comfort, day-to-day usability, and value for the asking price. We publish the specific weighting we used for each roundup in that roundup's methodology note.

What we don't do

We don't score a product from a press kit or a manufacturer demo alone. We don't accept a guaranteed-positive-review arrangement in exchange for a free unit — if a product doesn't perform, the review says so. When a manufacturer sends a product for testing at no cost, that's disclosed in the review itself, not just here.

Updates

Roundups get revisited when a genuinely better option launches or a ranked product is discontinued — not on a fixed calendar. The "last updated" date on any article reflects an actual content change, never a cosmetic refresh.