1. What we do, and what we don't
We read the specification sheet, the manual, the warranty terms and the returns policy. We compare a product against the others in its category on the numbers that are actually published, and we look at what the seller declines to publish — an omission is often the most informative part of a listing.
What we do not do is claim time with a product we have not had. You will not find sentences here about how something felt after three weeks unless that is true. Where a judgement depends on physical use we cannot verify, we say so in the article rather than filling the gap with adjectives.
2. Where the facts come from
In order of preference: the manufacturer's own specification and documentation; regulatory or standards filings where they exist; the retailer's stated policies on returns, warranty and shipping; and published pricing at the time of writing.
Prices move. Every figure we quote is the figure we saw on the date the article was published, and we say which. If a price in a guide looks wrong to you, it probably is — check the seller and tell us.
3. What the scores mean
Scores are an editor's judgement against the category, not a laboratory measurement. They exist to rank products against each other, and they are only comparable within a category.
- 8–10 — we would recommend it to someone in the situation the product is for.
- 6–7.9 — worth buying with a stated caveat. The caveat is in the article, and it matters.
- Below 6 — we think most people should spend the money elsewhere, and we say where.
If a guide contains no criticism at all, treat it with suspicion. Ours usually do, because most products are a trade-off rather than a triumph.
4. Independence
No brand pays to appear on EmilyReview, and no brand sees an article before it is published. We do not accept payment for a review, for a score, for a position in a ranking, or for the removal of criticism. Where a company declines to answer a question we asked, we print that too.
Some links here are affiliate links, which means a retailer may pay us a commission when a reader buys. Those links never change what an article says. A product we score poorly keeps its poor score whether or not the seller has an affiliate programme, and several of our guides recommend against buying the product they cover. The full arrangement is set out in our affiliate disclosure.
5. Corrections
We get things wrong. When we do, we fix the article and say what changed rather than editing quietly — an unmarked correction is just a second mistake.
Found an error, a stale price, or a claim we cannot support? Write to us through the contact page. Corrections from readers are the cheapest quality control we have, and we would rather hear it from you than from the brand.
6. Who writes this
Articles are researched and written by the EmilyReview editorial team and published under the team byline. More about who we are and how the site pays for itself is on the about page.