How We Test

Product Test

by whatsthebest-diy |
Updated on

At What's The Best DIY, our team of experts prides itself on delivering honest and thorough product reviews. On this page, we let you know all about our testing process.

Our scores explained

When we review a product, we award it a score out of five. Here's a guide to what each number score means:

1-2 - Terrible. All or most elements failing, best avoided

2.5 - Poor. Sub-par, some essential features are weak or missing, not recommended

3 - Good. Does what it's meant to, but nothing more and not all that exciting

3.5 - Better. Standard elements are all here, plus a few ambitious points that fall a little short

4 - Great. Goes above the standard in a few valuable ways, better attention to detail

4.5 - Excellent. Exceeds expectations at nearly every opportunity, just some very tiny grumbles

5 - Perfect. Remarkable and without fault, the only product of this type you'll ever need

How do we get products to test and review?

Our experts have several ways to get their hands on items for testing. One way is that a sample item will be sent to us by a brand or a PR company working on behalf of a brand. Sometimes What's The Best DIY will purchase an item for testing, or an expert will review a personal purchase.

No matter how a product finds its way to our experts, we ensure that the final review is as honest as possible. Our final opinion derives from an expert's first-hand experience with a product. We praise when deserved and criticise when just.

Sometimes we receive commission or other compensation from purchases made through product links. These links allow us to keep doing what we love to do: creating meaningful and valuable product advice for consumers. We never allow potential compensation to influence our reviews.

How do we test products?

When an expert tests a product, they adopt it into their life and test them inside out. We don't rush our tests either, and it's not unusual for them to last upwards of three weeks.

What testing entails varies from item to item. Our experts will provide details on how they tested an item at the end of a review.

Who tests the products?

What's The Best DIY is home to a team who are not only subject specialists but passionate advocates for their chosen fields. When we test a product, it's passed to a team member with the relevant expertise.

What do you include in your reviews?

An expert's first-hand experience with a product informs the review. Our experts decide on the discussion, praise and criticism areas and then present them in an accessible, straightforward format. We avoid jargon, complicated graphs and over-the-top statistical analysis, giving our readers the down-to-earth information they need to make an informed purchasing decision.

Why should we trust you?

We dedicate ourselves to delivering accurate and reliable reviews at What's The Best DIY. We consider anything less than complete honesty a disservice to our readers and our reputation as a trustworthy source of unbiased, accurate product information.

Though our experts have years of experience behind us, we're also human and therefore liable to make the occasional mistake. If you notice any inaccuracies in our reviews, don't hesitate to contact us, and we can amend them where appropriate.

You can find out how to contact us here.

Just so you know, whilst we may receive a commission or other compensation from the links on this website, we never allow this to influence product selections - read why you should trust us