The programs we’re part of
We participate in affiliate programs with Amazon, REI, manufacturer-direct programs, and others. When we link to a product, that link may be tagged so the retailer knows the visit came from us.
How it works, in plain language
When you click one of our affiliate links and buy something, we earn a small commission. It doesn’t cost you anything extra — the price is exactly the same as if you’d gone straight to the retailer. That small cut, across a lot of readers, is what pays for the research, the writing, and the servers.
Our promise
Commissions never influence what we recommend or how we rate it. We recommend based on the product — how it performs and how useful it is for a real household — not on the commission rate.
If a product is worse, we say so, even when our commission on it would have been higher. And if the best answer is “you probably don’t need this,” we’ll tell you that too. A recommendation you can’t trust isn’t worth the click to either of us.
Why we tell you all this
Two reasons. First, honest disclosure is required by the FTC, and we take that seriously. Second — and this is the one that actually matters to us — if our positions were reversed, we’d want you to tell us. So we’re telling you.
Questions?
If anything here is unclear, or you want to know how a specific recommendation came together, reach out through our contact form.