Imagine this: you’re plugging along in your kitchen, and you hear it – or, rather, you hear nothing. Your fridge, the harbinger of delicious meals and storer of meals yet to come, has finally died.
So, you hop online to find a new one. Naturally, like the spam-worn shopper we all become, you don’t trust product reviews on the seller’s site.
Where do you go?
For many, that place bears an apt name: Consumer Reports.
But before throwing your trust into yet another review site, you must know: is Consumer Reports unbiased?
What is Consumer Reports?
Nonprofit organization Consumer Reports has helped consumers sniff out the best (and worst) products since 1936. The organizations dedicates itself to unbiased testing and research, as well as fact-based advocacy and public education.
Consumer Reports’ research has contributed to strengthening consumer protections in areas of transportation, public health, and finance.
How Does Consumer Reports Work?
Consumer Reports gathers data on millions of products using surveys, running in-house tests, and collecting real consumers’ reviews. The organization compiles its results into comprehensive product recommendations (or warnings), assigning score and providing insights into each item.
The goal: to provide consumers with the knowledge and tools to make well-informed decisions – before dropping a fortune on a faulty fridge.
Is Consumer Reports unbiased?
Undoubtedly, yes: Consumer Reports is an unbiased source for product ratings and reviews.
But don’t take my word for it.
MediaBiasFactCheck.com rates Consumer Reports “Least Biased” with a “High” focus on factual reporting and a “High” Credibility Rating. To earn these scores, sources must has “minimal bias” and use “few loaded words” attempting to influence audiences.
As a nonprofit, the magazine has no shareholders, pays for each product it tests, and accepts no advertising. All revenues stem from subscription fees and donations.
4 Alternatives to Consumer Reports
Many consumers feel more comfortable sourcing reviews from multiple sites – smart. If you’re looking for other unbiased product review sites to make smarter financial choices, consider:
1. Good Housekeeping
You may know Good Housekeeping for its food and lifestyle recommendations – but that’s not all it does. The institute behind the print tests thousands of products across a half-dozen categories, including beauty, health, tech, and of course, edible goodies.
2. Wirecutter
New York Times’ owned and operated Wirecutter backs its product reviews with months of intensive research and analysis. Insights are sourced from both experts and consumers to give a real-world view into how each item performs.
3. Popular Mechanics
Given the name, it’s no surprise that Popular Mechanics magazine specializes in items like tech and tools. It covers a wide range of products in niches like kitchen, fitness, and office supplies. As with the other sources on our list, Popular Mechanics holds itself to high editorial and integrity standards.
4. TechRadar
For the techies and gearheads in your life, TechRadar provides rigorous product testing and reviews for all things electronics. Reviews are also updated frequently to reflect new information and assess the long-term potential for some of the most expensive items in your life.