How we test, review, and recommend products
James Brains/Business Insider
Business Insider's history traces back to 2007 when it was a tech and business blog called Silicon Alley Insider. It has since grown into a major site for news and lifestyle stories. In 2015, the company launched Insider Picks, the precursor to what is now the Reviews team, to help shoppers navigate the complex retail industry and make the best purchasing decisions.
Today, the Reviews team is part of Business Insider's Service Journalism department and is helmed by group of experienced commerce journalists who test and write about consumer products in a variety of categories, including home and kitchen, tech and electronics, pets, health and fitness, style, and beauty. Our in-depth research and testing are what help inform our recommendations to readers.
What types of products we test
Janelle Leeson
Below is a sampling of some of the core products and services the Reviews team tests. All products undergo a rigorous research or testing process and, when applicable, long-term testing.
Home and kitchen: Cookware, small appliances, furniture, home decor, mattresses, bedding, DIY and gardening tools, smart home, and home office. The team also tests foods and drinks, delivery services, and many other home and kitchen-related products.
Pets: Cat and dog food, harnesses, litter boxes, collars, apparel, flea medication for dogs and cats, and many other pet accessories and services. Reporters enlist their cats, dogs, and other pets to help test products, while pet health articles are medically reviewed by veterinarians and supported by expert interviews.
Tech: Smartphones, desktop and laptop computers, smartwatches and wearables, TVs, stereo systems, headphones, home entertainment/streaming, and gaming.
Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
Style and beauty: Apparel and shoes for all genders, bags, jewelry, underwear, bras, skincare, cosmetics, and other fashion-related topics. The team also puts health-related personal care products through a medical review to ensure they are safe to use.
Health and fitness: Workout clothes for women and men, thermometers, bikes, tents, outdoor gear, fitness equipment, health supplements, oral care, and more. Insider Reviews' health articles are medically reviewed by doctors and other health professionals, and supported by expert interviews.
Sally Kaplan/Business Insider
Travel: Travel gear, backpacks, commuter bags, luggage, travel tech accessories, and travel-related tips and tricks.
Entertainment: Streaming platforms, how-to-watch major sporting or streaming events, concert and sporting tickets, and VPN services.
How we test products
Molly Allen/Insider
The Reviews team tests products the way people would use them in everyday life. Instead of a lab environment, we use products in the real world. That means we're cooking with kitchen tools and appliances in our own kitchens, installing smart devices in our homes, wearing and washing clothing the way we would in our daily lives, and more. This helps us share real-life insights with our readers about how products integrate into our everyday environments.
To conduct our tests, we create a methodology for each product category, which is based on research, consultation with experts in the area, and experience from editors and reporters. All tests are tracked and the results are used to determine which products are worth recommending to readers. Our testing process is explained in greater detail within our buying guides, including information on why some products pass the grade and others don't.
In addition to our in-house and freelance testers, we also have an internal council of volunteers and freelancers who help us test products and offer additional perspectives. We occasionally make recommendations based on research and expert feedback — for example, asking professional makeup artists what products they recommend for certain skin types.
Why you can trust us
Erin Brains
The Reviews team includes a roster of full-time topic-based editors and reporters, plus a huge network of experienced freelancers. Each of our editors and reporters has years of experience testing products and translating the results of those tests into recommendations for readers. Our team is organized based on our core coverage areas mentioned above, with each section focusing on reviewing the products, services, and industries they know best.
In addition to individual product review stories, we also maintain a vast collection of buying guides. These guides, which are tied to our reviews, recommend the best products for what readers are searching for (for example, the best espresso machines). We thoroughly test or research every product we recommend in both reviews and guides. We apply additional scrutiny by consulting a panel of experts to ensure our information is accurate and offer buying advice. And for topics like health, parenting, and pets, we have a third-party medical review board that fact-checks our reviews and buying guides.
In all our articles, the reader always comes first. The Reviews team aims to answer every question that readers may have while helping them discover new products and services
How our affiliate links work
Amir Ismael/Insider
Business Insider earns commissions when products and services are purchased through links in our stories. However, our editorial team has complete independence to write about the products and services we truly deem the best based on our extensive testing and research. We do not make decisions based on affiliate relationships, and we would never write about a product that we didn't fully stand behind as product journalists.
Meet our senior team leaders
Hollis Johnson | Sally Kaplan, Executive Editor Sally joined Insider in 2018 as an editor and has since held the role of senior editor and deputy editor on the Reviews team. She has interviewed CEOs and brand founders, reported on the rebirth of a fashion startup that narrowly escaped bankruptcy, developed testing methodologies for hundreds of stories, and edited countless others. She has almost a decade of experience covering major deal holidays like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Amazon Prime Day, and she helped establish the team's e-learning and personal development coverage. Prior to joining Insider, Sally was the deals-turned-lifestyle editor at Hearst's BestProducts.com, where she wrote product reviews and gift guides and developed the site's coverage of big deal days. Previously, she helped to shape BuzzFeed's early shopping coverage, including introducing its popular "What's trending on Amazon?" series. |
Lauren Savoie/Insider | Lauren Savoie, Deputy Editor Lauren Savoie is the deputy editor at Business Insider Reviews, a wing of Insider's service journalism team. She manages growth for home & kitchen coverage, gift guides, and big deal days like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Lauren is deeply involved in all editorial decision-making, with a particular focus in strategic content planning, career growth of reporters and editors, and strong journalistic standards for the Reviews team. Lauren joined the Insider team in 2020, first as kitchen editor and soon after as senior home & kitchen editor, where she pioneered original testing methodologies for buying guides and built a diverse team of freelancers and reporters with deep expertise in product testing. Before her time at Insider, Lauren was the senior reviews editor at America's Test Kitchen, where she wrote and edited more than 300 in-depth, unbiased buying guides and reviewed more than 1,000 kitchen products. Her work has appeared in Cook's Illustrated and Cook's Country magazines, in dozens of cookbooks, on two Emmy-nominated TV shows, and on CNN.com, Fodor's, Yahoo, LifeHacker, the Splendid Table, and more. |
Hollis Johnson/Insider | Les Shu, Deputy Editor Les is a Deputy Editor overseeing Health, Fitness, Outdoors, Travel, Lifestyle, Style, and Beauty. Previously, as a Senior Editor, he was responsible for the many expert product buying guides. In addition, he works with the Insider Reviews tech team on photography and printing products. Having started his career in print magazines, Les is a journalist with 20 years of experience, as a writer, editor, and researcher. Prior to joining Insider Inc., he was a senior editor at Digital Trends covering photography and in-depth features. His byline has appeared in publications including Computer Shopper, Men's Journal, Men's Fitness, and others. While his specialty is in consumer technology, he is a versatile writer who has covered various topics including men's lifestyle, health and fitness, outdoors, travel, automotive, photography, toys, and more.
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