How We Choose Products
Last updated 2026-06-16
Gate 1: Real, Purchasable Product
A product must be a genuine, currently purchasable item available to US shoppers. We exclude concept products, discontinued items, products without a stable listing and anything that appears to be a duplicate ASIN or low-quality clone. The product must have a verifiable ingredient list or specification set appropriate to its category.
Gate 2: Verified Consumer Demand
Products must show real purchase activity. We look for a minimum of 100 verified owner ratings or meaningful monthly purchase data. Products that have existed long enough to accumulate reviews but have not done so are treated as low-demand and excluded. This gate filters out listings that may look legitimate but have no real buyer history behind them.
Gate 3: Minimum 3.8-Star Rating
Every product in our rankings must hold a rating of 3.8 stars or higher from a meaningful review base. A high rating from fewer than 10 reviews is not sufficient. Products that slip below the 3.8 threshold during a data refresh are removed from active rankings and flagged for monitoring. We do not make exceptions to the rating floor regardless of brand reputation or price.
Gate 4: Traceable Brand and Final Ranking
The brand behind the product must have a verifiable market presence, meaning it can be found in public brand registries, has a consistent product catalog and is not a generic or unattributed private label with no traceable owner. Products clearing all four gates are then ranked within each category by a weighted combination of rating, review volume, monthly purchase demand and price relative to comparable products in the same silo.