How we choose

This page explains how the shortlists on this site are put together, so you can judge how much weight to give them.

1. Start from the job, not the brand

Every category here exists because people buy for a reason: something has to fit in a space, survive a season outdoors, be carried up stairs, or last longer than the cheap version. We name the job first, then look at which products answer it.

2. Write down what decides the purchase

Inside a category there are usually three or four specifications that matter and a long tail that does not. We write those down in the category introduction, with the trade-off each one creates — a bigger capacity that no longer fits the cupboard is not an upgrade.

3. Say what a product is not for

A recommendation is only useful with its limits attached. Each product page states who should not buy it, which is often the fastest way for a reader to rule something out.

4. Nothing is copied from the retailer

• Descriptions are written here, from specifications, documentation and owner reports.
• No prices: they change weekly and a stale price is worse than none.
• No ratings and no review counts: those belong to the retailer's own page.
• Photographs come from free stock libraries and are credited on the credits page. They illustrate the category, not the exact model, and the caption says so.

5. Corrections

When a product is discontinued, or a specification changes, the entry is corrected or removed. Reports of mistakes are welcome at hello@bowlandbristle.example.