How the Beacon Score works
A score out of 100, built from four parts of 25. Here is what goes into each part, what we read, and what we refuse to do.
What we actually do
This is desk research. For each brand we read the official site in full, including the pages shoppers skip: shipping, returns, warranty, terms, and the support contact page. We note the prices on the day. Then we read customer reviews on public platforms and on the brand's own product pages, looking for repeated complaints and repeated praise rather than single loud voices.
We do not order products, receive samples, or run lab tests. Any site that tells you it has personally tested fifty brands a month is either enormous or lying; we are neither.
The four parts
Product, out of 25
Does the range do what it claims? Are the materials and construction described clearly? Do owners still like it after the return window closes? A narrow range done well scores better than a sprawling one with a few good items.
Value, out of 25
Price against the obvious alternatives, including the unglamorous ones. A brand loses points for permanent sale pricing that makes the list price fiction, and for shipping thresholds that nudge you into a second item.
Service, out of 25
Shipping speed and cost, the length and conditions of the return window, who pays return shipping, what the warranty says in writing, and how you reach a human. Email support with a stated response window is fine. A contact form that goes nowhere is not.
Trust, out of 25
Clear pricing, honest marketing, no countdown timers that reset, no reviews that cannot be left unless you loved it, and a track record you can check. Points come off for pressure tactics and for policies that changed quietly.
Why no brand scores 100. A perfect score would mean we found nothing to improve, and we never have. The ceiling in practice sits in the low nineties.
The picks and the skips
Every review names four or five products we would buy with our own money, ranked, each with a best-for line and a weak spot. It also names one or two we would leave on the shelf. Those are opinions, formed from the same research, and they are the part of the review most likely to change when a brand updates its range.
Rivals
Each brand is set beside two competitors a shopper is likely to be weighing at the same time. The comparison is in words, not numbers, because prices change faster than we can republish.
Last checked
Every review carries the month it was last checked against the brand's site. Older than a year means treat the fine print as a starting point and verify before you buy.
What money does and does not do
If the site joins a retailer's affiliate program, purchases through our links may earn a commission. The score is set before any link is added, and brands do not see reviews before publication. Details are on the disclosure page.