We publish the criteria, not just the conclusion
SiftPicks is a small independent publication about consumer technology: headphones, robot vacuums, keyboards and AI tools. We exist to answer one question honestly — is this worth your money, and for whom is it not.
What we actually do
Each category is judged on a fixed set of criteria, weighted the same way for every product, so scores are comparable across a category. The criteria are published on the category page — not hidden in a methodology PDF nobody reads.
Our work is document-based: manufacturer spec sheets, firmware release notes, warranty terms, and aggregated long-term owner reports filtered for failures that repeat. Where a number comes from a manufacturer or a third-party test, we say which. Where our judgment is inference, we label it.
We are not a laboratory. We don't publish made-up decibel readings, invented battery runtimes or fictional "we tested 40 units" claims. If a review can't tell you how it knows something, it isn't a review — it's advertising with a byline.
How we make money
Through affiliate commissions. If you buy through a link on this site, we may earn a percentage at no extra cost to you. That is the entire revenue model — no sponsored posts, no paid rankings, no brand gets to review a draft before publication.
Two rules follow from that. A product being available on an affiliate network never influences whether it appears. And when the cheaper product is the better buy, we say so even though it pays us less. Full detail in our affiliate disclosure.
How we choose what to cover
A category opens only when we can name the three or four specs that genuinely decide the purchase. It closes when we can no longer keep prices current. We would rather have four categories done properly than twenty done from a press release.
Corrections
If a spec is wrong or a recommendation no longer holds, we fix the page and note the change at the bottom. Email corrections to the address on the contact page — they are read, and errors are corrected rather than quietly deleted.
Editorial independence
Rankings are decided before any affiliate link is inserted. Prices are re-checked weekly and marked with the date of the last check. When a pick changes, the reason is stated in the article, not just swapped silently.
Last reviewed: 1 November 2026 · SiftPicks editorial team