How review outlets grade
We collect the scores review outlets print, so we can see the same product through several outlets at once. That shows which outlets grade tough and which grade soft. Below, each outlet's scores are compared with the average of every printed score on the same product, across 904 products that two or more outlets scored. An outlet needs at least 20 such products to be listed.
Updated Nov 8, 2026, every time the site rebuilds. Only scores the outlet printed on its own page count. We don't test products. Background: We graded the reviewers.
| Outlet | Versus consensus | Average score | Products |
|---|---|---|---|
| OutdoorGearLab* | -0.38 | 3.67 of 5 | 111 |
| TechGearLab* | -0.28 | 3.67 of 5 | 87 |
| SoundGuys | -0.28 | 3.79 of 5 | 50 |
| Wired | -0.19 | 3.85 of 5 | 31 |
| Tom's Hardware | -0.14 | 3.94 of 5 | 86 |
| PCMag | -0.09 | 4.01 of 5 | 178 |
| GearJunkie | -0.06 | 4.07 of 5 | 31 |
| PCWorld | -0.03 | 4.02 of 5 | 47 |
| Tom's Guide | -0.02 | 4.13 of 5 | 145 |
| RTINGS | -0.02 | 4.07 of 5 | 95 |
| Trusted Reviews | +0.03 | 4.26 of 5 | 41 |
| Digital Camera World | +0.06 | 4.42 of 5 | 42 |
| CNET | +0.07 | 4.22 of 5 | 36 |
| TechRadar | +0.10 | 4.25 of 5 | 178 |
| BetterTrail | +0.14 | 4.41 of 5 | 34 |
| CleverHiker | +0.34 | 4.51 of 5 | 54 |
| What Hi-Fi | +0.37 | 4.75 of 5 | 32 |
Negative = scores below the consensus on the same products (tougher). Positive = above it (softer). * OutdoorGearLab and TechGearLab score out of 100 on a curve inside each test group, so converting to 5 stars makes them look tougher than they are.
Read these numbers carefully
A gap of 0.1 to 0.2 points is small next to how much any two reviews of one product differ. It matters when you only read one outlet: a 4/5 from an outlet that grades 0.20 below the consensus is a better result than a 4/5 from one that grades 0.20 above it.
The consensus is the average of whichever outlets reviewed that product, so it moves with them. The per-product rows on each outlet's page show every comparison behind its number, with a link to the review.