How the Reviews team tests tech products at Business Insider

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Shopping for a new tech product can be a chore. Specs are complicated, marketing terms are confusing, and there are tons of competing options that promise similar performance. To help cut through all that noise, the Reviews team at Business Insider gets hands-on with the latest gadgets and uses rigorous testing to determine which models are actually worth your money.

Our team of experts includes in-house editors and contributing reporters who develop comprehensive reviews and buying guides. Our advice is informed by years of experience covering consumer tech, including TVs, speakers, phones, wearables, and headphones. This in-depth knowledge allows us to deliver recommendations you can trust.

Our approach to testing tech products

Our testing approach relies on a combination of objective measurements and everyday use. This allows us to see how various tech products stack up, not just in a review lab but in the real world. In addition to reproducible tests that evaluate essential performance elements, we use TVs, headphones, smartwatches, phones, and speakers the way most people do — streaming movies at night, commuting with earbuds, taking calls on the go, tracking workouts, and living with devices long enough to spot the stuff that doesn't show up on day one.

Because tech is constantly changing, we also keep an eye on what's new, what's been upgraded, and what's worth retesting. We update our buying guides regularly as we review new contenders throughout the year to ensure our picks remain the best of the best.

What we look for

While every tech category has its own unique parameters to evaluate, our reviews all focus on a few key elements:

• General performance
• Ease of setup and everyday use
• Design, build quality, and durability
• Software experience (if applicable)
• Compatibility
• Price and overall value

Final recommendations are based on how each tech product performs in our tests and in real-world use, how it stacks up against rivals in the same category, and whether it delivers meaningful value at its price.

Editorial independence and standards

Our recommendations are editorially independent. We do not accept payment in exchange for guaranteed coverage or positive reviews, and brands do not review our content before publication. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission, and you'll always see a disclaimer on Reviews stories about this.

Our editors develop and refine testing methodologies in-house and collaborate to ensure consistent standards across our tech coverage. As part of Business Insider — a global newsroom read by millions each month — our Reviews team follows established journalistic standards focused on accuracy, fairness, and transparency.

Tech products we cover

TVs: We evaluate TVs using professional meters, industry-standard test patterns, and real-world content. We review models across all budgets, from entry-level LEDs to high-end OLEDs, and across every major brand, including Sony, LG, Samsung, TCL, Hisense, and more. We also recommend the best TVs by size, whether you're looking for a smaller 50-inch set for an apartment or a massive 100-inch model for a home theater.

Soundbars and speakers: Our audio experts review the best soundbars and surround sound systems to find home theater setups suitable for a range of spaces and budgets. We evaluate sound quality for movies, TV shows, music, and video games using a curated selection of test clips and demo scenes picked to showcase directionality, bass, dialogue/vocals, and overall fidelity.

Headphones: Whether you're looking for over-ear headphones or wireless earbuds, our team assesses comfort, fit, noise cancellation, sound quality, microphone performance, and battery life. We also test the best headphones with different uses in mind, like commutes, work, exercise, and home listening.

Smartwatches and fitness trackers: We review wearables for everyday use and health, including the best Fitness trackers from top brands like Fitbit, Garmin, and Apple. We look at tracking consistency (workouts, sleep, heart rate), battery life with always-on features, GPS reliability, comfort during exercise, durability, app support, and the overall software experience.

Smartphones: We test the best phones, including Apple's iPhone, Samsung's Galaxy lineup, and Google's Pixel phones. Our reviewers assess day-to-day speed, camera performance, battery life, display readability, call quality, and durability. We also weigh long-term factors, like update support, that affect the ownership experience.

How we test tech products

Our testing process varies by tech category, but our core approach is consistent with hands-on use and clear criteria. Our editors work with our reviewers to develop repeatable testing methodologies for different product types.

In addition to conducting objective measurements using meters and benchmarking software when applicable, we use each tech product we test in real-world scenarios and our daily lives. For instance, we use a colorimeter to measure a TV's brightness and color, but those numbers only tell part of the story. How a TV actually harnesses that brightness and color when watching movies and shows is what really matters, so we sample various scenes selected to highlight different elements of picture quality.

Of course, tech products don't live in a vacuum, so context within the larger market matters. Devices are judged on their own merits and on how they stack up in terms of performance and value compared to their direct competitors. We also put brand claims to the test to see if elements like battery life live up to a company's specs.

Our tests are also conducted with different budgets and use cases in mind. There's rarely one perfect choice for everyone. That's why our tech buying guides include picks for different priorities — like best overall, best on a budget, best premium model, best for small spaces, etc. — so readers can find the right fit for their needs.

It's also important to remember that tech changes fast. Companies routinely release software updates, and many categories, like phones and TVs, get new models on a yearly basis. We revisit guides to ensure recommendations reflect the current market.

Meet our expert tech team

Our tech team collectively has decades of experience testing and reviewing consumer tech products.

Steven Cohen, Senior Tech Editor

Steven Cohen is a Senior Tech Editor on the Business Insider Reviews team. In his role, Steven develops buying guides and reviews for TV, video, audio, and wearable products. He works with a team of contributing writers to build testing methodologies, evaluate products, and select top recommendations.

With more than a decade of experience in service journalism and a background in film criticism and filmmaking, Steven brings a production-minded perspective to judging real-world picture and sound quality. With that focus, Steven has previously written and edited for High-Def Digest, with bylines appearing in Ben's Bargains, Steve's Digicams, Big Picture Big Sound, and Consequence of Sound.

Steven has reviewed countless home entertainment devices, from big-screen OLED TVs to Dolby Atmos soundbars and everything in between. He attends annual industry launches and reviewer workshops for new TVs and audio products from top brands such as LG, Samsung, Sony, and Sonos.

Brendan Griffiths, Senior Commerce Director

Brendan Griffiths is the Senior Commerce Director of Business Insider's Reviews team. He oversees verticals focused on deals, streaming, and VPNs.

Brendan previously worked as the Managing Editor of Hardware & eCommerce at GamesRadar before joining Future's mobile tech division as the eCommerce Content Director for Android Central, iMore, and Windows Central.

With more than 17 years of industry experience, Brendan is an expert at crafting in-depth buying guides and reviews for a host of product categories, including tech. Throughout his career, Brendan has written about many tech devices, including folding smartphones, gaming controllers, and Kindles.

Tyler Hayes, Contributing Reporter

Tyler Hayes is a contributing writer for Business Insider who has covered consumer technology since 2013. He focuses on service journalism that helps readers understand what to buy and why.

He brings hands-on experience across a wide range of products — from audio gear and streaming to wearables and smart home devices — and approaches reviews with a practical, real-world lens shaped by years of testing and explaining tech.

Before writing full time, Tyler spent a decade working as a computer technician repairing computers, and his work has appeared in outlets including The New York Times, WIRED, PCMag, Vice, and Newsweek.

Rachael Schultz, Contributing Reporter

Rachael Schultz is a contributing reporter for Business Insider and a seasoned health, fitness, and outdoor writer.

Her expertise is rooted in years of testing and writing about gear and wellness across major publications, including Men's Journal, Forbes, Outside, Men's Health, and Shape. She previously served as the Health Editor at Business Insider Reviews.

Based in a small mountain town in Colorado, Schultz is passionate about making the outdoors more accessible and draws on her active lifestyle — from skiing and rafting to mountain biking and hiking — to evaluate fitness trackers in real-world conditions readers actually encounter.