How we rank

Depending on the category, our rankings may consider any of the following:

• Quality
• Price
• Value
• Expert assessment
• Customer feedback
• Popularity
• Location
• Features
• Reliability
• Availability
• Editorial assessment

Different criteria carry different weight in different categories — stability matters most for a standing desk; step-free access and value matter more for a day out. We decide the weighting for each category before we rank, and we state it on the page.

The WATTB Score

Each pick carries a WATTB Score out of 100 — our own research-based editorial assessment of how good it is for the job the guide is about. It is deliberately shown as a number out of 100, not as stars, because it is our judgement, not an average of customer reviews. Where a genuine third-party rating exists (for example a venue's Google rating) we show that separately and label its source.

The score is calculated, not hand-picked. For each pick we score a small set of category-appropriate factors from 0 to 5 based on our research, and our code combines them using fixed weights we set for that category. For a product, for example, the weighting is Performance 30%, Reliability 25%, Value 20%, Features 15% and customer feedback 10%; a day out leans more on the experience and step-free access. Because the factors, weights and arithmetic all live in code, the same factor scores always produce the same result — nobody types in a final number. Each factor score reflects published reviews, specifications, official information and aggregated feedback, not first-hand testing.

Newer guides show the full factor breakdown behind each score on the pick's review page, so you can see exactly how it was reached — those are the scores our model calculates from the factors above. Some earlier guides predate this model and instead show our original editorial score: a holistic assessment made by our team against the same criteria, but without the published factor-by-factor breakdown. We are progressively re-scoring those guides through the factor model; until a guide has been recalculated, treat its score as that earlier editorial judgement rather than a factor-derived one.

For quick reference we also show a short descriptor next to the number, using fixed bands: 90–100 Excellent, 80–89 Very good, 70–79 Good, 60–69 Fair and below 60 Modest. The descriptor is just a label on the same score — it adds no extra judgement.

Commercial relationships never decide rankings

Where we earn commission through affiliate links or advertising, it never changes which products we include, where they rank, or their WATTB Score. Affiliate relationships do not influence our rankings or WATTB Scores. A brand cannot pay to move up a list, and sponsored or featured placements are always labelled and kept separate from the editorial ranking.

How our guides are made

Our guides are researched and drafted from official information, manufacturer and provider specifications, current pricing checked across multiple retailers, and aggregated public reviews — then verified against those sources before publication and revisited as products, prices and places change. We rank on merit, not on first-hand testing, and we don't claim to have personally tried, visited or tasted everything we cover.

Sensitive categories such as health and finance are treated with extra caution and always presented as general information — never as personalised medical or financial advice.