As a review and rating site, it’s critical for readers to understand the process by which we assess and rate products.

To be considered independent and unbiased, we also need to be transparent. Otherwise our reviews would not be trusted and we would be providing little value.

So, below are details of how we decide on the products we review, what type of reviews we write, what the review process entails, and how we are compensated for our work.

The types of products we review

Essentially, we review anything that’s kept in the bedroom to help you sleep.

This includes:

  • All types of mattresses
  • All pillow types
  • Sheets, duvets, and duvet covers
  • Mattress and pillow protectors
  • Bedstands and bases
  • White noise and sound machines

Our two types of reviews

You will essentially find two types of reviews on our site:

  1. Category reviews: This includes an overview of the product type, what to look out for when deciding and purchasing, and some details about the leading products in the category. Often we will have more in-depth reviews of two or three of the best products, based on reliable third-party reviews.
  2. Product reviews: This is focused solely on the product in question, and involves us purchasing, receiving delivery of, and physically testing the product to see how it performs…then assessing this performance independently and seeing how it lives up to manufacturer claims. It also involves considerable research on the manufacturer’s website.

Our review process

In-depth research

Both types of review require in-depth research. For the category articles we need to research third-party sites for the buying criteria, pricing, as well as accurate and independent reviews and assessments of the main products in each category.

For product articles, we need to research the manufacturer’s background, as well as the claims it makes about products, its warranty and returns policy, customer service levels, and shipping efficiency.

Rigorous product testing

For the sleep product reviews, each product is rigorously tested by our ‘sleep scouts’. This involves everything from taking delivery of the product and unpacking it to seeing how it fares with 30-days of testing.

Depending on the product, a variety of tests will be performed. For instance, with a mattress, we test for firmness (using the hand-pressure and kettlebell tests), as well as for breathability, motion transfer, different sleep positions and (to the best of our ability) durability.

In many cases, more than one sleeper is needed to assess a product accurately. With a mattress, there is no point in testing it just for a petite female of 120 lbs; so we also test with a larger male.

Third-party retailer reviews

For the category articles, we rely on assessments provided by reliable and dependable third-party sites.

If using Amazon, we only select products that have received over 100 customer reviews (many have received thousands).

These are often used as guidelines for selecting the top products in a particular category – as strong Amazon reviews are a good indicator of value-for-money and performance, and they often highlight key strengths and weaknesses.

Social media sentiment

Social media sentiment is an increasingly important measurement of a product’s success or failure. We regularly monitor some of the key social media channels for sleep products, such as Facebook and Twitter, to see what is trending.

Message boards & forums

Message boards and forums are also great resources for finding up-to-date, relevant information about sleep products – and for getting independent, informed answers to specific product questions.

Customer comments & feedback on Sleep Scouts

Of course, your opinion very much counts too. Whenever we receive comments on our own reviews we take them on board and will even update our review articles if new sentiments or information comes to light. We welcome any and all feedback.

Ratings

Concluding each product review you will find the key features rated. These are our own assessments based on performance during testing and are not based on any third-party site information.

We provide ratings for the product:

  • Price/ value-for-money
  • Materials
  • Key characteristics
  • Other features and considerations

We also provide ratings for the company based on:

  • Warranty
  • Customer service
  • Refund policy

How we are compensated

We love writing and sharing content at Sleep Scouts, but it’s important to note that we receive compensation from two sources:

  1. Affiliate marketing commissions paid from the purchase of products on Amazon and other retailer websites.
  2. From ads published to our website’s sidebar.

Obviously, objectivity is critical to maintaining the integrity of our website. Here are additional details about our process for managing advertisers and the products we review.

  • We tests the products reviewed on the website. After all, how can you write a review of a product without actually testing it?
  • We DO NOT accept money from companies to enhance, modify or inflate our ratings of their products. We are only paid if you the reader purchase one of the products we review.
  • We work to provide reviews that are truly objective, putting the interests of our readers first.