GearSift helps you choose tech gear without wading through spec sheets yourself. This page explains how we pick products, where our facts come from and how our links work.
How we research a pick
Every pick starts with official sources. We read the maker’s product pages, datasheets and manuals, and the maker’s own store when it sells direct. Each spec in an article comes from one of those pages and has a numbered source.
We also check that a product can actually be bought. Before we recommend it, we look at the store page to see that the exact model is in stock or available to order.
We don’t list street prices, because they change quickly. Instead, we sort products into Budget, Mid and Premium tiers. Tiers are based on the regular, non-sale price on the maker’s own US store, and they’re relative to the products in that article. If we can’t find a price on the maker’s US site, we mark the tier “Not assigned”. Always check the current price before you buy.
Research-based, not hands-on tested
GearSift doesn’t do hands-on testing, and our buying guides say so. We have not physically tested the products we write about. Our picks are research-based: we compare official specs, features and prices.
When a figure comes from the maker, such as speed, battery life or durability, we say it’s the maker’s claim. When makers’ own documents disagree, we show both figures and cite both. If a spec isn’t published, we write “Not listed on product page/datasheet” rather than guess. If a conclusion is our own reading of the facts, we label it as our inference. We don’t use claims that only appear in third-party reviews or forums.
How we date and save our sources
Every article ends with a Sources list. Its heading gives the date we checked those pages, for example “Sources (all checked October 16, 2026, ET)”. That date is the day we actually opened the pages, not the day we published.
For newer articles, we also save a copy of the pages we check, so if a maker later changes a page, we can see what it said when we wrote about it. We quote maker text only when we’ve found those exact words on the maker’s page. Before an article goes live, we re-check prices, stock and links if they could have changed.
Where our buy links go
A buy link should take you to a page where you can buy that exact product. If the brand sells it in its own US store, we link there. If not, we link the exact product page at a major retailer: Amazon, Best Buy, B&H or Newegg.
Maker overview and spec pages are never used as buy links. When we link one, it’s labelled as specs so you know it’s for reference.
Affiliate links and how we make money
GearSift is reader-supported. We research every pick, and no brand pays to be included.
We don’t use affiliate links yet. If we add them, we’ll say so on every page that has one. Each such page will have a disclosure box near the top, and every affiliate link will carry a visible “(paid link)” label. If we use Amazon links as an Amazon Associate, we’ll include Amazon’s required statement. Commissions won’t change the price you pay. Read our full affiliate disclosure.
Corrections and contact
GearSift is operated by Jonathan Unger and based in Florida, USA. If you spot an error, an outdated spec or a broken link, email us at gearsift.operations@gmail.com. We’ll check it against the official source and fix the article if we got it wrong.
