Recommendation Rules

Many of our articles end with some form of suggestion: a type of bracket, a kind of string, a way to set up a network. This page lists the rules those suggestions follow. They are short, and we stick to them.

Rule 1: Features before names

Where we can, we describe what to look for rather than which brand to buy. A guide such as how to choose a tennis racket explains head size, weight and balance so you can judge any racket in any shop. Specifications outlast model years; names do not.

Rule 2: A mention is not a guarantee

• Some articles name or link to a business, and that name is where your own checking starts.
• Compare prices, reviews and terms before you buy from anyone we mention.

Stock, prices and local rules change, so a name that suited one reader may not suit you.

Rule 3: Fit matters more than "best"

There is rarely a single best option. A mesh system is excellent in a large house and unnecessary in a small apartment. We try to say who a suggestion suits and who it does not, so you can place yourself on the map.

Rule 4: Mention the cheaper route

If a free fix, a setting change or a better arrangement of what you already own might solve the problem, that comes first. Our guide to boosting your Wi-Fi signal works through every free step before any hardware appears.

Rule 5: No invented evidence

We do not make up test scores, star ratings, percentages or quotes. If we have not measured something, we do not present it as if we had. Where a claim depends on the maker's own information, we say so.

Rule 6: Safety outranks convenience

A suggestion never skips a safety step to look simpler. If a product is only safe when installed a particular way, the article says how, and says when a professional should do it instead.

Rule 7: Prices are left to the seller

We avoid quoting prices. They change quickly, vary by region and are set by the seller. Where cost matters, we compare in broad terms, such as "a cheaper option" or "a larger outlay", and leave the exact figure to the shop.

Rule 8: Suggestions get reviewed

When products are discontinued or a better approach becomes common, we update the article. If you spot an outdated suggestion, please tell us through the contact page; the process is described in Our Corrections Promise.

A quick way to read our suggestions

Below are a few of the guides where these rules do the most work.