How We Rank
At Gear Scout, rankings are mathematically computed from five sub-scores on a scale of 0 to 10. We never accept payment for placement, and rankings are never influenced by affiliate commissions.
The Five Sub-Scores
- Performance: How effectively the product performs its core function based on hands-on benchmarks.
- Value: Performance delivered relative to its market price tier.
- Reliability: Build quality, brand longevity, hardware warranty, and customer support record.
- External Consensus: Normalized average of verified scores from trusted expert publications.
- Popularity: Retailer bestseller data and sales velocity, kept at a modest weight so mediocre bestsellers cannot dominate.
Category Weights
Because different categories prioritize different characteristics, weights are tuned per category:
Home EV Chargers
| Sub-score | Weight |
|---|---|
| Performance | 30% |
| Value | 25% |
| Reliability | 20% |
| External | 15% |
| Popularity | 10% |
Electric Vehicles
| Sub-score | Weight |
|---|---|
| Performance | 30% |
| Value | 25% |
| Reliability | 15% |
| External | 20% |
| Popularity | 10% |
Review Cadence
Every category is re-evaluated every two weeks to guarantee freshness. When new models launch or major firmware changes occur, scores are updated and rankings recomputed deterministically.