Editorial Policy

The short version: I buy the things myself, use them properly, and tell you what I actually think. Everything below is the longer version, for anyone who wants to know how the sausage is made before trusting a score.

Independence

The Arnold Review is independent and self-funded. I buy the products I review with my own money. I don't accept free samples, review units, gifts, press trips, or paid placements in exchange for coverage, and no brand or manufacturer has any say over what I write or what I score them.

If that ever changes for a specific review — a loan unit I couldn't otherwise afford, say — it will be stated plainly at the top of that review, and it still won't buy a kinder verdict.

How things are tested

Every review is based on real-world use, not a press release, a spec sheet, or a quick handle at a launch event. I live with a product before writing about it — usually for days or weeks, often for months. Nothing is reviewed off first impressions unless the review explicitly says so (and is labelled as such).

Where it's worth doing, I keep using something long after the initial verdict and publish long-term follow-ups — ten months into a games console, a year into a pair of boots — because how a thing holds up over time is frequently the part worth knowing. Coverage is not comprehensive: I review what I use and what interests me, across technology, food and cuisine, fashion, lifestyle, and entertainment.

Scores

Scores are out of 10 and reflect one judgement: whether something is worth your money and your time. They are not a checklist of features. A cheap thing that does its job can, and routinely does, outscore an expensive thing that doesn't.

The score is mine, based on my own use, and is explained in the review rather than left to stand alone. There is no rubric being gamed and no league table to climb.

Advertising and affiliate links

Any ads on the site are served by Google AdSense. They are chosen by Google, not by me, and have no bearing whatsoever on review content or scores.

The Arnold Review does not currently use affiliate links and earns no commission on anything you buy. If affiliate links are ever introduced, they will be disclosed clearly and will never influence a verdict.

Use of AI

Reviews are written by a person — me, Adam Arnold — based on my own first-hand use. The opinions, scores, and writing are human. AI tools are not used to draft review content or generate verdicts; at most they assist with routine technical work behind the scenes, never with deciding or wording what a product deserves.

Corrections and updates

If I get something wrong, I'll correct it promptly and note the correction. Reviews may be updated as I spend more time with a product, and significant updates will be noted. Questions about this policy, or a mistake to report? Get in touch.