If you’re looking for a gift for someone in your life—whether it’s a cell phone, an air fryer, a fancy coffee maker, or the latest tech gadget—make sure you’re getting the best bang for your buck with reviews and ratings from a trusted source. Alll you need is your Library card! Don’t have one? Get access instantly with a eCard! There are many good reasons to check out Consumer Reports on our website, where you can instantly access information right from a store or your couch, as you consider whether to "add to cart."
Consumer Reports
Founded in 1936, Consumer Reports is a nonprofit dedicated to consumer safety and satisfaction. Over the years, their work has helped to hold manufacturers accountable and limit false advertising. And while you’d typically have to pay to get proper access to their information, Stark Library uses tax dollars to pay for both a physical and digital subscription--so why would you buy it when you’ve already paid once?
Consumer Reports uses independent testing to get the data they use for their work. Then all the quantifiable information is used to create a rating. Ratings use the system you see to the left with colors and symbols to indicate quality, using categories that are both objective (minutes of battery life) and subjective (“sensory score” as applied in their rating of frozen cheese pizzas). These categories then feed into an overall 0-100 score to help rank purchases, with reviews to further highlight their strengths and weaknesses. For some categories, they’ll even recommend brands that scored particularly well and highlight the products that will give you the best value for the cheapest price. Why get a $150 rice cooker when a $30 one still gives you the perfect light and fluffy basmati?
Go forth and research!
As you’ve probably noticed, Consumer Reports rates much more than just cars and refrigerators. They will consider products in the categories of appliances & home products, cars, electronics, food, and health. So, whether you’re shopping for the best tablet for your mother-in-law or a better-tasting pasta sauce (yup, they review that, too!), Consumer Reports and Stark Library have your back!
