Who writes this site
BackyardRated guides are written and edited by the BackyardRated Editorial Team. They are based on the research method and evidence disclosed on each page, not the opinion of a single named author.
Why there is no author photo
A lot of review sites attach a stock photograph and an invented name to their guides. It looks like expertise and it is not. We would rather sign with the team that actually does the work, so that every line on this site is something we can stand behind under our own name.
What we claim, and what we do not
We are an independent publisher, not a laboratory. Where a claim comes from a manufacturer, a retailer or another publication, the page says so in the text and names the source. Where a figure is our own measurement or our own judgement, the page says that too.
We will not describe a machine as tested if we have not run it. That distinction is the whole value of a review site, and blurring it is the fastest way to become worthless.
| We do | We do not |
|---|---|
| Read the maker's own product page, warranty and return policy, and quote them with the date we read them | Describe a machine as tested by us when we have not run it |
| Name an independent test in the text when we rely on it | Fold anyone else's score into a rating of our own, or publish an aggregate rating we did not produce |
| Rank the machines in words, and say plainly who each one is wrong for | Show a seller's own review pool as social proof, on any page here |
| Publish the drawbacks of every product, including the one that pays us | Remove a documented drawback because a brand asked, or because we earn on it |
| Print a contradiction when we find one and say we cannot resolve it | Pick the flattering figure when a maker publishes two |
Corrections
If something here is wrong, we want to fix it rather than defend it. Prices move, product lines change, and return policies get rewritten without notice. Tell us what you found and we will correct the page and note the change.
Independence
BackyardRated is operated as an independently operated outdoor equipment publisher. Manufacturers do not review our drafts, do not pay for placement, and are not told in advance what a page will conclude. How affiliate commissions work here is set out in full.