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.

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.