7 ms·

Wirecutter is essentially just a glorified, prettified Amazon affiliate link aggregator anyway. I have tried so many of their recommendations - always making su

by coolso 5y ago

Wirecutter is essentially just a glorified, prettified Amazon affiliate link aggregator anyway. I have tried so many of their recommendations - always making sure not to click the affiliate links directly - and been burned or at the very least disappointed more than enough times, that at this point I just use their site as a starting guide, and then make sure not to actually buy their recommended pick if at all possible. Can we just keep the boycott going in perpetuity?

bryan0 5y ago
I’ve found their recommendations to be pretty good in general. What products were you disappointed by? If both they and CR are in agreement it’s a pretty good bet.
- harlanlewis 5y ago
  It definitely depends on the category. I’ve found it most helpful for items that I don’t know much about, the capability and pricing tiers do matter, but it’s not going to be a purchase that needs to be absolutely perfect and I’m unlikely to have a strong opinion about later. Headphones? Stay away - too subjective. A humidifier for the nursery? Perfect.
  - clifdweller 5y ago
    This is where I have a problem with their reviews will start to dive into it but never really educate the reader enough to make an informed decision over trusting them. i.e in their recommended sleeping pads they don't even consider the lower end ones for testing and they balk at the higher end ones because of material choices(which they don't explain have trade offs ie cold or hot camping they remove mylar pads and nylon)Then they are left with picking from a bunch of clones of each other all at same price point with similar features and left with learning nothing other than they chose clone of a clone all because it goes on sale more often than the others
- HeavenFox 5y ago
  Not OP but I bought their humidifier recommendation and it wasn't great. Barely made a dent in the humidity level of my small studio apartment. Turns out I was not alone: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25993512 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25993512
  - clairity 5y ago
    i bought that humidifier and it works fine for my purposes. it's purely evaporative, so it doesn't really work well at lower temperatures and won't raise humidity much past 50%. for my use case, it keeps the air moist enough not to irritate me when the heater is on (a few weeks during the winter), which was the problem i was trying to solve.
- coolso 5y ago
  The air purifier they recommended makes a loud annoying noise any time the house temp falls below a certain point. The router they recommended started randomly and frequently dropping connections after a year. The WiFi extender they recommended dropped connections from day one and also had noticeable coil whine from across the room. The surge protector they recommended reeked of mid/late 2000s-era cheap plastic and made my living room smell of it for about two weeks. And the expensive house fan they recommended made an off-balance rumbling vibration type noise which made it difficult to fall asleep to. Upon further research into each issue, I found many other people noticing the same things. In addition, many of the products with these issues I exchanged, only to have the replacement exhibit the same exact problem. Their presentation is their only real strength for the most part.
  - VWWHFSfQ 5y ago
    I recommend you stop going to their website. You seem to be having a very tough time.
- karaterobot 5y ago
  I've gotten good recommendations from Wirecutter, but also very bad ones. I bought their recommended coffee machine, and it's $200, and no better than the $30 Mr. Coffee it replaced (except, I guess, in the referral fee they get). They also recommend an air purifier by Levoit, which performed demonstrably worse than a box fan with a HEPA filter bungee corded on to it[1]. In fairness, Wirecutter recommended a cheaper model, but is that model going to perform better than the more expensive one in the same line? In any case, it's still not cheaper than a box fan and a HEPA filter, which ought to be the baseline you'd test against if you were providing value to your readers. [1] https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/portable-air-purifier-tests-marketplace-1.5900782 https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/portable-air-purifier-tests...
  - Cd00d 5y ago
    I have their recommended coffee machine (OXO Barista Brain), and have loved it for over 3 years. I recommend it to everyone I know that likes drip coffee as much as I do. If you were so happy with a $30 Mr. Coffee, what even compelled you to spend $200??
    - mikestew 5y ago
      If you were so happy with a $30 Mr. Coffee... Parent never said that, and they're obviously not happy with the Mr. Coffee if they're willing to spend $200 on a coffee maker...which, BTW, better do a better job than a $30 coffee maker.
    - karaterobot 5y ago
      I was referring to the OXO 9-cup coffee maker[1]. I don't expect it to be 7 times better than the Mr. Coffee, and would be satisfied if it was just noticeably better in any way. But it's really pretty much the same thing, only more expensive. To be clear, both units are absolutely fine at making coffee. What compelled me to spend $200 on the OXO was the glowing Wirecutter review. [1] https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-drip-coffee-maker/ https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-drip-coffee-...
  - errantspark 5y ago
soared 5y ago
If you’re reading their content why wouldn’t you click their affiliate links? You’re costing them server hours and purposefully not giving them revenue despite it costing you nothing.
- callmeal 5y ago
  >If you’re reading their content why wouldn’t you click their affiliate links? Because they blackmail companies into affiliate revenue with the threat of "unrecommending" their products. See: https://www.xdesk.com/wirecutter-standing-desk-review-pay-to-play-model https://www.xdesk.com/wirecutter-standing-desk-review-pay-to...
  - Bud 5y ago
    That accusation is actually not supported by the facts, as detailed elsewhere in this thread.
- coolso 5y ago
  Are you saying I should be giving them revenue for not being terribly open about the fact that they only review products which can earn them a commission, and that furthermore, they deserve revenue from me for recommending products I spent about $500 or more in total for, only for them all to have significant flaws?
  - newfonewhodis 5y ago
    I don't know what you are referring to but plenty of times they link directly to a retailers' website where they don't earn commissions. It's also a reasonable way for them to make money that isn't: 1. Invasive tracking 2. Nasty ads 3. Direct subscriptions Take your entitlement elsewhere.
    - coolso 5y ago
      > Take your entitlement elsewhere. What are your thoughts regarding ad blocking? Specifically, do you also find people who use adblockers (I assume you don't use one of course) entitled?
analyte123 5y ago
I think Wirecutter drives a lot of sales, so a manufacturer could just cut corners and nerf their product's quality after they're recommended by Wirecutter in order to cash in. It seems like Wirecutter only re-evaluates their top recs after a couple years have gone by.
- bobthechef 5y ago
  That they could doesn't mean they will. That's why articles are dated. If the article reviews the nth generation of product p, then that's what the review is about. If you're reading the review 2-3 years afterward, chances are the product has gone through another iteration (in which case, it no longer applies as equally) or the same product is still in production and the review likely still applies. Besides, why would you only rely solely on Wirecutter? CNET, RTINGS, Reddit, etc. can all be consulted to corroborate each other. Besides, this cheating strategy is only locally sustainable. Once word gets out, they'll lose on their next release. Lies have short legs.

by coolso 5y ago

bryan0 5y ago

I’ve found their recommendations to be pretty good in general. What products were you disappointed by? If both they and CR are in agreement it’s a pretty good bet.

harlanlewis 5y ago
It definitely depends on the category. I’ve found it most helpful for items that I don’t know much about, the capability and pricing tiers do matter, but it’s not going to be a purchase that needs to be absolutely perfect and I’m unlikely to have a strong opinion about later. Headphones? Stay away - too subjective. A humidifier for the nursery? Perfect.
- clifdweller 5y ago
  This is where I have a problem with their reviews will start to dive into it but never really educate the reader enough to make an informed decision over trusting them. i.e in their recommended sleeping pads they don't even consider the lower end ones for testing and they balk at the higher end ones because of material choices(which they don't explain have trade offs ie cold or hot camping they remove mylar pads and nylon)Then they are left with picking from a bunch of clones of each other all at same price point with similar features and left with learning nothing other than they chose clone of a clone all because it goes on sale more often than the others
HeavenFox 5y ago
Not OP but I bought their humidifier recommendation and it wasn't great. Barely made a dent in the humidity level of my small studio apartment. Turns out I was not alone: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25993512 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25993512
- clairity 5y ago
  i bought that humidifier and it works fine for my purposes. it's purely evaporative, so it doesn't really work well at lower temperatures and won't raise humidity much past 50%. for my use case, it keeps the air moist enough not to irritate me when the heater is on (a few weeks during the winter), which was the problem i was trying to solve.
coolso 5y ago
The air purifier they recommended makes a loud annoying noise any time the house temp falls below a certain point. The router they recommended started randomly and frequently dropping connections after a year. The WiFi extender they recommended dropped connections from day one and also had noticeable coil whine from across the room. The surge protector they recommended reeked of mid/late 2000s-era cheap plastic and made my living room smell of it for about two weeks. And the expensive house fan they recommended made an off-balance rumbling vibration type noise which made it difficult to fall asleep to. Upon further research into each issue, I found many other people noticing the same things. In addition, many of the products with these issues I exchanged, only to have the replacement exhibit the same exact problem. Their presentation is their only real strength for the most part.
- VWWHFSfQ 5y ago
  I recommend you stop going to their website. You seem to be having a very tough time.
karaterobot 5y ago
I've gotten good recommendations from Wirecutter, but also very bad ones. I bought their recommended coffee machine, and it's $200, and no better than the $30 Mr. Coffee it replaced (except, I guess, in the referral fee they get). They also recommend an air purifier by Levoit, which performed demonstrably worse than a box fan with a HEPA filter bungee corded on to it[1]. In fairness, Wirecutter recommended a cheaper model, but is that model going to perform better than the more expensive one in the same line? In any case, it's still not cheaper than a box fan and a HEPA filter, which ought to be the baseline you'd test against if you were providing value to your readers. [1] https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/portable-air-purifier-tests-marketplace-1.5900782 https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/portable-air-purifier-tests...
- Cd00d 5y ago
  I have their recommended coffee machine (OXO Barista Brain), and have loved it for over 3 years. I recommend it to everyone I know that likes drip coffee as much as I do. If you were so happy with a $30 Mr. Coffee, what even compelled you to spend $200??
  - mikestew 5y ago
    If you were so happy with a $30 Mr. Coffee... Parent never said that, and they're obviously not happy with the Mr. Coffee if they're willing to spend $200 on a coffee maker...which, BTW, better do a better job than a $30 coffee maker.
  - karaterobot 5y ago
    I was referring to the OXO 9-cup coffee maker[1]. I don't expect it to be 7 times better than the Mr. Coffee, and would be satisfied if it was just noticeably better in any way. But it's really pretty much the same thing, only more expensive. To be clear, both units are absolutely fine at making coffee. What compelled me to spend $200 on the OXO was the glowing Wirecutter review. [1] https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-drip-coffee-maker/ https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-drip-coffee-...
- errantspark 5y ago

soared 5y ago

If you’re reading their content why wouldn’t you click their affiliate links? You’re costing them server hours and purposefully not giving them revenue despite it costing you nothing.

callmeal 5y ago
>If you’re reading their content why wouldn’t you click their affiliate links? Because they blackmail companies into affiliate revenue with the threat of "unrecommending" their products. See: https://www.xdesk.com/wirecutter-standing-desk-review-pay-to-play-model https://www.xdesk.com/wirecutter-standing-desk-review-pay-to...
- Bud 5y ago
  That accusation is actually not supported by the facts, as detailed elsewhere in this thread.
coolso 5y ago
Are you saying I should be giving them revenue for not being terribly open about the fact that they only review products which can earn them a commission, and that furthermore, they deserve revenue from me for recommending products I spent about $500 or more in total for, only for them all to have significant flaws?
- newfonewhodis 5y ago
  I don't know what you are referring to but plenty of times they link directly to a retailers' website where they don't earn commissions. It's also a reasonable way for them to make money that isn't: 1. Invasive tracking 2. Nasty ads 3. Direct subscriptions Take your entitlement elsewhere.
  - coolso 5y ago
    > Take your entitlement elsewhere. What are your thoughts regarding ad blocking? Specifically, do you also find people who use adblockers (I assume you don't use one of course) entitled?

analyte123 5y ago

I think Wirecutter drives a lot of sales, so a manufacturer could just cut corners and nerf their product's quality after they're recommended by Wirecutter in order to cash in. It seems like Wirecutter only re-evaluates their top recs after a couple years have gone by.

bobthechef 5y ago
That they could doesn't mean they will. That's why articles are dated. If the article reviews the nth generation of product p, then that's what the review is about. If you're reading the review 2-3 years afterward, chances are the product has gone through another iteration (in which case, it no longer applies as equally) or the same product is still in production and the review likely still applies. Besides, why would you only rely solely on Wirecutter? CNET, RTINGS, Reddit, etc. can all be consulted to corroborate each other. Besides, this cheating strategy is only locally sustainable. Once word gets out, they'll lose on their next release. Lies have short legs.