Your approach to ask specific questions is a good one. I've found that the key to avoiding persuasion by reviewers with undisclosed conflicts of interest—which

Your approach to ask specific questions is a good one. I've found that the key to avoiding persuasion by reviewers with undisclosed conflicts of interest—which includes Reddit comments made by people who bought accounts with a posting history to promote a product, and even YouTube video creators who do not disclose their sponsorships—is to pay close attention to the specific details of reviews. Paid reviews often have lots of emotional arguments (such as "I've been missing out," "I can't imagine life without it," or "I LOVE the one I have") without substance. Even if some of these comments are from people who are genuinely happy, the comments are still uninformative and don't help you understand the strengths and weaknesses of a product, versus alternatives. More detailed reviews—especially those that include fairly-written comparisons with compelling alternatives—give you the information to think critically and make your own judgement on whether a product or service is worth purchasing. For product research, I've also found it useful to seek out negative reports or complaints about products breaking over time. That can help you factor in the long-term costs of owning something new: you can learn that you may need to purchase replacement parts for a product over time (adding a recurring maintenance cost), or that certain products cannot be repaired, and will likely require a complete replacement after a few years.