Our test method

This page applies to the O!lab section. O!radar articles are not reviews: they describe a product from what the brand publishes, and carry neither weaknesses nor a verdict.

How we choose what we review

A product reaches a review in two ways: a brand proposes it, or the editorial team chooses it. In both cases, the editorial team decides whether it is reviewed.

The product is then offered to the testers whose field it is. Those who are interested say so, and the editorial team chooses among them. A tester never receives a product they did not ask for.

Where the units come from

The unit reviewed is provided to the tester by the brand via O!deal, or loaned by the supplier to the editorial team. It is never bought. Where it came from is stated under the title of every review. The page Transparency and independence says what each case involves.

What we look at, and how

An O!lab review is a review in use: someone uses the product in their everyday life and tells what happens. The length of the review, in days, is shown under the title.

Every review follows the same outline, in six parts:

1. What it is: the product, what it is for, who it is made for.
2. First impression: the packaging, what is included, the materials, the finish.
3. The protocol: the duration, the conditions, the frequency, what is measured or compared.
4. In use: the heart of the review, day after day, with facts and figures.
5. Promises and reality: two or three of the brand’s promises, kept or not.
6. Who we recommend it to, and who we do not.

On top of that come at least three strengths and at least one weakness, each one reasoned, then a verdict.

The photos are the tester’s own, taken during the review. Their video stays on their channel: the review links to it.

Before publication, the editorial team rereads the review, and the brand has five working days to report an inaccurate fact. It does not approve the text.

Why we give no score

A score sums up in one figure uses that have nothing in common. A bag that is perfect for a daily commute can be a poor choice for a weekend away, and a score does not say so.

We would rather tell you what works, what does not, and for whom. That is what the strengths, the weaknesses and the “Who we recommend it to” part are for.

What we do not do

• No laboratory measurements. Our testers measure what they can measure at home, and say how. We do not claim to replace a test bench.
• No review without the product in hand. An opinion written from a spec sheet is not a review, and does not appear in O!lab.
• No conclusion beyond the length of the review. A three-week review says nothing about how the product holds up after three years.
• No paid review. A tester receives the product, nothing else.
• No selling price or promo code in a review.
• No verdict dictated by a brand.