Editorial Policy

Reviews are based on documented criteria

Every mask is assessed against the same nine categories, with the same weights, published in full on our review methodology page. The criteria are written down before a product is tested, not adjusted afterwards to suit a conclusion.

The overall score is computed from the category scores at the moment the page is built. Nobody types in an overall figure, which means a score cannot be nudged up or down independently of the reasons behind it.

Manufacturer information is separated from verified observations

Every specification we publish carries a visible label recording where it came from:

• Manufacturer claim — stated by the manufacturer, not verified by us.
• Documentation reviewed — we have read supporting documentation they supplied.
• Our observation — observed by our reviewer with the physical unit.
• Independently measured — measured by us, with the method and conditions stated.
• Third-party test report — from a report produced by an independent laboratory.
• Unverified — we could not verify it and no evidence was supplied.

We do not launder a marketing figure into a fact by repeating it. If a manufacturer will not say at what distance an irradiance figure was measured, the review says that, and the score reflects it.

Brands do not receive control over conclusions

• Brands do not see reviews before publication.
• Brands do not get approval, review or right of reply over conclusions before we publish.
• Positions in rankings are not for sale, and never have been.
• We do not accept payment, gifts or hospitality in exchange for coverage or for a particular conclusion.
• We do not accept a product sample on the condition that the review be favourable, be approved before publication, or be withheld if unfavourable. If those conditions are attached, we decline the sample and say so.

Where a brand supplies a unit, that fact is disclosed prominently on the review itself and on every ranking the product appears in. A footer line is not sufficient for a material connection, and we do not treat it as sufficient. See our ownership disclosure.

Separation of commercial and editorial decisions

Affiliate links are added after category scores are entered. Commission rates play no part in scoring, ranking or selection for testing, and no member of the editorial team is compensated on the basis of affiliate revenue from a particular product. See the affiliate disclosure for how the site is funded.

Errors can be corrected

We publish mistakes as well as findings. When something is wrong, we fix it, label the change as a correction, and leave it in the visible change history on the page rather than editing quietly. The process, and how to report an error, is set out in our corrections policy.

Review dates are displayed

Every review shows when it was published, when it was last updated, and when the unit was last tested. Every price shows the date it was checked. A review of a device that has changed since we tested it is a review of the version we held, and the dates let you judge that for yourself.

Health and safety language

This is a health-adjacent category, and we are careful with language accordingly.

• We do not claim that any device treats, cures, prevents or diagnoses any condition.
• We do not describe a wavelength as “FDA approved” because a device emits it, and we do not present FDA registration or listing as if it were FDA approval or clearance.
• We do not promise outcomes — wrinkle reduction, acne clearance, collagen production, pain relief or anything else.
• We do not publish before-and-after photographs as evidence of a device’s effect.

What we compare is hardware. See our medical disclaimer for the boundary between what this site does and what a healthcare professional does.

What we will not publish

• Aggregate star ratings we did not collect, or ratings copied from a retailer and presented as ours.
• Customer reviews, testimonials or quotes we did not receive.
• Scores or measurements for a product that has not completed the testing protocol.
• Structured data describing content that is not visible on the page.
• Sponsored articles, guest posts, link insertions or link exchanges.

Who is responsible

Editorial decisions rest with the site’s editor, whose profile is listed on our authors page. Where a profile is marked as a placeholder, a real person has not yet been named for that role, and that is stated on the profile rather than papered over.