Affiliate Disclosure
Transparency First
Tom's Tech Bench may earn a commission from purchases made through affiliate links on this site. This does not affect our editorial independence or the accuracy of our reviews.
What Are Affiliate Links?
Affiliate links are special URLs that allow us to earn a small commission when you make a purchase through our links. When you click on a product link on our site and make a purchase, the retailer (such as Amazon) pays us a commission at no additional cost to you.
This is a standard practice in product review media and helps us fund our independent testing and review operations.
Our Editorial Independence
We maintain strict separation between our editorial and business operations. Our commitment to editorial independence means:
- Product selection is never influenced by potential affiliate revenue. We review products based on their relevance to our audience and testing capabilities.
- Test results and verdicts are determined solely by our standardized testing protocol. We publish both positive and negative findings.
- We publish negative reviews even when products have high affiliate potential. Our credibility depends on honest assessments.
- Affiliate commissions are identical across competing products in the same category. We have no financial incentive to favor one product over another.
How We Purchase Products
To maintain complete editorial independence, we purchase every product we review at retail price using our own funds. We do not accept free review units from manufacturers, as this could create a conflict of interest.
This means we have the freedom to:
- Test products without manufacturer influence
- Publish honest, critical reviews without fear of losing access to future products
- Compare products objectively without bias
- Return or dispose of products we don't recommend
Our Testing Methodology
All products undergo standardized testing using calibrated equipment in our testing lab. Our methodology is documented and transparent. Test results are based on objective measurements and verifiable data, not subjective impressions or manufacturer claims.
For more information about how we test products, please see our Testing Methodology page.
Affiliate Programs We Participate In
We participate in affiliate programs with major retailers, including:
- Amazon Associates - We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
- Other retailer affiliate programs as applicable
When you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, the retailer pays us a commission. The price you pay is the same whether you use our link or go directly to the retailer.
Why This Matters
We believe transparency about our business model is essential to maintaining your trust. If our affiliate relationships influenced our editorial decisions, we would lose credibility and our entire value proposition would be compromised.
We take this potential conflict of interest seriously and have implemented organizational safeguards to ensure that:
- Editorial decisions are made independently of business considerations
- Test results are never influenced by affiliate potential
- We maintain the freedom to publish critical reviews
- Our recommendations are based solely on product performance and value
Questions?
If you have questions about our affiliate relationships or how they affect our reviews, please contact us.