Every recommendation on this site follows the same rules. This page explains them, so you can judge for yourself how much weight to give what we publish.
We buy what we test
Products we review hands-on are bought at retail, with our own money, from the same stores you would use. We do not accept manufacturer samples, loaner units, sponsored placements, or payment for coverage. No manufacturer sees a review before you do, and none can pay to change one.
How hands-on testing works
Gear gets set up in a real basement and used the way you would actually use it: a kegerator runs for weeks and gets judged on temperature stability and how annoying the CO2 setup is, not on a spec sheet. Where we publish a measured figure, it is something we actually measured, and we say how. Where a number comes from manufacturer documentation, we attribute it.
Two kinds of articles
Not everything on the site is a hands-on test, and we do not pretend otherwise. We publish two kinds of work. Hands-on reviews are based on products we bought and used, and they say so. Research guides compare materials, specs, prices, and trade-offs across a category to help you narrow a decision. Research guides draw on manufacturer documentation, verified owner feedback, and our own experience with the category, and they never claim testing that did not happen.
How we make money
Some links on the site are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Man Cave Buyers Guide earns from qualifying purchases. Commissions are the same rate whichever product you pick in a category, which means there is no financial reason for us to steer you to one model over another. Retailers and manufacturers have no input into our picks.
When we get it wrong
Products get discontinued, prices drift, and sometimes we make mistakes. Our corrections policy covers how to flag an error and what we do about it.