How we earn (the full, honest version)
Short version: some links on this site pay us a commission when you buy. It costs you nothing extra, and it never decides what we recommend. Here's the long version.
What the links do
When you click a "check price" button or product link on HeatwaveReady and buy something, the retailer may pay us a percentage of the sale. The price you pay is exactly the same either way — the commission comes out of the retailer's side, not yours.
Who pays us
We participate in affiliate programs run by the brands we review — including DREO, De'Longhi, and EcoFlow (via networks such as Awin, CJ Affiliate, Impact, and AvantLink) — and in the Amazon Associates program. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
What that means for our picks — and what it doesn't
Here's the honest tension: different programs pay different rates, and a brand's own store usually pays us more than Amazon does. So we handle it with two rules:
- The product is chosen first, on the evidence. Specs, owner-review patterns, and independent test data decide what we recommend — before any link is attached. Products from brands with no affiliate program appear in our guides whenever they're the right answer.
- Then we link to where we earn more, and tell you. If two stores sell the same unit at the same price, we'll link the one that pays us better — that's how this site stays running. We usually give you an Amazon option too, so you choose where to buy.
We tell you who should not buy each product we recommend. A commission is never worth a wrong recommendation — one bad pick costs us the only asset this site has, which is you trusting us next summer too.
How we review
We're upfront about method: unless a review explicitly says we hands-on tested a unit, our reviews are research-based — built from manufacturer specifications, patterns across hundreds of verified owner reviews, and independent test data, then written in our own words. We never publish fabricated reviews or invented "testing." Details in our editorial policy.
Prices and availability
Prices shown carry an "as of" date and come from the retailer's page on that date. They change constantly — especially during heat waves — so treat every price here as a snapshot, and the retailer's checkout as the truth.
The required line, in plain sight
This disclosure follows the FTC's endorsement guides (16 CFR Part 255). Every page with affiliate links carries a notice at the top. If you ever spot a page where that's missing, tell us — it's a bug, not a policy.