Introducing the PureWow100: A Whole New Approach to Reviews

You may have noticed our reviews are looking a little bit different. That’s because, as we tested products for the site, we realized we wanted more out of the standard review: When everything on the internet promises to change your life, how do you know what’s worth your hard-earned cash…and what’s total hype? So we rethought our approach, vetting items on a 100-point scale we’re calling the PureWow100. It gives you an at-a-glance way to see how a massage gun, lash serum or blender meets (or exceeds) expectations, and it leads into an in-depth review, so you can get every honest-as-your-best-friend-after-a-glass-of-rosé detail about it. Here’s a full breakdown of what to expect from the series.

It’s an easy way to see how a product lives up to its claims. Just like in school, where every assignment was graded on a 100-point scale, we are vetting every item based on a total of 100 points. Only in our world, there’s no grading curve or extra credit—just our honest, unfiltered ratings.

We’ve broken down the PureWow100 score into five categories, each rated out of 20 possible points. Editors and contributors use that as their framework for testing the product or service and writing their review. Here’s what we’re looking for:

• Value — Simply put, is it worth the money?
• Functionality — Does it do what it says it does? How well?
• Quality/Ease of Use — Is it durable? Does it require a PhD (or superhuman strength) to assemble?
• Aesthetics — Is it something you want to show off?
• Custom Category — This part is tailored to the topic we’re reviewing. For a candle, for example, it may be scent. For a baby monitor, it may be signal strength or reliability.

All five add up to 100 points, giving you the final rating. We’ll include this breakdown as a bulleted list at the top of every in-depth review, just like this.

We’re here to share the products we love with you. If something scores below a 75, it won’t merit a one-off review—in our mind, it’s just not worth your time (or ours). However, if we’re ranking the top products in a category (like sheet masks, for example), we’ll include the winners and losers, so you can see how they all compare.  

PureWow’s editorial team is all in on this project. We’ll all be contributing reviews based on our areas of expertise (and outside-of-work obsessions—don’t get Candace Davison started on chocolate chip cookies, BTW). And, for things outside of our wheelhouse—but still important to us—we’ll be reaching out to doctors, makeup artists, athletes and other experts to have them test and share their top picks.

Nope. While we may receive a sample of a product to try for free, the company understands that that doesn’t mean the item will be reviewed favorably. Or that it will even be featured at all, if it falls below expectations.

However, it’s worth noting that the product may be included within our affiliate network, meaning that if you buy an item reviewed, we could receive a commission for that item, though that’s not always the case.

Head to the PureWow100 landing page, which you can find here.