What earns a spot in a best-of
A roundup here is a shortlist, not a catalog dump: five picks, each assigned to a scenario, so the list answers which one for me rather than which ones exist. The flagship examples are the linen roundup and the bedroom blackout guide, both built from individual tests.
Niche windows get their own lists rather than a footnote, like the arched window picks. Every product in a roundup links back to its full review in reviews, and the close calls are settled in head-to-heads.
Quick answers
Why only five picks per roundup?
Because ten-item lists are indecision with extra steps. Five scenarios cover over 90 percent of the reader situations we see in analytics, and each pick has to beat a named alternative to stay.
What disqualifies a product from a best-of?
Spec inflation is the fastest exit: a claimed blackout that meters at room darkening, or a linen that is quietly a blend. Price hikes past the value line also rotate picks out.
How current are the roundups?
Each list carries a real Updated date; pricing is rechecked on a rolling basis and swapped picks are noted. If a list and a review disagree, the review is newer, tell us.