Affiliate Disclosure
This page explains how Home Office Research is funded, how affiliate relationships work on this site, and why they do not affect the independence of our research and recommendations.
How Affiliate Links Work
What Happens When You Click a Product Link
Product links on this site are Amazon affiliate links. When you click one of these links and complete a purchase on Amazon — whether it’s the specific product linked or anything else during that session — Home Office Research may earn a small commission. This commission is paid by Amazon and comes at no additional cost to you. The price you pay on Amazon is identical whether you arrive through this site or any other source.
Affiliate commissions are the sole source of revenue for this site. There is no advertising, no sponsored content, no paid product placement, and no manufacturer funding of any kind.
In plain terms: clicking our links is the primary way you can support this site, and it costs you nothing to do so.
Editorial Independence
How Affiliate Relationships Affect Our Research — They Don’t
Every product on this site is evaluated using a structured, criteria-based scoring framework built before any specific product is assessed. Scores are derived mechanically from manufacturer-disclosed specifications applied to the weighting system. There is no subjectivity in the final score, and no mechanism by which affiliate potential could influence it.
Products we recommend against — products with low scores, significant limitations, or poor value — appear in our comparison tables alongside products we do recommend. We include them specifically because honest comparison requires it. A guide that only shows favorable products is not a guide; it’s an advertisement.
We are not compensated by, sponsored by, affiliated with, or in any commercial relationship with any product manufacturer whose products appear on this site. All products are evaluated at arm’s length.
The principle: a site worth trusting over time is worth more than a short-term boost from shaping recommendations around commission potential. That means including products we can’t earn from, recommending against products we could, and never letting the affiliate program touch the ranking. We keep those things separate.
What We Link To
Amazon Is Our Only Affiliate Program
Home Office Research participates exclusively in the Amazon Associates program. We do not participate in affiliate programs with any other retailer, brand, or network. When you see a product link on this site, it goes to Amazon.
Some products we recommend may not be available on Amazon — or may be better purchased directly from the manufacturer. In those cases, we include the product anyway and link to the best available source, even though we earn nothing from that referral. We would never omit a product from a comparison simply because we can’t earn a commission on it. A product earns its place in our tables by its score, not by its purchasability through our links.
Occasionally, editorial context may reference a manufacturer’s website for specification verification or documentation. These links are not affiliate links and generate no revenue.
- Product links go to Amazon where available. We link to the specific listing that best represents what we reviewed. We do not link to third-party sellers or gray-market listings.
- Commission potential does not determine inclusion. Products are included or excluded based on their scores. A great product with no Amazon listing will still appear in our tables.
- We do not manufacture or sell products. Home Office Research is a research and editorial site. We do not sell anything directly.
FTC Compliance
Material Relationship Disclosure
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requires that sites disclose material connections to products or services they recommend. Our material connection is the Amazon Associates affiliate relationship described on this page: we may earn a commission when you purchase through our links.
This disclosure appears on this page and in the footer of every page on this site. Product pages additionally include a disclosure near the comparison tables so it is visible at the point where affiliate links appear.
If you have questions about how this site operates or our affiliate relationships, you can reach us at [email protected].
Summary: We earn commissions from Amazon on qualifying purchases. This does not affect our scores, rankings, or editorial conclusions.