How I choose products
This is the one page that describes my method. Every guide on Home With Hana links here instead of repeating a boilerplate “how we chose” block, because the method is the same and I would rather write it once, properly.
Who writes the guides
Me — Hana Elder. Home With Hana has no editorial team, no freelancers and no sponsored contributors. Every guide is published under my byline and I am responsible for what it says.
Where the candidates come from
I start with a product category people are actually searching for and collect the listings shoppers are choosing between, across budget tiers. Software helps me gather listings and official spec sheets quickly; it does not decide what stays. I drop anything with missing, contradictory or obviously copied specifications before I compare the rest.
What I compare
The specifications that change the experience: dimensions and weight, materials, capacity, compatibility, connectivity, what is included in the box, and the trade-offs those numbers imply. When two products are close on paper I say so instead of inventing a difference.
Then I order the list myself. The reasoning is in the note at the top of each guide — why this order, what I excluded and why, and who should skip the whole list. That note is written by me, and the site will not publish an article without it.
What I do not do — in plain words
- I do not have the products in hand and I do not run tests. Verdicts are research-based, from listings and spec sheets you can check yourself.
- I do not analyse customer reviews. I do not show star ratings or review counts, and I do not claim to know what “owners say after months of use”.
- I do not show prices, discounts or availability. They change daily; the store page has the current ones.
- I do not score products on a points scale. The order is my judgment, explained in words.
- I do not accept payment from brands for inclusion or position, and there are no sponsored rankings.
How I use AI writing tools
I use AI tools to turn my research notes and the spec sheets into a first draft — the product descriptions, pros and cons, and answers to common questions. That is where their role ends. Before a guide goes live I read the draft, cut what is wrong or fluffy, fix the order, and write the note at the top. Automated checks also hold back any draft that contains testing claims, prices, ratings, placeholders or repetitive template wording.
AI is never used to invent specifications, fabricate owner experiences or write fake first-person testing. If you find a factual error, tell me — I will fix it and the guide's “Updated” date will change.
How often I publish
A few guides a week, not a flood. Some weeks two, some weeks four, depending on how much checking a category needs. Besides shortlists, I also write “how to choose” guides and pieces that start from a specific problem and work towards the product that fixes it.
How the site makes money
When you buy through a link on this site, I may earn an affiliate commission from the retailer. As an Amazon Associate, Home With Hana earns from qualifying purchases. It costs you nothing extra, and it is how the site stays free to read. See the full Affiliate Disclosure.
The commission does not depend on which product you pick within a category, so there is no financial reason for me to rank one above another. The order is mine, and it is explained in every guide.
Updates and corrections
Lineups change fast. I go back to published guides when a pick disappears or a clearly better option shows up, and updated guides show an “Updated” date at the top. Spotted a mistake? Use the contact page.