Hey, I’m Ben.
I’m the guy behind Researched Picks. That’s me on the right with my wife โ yes, we go on ice cream runs at midnight. No, I won’t apologize for it.
I started this site after spending 4 hours researching a damn air fryer. Four hours. And you know what I found? The same recycled marketing copy on every “review” site. The same 10 products recommended everywhere. Zero actual insight into what happens after you’ve owned the thing for 6 months.
So I built something different.
What Makes This Site Different
I actually read the 1-star reviews. Not just skim them โ I read through hundreds of them. Because that’s where the truth is. That’s where you find out the motor burns out after 8 months, or the app stopped working after an update, or the company has terrible customer service.
I spend 4-6 hours on every post. Reddit threads on r/BuyItForLife, r/HomeImprovement, r/Cooking, r/headphones โ wherever real owners hang out. Amazon reviews sorted by “most recent.” Forum deep dives. YouTube comments (yes, really). I piece together what real owners experience after the honeymoon period ends.
I tell you what to skip. Half of being helpful is telling you what NOT to buy. I’m not gonna recommend 10 products when 7 of them are garbage.
My Research Process
I don’t have a lab. I don’t have a team of testers with clipboards. Here’s what I actually do:
Find the popular picks โ What’s selling? What’s recommended? What’s hyped?
Dig into real owner feedback โ Reddit, Amazon reviews (sorted by recent, filtered by verified purchase), specialized forums, Facebook groups. I look for patterns, not outliers.
Look for the problems nobody talks about โ Every product has issues. I find them. The coating that peels after 3 months. The firmware update that broke everything. The accessories that cost extra but should’ve been included.
Compare against the competition โ Is this actually the best, or just the most marketed?
Give you a straight answer โ Here’s what to buy. Here’s why. Here’s who should skip it.
Want the full breakdown? Check out my How We Research page.
Why You Should Trust Me
Look, I’ll be straight with you. I make money through Amazon affiliate links. When you click a link on my site and buy something, I get a small commission. That’s how this site pays for itself.
But here’s the thing โ I make the same commission regardless of which product you buy. So there’s zero incentive for me to push expensive options or ignore better alternatives. I’ve recommended products that DON’T have affiliate programs because they were genuinely better. I’ve told people to buy from Costco when the price was better there, even though I don’t get a cut.
No brand has ever paid me to write a review. No one sends me free stuff. I buy the products I personally test with my own money, just like you would.
The affiliate income lets me keep doing this instead of getting a real job. The honesty is what makes people actually come back. One doesn’t work without the other.
Read my full editorial standards if you want the details.
My Gear Philosophy
I’m not a minimalist, but I hate clutter. I like things that work well enough that I forget they exist. I’d rather spend $200 once on something that lasts than $50 three times on garbage that breaks.
I’m also cheap about stuff that doesn’t matter. $15 HDMI cables are a scam. Generic batteries are fine. Not everything needs to be premium.
Get In Touch
Found something wrong in a review? Have a product you want me to look into? Just want to tell me I’m wrong about something?
Email: benarp2144@gmail.com
I read everything. I respond to most things. Don’t be a stranger.
Researched Picks is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program. When you buy through my links, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This keeps the site running and lets me keep doing this work. I only recommend products I'd actually tell my friends to buy.