How the Trust Score works
The Trustlio Home Trust Score rates how safe a purchase is, from 0 to 100, using five pillars of public, verifiable evidence. It does not measure which product is best. It answers a narrower question: if you buy this, how likely is it to be safe, do what it claims, and be backed by a company that stands behind it?
Current version: 1.0 · Last updated: Oct 26, 2026 · Download all scores (JSON) · CSV
The short version
- Every score is the sum of five pillars, each built from yes/no checks with fixed points, so two people scoring the same product should land on the same number.
- Every check links to its evidence. Open the sources list on any review and verify it yourself.
- We never use Amazon star ratings, review counts or review text. We can't verify them, and Amazon's rules for affiliates don't allow it.
- We earn commissions from some links. Commissions never change a score, and we publish low scores too.
Two rules before any score
- Active recall. If a product or model is under an active recall by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), we don't score it. We label it “Not recommended: active recall” and link to the recall notice.
- Not enough evidence. If fewer than two independent sources show real use of the product, we don't publish a number. We label it “Not enough evidence yet.” A score without evidence would only look precise.
The five pillars
| Pillar | Points | What we check |
|---|---|---|
| Independent evidence | 30 | Three or more independent sources with real use (10; two sources = 5). Sources agree the main function works (10; partly = 5). No failure mode reported by two or more sources (10). |
| Safety & compliance | 20 | No recalls for the brand in this category in the last five years (8). A relevant certification we could verify, such as UL or ETL for electrical products or an FCC ID for electronics (8). Materials and safety warnings declared (4). When no certification applies to the category, the other two checks are scaled to 20. |
| Specs & claims transparency | 20 | Dimensions, weight and materials published by the maker (8; partly = 4). Claims are measurable, not vague (6; partly = 3). Claims confirmed by at least one independent source (6). |
| Brand accountability | 15 | The brand has its own website with contact details and an address (5). Its trademark appears in the USPTO database (5). It has sold products for three years or more (5; one to three years = 2). |
| Warranty & support | 15 | Manufacturer warranty of two years or more (8; one year = 5). Warranty terms published with a clear claim process (4). Spare parts or documented support (3). |
Independent sources are reviews, videos or discussions by people with no commercial tie to the brand, who show or describe using the product: editorial reviews, owner discussions on forums such as Reddit, and video tests or teardowns. Retailer review sections don't count.
Reading a score
| Score | Band |
|---|---|
| 85–100 | Excellent |
| 70–84 | Good |
| 55–69 | Fair |
| Below 55 | Poor |
Next to every score we show a confidence level, which is separate from the score:
- High: five or more independent sources, or we tested the product ourselves.
- Medium: three or four independent sources.
- Low: two independent sources.
A 75 with high confidence is a stronger signal than an 85 with low confidence.
Tested vs. researched
Most scores come from research, not hands-on testing, and each review says which. When we have used a product ourselves, the review says “Tested hands-on by our team.” We never describe a product as tested when it wasn't.
What we don't use, and why
- Amazon star ratings, review counts and review text. Amazon's Associates Program Policies don't allow affiliates to display or otherwise use them, and fake reviews make them unreliable as evidence.
- Price. Prices change daily and don't tell you whether a product is trustworthy. Check the current price at the retailer.
- Sponsored content or free samples in exchange for coverage. If a brand ever sends us a product, we'll say so on the page, and it won't affect the checks above.
Keeping scores current
- We check every scored product against the CPSC recall database every week. A new recall removes the score.
- We redo the full review every six months, or sooner when a model changes.
- Every review shows the date it was last reviewed and the methodology version used.
Small-space fit: a separate rating
Some reviews also show a small-space fit rating. It rates how well a product does its job in a small home, against criteria for its category, from 0 to 10 per criterion. It never changes the Trust Score, and price never enters it.
Robot vacuums (fit rubric v1.0, updated 2026-10-26)
| Criterion | Weight | What we look at |
|---|---|---|
| Footprint and clearance | 40% | How much room the robot and its dock take. Robot height: up to 3.25 in = 5, up to 3.6 in = 4, up to 3.9 in = 3, up to 4.2 in = 2, taller = 1. Dock floor area (width × depth): up to 40 sq in = 5, up to 110 = 4, up to 200 = 3, up to 300 = 2, larger = 1. The score is the sum of both, from the maker's published dimensions or an independent measurement. |
| Cleaning performance | 35% | Pickup on hard floors, carpet and hair in independent tests. 9–10: top results on all three. 7–8: strong on hard floors, good on carpet, one clear weakness. 5–6: good on hard floors, clear weaknesses on carpet or hair. 4 or less: struggles broadly. |
| Navigation in tight spaces | 25% | Mapping and obstacle avoidance in independent tests, which matter most in small, cluttered rooms. 9–10: avoids nearly every test obstacle. 7–8: good avoidance with occasional misses. 5–6: accurate maps but weak or patchy obstacle avoidance. 4 or less: unreliable mapping or frequently stuck. |
Corrections and brand responses
If you think a score is wrong, email corrections@trustliohome.com with the product and the evidence. We review every request within 14 days. When a correction changes a score, we note it on the page with the date. Brands can send evidence, such as certification records or warranty terms, but they can't pay for or negotiate a score.
Changelog
| Version | Date | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | Oct 26, 2026 | First version. |
Affiliate disclosure
Trustlio Home is reader-supported. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. We may also earn from other retailer links. This never changes a score: the checks above are the same for every product, whether or not we earn from it. See our full disclosure.