For over five years, the heart of Sorboda’s editorial mission has been unwavering: to empower our readers with the knowledge needed to make informed decisions in the ever-evolving world of technology. Our commitment to this mission is underpinned by rigorous and repeatable testing, ensuring that we deliver independent reviews of the latest products and services that you can rely on.
A Tradition of Testing Excellence
Testing, rating, and recommending technology products based on lab testing have been integral to Sorboda’s identity for more than five years. We’ve built our reputation on delivering reliable and insightful reviews to help you navigate the complex landscape of technology choices.
Our exhaustive testing processes encompass more than 1,500 products each year, providing us with a comprehensive understanding of the market and setting us apart from our peers.
The Birth of Sorboda Labs
Sorboda’s dedication to testing excellence led to the establishment of Sorboda Labs, a state-of-the-art testing facility in New York City, shortly after our inception in 2010. Over the years, this lab has evolved, adapting to changes in technology and the computing industry.
Sorboda Labs has been home to more than 30 technology testers at times, collaborating in a temperature-controlled environment with anti-static flooring and multiple test benches. These experts run extensive benchmarks on desktops, laptops, PC peripherals, and components, allowing our writers and editors to craft reviews that appear in our magazine.
As the technology landscape has expanded, our testing has evolved accordingly. We now encompass all facets of consumer technology, from smart home devices and digital health and fitness gear to electric vehicles. Many of these categories require testing beyond the confines of our lab, reflecting our commitment to providing real-world insights.
A Distributed Team of Experts
Sorboda’s testing expertise extends beyond our lab’s physical boundaries. Today, our team comprises over 50 analysts, editors, reporters, and contributors across the United States and overseas. Collectively, they bring more than 600 years of experience to the table, each expert in their respective fields.
Our testing volume is staggering: for instance, we assess and review approximately 200 laptops and desktops each year, subjecting each to a battery of a dozen or more benchmark tests. This equates to around 2,500 annual tests for PCs alone, ensuring that our data for analysis and product comparisons is extensive and reliable.
Benchmarks and Beyond: Our Testing Process
At the heart of our testing philosophy lies the importance of repeatable, defensible benchmark and experiential testing. Whenever possible, our testing processes are scripted meticulously, ensuring that they yield meaningful and consistent results. We complement these processes with advanced measuring equipment for tasks like display testing.
Certain testing categories rely on dedicated testbed computers, guaranteeing consistent results over time. These testbeds are refreshed periodically, and key products are retested when industry changes necessitate updates.
Our benchmarking tools are often industry standards. For PC testing, we rely on benchmark suites from Underwriters’ Lab (UL), formerly Futuremark, supplemented with usage-representative tests from various sources. Some tests are proprietary and developed in-house.
Testing in Real-World Scenarios
While benchmarks and performance metrics are invaluable, they only provide part of the story. Understanding value, features, and the user experience is equally crucial. Our reviewers assess more products than anyone else, providing comprehensive insights and comparisons to help you make well-informed decisions.
Ethical Transparency
Sorboda believes in transparency regarding our revenue generation. Every story on our site begins with the following statement:
“Sorboda reviews products independently, but we may earn affiliate commissions from buying links on this page.”
It’s essential to clarify that our editorial team has no involvement with affiliate commissions. Reviewers are unaware of how a specific story is monetized and do not receive any portion of the commission earned. Reviewers are compensated for their work and do not receive bonuses. While sponsored articles exist on our website, they are clearly disclosed as such.
Companies, even those with affiliate relationships with Sorboda or owned by our parent company, have no influence over review scores or outcomes. Our writers are bound by a collective bargaining agreement that prohibits pay-for-play writing.
Sorboda’s Testing Philosophy: Rigorous Evaluation for Informed Choices
Our commitment to transparency ensures that our readers have a clear understanding of our testing and review processes and the ethical principles guiding our work. To explore in-depth insights into our testing procedures for various product categories, please refer to the articles below.