SI SHOWCASE + PILLAR4

At Pillar4 Media, our mission is to help people live healthier lives through access to trusted resources, in-depth product reviews, and supportive communities. Our team of wellness experts create original content for SI Showcase through our proprietary review methodologies and editorial processes.

Learn more at PillarFour.com.

About Our Testing Methodology

Our comprehensive reviews consist of proprietary testing in Pillar4 Labs as well as in-depth research and customer interviews.

Over the course of our testing procedures and evaluations, each product is scored in a variety of categories including but not limited to features; performance; cost; delivery, returns, and warranties; brand reputation; and customer reviews.

The categories we evaluate vary depending on what consumers care about each product type. For example, convenience and portability may be important for a fitness product like a yoga mat, but not matter for a sleep product like a mattress.

How We Score Products

We assign each product a score of 1 out of 10 for each of the categories we test in. That score is then averaged to produce a cumulative score out of 10 for each product, with 1 being extremely poor and 10 being exceptionally good.

Categories We Evaluate

• Fitness equipment: treadmills, rowers, ellipticals, bikes and more
• Fitness accessories and products: resistance bands, kettlebells, dumbbells, barbells, and more
• Fitness tech and wearables: fitness trackers, sports watches, heart rate monitors, sleep trackers, and more
• Nutrition products and supplements: protein powders, pre-workout, athletic greens, probiotics, nutrition accessories, and more
• Sleep products: mattresses, mattress pads, pillows and sheets, and more

More categories being added to our testing methodology soon!

Fitness Equipment

Criteria we evaluate:

1. Experience and effectiveness: We test this product during a full workout or full use and provide results. Factors may include workout intensity, intensity level options, how effectively it delivers on the intended workout / use, etc.
2. Tech capabilities: Capabilities such as heart rate tracking, bluetooth capabilities, app connectivity, etc.
3. Delivery and assembly: How quickly does the product arrive? How easy is it to assemble? Does it require professional assembly? Are the necessary tools included in packaging?
4. Portability: Weight and dimensions - will this product fit in a run-of-the-mill home gym? Can it be easily stored? Electricity outlet requirements?
5. Durability: How long can you expect to keep this product running in your home gym? Does it get beat up quickly? For example, for a treadmill: Does the tread need greasing/oiling often? For a bike: Do the handles need taping often?
6. Ease of use: Can a beginner use this product? How easy is it to turn on and get started with the workout? How long does it take to get to a workout? What is their user interface like?
7. Value: Evaluating price, experience and durability in one metric
8. Customer reviews: What are customers saying about this product? Are there common issues/complaints among reviews?
9. Customer service: How long does it take customer service to answer the phone? Can you access customer service via a website? How many days does it take to resolve the issue?
10. Warranty, financing and returns: Are there financing options? What is the process for returning the item? 

Fitness Accessories and Products

Criteria we evaluate:

1. Experience and effectiveness: We test this product during a full workout or full use and provide results. Factors may include workout intensity, intensity level options, how effectively it delivers on the intended workout / use, etc.

2. Durability: How long can you expect to keep this product running in your home gym? Does it get beat up quickly? What if we drop this product on the ground?

3. Value: Evaluating price, experience and durability in one metric

4. Customer reviews: What are customers saying about this product? Are there common issues/complaints among reviews?

5. Design: Is this product aesthetically pleasing? Are there customization options?

6. Portability and storage / design: Weight and dimensions - will this product fit in a run-of-the-mill home gym? Can it be easily stored?

7. Delivery and assembly: How quickly does the product arrive? How easy is it to assemble? Does it require professional assembly? Are the necessary tools included in packaging?

Fitness Tech and Wearables

Criteria we evaluate:

1. Experience and effectiveness: We test this product during a full workout (or full night’s sleep) and provide results on how well it delivers on the intended use.
2. Tech capabilities: Bluetooth capabilities? Heart rate monitor? Sleep monitor? Breath/meditation guidance?
3. Design: Is it a sleek design or bulky? What are the face/screen dimensions? How readable is the screen? Is the screen readable outside in the sunlight? Does it provide an intuitive user experience overall?
4. Comfort: Does it fit well on small/large wrists? Can it work 24 hours/day or does it need to be taken off at night? Is the band comfortable? Are there other band options available for purchasing?
5. Durability: How long can you expect to keep this product? Does it get beat up quickly? What if we hit this product against the wall or drop it on the floor?
6. Value: Evaluating price, experience and durability in one metric
7. Customer reviews: What are customers saying about this product? Are there common issues/complaints among reviews? 

Nutrition products and supplements

Criteria we evaluate:

1. Ingredients: What raw materials go into the product? What are their scientifically-proven benefits? What form are the materials in? For example, if a micronutrient is used, is it a bioavailable form of the vitamin/mineral?
2. Taste / Flavors: What does it taste like? Are there different flavors available?
3. Dosage: How often is it recommended that you take the product for optimal results? How does the brand’s dosage recommendation compare to any clinically-backed dosage recommendations for the intended purpose?
4. Manufacturing: How and where is the product made? Does the brand use proprietary blends instead of saying exactly what is in the product? Is the product made in a cGMP facility? Do they conduct annual audits to ensure best practice?
5. Testing: How has the product been tested? Has it been verified by a credibly third-party source, such as a lab or institution?
6. Customer Reviews: How have users rated the product on the site, as well as on third-party sites like Amazon?
7. Price per serving: What is the price? Are the raw ingredients priced higher because of the brand or because of a proprietary blend of ingredients?
8. Brand / Company: What is the brand’s reputation? Does the brand produce other similar products? Is it a popular brand? Is the brand trusted or endorsed by athletes?
9. Trial Period / Returns: Is there a length of time offered to decide whether or not you like the product? Is there a return process including a refund policy?
10. Subscription: Is it possible to subscribe to regular orders of the product? Is there a discount associated with subscriptions?
11. Shipping: Time and cost (if any) for shipping the supplement to your home.
12. Customer Service: Response time, level of detail provided to answer questions, how helpful the support team is.

Sleep Products

Criteria we evaluate:

1. Pressure relief: How well the product relieves pressure, (particularly on the hips, shoulders and thighs) and provides even body weight distribution.
2. Spinal alignment: How well the product keeps your spine in its natural alignment.
3. Edge support: How much edge support the product provides, accounting for functional use of the end of the bed and how comfortable it is to sleep on the edge of the bed.
4. Responsiveness: How well the product responds to your movement and adjusts to your body position. This is especially important for combination sleepers or those who change positions throughout the night.
5. Motion transfer: How well the product isolates movement and absorbs motion. Motion transfer is important for couples who don’t want to be disturbed by their partner moving around or getting up in the middle of the night.
6. Durability: Quality and durability of materials, structural support, and expected lifespan of the product.
7. Cooling: How well the product promotes airflow and breathability, factoring in heat retention and any substantive cooling properties/features.
8. Set-up: How easy the set-up process is, including factors like weight, mobility, the time it takes to unbox and set up, and how many people are needed.
9. Trial Period / Returns: Length of time offered to decide whether or not you like the product and ease of return process including refund policy and how the mattress is removed from your home.
10. Warranty: Length of warranty and what is covered.
11. Shipping: Time and cost (if any) for shipping the product to your home.

12. Customer Service: Response time, level of detail provided to answer questions, how helpful the support team is.