I’m not one to trash things unnecessarily. The internet tends to be very negative. Tech pundits and reviewers claim to be honest, but a lot of times they just like bashing things for sport. That’s not to say everything out there deserves praise. There are definitely some products lacking in quality and meaning. But one thing you might have noticed as a pattern in Techigar reviews is that I tend to be fairly positive.

That doesn’t mean I love everything out there on the market. More importantly, when I do come across a product I don’t recommend, I absolutely will and have spoken up. A great example is the Aura Triple Boost 14 Pro. I do not recommend that for everyone, only power users, and only for those who’ll use it regularly.

Products you don’t recommend

The problem thus far is that most of what I’ve had the opportunity to review has given me a positive experience. What you’re not seeing is the years and years of products that I’ve purchased or tried and didn’t like. For the most part, if it’s something I know I won’t like, I don’t review it here. I’m sure that leaves the question, what don’t you recommend?

Well, some things I don’t recommend are:

• LG appliances, especially washers and dryers.
• Cheap smart home and security devices from generic brands.
• The vast majority of robot or “smart” vacuums.
• Ultra-budget or no-name video game controllers.
• Most Steam Deck alternatives. Just get a Deck.
• Razer Nabu or experimental devices. In fact, I don’t have much confidence in Razer, in general.
• Cheap smartwatches or wearables without durability ratings (IPXX).
• External or portable storage from a nondescript company, especially MicroSD cards.
• Cheap, knock-off, or generic chargers and cables for electronics.
• No-name power banks and power stations.
• Anything with a rechargeable battery that you’re not going to use regularly.

No sponsored reviews on Techigar

Source: Briley Kenney / Techigar

While Techigar may one day host sponsored or branded content — content paid for by the companies — the reviews themselves will always be honest and straightforward. We are not paid to provide a positive or glowing review, and we will never accept payment for such a thing. Now, some of the products are purchased while the brands also provide some, but that does not have a bearing on the outcome of the review. If you can believe it.

I try to approach all reviews as the average person with a limited budget who isn’t going out and buying all the latest and greatest tech. That’s also true of my lifestyle. I’m not one to buy brand new phones when they hit the market, game consoles immediately upon launch or even with most products without knowing a bit about them. Gadgets, video games, media, hell, even with cigars, I tend to wait for reviews or look for additional opinions before I spend my hard-earned money, and that’s exactly how I’m approaching everything I get my hands on.

If something breaks, I will say. If something doesn’t work, I will say. If something seems like pseudo-science and won’t solve any problems, I’ll say. I have no qualms calling out brands for stupid shit, like when they send their products into fucking space for absolutely no practical reason whatsoever.

Hopefully, this answers a few questions.