How we test

Rocks on Galaxy is an independent site run by Andrea R.. This page explains, without embellishment, how our reviews are done, where the products come from, how the site makes money and what we never do.

Who tests

Reviews are carried out by Andrea, at home, in his own house. It is not a lab: it is a lived-in home, with a real Wi-Fi network, real walls, a real car and a real daily routine. That is exactly what we want to measure: how a product behaves for someone who actually uses it.

Sometimes someone close to us takes part in a test, for example for a product they use more than we do. When that happens, the article says so clearly.

Product in hand, used over time

We only publish a review if the product has really been used. In practice:

• We unbox and install it ourselves, following the manual, as a buyer would.
• We use it for several days, often several weeks, before writing. The flaws that matter do not always show up on the first evening.
• Real use: a sensor goes in the room where it is needed, a car accessory goes in the car, an app is used for real transactions.
• Notes taken during the test: values shown, settings, firmware versions, problems met and fixes found.

When an article only covers part of the use, it is labelled as such. A "first impressions" or "hands-on" piece says so in the title, and we complete the article when the rest of the test is done.

Home Assistant when it is relevant

Andrea's home runs on Home Assistant. When a connected product can be integrated, we integrate it: pairing, entities created, automations, dashboards. We state what works locally, what needs an account or a cloud, and the manual steps required when automatic detection fails.

That is often where the most useful information is: a setting to change by hand, a USB port to avoid, a radio channel to move. If we have not tested an option (for example another control software), we say so rather than assume it works.

Our own photos

The photos in our reviews are taken by us, with the product in our home. Screenshots come from our own devices and our own Home Assistant. We do not edit these images with artificial intelligence. When an image comes from a manufacturer (for example for a product not yet available), it is presented as such.

Where the products come from

Some products are bought by us. Others are review units lent or given by brands. In that case, the article says so at the top of the review.

One rule has no exceptions: brands never see the text before publication and never approve it. They do not choose the rating, the pros or the cons. Receiving a product commits us to nothing except testing it honestly, and we publish the flaws we find.

How the site makes money

Rocks on Galaxy is funded in two ways:

• Advertising shown on the site.
• Affiliate links: when you buy through some of our links, the merchant may pay us a commission at no extra cost to you. These links are disclosed in the articles concerned.

There are no paid ratings. No brand can buy a review, a rating, a spot in a comparison or the removal of a flaw. A product that earns a commission is not rated higher than another, and a disappointing product stays disappointing.

What we do not do

• We do not present a product as "tested" if we have not had it in hand.
• We do not invent measurements or lab results. The figures we quote are ones we recorded ourselves, or come from an outside source that we name.
• We do not copy press releases.

Updates and corrections

A connected product changes with its updates. When a change makes a review inaccurate, we correct the article. If you spot a mistake, write to us from the Contact page: we check and fix it if needed.

Learn more

To find out who writes for the site, see Andrea R.'s author page. For personal data and cookies, see our privacy policy and our cookie policy.