Every product on the site carries a single Editorial Rating from 1 to 5 stars. This page explains what that number is, what it isn't, and how it's built.
What the rating is
An editorial assessment from the Baby in House editor, on a 1-to-5 scale, formed by weighing the four factors below. It's a single judgment, not the output of a lab.
An Editorial Rating is intended to help compare products within a category and should not be considered a substitute for professional safety, medical, or purchasing advice.
What we weigh
The rating is informed by four factors. For now we publish the overall rating only, not separate sub-scores. That's a known limitation and something we may add later.
- Safety & Standards. Does the product meet applicable safety standards (for example JPMA for cribs, FMVSS-213 for car seats, ASTM for sleep products)? Are there active recalls or unresolved safety concerns?
- Ease of Use. How fiddly is daily use? Cleaning, setup, middle-of-the-night operation, whether parts get lost, whether replacement parts are sold.
- Value. Does the price match what the product delivers, including durability and longevity? A great product at a bad price doesn't score well. A basic product at a fair price often does.
- Parent Consensus. What do verified owners of this exact product (not the brand at large) consistently say after weeks or months of use?
What the rating isn't
- Not lab-tested. We don't run a lab.
- Not a hands-on test score unless the product page says otherwise. A few products on the site have been used in our editor's own home. Most haven't been subjected to controlled trials.
- Not a popularity ranking. A product with millions of sales can score below a niche product if we don't think it's the best buy for you.
- Not paid. No brand has ever paid for a rating, and we don't accept arrangements that would let one.
Schema and structured data
We mark up each rating using Schema.org Review (a single editor's review), not AggregateRating (which implies many independent reviewers). This matches how the rating is actually formed.
When ratings change
- When we re-verify a product (price, availability, recalls), we may revise the rating.
- When the manufacturer materially updates the product (new generation, changed specs), we re-rate or remove the listing.
- Every product page shows the date of last verification.