How We Choose What We Recommend

When we suggest a film for Friday night, a game for your next get-together or a method for keeping herbs alive on a windowsill, we want you to trust that suggestion. This page explains how we decide what makes the cut and how we handle the companies and products that appear in our articles.

Our starting question

Before we recommend anything, we ask one thing: would we happily tell a friend about this over dinner? If the honest answer is "only with a long list of warnings", it probably does not belong in a recommendation.

What we look for

Films, shows and music

We favour work that rewards your time: strong storytelling, a distinctive voice, or simply a lot of joy. We like championing smaller and independent titles alongside the familiar ones, which is why pieces such as the rise of indie films sit happily next to guides on building a playlist. Taste is personal, so we try to explain why something works rather than declaring it the best.

Games

For games, we think about who is playing. A brilliant strategy game can sink a casual evening, while a simple party game might be perfect. We consider how easy the rules are to teach, how many people can join and whether it is fun for those who are not winning. Our guide on planning a game night uses the same thinking.

Home and garden

For practical projects we prefer methods that are affordable, safe and forgiving for beginners. We would rather suggest a small raised bed than a project that ends up abandoned by July. When a job needs a professional, we say so plainly.

Our rules for brand mentions

• Names appear for a reason. We mention a company or product when it helps readers, often because people asked us about it.
• No invented praise. We do not make up reviews, star ratings, testimonials or claims we cannot support.
• A mention is not a guarantee. Prices, features and service quality change. Always check details yourself before you buy.
• Licensed services only. When we write about streaming, we mean services that hold the rights to what they show.
• Careful on sensitive topics. Anything touching health, money or safety stays general and points to qualified help.

Keeping recommendations fresh

What was a great choice two years ago may not be today. We revisit popular articles, update suggestions that have aged badly and fix details readers flag. Some older articles came from the magazine's earlier years and are being reviewed as part of the same process.

Disagree with us?

Good. Some of our favourite conversations started with a reader telling us we had it wrong. If you think we missed a gem or praised something that let you down, let us know through Talk to Us. You can also read more about our process on Behind the Curtain.