Back to home

How It Works

Our methodology for finding what Reddit actually recommends.

TL;DR: We scan Reddit for product mentions, use ML to classify sentiment (positive/negative/neutral), then rank products by what percentage of mentions are positive. More mentions = higher confidence. It's that simple.

The Process

1

Data Collection

We identify the most relevant subreddits for each product category. For headphones, that's r/headphones and r/HeadphoneAdvice. For espresso machines, it's r/espresso and r/Coffee. We focus on enthusiast communities where people genuinely care about quality.

We collect posts and comments from these communities, filtering for discussions that mention specific products. This gives us raw, unfiltered opinions from real owners.

2

Product Recognition

Our system identifies product mentions in text, handling variations like "HD600", "HD-600", "Sennheiser 600", and common nicknames. We maintain a knowledge base of products with their aliases and variations.

Each mention is extracted with its surrounding context so we can analyze the sentiment accurately.

3

Sentiment Analysis

Every product mention is classified as positive, negative, or neutral using ML classification. We don't use generative AI for this—just straightforward sentiment classification.

Positive:"The HD600 is incredible for the price, best headphones I've owned"
Negative:"Returned my HD600 after a week, the clamp force was unbearable"
Neutral:"I'm deciding between the HD600 and the HD650"
4

Scoring & Ranking

Products are scored by the percentage of positive mentions out of all opinionated mentions (positive + negative). Neutral mentions don't affect the score.

Score = Positive / (Positive + Negative) × 100

We use Bayesian averaging to prevent products with few mentions from ranking artificially high. A product with 5 positive mentions and 0 negative won't outrank one with 500 positive and 50 negative.

5

Letter Grades

Based on the final score, each product receives a letter grade:

A
90%+
B
80-89%
C
70-79%
D/F
<70%

Limitations

Reddit isn't representative of everyone

Reddit users tend to be more technical and price-conscious. Mainstream preferences may differ from enthusiast communities.

Popularity bias

Popular products get more mentions, which means more statistical confidence. Niche products may be underrepresented even if they're excellent.

Sentiment isn't everything

A product can have high sentiment but not be right for your specific use case. Always read the quotes and consider your needs.

Common Questions

Do you accept payment for rankings?
No. Rankings are based entirely on Reddit sentiment. We use affiliate links to support the site, but these never influence which products rank higher.
How often are guides updated?
Most guides are refreshed monthly with new Reddit data. Some high-volume categories are updated more frequently.
What does "Limited Data" mean?
Products with fewer than 20 opinionated mentions are marked as "Limited Data." Their scores may be less reliable due to small sample size.
Can I request a new category?
Yes! Use the category request form on the homepage or email us at hello@dharm.is. We prioritize categories with active Reddit communities.

Ready to find your next purchase?

Browse our guides and see what Reddit actually recommends.

Browse All Guides