Consumer Reports

If you like the magazine,
 just wait until you see the website

Finding the right product can be hard.  Companies trying to sell you a product endlessly claim theirs is the best or has the best features.  There are often so many bells and whistles that sorting out what is necessary becomes a chore.  Sending tweets from your fridge might sound cool, but does it help your food keep?

If you turn to the library for reliable information then you are in luck: the Worcester Public Library makes Consumer Reports available to you free from the comfort of your own home.  Consumer Reports is an independent non-profit consumer advocacy group which tests and reviews a variety of products with the consumer in mind.  Founded in 1936, Consumer Reports is a long standing trusted source for information about everyday products.

Getting to Consumer Reports is as easy.  Just go to WPL's online databases page in the Resource tab and click on the home icon where Consumer Reports is listed (click here to get to the database page directly).  Enter your WPL library card number and password on the following page and you are in.

The website is broken down into three main sections: Product Reviews, News, and Issues that matter. You'll see those tabs at the top of the screen and can hover over each to see the menu.

Under Issues That Matter, you can find informative pages about food safety, data privacy, car safety & efficiency, and important for these times, the Coronavirus.  The Coronavirus page is a great resource covering how to keep yourself safe, what to do if you get sick, how to deal with being at home, and other useful info.

The News section covers relevant, current consumer topics.  Currently there is some good information about Coronavirus such as 'What to do if your appliances break during Coronavirus,' robocall scams related to the virus, and privacy issues related to Zoom, which many are using for working at home.  Coronavirus aside, you will always find relevant information here; articles about lawnmowers in the spring, leaf blowers in the fall, and snowblowers in the winter.  You will also get news about auto recalls, which itself makes the news section worth a weekly peek.

Product Reviews are the mainstay of consumer reports.  In this section, you can find reviews on information for everything from cars, appliances, and electronics, to blood glucose meters, sunscreen, and baby strollers.  You can even find information and review for intangibles such as credit cards, airline travel, and car insurance. For each type of item there are not only reviews, but buying guides which tell you what to look for when buying, important features to look for, how to choose which is right for you, and recommended products.  Unlike random online reviews, Consumer Reports tells you how the products were tested, and uses measuring devices most people don't have easy access to.