I ran a product review website called Good, Cheap and Fast from Oct. 2018 to Dec. 2020. During that time, I tracked the prices of several thousand products and I analyzed around 2,000,000 online reviews in search of above-average products that were selling for below-average prices.
Along the way, I noticed that roughly 300 companies kept turning up in my analyses. These companies consistently sold high-quality products at fair prices. In fact, products from these companies were around 570% more likely to achieve a satisfying outcome than a random product.
This gave me the idea to create an awards program; those 300 companies became my nominees. The most trustworthy of those brands, my list of winners, sold products that were around 1,200% more likely to meet my list of value criteria (i.e. high quality, low price and responsive customer service).
Meanwhile, my five “Top Prize” winners demonstrated superlative performance across multiple product categories, or, within many subcategories of a common theme. The resulting list of “best bang-for-the-buck” brands can be skimmed in minutes, yet it was the byproduct of nearly 2,000 hours of research, statistical analysis and investigative journalism.
Best Value Award (Top Prize)
Value Award Top Prize Winners: Anker, Insignia, Monoprice, Rada Cutlery and SharkNinja.
Anker - (www.anker.com)
Steven Yang took a big risk when he quit his job at Google, moved from California to Shenzhen, Guangdong, and founded Anker in 2011. His company originally focused on producing high-quality power accessories at modest prices, but in the decade that followed, Anker (through its subsidiaries like Soundcore, Eufy and Roav) has emerged as a billion-dollar consumer electronics powerhouse.
Anker's strategy is as disruptive as it is simple: Release high-quality products at budget prices, back those products with excellent customer service, and use customer feedback to create even better versions of those products.
Featured in: The Best AirPod Alternatives; The Best Robot Vacuums; The Best Sport Earbuds; The Best Video Doorbells; The Best Jump Starters; The Best Noise-Cancelling Headphones; The Best Atmos Soundbars; The Best Qi Chargers; The Best Smart Plugs; The Best Smart Locks; The Best USB-C 3.2 Cables
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Insignia - (www.insigniaproducts.com)
Best Buy launched its Insignia brand in 2005 to provide "an affordable solution for newly introduced LCD technology." Since then, Insignia has expanded its product catalog to include a plethora of highly-rated electronics, appliances and automotive accessories--all selling at wallet-friendly prices.
Insignia's mission is to create products of "exceptional quality at a very reasonable price," and the company's continued execution of that aim is what makes it one of the best house brands in American retail.
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Monoprice - (www.monoprice.com)
Jong (Sean) Lee and Seok Hong originally conceived Monoprice to be "the online equivalent of a 99 cent store" back when the duo was selling A/V cables on eBay in 2002. At that time, HDMI cables were a new technology with a huge markup. The allure of high-quality, factory-direct cables turned Monoprice into one of the fastest growing small businesses in North America.
Monoprice continues to disrupt high-margin industries by offering factory-direct goods that are backed by responsive customer service. The company's excellent word-of-mouth marketing is a natural byproduct.
Featured in: The Best HDMI 2.1 Cables; The Best Sous Vide Cookers; The Best Noise-Cancelling Headphones
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Rada Cutlery - (www.radacutlery.com)
Rada Mfg. Co. has produced American-made kitchenware in Waverly, Iowa since 1948, manufacturing more than 165 million knives and amassing 19,000 distributors along the way.
Rada Cutlery's mission to provide customers with "the best value of kitchen knives for their dollar" isn't puffery or corporate speak: The company produces 100% American-made products that are backed by a lifetime guarantee and are priced more attractively than nearly every foreign import of comparable quality.
Featured in: The Best Products Made in the USA
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SharkNinja - (www.sharkninja.com)
Since its founding in 1994, Mark Rosenzweig has been at the helm of SharkNinja, the parent organization of Shark vacuum cleaners and Ninja kitchen appliances. Today, the Massachusetts-based SharkNinja has grown into a multi-billion dollar company with an aim to manufacturer "5-star products that make life easier." Every day, thousands of customers affirm that corporate mission with their purchases and online reviews.
Shark's vacuum cleaners are an affordable blend of performance, ergonomics and handsome industrial design. Meanwhile, Ninja's kitchen appliances offer a combination of power and durability for which luxury brands typically charge twice (or even three times) as much.
Featured in: The Best HEPA Vacuums; The Best Robot Vacuums; The Best Multicookers; The Best Air Fryers
Consumer Electronics Awards
Value Award Winners, Consumer Electronics: JBL, JVCKenwood, Pioneer, Roku and ViewSonic.
JBL - (www.jbl.com)
JBL's headphones, soundbars and gaming peripherals are a great everyday value. When they go on sale, they are a screaming bargain. JBL has a 70-year history of innovation, recently developing the first soundbar with battery-powered wireless surround speakers.
Featured in: The Best Alexa Headphones; The Best Google Assistant Headphones; The Best Earbuds; The Best Soundbars; The Best Gaming Headsets
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JVCKenwood - (www.jvckenwood.com)
JVCKenwood's namesake subsidiaries, JVC and Kenwood, produce some of the best audio/video equipment for the money. On top of that, all A/V aficionados can be grateful for the company's commitment to innovation. If it wasn't for JVC's e-shift technology (a method of rapidly interlacing video signals to create an Ultra HD picture), affordable 4K projectors might not exist.
Featured in: The Best Apple CarPlay Stereos; The Best Android Auto Head Units; The Best Earbuds
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Pioneer - (www.pioneerelectronics.com)
Some Pioneer products make you sit back, scratch your head and ask, "How can something so cheap be so good?" For example, Pioneer's Atmos-capable home theater speaker system (designed by renowned engineer, Andrew Jones) sells for less than $1,000, yet acoustically, it rivals surround sound systems that cost twice as much.
Featured in: The Best Apple CarPlay Stereos; The Best Android Auto Head Units; The Best External SSDs; The Best Earbuds
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Roku - (www.roku.com)
Since the first Roku player was released in 2008, this California-based technology company has produced streaming devices that are inexpensive, attractive, powerful and simple to use. It's not outlandish to say that Roku has done more to bring high-quality streaming video to the masses than any technology company (other than Netflix itself). Today, Roku TV is the software platform found in some of the best budget smart TVs on the market. Meanwhile, Roku's home audio products (a streaming soundbar and wireless speakers) are a great value.
Featured in: The Best Soundbars
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ViewSonic - (www.viewsonic.com)
ViewSonic has offered excellent bang-for-the-buck gaming and productivity displays for a long time, but the company's push into home theater equipment is something to be celebrated. The best 4K projectors have something in common: Many of them are made by ViewSonic.
Featured in: The Best 144Hz Gaming Monitors; The Best 4K Projectors
Peripheral and AccessorY Awards
Value Award Winners, Peripherals and Accessories: Cable Matters, Mpow, Redragon and Scosche.
Cable Matters - (www.cablematters.com)
The best cables just work. On the other hand, the worst cables may permanently damage sensitive (and expensive) electronics. In an industry that's drowning in snake oil, Cable Matters produces reliable, high-quality cables that sell for a fraction of the cost of "name brands."
Featured in: The Best USB-C 3.2 Cables; The Best HDMI 2.1 Cables
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Mpow - (www.xmpow.com)
Mpow might not be a household name (yet), but this California-based maker of Bluetooth accessories is worthy of its foothold within Amazon's bestseller list. Mpow's headphones and headsets are very good, and at their budget price point, they are downright great.
Featured in: The Best Sport Earbuds; The Best Noise-Cancelling Headphones; The Best AirPod Alternatives; The Best Gaming Headsets
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Redragon - (www.redragonshop.com)
Redragon markets factory-direct gaming peripherals that sell for approximately half of what name brand peripherals cost. Interestingly, some of those same name brands are clients of Redragon's parent company, Eastern Times Technology Co. Ltd., an OEM/ODM manufacturer that is headquartered in Dongguan.
Featured in: The Best Gaming Keyboards; The Best Gaming Headsets
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Scosche - (www.scosche.com)
Scosche is one of the few trustworthy accessory makers in an online marketplace that is flooded with knock-offs, fake reviews and fall-apart cheap products. Roger and Scotia “Scosche” Alves started Scosche out of a South California garage in 1980. Today, the company is owned and operated by three generations of Alves, aiming to make "innovative accessories at a competitive price."
Featured in: The Best Jump Starters
Power Tool Awards
Value Award Winners, Power Tools: A-iPower, Ryobi, Snow Joe, Wen Products.
A-iPower - (www.a-ipower.com)
A-iPower's portable generators and power washers are among the best values on the market, making good on the company's mission to provide "cost-effective solutions for consumers' power needs."
Featured in: The Best Portable Generators; The Best Pressure Washers
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Ryobi - (www.ryobitools.com)
Ryobi's tools are affordable, reliable and ergonomic, but best of all, the company's 18V ONE+ batteries work with every RYOBI 18V tool ever made. It's a rare day to find a company that designs new products that are compatible with the accessories that its customers already own.
Featured in: The Best Portable Generators; The Best Pressure Washers
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Snow Joe - (www.snowjoe.com)
This New Jersey-based company is named after its original product (an electric snow shovel), but don't let the name fool you. Snow Joe, and its complementary brand Sun Joe, make some of the best outdoor power tools on the market: winter, spring, summer or fall. The company's mission to create "high-quality, innovative, and affordable outdoor tools" is evident in almost every product in its lineup.
Featured in: The Best Pressure Washers
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WEN Products - (www.wenproducts.com)
WEN makes good on its promise to deliver "high quality and affordable power tools," earning the company a deserved foothold in the hobbyist and homeowner market.
Featured in: The Best Portable Generators; The Best Pressure Washers
Small Appliance Awards
Value Award Winners, Small Appliances: iLife and Instant Brands.
iLife - (www.iliferobot.com)
iLife's robotic vacuum cleaners are among the least expensive on the market, yet they often perform better than models costing twice as much. This disconnect can be explained in a single word: focus. The company only makes robot vacuums, embodying the philosophy of "Do one thing, and do it well."
Featured in: The Best Robot Vacuums
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Instant Brands - (www.instantappliances.com)
Don't believe for a second that Instant Brands is a one-trick pony: The company makes some of the best kitchen appliances for the money, including a top-rated immersion circulator, air fryers, blenders and, of course, the company's ubiquitous (and beloved) "Instant Pot."
Featured in: The Best Multicookers; The Best Sous Vide Cookers; The Best Air Fryers
Smart Home Awards
Value Award Winners, Smart Home: Energizer Connect, Globe Electric and Kasa Smart.
Energizer Connect - (www.energizerconnect.com)
Energizer Connect's smart home products are twice as good at half the price. Yes, you read that correctly. This collaboration between Energizer Holdings, Inc. and JEM Connected IoT, Inc. produces the best smart home products for the money.
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Globe Electric - (www.globe-electric.com)
Globe Electric is emerging as a dark horse in the smart home market. The Montreal-based company produces simple, reliable IoT devices that sell for modest prices.
Featured in: The Best Smart Lights; The Best Smart Plugs
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Kasa Smart by TP-Link - (www.kasasmart.com)
Kasa Smart devices pull off a rare trick: They get the hardware, the software and the price right. The company's UL/ETL-certified smart home products offer peace of mind that other devices don't, and the Kasa Smart app is a digital oasis in a wasteland of flawed and abandoned IoT apps.
Featured in: The Best Smart Lights; The Best Smart Plugs
Toys and Education Awards
Value Award Winners, Toys and Education: 4M by Toysmith, Educational Insights and Melissa & Doug.
4M by Toysmith - (www.toysmith.com)
4M's educational toys are inexpensive, fun to play with and easy to assemble. The company's robotics kits are a spectacular value, helping to make STEM education accessible to all.
Featured in: The Best STEM Toys
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Educational Insights - (www.educationalinsights.com)
Educational Insights makes affordable toys and games that encourage kids to be present in the world around them. It's a proven strategy for a company that has encouraged screen-free learning since the days of Soupy Sales and Captain Kangaroo.
Featured in: The Best Family Games; The Best STEM Toys
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Melissa & Doug - (www.melissaanddoug.com)
"Parents love wooden toys, but kids don't" is an old gift-buying adage that is no longer true, thanks in large part to Melissa & Doug. The Connecticut-based toymaker specializes in creating fun, durable, low-tech toys that build a foundation for high-tech minds.
Featured in: The Best Family Games; The Best STEM Toys