The Gear Institute Rating is a clear and simple way for consumers to directly compare the performance of outdoor gear products.
We first decide on the five or six criteria we believe almost all consumers are going to be looking for in a product in any given category. These are the numerical ratings you’ll see on the right side of every Gear Institute test report.
After a thorough field test of all the products in a given category, our test director will assign each product a 1-10 rating for each of these five or six criteria. A “5” is considered average.
We then add up all the ratings and add a base score of either 40 (if there are 6 criteria) or 50 (if there are 5 criteria). That final number is the Gear Institute Rating.
What does the Gear Institute Rating say about a product?
Here’s what the scores mean:
90-100 | Extremely high recommendation | An exceptional product that is among the very best in its category. |
80-89 | Highly recommended | The product is recommended with a few reservations or caveats. |
70-79 | Recommended | The product is average, with significant pros and cons. |
60-69 | Fair | The product is acceptable but below average. |
50-59 | Poor | The product is not recommended in general. |