Tension Test
How Tension Test Makes Money
Tension Test is a reader-first buying guide. This page explains exactly how the site can earn money and the rules that keep that money from touching our verdicts. Plain language, no fine print.
Affiliate links (the main one)
Some pages link to retailers where you can buy a machine. If you buy through those links, the retailer may pay us a commission. It costs you nothing extra.
The rules:
- You will always know. Every page that carries affiliate links says so at the top of the article, in plain words — not buried in a footer or three clicks deep.
- Verdicts are never for sale. Rankings, "best for" picks, and "avoid" ratings are decided by the evidence before any affiliate relationship exists. A single instance of revenue changing a verdict is a policy violation, not a judgment call.
- No affiliate links on machines we rate "avoid." If we tell you not to buy it, we will not take a cut when you do.
- No pay-to-rank. Placement in comparisons and verdicts cannot be bought at any price.
Advertising
The site may run display advertising in clearly marked slots. What is banned outright:
- Pop-ups, interstitials, and auto-playing video or audio.
- Anything that breaks the page layout, especially on phones.
- Ads inside verdicts, reviews, or comparison tables — advertising never sits inside the evidence.
Sponsored content
Banned outright. Tension Test does not publish sponsored articles, "partner content," or paid placements presented as editorial. If that ever changes, this page will say so first — but the current policy is no.
What this means for you
Read every verdict as if no money changed hands — because on the verdict itself, none did. If you ever suspect otherwise, the contact page is the place to say so.