How scores work

How the current review scores are calculated and displayed. Optional gear-log enjoyment stars are separate and do not enter the community score.

Scales are pinned to reference products

A "7 out of 10" for speed means nothing on its own. Every criterion can show reference products at fixed positions, chosen by the editors. Reviewers score relative to those references to give the scale a shared context. Available references appear as amber diamonds.

Preference is not quality

Some criteria, like glide speed or static friction, have no right answer: a fast pad is not better than a slow one. These are shown as a position on a spectrum and never count toward the community score. Only quality criteria such as consistency, build or durability do.

Review distributions

Each dot on a scale is one reviewer. The shaded band covers the middle half of them, and the bar marks the median. A wide band means people disagree, which is information too. Filter by grip style to see scores from people who hold their mouse like you do.

Community score

The 0–100 score averages the quality criteria and pulls low-review products toward the middle, so two enthusiastic reviews can't top the table. It appears once every scored quality criterion has at least 3 reviews.

Moderation

• Reviews, comments, posts and guides publish straight away for established members; reviews and guides from new accounts wait for a moderator first. Anything can be reported, and content with several reports or flagged by the spam check is held until a moderator looks. See the content rules.
• Reviewers send a photo of the product next to their handle. Only moderators and admins see it. A submitted photo is not a certification of identity or ownership.
• Reviews need at least 7 days of use.

Commercial disclosures

The score formula has no sponsorship, payment or retailer input. Relationship disclosures and policy commitments about placement, scoring independence and review removal await confirmation. This is an implementation statement, not a guarantee about commercial relationships.