Affiliate disclosure
Some links on this site earn a commission. This page explains exactly how that works, because a disclosure buried in a footer in six-point grey is not a disclosure.
Total Vitality Zone participates in affiliate programmes operated by retailers and manufacturers of the products it covers. If you click certain outbound links and buy something, this site may receive a commission. The price you pay is identical either way. Commission rates are checked only after conclusions are written, and several products recommended here pay nothing at all.
Where the links are
Affiliate links appear on product comparison and buying-guide pages. Every page carrying one displays a disclosure notice before the first such link appears, not at the bottom. Explainer pages in the science section carry no commercial links at all, and outbound links to research papers, universities and health organisations are never affiliate links.
What it never affects
- Which products get recommended. Conclusions are written before commission rates are looked up. The order of recommendations is not influenced by payout, and this is checked deliberately — if a higher-paying product had quietly drifted to the top of a list, that would be the failure mode to catch.
- What appears in a comparison. Products that pay nothing are included and recommended where they are the better choice. The subscription-free bed-cooling option recommended in Eight Sleep vs Chilipad is cheaper than the alternative and generates correspondingly less commission — that is the correct outcome and it is not an accident.
- What the review says. No manufacturer has copy approval, fact-check rights, advance sight of a conclusion, or the ability to have a review amended or removed.
- The price you pay. Affiliate links never increase your cost.
Other commercial arrangements
| Arrangement | Status | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Retailer affiliate commission | In use | Disclosed above the first link on every page that carries one. |
| Manufacturer-supplied hardware | Occasionally | Always stated in the first screen of the review. Units are returned or their value donated after testing. |
| Sponsored posts | Never | No paid placements, no paid reviews, no "partner content". |
| Paid links in editorial | Never | No link insertions sold, at any price. |
| Manufacturer review approval | Never | No copy approval, no embargo trades, no advance sight. |
| Selling reader data | Never | See privacy. |
Why disclose this prominently
Two reasons. The first is legal: the US Federal Trade Commission requires clear and conspicuous disclosure of material connections between an endorser and a seller, and "clear and conspicuous" means before the link, in plain language, not buried.
The second is more important. A site that reviews products it earns commission on has an obvious conflict of interest, and pretending otherwise is worse than admitting it. The only useful response is to be specific about the conflict, publish the methodology so you can check the reasoning yourself, and accept the consequences of recommending cheaper products that pay less.
You are welcome to note what is recommended here and buy it directly by typing the retailer's address into your browser. That costs this site the commission and costs you nothing, and it is a perfectly reasonable thing to do. The research is free either way.
Questions
If you want to know whether a specific link on this site is an affiliate link, or what a particular merchant pays, ask. The answer will be given straight. Contact details are on the about page.