Consumer Reports (reviews, best, washer, online)

[Marlow]

Does anyone here subscribe to Consumer Reports? I think it's $26/year, which is not a bunch, but I can't decide whether to sign up for it or not. If you do, do you think it's worth it?

[nancy thereader]

No offense to an honest and insightful magazine, but you can probably get it in the library. It is not a topical magazine so old issues would not matter. But, it is a great magazine & very readable.

[eggalegga]

I go to the library and read the magazine to research products/items before I buy them. Now this is typically only if I'm spending over a couple hundred dollars.

I was contemplating subscribing myself. It's about the only magazine I'd even want to read.

[Marlow]

I think there's an online version now and that's what I was thinking of subscribing to. I love the information but I tend to over analyze. Just wondering if anyone feels like it's been worthwhile to them.

[Fat Freddy]

Whatever it is you want, there are so many choices that it sometimes becomes an overwhelming task to decide which one to buy.

Consumer reports is a good tool to help narrow down the choices.

"eeny, meeney, miney, mo" works also.

[NewHomeHappy]

I am a Consumer Reports Junkie.

I subscribe to their website AND their magazine. I have saved hundreds of dollars on vehicles and major appliances after researching the item I wanted to purchase. I have friends of friends calling me for advice & guidance on new car purchases & other things. It's pretty funny because it's easy to look this stuff up on your own, but they call me instead. Regardless, I'm happy to help even strangers.

I vote YES. Go for it. I like the online thing only because when I'm in a hurry (always) I can zip thru, print and hit the store. Or print it out & hand it to a friend. Good luck !!

[BlueWillowPlate]

We've subscribed since we first got married.
We've been married a quarter of a century!
I love CR.
They do tend to narrow choices. I like having their information to weigh before a purchase.
But they are not always our consumer bible, they are not a perfect crystal ball, you know what I mean?
Example: CR spoke of the tendency of Askos to need repairs.
We got an Asko dishwasher before it was ever reviewed--it just looked like a good value--and it worked like a charm the whole 9 years we had it until we moved out of state. AFAIK it is still chugging away in Denver.
I still say you should subscribe. They perform a valuable service at a reasonable price.
I like their editorials and also their funny backpage that exposes the ridiculous heights of deception reached by packaging and/or advertising.

[Ohiogirl81]

I've been a subscriber since my dad gave me a subscription when I graduated from college in 1981. It's worth every penny.

I wouldn't be without it. I don't always live and die by the recommendations, but it gives me a good starting point.

[groove1]

While I realize the advantage of CR is that they do not accept advertising, there are so many internet resources to get opinions from actual users such as epinions, amazon, cnet, best buy, circuit city, overstock, and many many others so I don't think CR is as valuable as it once was.

[researcher828]

Go to Consumer Research & Consumer Product Reviews - Wize.com. It's a product research website that aggregates both consumer and expert reviews and gives an overall score to let you know what products are good.

You can also sign up, create a profile AND ask any type of product related questions, product recommendation, etc... and you'll get an email sent to your inbox anytime someone suggests or answers your question.

Pretty amazing!