Yes, some links pay us. Here's exactly how.

The Short Version

What an affiliate link actually is

Some articles on unHINGED contain affiliate links — meaning that if you click through and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission. This costs you nothing extra. The price you pay is the same whether you use our link or type the URL in yourself; the retailer simply shares a slice of their marketing budget with us instead of a billboard.

What this changes about our recommendations

Nothing about the recommendation itself. Everything about how we disclose it. A product earns a place in an article because our editorial team believes it genuinely helps the reader — not because it pays the highest commission. If a better, cheaper, or more appropriate option exists and doesn't have an affiliate program at all, we still recommend it. That has happened. It will keep happening.

The Ledger

How we decide what to recommend

It has to earn its place

We ask "why this, why now, how does it help" before anything goes in an article. No shopping lists for the sake of a list.

Editorial comes first, always

No sponsor or affiliate partner ever influences our research, our conclusions, or our scientific interpretation.

Fewer, better picks

A short list of things we'd actually buy beats fifty mediocre options every time.

Quality over commission

We don't optimize for the cheapest option or the highest payout — we optimize for what's genuinely worth your money.

Where You'll See This

Where affiliate links show up

Mostly in Resource Hub sections, "10 Stuff" features, book recommendations, and the occasional tool or app mentioned inside a Guide. When a link is affiliate, the surrounding section will typically say so, or this page will apply to the article as a whole. Books linked to retailers, specific products in our Favorites page, and curated tools in our Resources page may all include affiliate links.

We won't accept payment in exchange for a positive review, insert a product because a brand asked nicely, or bury a disclosure in fine print you need a magnifying glass to find. Trust is the only thing on this list we're not willing to trade.

Questions

About a specific link

If you're ever unsure whether a particular link is an affiliate link, or want more detail about a specific recommendation, reach out through our contact page and we'll tell you plainly.