How the Hive Score works
One honest 0–10 number per product, blended from what real owners say across every store that sells it.
Why not just show the star rating?
A single storefront's star average is easy to misread. A product can show 4.8 stars from 12 reviews and look better than a 4.5 from 4,000 — even though the second number is far more reliable. Different retailers also attract different shoppers and moderate reviews differently. The Hive Score fixes all three problems by combining the retailers into one credibility-weighted number on a 0–10 scale.
What goes into it
- Every retailer's owner rating. We gather the star rating and review count from each major store that carries the product (Target, Walmart, Amazon).
- Review-count credibility. A rating backed by thousands of reviews counts more than one backed by a handful — but with diminishing returns, so a single giant store can't drown out the others.
- Per-retailer trust. Some storefronts' ratings track real-world experience better than others; each is weighted accordingly, and we tune those weights over time.
- A baseline pull. Every score is nudged toward a sensible category average until enough reviews exist to earn a more extreme number — so a brand-new product with three glowing reviews can't headline a perfect 10.
What it is not
The Hive Score is computed from public owner ratings by a fixed formula — it is not a paid placement and a brand cannot buy a higher score. It is separate from our editors' written judgment: the score reflects the crowd, the review reflects our analysis, and we tell you when they disagree. We never claim to have lab-tested a product we haven't.
Price per unit
Where a product comes in packs, we also show the price per item — per diaper, per wipe, per ounce — so a big box and a small one compare honestly, not just by sticker price.
Questions are welcome through our contact page.