How a product earns its score
Every Weighed score combines two independent signals: what trained experts conclude from the evidence, and what verified buyers experience. The formula is published, the ballots are public, and every change is logged. The numbers on this page are the live settings the site uses right now.
Most supplement rankings can’t be checked
Labels hide doses inside proprietary blends. Star ratings are padded with incentivized and fake reviews. And many “best of” lists are ordered by who pays the highest commission. Weighed is built so you can check every step: who scored a product, what they said, how buyers rated it, and exactly how those numbers were combined.
The expert panel score
Each category has its own panel of 8–15 vetted fitness professionals: certified personal trainers, strength and conditioning coaches, sports nutrition coaches, and experienced fitness educators matched to the category. Each panelist scores every product on the same five criteria, from 0 to 10, and writes a short rationale that’s published under their name.
Panelists score independently. A ballot’s score is the average of its five criteria, and the product’s expert score is the median ballot, so no single reviewer can move it. A product needs at least 3 ballots before it’s ranked; until then it’s shown as provisional.
What experts score, and what the scale means
| Criterion | The question | Scores low (0–3) | Scores high (8–10) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strength of evidence | Is there good human research behind the active ingredients? | Animal or test-tube studies only, or no studies at all. | Several well-designed human trials showing a meaningful effect. |
| Dosing vs. research | Does each serving contain the amount the research actually used? | Headline ingredients at a fraction of studied doses, or doses hidden in a blend. | Every active at or near the dose used in the studies. |
| Label transparency | Can you see exactly what you’re taking? | Proprietary blends that hide individual amounts. | Every ingredient and amount listed; third-party testing published. |
| Safety & tolerability | How likely is it to cause problems, and for whom? | High stimulant load, known interactions, or ingredients with safety warnings. | Well tolerated at the labeled dose, with clear cautions for at-risk groups. |
| Value | What does an effective daily dose actually cost? | Expensive per effective dose, or cheap because it’s underdosed. | Fair price for a properly dosed, well-made product. |
The verified customer score
Only reviews tied to a confirmed purchase count. Before a review is included, we filter out the patterns that usually mean it isn’t genuine:
- Incentivized reviews written in exchange for free product, discounts or payment.
- Bursts: large numbers of reviews posted in a short window, often around a launch.
- Duplicates: the same or near-identical text across reviews or products.
- Unverified accounts with no purchase on record.
The remaining average star rating converts to the 10-point scale: 1 star = 0, 3 stars = 5, 5 stars = 10. Each product page shows how many reviews counted and how many were removed.
Combining the two
Once a product has 500 or more verified reviews, the score is Expert × 60% + Customer × 40%. With fewer reviews, a handful of ratings could swing the result, so the expert share rises, up to 80% at 100 reviews or fewer, and slides smoothly in between.
| Verified reviews | Expert share | Customer share |
|---|---|---|
| 100 or fewer | 80% | 20% |
| 300 | 70% | 30% |
| 500 or more | 60% | 40% |
A product with a median expert score of 8.4 and an average of 4.1 stars from 300 verified reviews. The stars convert to 7.7, and with 300 reviews the expert share is 70%:
(8.4 × 0.70) + (7.7 × 0.30) = 8.2
When experts and buyers disagree
If the expert and customer scores differ by 1.5 points or more, the product is marked Disagree and the page says which side rates it higher. Disagreement is useful: a product buyers love but experts can’t verify often has a strong stimulant kick and a hidden blend. A product experts rate highly but buyers don’t may be effective but hard to stick with.
How we keep scores honest
- Verified certifications. We confirm each panelist’s certifications (such as NASM, ACE, NSCA or ACSM) with the certifying organization, and check their professional experience.
- Conflicts disclosed. Panelists disclose every brand tie from the past 24 months, including sponsorships, ambassador deals, affiliate links and discount codes. Any brand they have ties to is blocked from their ballot.
- Paid for time, not outcomes. Panelists receive a flat fee per review cycle that never depends on their scores.
- Bought at retail. We purchase every product ourselves. Brands never choose what panelists receive.
- Public corrections. New ballots, withdrawn ballots, review updates and changes to this method are logged automatically in the corrections log.
Common questions
Who is on the panel, and will that change?
Today our panels are made up of certified trainers and experienced fitness professionals, each verified and bound by our conflict-of-interest rules. We are adding registered dietitians, physicians and other licensed health professionals over time. As they join, the Method page and each ballot will show exactly who scored what.
Can a brand pay to be ranked or to improve its score?
No. Brands can’t buy placement, reviews, or removal. Where we earn a commission from a retailer link, it’s labeled, and products without a commission are ranked exactly the same way.
Why not just average everyone’s rating?
Buyers are great at telling you how a product feels to use. They can’t see whether a dose matches the research or what’s hidden inside a proprietary blend. Experts can. Weighting the two gives you both views, and the disagreement flag shows you when they don’t line up.
Why the median expert score instead of the average?
A median ignores the one unusually harsh or generous ballot. If one panelist scores a 3 and the rest score around 8, the product still reads as an 8.
What happens when a product is reformulated?
Panelists re-score it, and the change is recorded in the public corrections log with the date and the reason.
Is a high score medical advice?
No. A score tells you how well a product is made and supported by evidence for most people. Your doctor or pharmacist should decide whether it’s right for you, especially if you take medication or are pregnant.
See the method in action
Every product page shows its ballots, its reviews and the exact formula behind its score.