How we test, review, and update everything
The protocol behind every product list, every article, and every "Reviewed by" line on this site.
Methodology
Product testing
Before any product earns a place on a "best of" list, it goes through a 30-day test with at least 6 parents in real conditions. Different climates, different family setups, different baby temperaments.
The 30-day protocol
- Week 1: Setup. Parents unbox, install, and use the product daily. We track first-impression issues — confusing instructions, missing parts, fit problems.
- Weeks 2–3: Daily use. Parents log frequency, ease, breakage, and any safety concerns. We look for consistency across panels.
- Week 4: Stress test. Travel use, daycare drop-off, edge cases, dishwasher cycles where applicable.
- End of month: Scorecard. Each product gets rated on the criteria that matter for its category (e.g. for strollers: one-hand fold, wheel quality, basket access, weight, doorway fit). Six independent scorecards are averaged.
Products that fail the test go on the "we sent these back" list, named explicitly. Products that pass go on the recommendation list with the trade-offs spelled out.
What disqualifies a product
- Safety failures (recall history, hidden hazards, non-compliance with current AAP/CPSC guidance).
- Two-handed folds that the marketing labels "one-handed."
- Missing fragrance/material disclosure on anything that touches baby's skin or feeds.
- Affiliate-driven inflation. We don't include products we wouldn't recommend off-camera.
Content review
Articles touching feeding, sleep, pregnancy, infant health, or developmental milestones are reviewed by a credentialed specialist before publishing. Each editorial desk has its own reviewer credit:
| Desk | Reviewed by | Why this credential |
|---|---|---|
| Sleep Desk | Pediatric sleep consultant | Aligned with AAP safe-sleep guidance throughout |
| Feeding Desk | IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant) | The only globally recognized lactation credential |
| Pregnancy Desk | OB-GYN or Certified Nurse Midwife | For prenatal symptoms and trimester guidance |
| Health Desk | Registered Nurse | For diapering, illness, and common newborn issues |
| Mini Desk | Pediatric OT or PT | For motor development and behavior content |
| Gear Desk | Real-mom testing panel + babywearing educators | Hands-on tested, with safety educators for babywearing-specific articles |
Sourcing
Where the evidence base matters, we cite primary sources. The ones we lean on most:
- American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) — for safe sleep, feeding milestones, infant health.
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) — for prenatal and postpartum guidance.
- CDC — for vaccine schedules, public health updates, milestone trackers.
- International Hip Dysplasia Institute — for hip-healthy carrier guidance.
- Babywearing International / School of Babywearing — for TICKS and other babywearing safety standards.
- Peer-reviewed studies — when we cite a study, we link the actual paper, not the press release.
Updates
The "Updated" date on each article is real. We update an article when:
- Guidelines change (AAP, ACOG, CPSC).
- A product on a recommendation list gets discontinued or recalled.
- New evidence shifts the recommendation (e.g. when AAP updated swaddle guidance).
- A reader flags an error.
We don't bump dates without making changes. That's a publishing trick we won't use.
What we won't do
- Affiliate-incentivized recommendations. The picks here aren't paid. If we ever include affiliate links, we'll mark them clearly and they won't change which products we feature.
- Fake personas with fake credentials. The desks are honest about being editorial teams. When we recruit a named specialist, we'll say their name, show their credentials, and link to their CV.
- AI-generated medical content. AI helps us draft and edit. AI does not write medical or developmental content without specialist review.
- Content farms. Articles are 1,000–1,500 words because that's the right length to actually answer the question. Not because Google likes 1,500 words.
- "Doctors hate this one trick." We don't bait. The headline says what the article says.
Mistakes
We make them. When we get something wrong, we update the article, note what changed, and bump the "Updated" date. If you spot an error, email us at hello@miniminors.store.