How we choose what goes in the Shop

1. It has to do a real outage job

Each pick belongs to one of seven jobs: power, light, radio and comms, water, cash and documents, cooking, or first aid. If we can't say in one sentence what a product does for you when the power, internet, or card readers are down, it doesn't go in.

2. Buy, Borrow, or Skip comes first

Before we list anything, we ask whether most households should buy it, borrow it, or skip it. Only “Buy” items link to the Shop. Things you'd rarely use, like a friend's power station for a test run, stay in the Borrow column with no link. Things we think you shouldn't buy get named in the Skip column, also with no link.

3. It has to clear a quality bar

• When we add it, a rating of at least 4.3 stars on Amazon.
• When we add it, at least 500 reviews for electronics (power, light, radio) and at least 100 for everything else.
• Sold by the brand itself or by Amazon, not an unknown third-party seller.

4. Claims are stated exactly, or not at all

• If a manufacturer says a product is certified, we say "the manufacturer states" and name the standard. We don't upgrade that into "UL Listed" unless it is.
• We say "fire-resistant" with the rated time, never "fireproof."
• Water filters have their own, stricter rules. See the next section.
• We don't list products that make medical-cure claims, and we don't make health claims about anything we list.

Water filters: the certification has to match the claim

Right now the Shop has no water filters. Before we list one, it has to pass all of these rules.

• The certification has to match each claim. Water filter standards each cover different things, so we check the one behind every claim a product makes:
  • Taste, odor, or chlorine: NSF/ANSI 42. This is an aesthetic standard, not a health one.
  • A health-related contaminant, such as lead or cysts: NSF/ANSI 53, listed for that specific contaminant.
  • An emerging contaminant, such as certain medicines or pesticides: NSF/ANSI 401 (or 53), listed for that specific contaminant.
  • Reverse osmosis systems: NSF/ANSI 58.
  • UV systems: NSF/ANSI 55, Class A.
• “Purify” has to be earned. We only call a product a purifier, or repeat a claim about bacteria or viruses, if it's certified as a microbiological purifier to NSF P231 or the EPA's Guide Standard and Protocol for Testing Microbiological Water Purifiers. “Tested to” a standard isn't the same as certified.
• We check the certification ourselves. It has to show up in the listings of an accredited certifier (NSF, WQA, IAPMO, or CSA), or on the manufacturer's own page naming both the certifier and the standard. An Amazon listing on its own isn't enough.
• We repeat only what's claimed and certified. A claim has to appear on the product or manufacturer page, and a card names only the contaminants on the certification listing. We don't write “removes all” or “99.99%” unless the listing states that number.
• A taste-and-odor filter isn't emergency gear. A filter certified only to NSF/ANSI 42 won't fill the Shop's emergency water slot.
• We never say a product “makes water safe.” Even a certified filter doesn't reduce every possible contaminant.

If your tap water isn't safe to use, follow your local health department first. CDC's emergency water guidance says boiling is the best way to kill germs. If you can't boil, use unscented household bleach or water disinfection tablets exactly as CDC and the label direct. Stored water is still the simplest plan: Ready.gov suggests one gallon per person per day.

5. It has to work in an apartment

We note weight when it matters (a full 5-gallon water jug weighs about 42 pounds), we say when a part is sold separately, and we don't recommend fuel generators for apartments. Generators and camp stoves give off carbon monoxide and belong outdoors, well away from windows.

6. A primary and a backup

Most categories have one main pick and one cheaper or simpler backup, so you can match the job to your budget.

What we won't list

• "Survival" megakits full of filler
• Gold, silver, or crypto sold as outage prep
• Conspiracy guides and doomsday merchandise
• Militia or "tactical" gear sold as an identity
• "AI-proof" or "anti-AI" products
• Potassium iodide or "radiation" pills

How we make money

Shop links go to Amazon, and brands can't pay to be listed. We earn a small commission from Amazon when you buy through our links, and that never decides what we list. The price you pay doesn't change. See our affiliate disclosure.

What we don't do

• We don't lab-test products. We pick from the product listing and the manufacturer's stated specs. If we ever test something hands-on, we'll say so on that card.
• We don't show prices. Amazon prices change often, so every card says "Check price on Amazon."
• Product images are illustrations. Check the Amazon page for the actual item.

Keeping it current

Amazon listings change. Before you buy, check the price, seller and rating on Amazon. If you spot a problem with a pick, email hello@outagedepot.com.