Our story
ShopMatrix Hub started as a spreadsheet three friends in Denver used to compare their own purchases. Nine years later it's a full research team, still answering the same question: is this actually worth the money?
A working timeline
2017
A shared spreadsheet
Three roommates start tracking prices and returns on their own purchases to stop buying the same disappointing blender twice.
2019
First public guide goes live
A guide comparing budget blenders gets shared across a few Denver neighborhood forums — and keeps getting requested.
2022
The Matrix format ships
Side-by-side scoring replaces long-form reviews as the main way readers compare products on the site.
2026
A full-time research team
Twelve researchers across four states test and re-test 200+ products a year, all sold through US retailers.
Who's behind the scores
Elena Ruiz
Head of Research
Marcus Bell
Hardware Testing
Priya Shah
Pricing & Data
Jordan Lee
Editorial
What we won't compromise on
No paid placements
Rankings are never bought.
We buy what we test
Every unit is purchased retail, like you would.
Scores expire
Old data gets re-checked, not left stale.
Made in the USA
Testing lab and team both based stateside.
Coast to coast
Our researchers buy from the same big-box stores, regional chains, and online retailers you do — in Denver, Austin, Columbus, and Seattle — so the prices and stock levels we report match what you'll actually find.
4
Testing cities
50
States covered
200+
Products a year
Get a short note when we publish a new test or retire an old score.