ProductsProducts / Method
How we cover radon products
Short answer
We cover every credible radon test kit, monitor, fan and part we can verify, list them in a neutral order printed on the page, and show the same independent evidence for each, including when there is none. We rank nothing, attribute every maker's claim to the maker, and never copy reviews, show star ratings or claim testing we have not done.
Key takeaways
- We cover every credible radon product we can verify, and we rank none of them. Lists are grouped by type and sorted by a neutral key that is printed above the list.
- Every monitor shows its independent evidence the same way, including when there is none: "Not included in C-NRPP's 2024/25 evaluation" is a status, not a failure.
- Manufacturer claims are always attributed to the manufacturer. Every other fact is checked against the body that first published it, behind the scenes, before the page goes live.
- We do not copy or paraphrase customer reviews, show star ratings or claim hands-on testing we have not done.
- If a page ever carries an affiliate link, a plain disclosure sits above the first one, and the commission never decides what we list or in what order.
What we do, and what we do not do
| We do | We do not |
|---|---|
| Cover every credible product of a type, whether or not it has a shopping link | Leave out a credible product because it earns us nothing |
| Sort by a stated, neutral key and print it | Rank, score or declare one product the one to buy |
| Show independent test results for every monitor, or say there are none | Call an untested monitor "unverified" or "inaccurate" |
| Quote makers' claims as the maker's | Present a maker's claim as our finding |
| Give every product the same "good fit if" and "look elsewhere if" lists, of equal length | Write a verdict |
| Show a price only from the retailer's live product data, with the time it was checked | Type a price into the page or leave an old one up |
| Disclose an affiliate link above the first one on the page | Let a commission change what we list or the order |
Which products we cover
A product gets covered when it has a real radon function that its maker documents: a lab-analyzed radon test kit, a radon monitor, a radon-in-water test, a radon fan or a part of a radon system. Coverage does not depend on a shopping link. A credible product sold only by its maker is covered, with a link to the maker and no affiliate link.
- No page for a device that failed. Monitors on C-NRPP's not-approved list or named in a Health Canada recall or advisory get no product page and no shopping link. They are listed, with the notices, on recalled and not-approved radon monitors.
- No page for a device that does not measure radon. Carbon monoxide alarms, smoke alarms, general air quality monitors without a radon sensor, Geiger counters and radar detectors turn up in radon searches. They get an explanation, not a product page.
- Every model is checked before it is published. A product enters our catalogue as a candidate and is published only after its model name, U.S. availability and units are confirmed on the maker's page or the retailer's product data, with the date we checked.
The neutral order, and why it is printed on every list
Every list of products on Radon411 follows the same order, and the page says what it is. Products are grouped by type first (short-term kit, long-term kit, monitor, water test, fan, part). Within a type they are sorted by price band, lowest first, then A to Z by maker and model. Until our price pipeline has checked the price bands, the order is A to Z within each type, and the list says so.
Group by type
A charcoal kit and a digital monitor answer different questions, so they are never mixed in one list.
Sort by price band, low to high
Only once the band has been checked against live retailer data. Bands are wide, so small price moves do not reshuffle the list.
Then A to Z
By maker, then model. This is the order you see today.
Print the key
Above every list, in so many words: Listed A to Z within each type. Order is not a recommendation.
A page title may use the words people search for, such as "best radon detectors", but only when the page delivers an unranked comparison of every model. The words "best", "top pick" and "winner" never appear as a verdict in our product copy, and an automated check fails the build if they do.
The independent evidence box
Every radon monitor we cover carries the same evidence box, filled in the same way. Most of the evidence comes from the Canadian National Radon Proficiency Program (C-NRPP), whose consumer monitor testing exists so that people can compare monitors on performance alone. How that testing works, and what its grades mean, is explained on independent accuracy results explained.
| Status | The words on the page | What we never write |
|---|---|---|
| C-NRPP approved the model in its latest round | Recommended by C-NRPP in its 2024/25 evaluation, with the round grades and date | "Certified" or "EPA approved" |
| The model has no C-NRPP result | Not included in C-NRPP's 2024/25 evaluation | "Unverified", "untested" or "inaccurate" |
| C-NRPP did not approve the model | Not recommended by C-NRPP in its 2024/25 evaluation | Anything softer |
| Health Canada recalled the model or issued an advisory | The issuing body, notice number and date | Anything softer |
- The Canadian-version caveat goes with every C-NRPP result: C-NRPP tested the Canadian version, and we have not confirmed that the U.S. version is identical.
- Peer-reviewed results are added when a study names the model, with the journal, the year and what it found.
- Consumer monitors are for your own home. They cannot be professionally calibrated, C-NRPP does not approve them for use by radon measurement professionals, and we never suggest one replaces a certified measurement where one is required.
Manufacturer claims, and fit instead of verdicts
A maker's figure is reported as the maker's, in the form Manufacturer states ±10% after 7 days at 200 , never "accurate to 10%". We give the conditions the maker names, because an accuracy figure without a time and a radon level cannot be compared with anything.
In place of a verdict, every product page has two lists: Good fit if and Look elsewhere if. Each product gets the same number of each, so no product is padded with praise or loaded with doubt. The lists come from the product's documented features and limits (power, display, how readings are averaged, lab fees, how long a first reading takes), not from opinion.
| Part of the page | Where it comes from |
|---|---|
| Specifications (power, units, reading cadence, first reading) | The maker's own product page or manual, with the date we checked |
| Independent evidence | C-NRPP results, Health Canada notices and published field studies, named in plain words |
| Maker's accuracy and feature claims | The maker, attributed by name |
| How the technology works | Public health guidance and the maker's documentation, in our own words |
| Good fit if / Look elsewhere if | The documented features above, in equal numbers |
| Price | The retailer's live product data only, with an "as of" time; otherwise none |
Reviews, ratings and testing
- No customer review text. We never copy, quote or paraphrase shoppers' reviews from a retailer.
- No star ratings or review counts. We do not show them, and we never put a retailer's rating into a page's structured data.
- No invented testing. Our product pages combine the independent evidence and the verified specifications for each product. We have not run hands-on tests of the products we list, and no page says or implies otherwise.
- No copied words or images. Every page is written fresh. Product images come from the retailer's own product data or from our own drawings, never copied from another site.
Prices and affiliate links
We show a price only when it comes from the retailer's own product data, with the time it was checked beside it, and we hide it once that check is more than 24 hours old. No price is typed into our copy. Today our pages show no prices, because the retailer data connection is not yet in place.
Affiliate links are switched off on Radon411 today. If they are switched on, every page with one will carry this disclosure above the first link, in plain words:
That placement follows the FTC's guidance for affiliate marketers: make the disclosure clear and conspicuous, so readers can weigh what we say, and put it as close to the product as possible. The FTC also warns that consumers might not understand the words "affiliate link" on their own, which is why ours says what the commission is. Affiliate links carry the markup that tells search engines they are paid links. Our full policy is on the affiliate disclosure page.
“As for where to place a disclosure, the guiding principle is that it has to be clear and conspicuous. The closer the disclosure is to your recommendation, the better.”
How every fact is checked, and when it is checked again
First-hand information only
Makers' own pages, test programs, public health agencies, state health departments and published studies. Never review sites or market estimates.
The source's own words first
Before a sentence is written, the source's wording for that fact is recorded and checked against the fetched source on an automated runner. A fact that cannot be found in its source is cut.
A date on everything
Every specification and every evidence status carries the date we checked it, and each has a re-check date.
Re-checks before the peak season
Radon testing peaks around National Radon Action Month in January, so prices and evidence are re-checked each December.
If you find something wrong, tell us through corrections. We fix errors in the open and date the change.
Questions about how we cover products
Does Radon411 rank radon detectors?
No. We list every credible model of a type in a neutral order that is printed above the list, and we show the same evidence and the same fields for each. The order is not a recommendation.
Why is a product listed first?
Because of its price band and its name, nothing else. Lists are grouped by type, then sorted by checked price band from lowest, then A to Z. Until bands are checked, the order is A to Z within each type.
Do you test radon detectors yourselves?
Not yet, and no page says otherwise. Our pages bring together the independent tests (C-NRPP, Health Canada, published field studies) and the verified specifications. If we start testing, the method will be published first.
Do you earn money from radon products?
Affiliate links are switched off today, so no product link earns us anything. If they are switched on, every page with one will disclose it above the first link, and commissions will not change which products we list or their order.
Why do you list monitors that C-NRPP has not tested?
Because many monitors sold in the United States were simply never entered, and leaving them out would hide what people are actually buying. We show each one's status as "Not included in C-NRPP's 2024/25 evaluation" and attribute the maker's claims to the maker.
Why don't you show Amazon star ratings?
We do not reproduce retailer ratings or review text. They are the retailer's content, and our pages are built from primary sources we can check.
What does "Good fit if" mean?
It lists the situations a product's documented features suit, such as a plug-in monitor for a room with an outlet. Every product gets the same number of "Good fit if" and "Look elsewhere if" points.
Where do your specifications come from?
From the maker's own product page or manual, checked on a dated run, and from the retailer's product data for availability and price. Each specification has its source and date.
Do you cover products that are not sold on Amazon?
Yes. A credible product sold only by its maker is covered, with a link to the maker and no affiliate link.
Why is a recalled monitor not on your product list?
Devices that failed C-NRPP's evaluation or were named in a Health Canada notice get no product page and no shopping link. They are listed with the notices on recalled and not-approved radon monitors.
Can a company pay to be listed or listed higher?
No. There is no paid placement, and payment never changes the order of any list on Radon411.
How do I report a mistake?
Use corrections. Tell us the page and what is wrong, with a source if you have one.