What TanLab is
TanLab is an independent gadget review channel. We buy, borrow and beat on consumer tech — smartphones, cameras and lenses, drones, flashlights, pocket knives, hand tools, precision scissors, smartwatches and audio gear — then publish what actually happened, in video first and in writing here.
The name is the promise. A lab is a place where you measure things and where the result is allowed to surprise you. Most gadget coverage online is a re-read of the press release with better lighting. That is not a review; it is a repeat. TanLab exists because the gap between what a spec sheet claims and what a product does in your hand is where all the money gets wasted.
Why another review channel
Because the questions buyers actually have are almost never the ones that get answered:
- The flashlight says 5,000 lumens. What does it put out ten minutes in, once the head is hot?
- The phone has a 5,000 mAh battery. What does it do on a real day, with your brightness, your network and your apps?
- The drone claims 10 km range. How far before the video feed starts breaking up over a city?
- The knife is "premium steel". How does the edge look after five hundred cuts through cardboard?
- The scissors are "professional grade". Do they still close cleanly at the tip after a month?
Those are measurable questions. TanLab measures them, publishes the raw numbers alongside the verdict, and shows the test on camera so you can judge the method, not just trust the conclusion.
What we test
| Category | Core tests |
|---|---|
| Smartphones | Camera comparison in identical light, real-day battery, sustained-load heat and throttling, display brightness, charging curve |
| Cameras & lenses | Resolution chart, autofocus hit-rate, low-light noise, rolling shutter, stabilisation, handling |
| Drones | Signal range in open and built-up areas, wind hold, true flight time to landing, image quality, crash survival |
| Flashlights & headlamps | Output at 30 s and 10 min, beam distance, runtime to 10%, waterproofing, drop test, UI usability |
| Knives & EDC | Out-of-box sharpness, edge retention over a fixed cut count, lock strength, pocket comfort, corrosion |
| Tools & scissors | Cutting force, blade alignment after repeated use, grip fatigue, finish durability |
| Wearables | Heart-rate and GPS accuracy against a reference, real battery, comfort over a full week |
| Audio | Tonal balance, ANC depth, call quality in noise, latency, seal and comfort |
The full protocol for each of these is written up on the How We Test page.
Editorial independence
These are the rules, and they don't move:
- Scores are not for sale. No brand has ever been offered, and will never be offered, influence over a number.
- No copy approval. Brands do not see the review before it publishes. There is no preview, no embargoed draft, no veto.
- Sources are disclosed. Bought at retail, loaned and returned, or provided to keep — it says so in the video and in the article.
- Sponsorship is separated. If a video is sponsored, the sponsor is not the product under review. A sponsored segment is labelled and sits outside the review.
- Mistakes get corrected in public. If a test was wrong, the correction goes on the page with the date, not quietly into the edit.
The short version
If a company can change a TanLab score by spending money, the channel is worthless. So they can't. The full policy is on the disclosure page.
Who runs it
TanLab is a small, hands-on operation — the same person doing the buying, the testing, the filming and the writing, which is exactly why the test set is fixed and repeatable rather than improvised per product. Testing is done in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and reviews are published in English for a worldwide audience. Where a product's price or availability differs sharply in South Asia, that gets called out, because a "great value" verdict is meaningless if the thing costs 40% more where you live.
Where to find the reviews
Video reviews go up on YouTube first — beam shots, wind gusts and blade damage are things you need to see. Written versions, with the full data tables, follow here in Reviews. Shorter test clips and behind-the-bench posts go on Facebook.
Got something you want tested?
Review requests, brand enquiries and corrections all go through the contact page. Sending a unit never buys a score — but it does get the product into the queue.