How We Review
Last updated 7 August 2026
Every "Top 5" list on the internet claims to be objective. Most are ordered by whoever pays the most commission. This page explains exactly how ours are put together, so you can decide for yourself whether to trust them.
The short version: we rank on evidence and value, not on commission rates. No brand can pay for a placement. We earn a commission when you buy through our links, and that commission is identical whichever product you choose — which is the whole point.
What we're actually judging
A supplement has to clear four bars before it makes a list. In roughly this order of importance:
| Criterion | What we're looking for |
|---|---|
| Clinically meaningful dose | The active ingredient is present at the amount used in the research — not a "fairy dusted" trace amount included so it can appear on the label. |
| Independent verification | A third party has tested what's in the container. NSF Certified for Sport, Informed Choice, Informed Sport, USP, or a published certificate of analysis. |
| Label transparency | Full disclosure of every active ingredient and its amount. Proprietary blends that hide doses behind a single total are marked down heavily. |
| Cost per unit | Price per kilogram, per serving or per capsule — not the sticker price. A big tub is not automatically better value, and often isn't. |
What gets a product removed
- Proprietary blends on anything where dose is the whole point — pre-workout, creatine, amino acids.
- No Health Canada NPN where one should exist. Natural health products sold legally in Canada carry a Natural Product Number, and it's a baseline we expect.
- Banned or restricted substances, or a brand with a history of them turning up in independent testing.
- Claims the evidence doesn't support — fat burners promising results without a calorie deficit, "detox" formulas, testosterone boosters with no clinical backing.
- Products that only make sense if you already have a problem we're not qualified to diagnose.
Where our information comes from
Our recommendations are built from published research — meta-analyses and randomised controlled trials wherever they exist — plus manufacturer labels, certificates of analysis, and independent testing bodies. Where a study count appears on one of our guides, it refers to the body of research consulted while writing that guide.
We are not a laboratory. We do not run our own chemical assays. When we say a product is third-party tested, we mean a recognised independent programme has tested it and we have checked that the certification is current — not that we tested it ourselves.
How we handle prices
Every product card shows the price we last recorded, with the date we recorded it, plus a derived cost per kilogram, per serving or per capsule where the container size is published.
Amazon prices change constantly and often several times a day. Treat every price on this site as an approximation and confirm the live price on Amazon before buying. The cost-per-unit figures are calculated from the recorded price, so they move with it.
Where a container size isn't published in a consistent format, we leave the cost-per-unit figure off rather than estimate it.
What "Canadian" means on our cards
The Canadian tag and filter mark brands that were founded in Canada or are headquartered here. It is a statement about the company, not a claim about where a specific batch was manufactured — those are different things, and ingredient sourcing for supplements is global almost without exception.
If where a product is physically made matters to you, check the packaging or ask the manufacturer directly.
How we make money, and why it doesn't change the order
Protein Bros is a participant in the Amazon Associates programme. When you buy something through one of our links we earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
The commission rate is set by Amazon by product category, not by brand. Ranking a more expensive protein above a cheaper one earns us marginally more; ranking a cheaper one that's better value earns us your return visit. We think the second is worth considerably more, which is why several of our top picks are among the cheapest products on the site.
We have never accepted payment from a brand for a placement, a ranking or a review, and we don't intend to. If that ever changes, it will be disclosed on this page before it appears anywhere else.
How often this gets updated
Product lists are reviewed on a rolling basis for reformulations, discontinued items, changes in certification status and price movement. Individual guides carry their own "last updated" date at the top.
When we get it wrong
We will. If you spot an error — an out-of-date price, a certification that has lapsed, a dose we've misread, a study we've mischaracterised — tell us and we'll correct it and note the correction. Accuracy matters more to us than looking right.
None of this is medical advice. We write about supplements, not treatment. If you're pregnant, nursing, taking prescription medication or managing a health condition, talk to a pharmacist or physician before adding anything — including something as ordinary as creatine or a multivitamin.