Consumer reports subscription - worth it?

[kermit116]

I'll be buying all new appliances in the next 30 days for a house we've just purchased that's in need of renovation. I'm thinking about subscribing to Consumer Reports online so I can do a little more research on the best products & brands. Is consumer reports still a useful resource? It looks like I can sign up for a one-month subscription for about $7 so I will probably sign up today anyway, but I wanted to get some feedback to see if people have used it as a resource recently for buying appliances.

 

[Sadie22]

I have used it when making purchases of major appliances and also automobiles.

 

[schrammalot]

I still use it, and won't buy anything that never made the list appliance-wise.

 

[albarellic]

My local library has a subscription to Consumer Reports and keeps all the back issues. I went to the library and looked for the issue with the washers when I needed a new washer a couple of years ago. You could check your library and save the $7....

 

[tvguy]

They offer good information, but you still have to think about what they are saying. At least with cars, I have found some of the things they did not like, were things we found in cars we bought were some of their best features.

But these days, there is a ton of free information on the Internet that can give you real world experiences.

I let my subscription of 20 years lapse about 10 years ago because of the Internet.

 

[mikehn]

I think its a small price to pay for lots of good information. I also subscribe to Angies List, another small price to pay for great information particularly if you are looking for information on various home improvement contractors.

 

[queenofthehive]

I second checking your local library. I can download issues for free on my iPad using the my library's app. They have back issues too. It is all free! Love using the app - no more driving to the library and I can download magazines and books instantly. They also have the Consumer Reports issues for bath and kitchen. Worth checking out...

 

[justlook3]

I also suggest checking your local library first. Many libraries in addition to the magazine have supplements published by Consumer Reports. Many also offer the online edition of the magazine. The one I worked at always had the indexes CR publishes, very helpful in finding out what issues they reviewed appliances.
Some I've heard even have a subscription to the online databases or to very similar sites.