Grading guide
How we grade
Every product on the list gets 7 grades and an overall tier. S is always good for the seller, F is always bad, so an S in Safety means "safe", not "risky".
The tiers
- SRare. Strong on almost everything that matters.
- AWorth testing. A few weak spots you can plan around.
- BCan work with a good angle. Real downsides.
- CHard mode. Only if you have an edge others lack.
- DMost sellers lose money here.
- FSkip it. Legal, safety or money traps.
The 7 aspects
Demand
Are more people looking for it each week?
What we check: Recent demand signals we can check: search-trend data where available, Amazon "bought in past month" counts and best-seller ranks, recent trend reports, and the season.
SClearly rising, and not just a one-week spike.
FFalling fast, or only sells in a season that just ended.
Margin
Is there room between what it costs you and what people pay?
What we check: Supplier prices from public wholesale and marketplace listings (US-warehouse stock where we can see it) against what similar generic items sell for at big US stores.
SSelling price is 3× the landed cost or more, with room left for ads and returns.
FShoppers can buy it elsewhere for about what it costs you.
Room to compete
Can a small seller still stand out, or is it crowded and undercut on Amazon?
What we check: How many near-identical listings there are, who owns the top results, and whether Amazon sells it cheaper.
SFew good sellers, and a clear way to be different.
FSaturated, with big brands and cheap copies on both sides of you.
Shipping
US stock, fast delivery, nothing that breaks or needs special handling?
What we check: US-warehouse availability, size and weight, fragile parts, and battery or liquid rules.
SSmall, light, unbreakable, in stock in the US.
FHeavy, fragile, or restricted (batteries, liquids, chemicals).
Video appeal
Does it sell itself in a 15-second video?
What we check: Whether the product shows its point in the first 2 seconds of a vertical video, without staged claims.
SThe product in action is the hook.
FNothing to show, or the only way to sell it is a claim you can't prove.
Ease
Beginner friendly? Few sizes, few returns, simple to explain?
What we check: Sizes and variants, setup, how often it breaks, and the usual reasons people return it.
SOne size, nothing to explain, rarely returned.
FSizing, setup or quality problems that turn into returns and support emails.
Safety
Clear of patents, trademarks, product-safety and ad-rule problems?
What we check: Patent and trademark searches, product-safety recalls, things people eat or put on their body, and ad-platform rules.
SNo known patent, trademark, safety or ad-rule problems.
FA real legal or injury risk. This alone can sink the overall tier.
The overall tier
The overall tier is a judgement call, not an average, but it follows two hard rules:
- An F in Safety means the product can't be better than D overall.
- A D in Safety means it can't be better than C overall.
A great video hook doesn't save a product that's patented, dangerous or impossible to ship. A dull product with good margins and no traps can still rank well.
The score and the ranking
Every product also gets a score out of 100, and the weekly list is ranked by it. The overall tier sets the range (S 90–100, A 80–89, B 65–79, C 50–64, D 30–49, F 0–29), and the 7 grades decide where in that range it lands. Demand, margin and safety count a little more than the rest, because they're where beginners lose the most money.
The public list shows ranks only. Letters, scores and reasons are inside each product's overview.
What we never do
- Give a "% chance of success" or show anyone's income. Nobody can honestly predict that.
- Use brand names for products. We grade product types, so you don't copy a trademark by accident.
- Hide it when we have a stake. If a business we run sells or earns from a product, its report says so.
Prices are estimates from the listings we checked that week. Always confirm prices, stock and shipping with your own supplier before you buy anything.