About Tom's Guide

Tom's Guide is your knowledgable best friend who's always on call to answer your questions. From phones to TVs, appliances to electric scooters, gaming gear or fitness equipment, we've tested out all the latest products to help inform your buying decisions. We also work hard to surface the best deals on the latest products to help you save money along the way. 

We're also here to help you get the most out of your purchases through tips, tricks, and how-tos, and to solve your problems as they arise. 

Apart from product reviews, Tom's Guide is here to help keep you entertained with the best shows to watch on all the major streaming services. 

Tom's Guide was launched in 2007 by Bestofmedia, which was subsequently acquired by TechMediaNetwork in 2013; in 2014, TechMediaNetwork changed its name to Purch, which was acquired by Future in 2018.

Our Mission

Buy the right gear

Whether it’s the best phone, best TV, best air fryer, or best exercise bike, we spend thousands of hours testing the products in our buying guides to let our readers know what the best products are for all types of use cases and budgets. We also extensively compare top products against each other, and inform readers of the latest news 

and rumors about the latest devices and the next big thing, so that our audience is equipped with the most information before they make a decision.

Save Money

We help our readers save money by providing them with extensive deals coverage on popular items throughout the year, whether it's the best TV deals or best Apple Watch deals. (We can also help you where to find PS5 restock.) We're also here to help on the holidays as well as events such as Black Friday. In addition, we provide advice on whether it’s worth upgrading to a newer device, how to save money when cutting the cord and personal finance tips to help people maximize their budget.

Know what to watch and what to play

Our comprehensive guides and stories inform our audience of the best new shows coming to all the major streaming services, from Netflix to HBO Max to Hulu. We look at what’s popular with audiences and critics, so you don’t have to waste your free hours on a dud. Our gaming coverage also looks at the latest titles, and we play all the new hits to give you our unbiased opinion of whether it’s worth your time. 

Live better

Our rapidly expanding homes and fitness sections are not only populated with the latest reviews of appliances and fitness gear, but are packed with the latest workouts and exercises to get you in shape, and tips and tricks on how to keep your home looking it’s best

Do more with what you have

Our ever-growing library of how-to articles helps our readers get the most out of the devices they already own. From finding hidden features on your phone to the best exercises to perform with your workout gear, we strive to help readers maximize their purchases through the life of their products.

Who we are

Mark Spoonauer, Global Editor-in-Chief

Mark Spoonauer is responsible for the editorial direction, strategy and growth of Tom's Guide. He has covered technology for more than 20 years, focusing on reviews and product coverage. Mark specializes in covering all things mobile, having reviewed hundreds of smartphones and other gadgets. He speaks at key tech industry events and has appeared on CNN, CNBC, NBC, Fox News, Cheddar and more. Mark was previously editor in chief of Laptop Mag and served as reviews editor at Mobile Computing. His work has appeared in Wired, Popular Science and Inc.

Contact Mark: Email | Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook

Mike Prospero, U.S. Editor-in-Chief

Mike Prospero oversees all of Tom’s Guide’s evergreen content to ensure it’s up to date with the latest information. He is also in charge of the smart home devices, wearables, and drones categories for Tom's Guide. An avid runner, skier and foodie, he's always looking for the latest gadget that intersects with his hobbies. After receiving his Master of Science in journalism from Columbia University in 2003, Mike worked at Fast Company. Prior to that, he worked at The Times of Trenton and George magazine.

Contact Mike: Email | Twitter

Jeff Parsons, UK Editor-in-Chief

Jeff is UK Editor-in-Chief for Tom’s Guide looking after the day-to-day output of the site’s British contingent. Rising early and heading straight for the coffee machine, Jeff loves nothing more than dialing into the zeitgeist of the day’s tech news and poring over the latest technical details to discover the best features of the newest products.

 A tech journalist for over a decade, he has travelled around the world testing and reviewing any gadget he can get his hands on. Before joining the team at Tom’s Guide, Jeff covered technology and science for two of the UK’s biggest news sites: Metro.co.uk and the Daily Mirror, producing podcasts, videos and weekly columns on all things tech. Memorable moments include getting lost in Vienna in an electric Audi, touring Lockheed Martin’s mile-long fighter jet factory in Fort Worth and filming a Netflix documentary about Elon Musk in west London.

When not plugged into the current news agenda, editing or commissioning a series of articles or debating the merits of Apple vs Android, Jeff can be found out for a run trying to shave precious seconds off his PB or lifting weights in a vain attempt to offset the ageing process.

Roland Moore-Colyer, Managing Editor, Computing, Gaming, News

Commissioning, editing and managing the morning content written by the U.K. team, as well as overseeing Tom's Guide Computing and Gaming vertical, is Roland’s main mission that he chose to accept. Come the afternoon, that’s all mixed with a dose of hot takes around all manner of tech, but mostly computing, gaming and phones. Outside of journalism, Roland has precious few other skills, but makes a cracking cup of tea and good sandwiches; he does this while watching the world spiral deeper into chaos.

Contact Roland: Email

Philip Michaels, Managing Editor

Philip Michaels oversees coverage of smartphones, apps, wireless carriers and all things mobile for Tom’s Guide. He’s been covering Apple since 1999, first at Macworld and now for Tom’s Guide. When not looking over the fine print in assorted cell phone plans, he’s likely ranting and raving about the Oakland Athletics or old movies.

Contact Phil: Email | Twitter | LinkedIn

Nick Pino, Managing Editor, TV and AV

Nick Pino heads up the TV and AV verticals at Tom's Guide and covers everything from OLED TVs to the latest wireless headphones. He was formerly the Senior Editor, TV and AV at TechRadar (Tom's Guide's sister site) and has previously written for GamesRadar, Official Xbox Magazine, PC Gamer and other outlets over the last decade. Not sure which TV you should buy? Drop him an email or tweet him on Twitter and he can help you out.

Contact Nick: Email | Twitter

Kate Kozuch, Managing Editor, Social and Video

Kate Kozuch is a managing editor at Tom’s Guide looking after social media and video content for the site. She also write about wearables, TVs and everything smart-home related. Kate also appears on Fox News to talk tech trends runs the Tom's Guide TikTok account, which you should be following (she'll find you if you don't.)

When she’s not filming tech videos, you can find her on an exercise bike, mastering the NYT Crossword or channeling her inner celebrity chef. 

Contact Kate: Email | Twitter

Henry T. Casey, Managing Editor, Streaming

Henry is a managing editor at Tom’s Guide covering streaming media, entertainment, laptops and Apple. Prior to joining Tom’s Guide — where he’s the self-described Rare Oreo Expert — he reviewed software and hardware for TechRadar Pro, and interviewed artists for Patek Philippe International Magazine. You can find him at your local pro wrestling events, taking as many photos as his iCloud storage will allow.

Contact Henry: Email | Twitter

Louis Ramirez, Group Senior Deals Editor

As senior deals editor at Tom’s Guide, Louis is constantly looking for ways to avoid paying full price for the latest gadgets. That means price checking against multiple retailers and searching high and low for the best deals to bring readers the best of what’s available online. A born-and-bred New Yorker, Louis is also an avid swimmer and marathoner. His work has appeared on Gizmodo, CNET, and Time Out New York.

Contact Louis: Email 

Katie Mortram, Homes Editor

Katie looks after everything homes-related, from kitchen appliances to gardening tools. She also covers smart home products too, so is the best point of contact for any household advice! 

Based in London, when she’s not writing she can be found trying to keep fit by running and practicing yoga.

Contact Katie: Email | Twitter

Alex Wawro, Senior Computing Editor

Alex Wawro is a lifelong tech and games enthusiast with more than a decade of experience covering both for outlets like Game Developer, Black Hat, and PC World magazine. He currently serves as a senior editor at Tom's Guide covering all things computing, from laptops and desktops to keyboards and mice. 

Contact Alex: Email

Tom Pritchard, U.K. Phones Editor

Tom is the Tom's Guide's U.K. Phones Editor, which means he can usually be found knee-deep in news and articles about the latest phones, or checking out some sort of new gadget. It's long way from his days as editor of Gizmodo UK, when pretty much everything was on the table. He’s usually found trying to squeeze another giant Lego set onto the shelf, draining very large cups of coffee, or complaining that Ikea won’t let him buy the stuff he really needs online. 

Contact Tom: Email | Twitter

Jane McGuire, Fitness Editor

Jane McGuire is Tom's Guide's Fitness editor, which means she looks after everything fitness related - from running gear to yoga mats. An avid runner, Jane has tested and reviewed fitness products for the past four years, so knows what to look for when finding a good running watch or a pair of shorts with pockets big enough for your smartphone. When she's not pounding the pavements, you'll find Jane striding round the Surrey Hills, taking far too many photos of her puppy. 

Contact Jane: Email | Twitter | Instagram 

Peter Wolinski, How-to Editor

Peter is the How-to Editor at Tom's Guide, based in the U.K. As a writer, he covers topics including tech, photography, gaming, hardware, motoring and food & drink. Outside of work, he can usually be found telling everyone about his greyhound, obsessively detailing his car, squeezing as many FPS as possible out of PC games, and perfecting his espresso shots.

Contact Peter: Email | Twitter | Instagram

Lee Dunkley, Audio Editor

As a former editor of the UK's Hi-Fi Choice magazine, Lee is passionate about all kinds of audio tech and has been providing sound advice to enable consumers to make informed buying decisions since he joined Which? magazine as a product tester in the 1990s. Lee covers all things audio for Tom's Guide, including headphones, wireless speakers and soundbars and loves to connect and share the mindfulness benefits that listening to music in the very best quality can bring.

Contact Lee: Email | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn

Anthony Spadafora, Senior Editor, security and networking

Anthony Spadafora is the security and networking editor at Tom’s Guide where he covers everything from data breaches and ransomware gangs to password managers and the best way to cover your whole home or business with Wi-Fi. Before joining the team, he wrote for ITProPortal while living in Korea and later for TechRadar Pro after moving back to the US. Based in Houston, Texas, when he’s not writing Anthony can be found tinkering with PCs and game consoles, managing cables and upgrading his smart home.

Rory Mellon, Deals Editor

Rory is a Deals Editor based in the UK. He likes to think of himself as a jack of all trades (and a master of at least a few), though he mainly focuses on deals and gaming matters. Often covering both at the same time. When he’s not scouring the web for the biggest savings or writing hot takes about the latest video games and hardware, he can be found watching a borderline unhealthy amount of movies, attending gigs, and getting frustrated at his football team. 

Contact Rory: Email 

Cynthia Lawrence, Content Editor, Homes

Cynthia Lawrence specializes in Homes ecommerce, covering all things homes and garden-related. She has a wealth of editorial experience testing the latest, ‘must-have’ home appliances, writing buying guides and the handy how to features.

Her work has been published in various titles including, T3, Top Ten Reviews, Ideal Home, Real Homes, Livingetc. and House Beautiful, among others.

With a rather unhealthy obsession for all things homes and interiors, she also has an interior design blog for style inspiration and savvy storage solutions (get rid of that clutter!). When she’s not testing cool products, she’ll be searching online for more decor ideas to spruce up her family home or looking for a great bargain!

Contact Cynthia: Email 

Milly Vincent, Social Editor

Milly is an editor at Tom’s Guide managing all things social media. Besides the daily running of Tom’s Guide’s accounts, Milly stays on top of emerging viral tech and news trends.

Milly joined Tom's Guide in March 2023 and is based in Bath. Before joining Tom's Guide, Milly worked as a journalist for Press Association, Reach, and MailOnline, covering everything from current events to technology. She has a Journalism BA from City University, London.

John Velasco, Senior Channel Editor for Phones

John is a senior editor covering phones for Tom’s Guide. He’s no stranger in this area having covered mobile phones and gadgets since 2008 when he started his career. On top of his editor duties, he’s a seasoned videographer being in front and behind the camera producing YouTube videos. Previously, he held editor roles with PhoneArena, Android Authority, Digital Trends, and SPY. Outside of tech, he enjoys producing mini documentaries and fun social clips for small businesses, enjoying the beach life at the Jersey Shore, and recently becoming a first time homeowner.

Kelly Woo, Senior Writer

Kelly covers streaming media for Tom’s Guide, so basically, she watches TV for a living. Previously, she was a freelance entertainment writer for Yahoo, Vulture, TV Guide and other outlets. When she’s not watching TV and movies for work, she’s watching them for fun, seeing live music, writing songs, knitting and gardening.

Contact Kelly: Email | Twitter

Richard Priday, Senior Writer

Richard is one of Tom’s Guide’s London-based staffers, writing news and reviews for all sorts of products, but focusing on smartphones. He has also written for WIRED U.K. and The Register since graduating with an MA in Journalism from the University of Sheffield, but before that he built custom gaming PCs and worked as a tour guide in a castle. These days, if he’s not at his desk, you’ll likely find him streaming movies, PC gaming, or learning how to be a specialty coffee snob.

Contact Richard: Email | Twitter

Tony Polanco, Computing Writer

Tony is a computing writer at Tom’s Guide covering laptops, tablets, Windows, and iOS. During his off-hours, Tony enjoys reading comic books, playing video games, reading speculative fiction novels, and spending too much time on Twitter. His non-nerdy pursuits involve attending Hard Rock/Heavy Metal concerts and going to NYC bars with friends and colleagues. His work has appeared in publications such as Laptop Mag, PC Mag, and various independent gaming sites.

Contact Tony: email

Malcolm McMillan, News Writer

Malcolm McMillan is a News Writer for Tom's Guide, focusing on all the latest tech news. Before writing for Tom's Guide, he worked many retail jobs and many Black Fridays, including a stint for Microsoft. In his spare time, Malcolm is also a fantasy football analyst on various podcasts and sites. Malcolm is passionate about video games and sports, though both cause him to yell at the TV frequently. He proudly sports many tattoos, including an Arsenal tattoo, in honor of the team that causes him to yell at the TV the most. His wife is not a fan of the yelling, but his standard poodle Finn does not mind.

Contact Malcolm: Email

Millie Davis-Williams, Deals writer

Millie is a Deals writer at Tom's Guide covering the latest tech news and specializing in deals content and how-to articles about everything from phones, streaming devices and headphones to games and software. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, gaming on her Nintendo Switch and creating digital art. 

Contact Millie: Email

Sam Hopes, Staff writer, fitness

Sam Hopes is a level III fitness trainer, level II reiki practitioner, and resident fitness writer at Future PLC, the publisher of Tom's Guide. Having trained to work with mind and body, Sam is a big advocate of using mindfulness techniques in sport and fitness, and their impact on performance. She’s also passionate about the fundamentals of training and building sustainable training methods.  When she's writing up her experiences with the latest fitness tech, you’ll find her writing about nutrition, sleep, recovery, and workouts.

Contact Sam: Email

Dave Meikleham, UK Computing Editor

Dave is a computing editor at Tom’s Guide and covers everything from cutting-edge laptops, the latest GPU tech, to ultrawide monitors. When he’s not worrying about dead pixels, Dave enjoys regularly rebuilding his PC for absolutely no reason at all. He built his first rig over 20 years ago, and he’s gone through more motherboards than he’s had hot dinners. Probably. 

In a previous life, he worked as a video game journalist during a career spanning the best part of two decades. Over that time he worked across both online and print, with bylines for GamesRadar+, PC Gamer, TechRadar, Edge and the Official UK PlayStation Magazine. He’s almost amassed an immeasurable amount of bad puns.

An avid PC and console gamer, Dave enjoys breaking out Fraps way too often as he obsesses over frame rates. Despite owning a graphics card that costs roughly the same as your average used car, he still enjoys gaming on the go and is regularly glued to his Switch. Away from tech, most of Dave’s time is taken up by walking his husky, obsessing about his various OLED displays and sweating over the fitness of half a dozen Arsenal players on any given week.

Contact Dave: Email

Elliot Mulley-Goodbarne, Phones writer

Elliot Mulley Goodbarne is a Staff Writer at Tom’s Guide. He has been writing news, features, reviews, and opinion pieces in the B2B mobile industry since 2016, covering the countless mobile devices announcements, the launch of 5G in the UK and Europe, and several international events. Elliot can be drawn to comment on several tech topics including foldable devices, 5G, and operating systems, and can talk for hours about West Ham United, Cricket, and can often be found cursing his golf clubs on the 5th hole. 

Matthew Murray, Head of Testing

As head of testing for Tom’s Guide’s parent company, Future Media, Matthew helps coordinate and conduct product testing for all of the company's editorial brands, including Tom's Hardware, AnandTech, Laptop, TechRadar, PC Gamer, and, of course, Tom's Guide. Prior to his stint at Future, Matthew worked at publications as diverse as PCMag.com, ExtremeTech.com, Computer Shopper, Stage Directions magazine, and TheaterMania.com, and before that he worked in IT and helpdesk roles. He has also edited seven books, and for more than 16 years was the chief New York theater critic for TalkinBroadway.com.

Madeline Ricchiuto, Lab tester

Madeline Ricchiuto is a lab tester at Future, testing products for Tom’s Guide, Tom’s Hardware, and Laptop Magazine. Prior to working at Future, Madeline was the Head Games Writer and Editor at Bleeding Cool and a QA tester with LiquidSky Software. She’s also written for various publications including CG Magazine, Marvel Entertainment, Diver Magazine, and the Examiner.

Contributing writers

Brian Nadel
Brian is a 40-year veteran of technology writing and reviewing, who has developed an emphasis on mobile, security and education. Over the years he has appeared on Bloomberg News and CNN to give context to the latest development on laptops, mobile phones and mobile services. He has worked at PC Magazine (senior editor) and Mobile Computing & Communications (editor in chief) as well as writing for CNET, Fortune Magazine, Laptop Mag and, of course, Tom's Guide. He lives outside New York City with his wife and the family tortoise.

John Quain
John R. Quain has covered science and technology for more than two decades. In addition to being a contributing editor at Tom's Guide, he's a regular contributor to The New York Times and the weekly tech guru for WTVN. His articles have appeared in Car & Driver, Esquire, Fast Company, Rolling Stone, and U.S. News & World Report, as well as numerous technology publications. Quain was the recipient of a Paris Accords of Science Communication fellowship in 2019. He regularly speaks about issues relating to autonomous vehicles and is the Editor-in-Chief of OntheRoadtoAutonomy.com. You can follow him on Twitter @jqontech.

Jonathan Lesser
Jonathan Lesser is a writer, editor and communications professional living in Pelham, N.Y. Jonathan writes about personal finance and cryptocurrencies for Tom's Guide.  He has been published in Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, Vibe, Travel + Leisure Golf and other publications.

Emily Long
Emily Long is a Utah-based freelance writer who covers technology, security, and personal finance for Tom's Guide. When she's not writing, you can find her trail running, teaching and practicing yoga, or studying for grad school—all fueled by coffee, obviously.

Tom's Guide Frequently asked questions

How we test and rate products

To help make complex tech-buying decisions easier for our readers, we test and review hundreds of different gadgets, software and services each year, ranging from smartphones, laptops and smartwatches to TVs, Bluetooth speakers and the best antivirus suites. Here's how we test products.

How We Test

Our editorial team rates products with two questions in mind: Is this a good choice for readers, and if so, who should buy it? We'll tell you whether an alternative is better or worse, and in what ways. We also find out what owners of these products are saying, such as by analyzing user reviews, to further inform your next purchase.

Our reviewers spend quality time using each product to determine how well it works for its target market. We'll go jogging with a fitness tracker, play the latest titles on a gaming keyboard or browse the web with several tabs open on a Chromebook.

We also run a bevy of benchmarks and real-world tests, many of which we've developed in-house. For instance, our smartphone, tablet and laptop battery test surfs the web over 4G, 5G, or Wi-Fi, just as you would if you were using these devices at home.

Find out more about the Tom's Guide testing process on our how we test page.

What Our Ratings Mean

On Tom's Guide, all products are rated on a scale of 1 to 5, where higher is better. Products may also receive an Editors’ Choice award, which marks them as best-in-class. The ratings are as follows; anything rated 2 or below is not recommended:

5 stars = Practically perfect
4 stars = Totally worth it
3 stars = Worth considering
2.5 stars = Meh
2 stars = Not worth the money
1 stars = Laughably bad

Best Picks and Use-Case Recommendations

Our Best Picks lists don't just name our top overall picks, but also make specific, tailored recommendations for different scenarios. For example, we pick the best TVs in different sizes and price ranges, and look at the best drones both for beginners and fliers who want high-quality aerial photography. Ultimately, we judge products based on what they're trying to accomplish as well as how well they reach their target audience, thus giving shoppers a complete picture of not only whether a product is good or great but whether it's good or great for them.

How to follow Tom's Guide

From reviewing Android phones live on Instagram to sending digital privacy tips directly to your inbox, Tom’s Guide answers your tech questions wherever you are. Here's where to find us!

Instagram
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YouTube
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RSS feed
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In Your Inbox
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Join the team

Want to join the Tom's Guide team? We occasionally have full-time staff openings; please go to https://apply.workable.com/futureplc/ and search for Tom's Guide for any available positions. 

Alternatively, if you want to work with us as a freelancer, or you have a story you'd like to pitch, you can contact us at freelancepitches@futurenet.com.

Editorial independence

No outside party determines what products we review or the content of our reviews. Tom's Guide accepts advertising and enable visitors to purchase the items we evaluate through the use of buy buttons. However, these revenue relationships are handled by the Future ad-sales and e-commerce teams, and neither they nor advertisers are permitted to influence our coverage.

Tom's Guide is a member of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (which regulates the UK's magazine and newspaper industry). We abide by the Editors' Code of Practice and are committed to upholding the highest standards of journalism. If you think that we have not met those standards and want to make a complaint please contact us here. If we are unable to resolve your complaint, or if you would like more information about IPSO or the Editors' Code, contact IPSO on 0300 123 2220 or visit www.ipso.co.uk.

Tom's Guide has received a rating of 100 (out of 100) from NewsGuard, a service that rates sites based on their journalistic standards and practices. 

Affiliate & Advertising disclosure

We always aim to provide unbiased editorial created by our journalists and writers. We also need to pay our teams and website costs so we make money in a number of ways. We sometimes use affiliate links to products and services on retailer sites for which we can receive compensation if you click on those links or make purchases through them. From time to time we also publish advertorials (paid-for editorial content) and sponsored content on the site. When this is the case the content is clearly marked as sponsored or promoted, so you’ll always know which content is editorial and which is not. Future PLC is our parent company and has an in-depth terms and conditions page with a lot more information that you can read right here. 

Privacy policy

Tom's Guide is part of Future PLC. We are both fiercely committed to protecting your privacy. Please have a look at our in-depth privacy policy  to find out more.