Methodology

How a score is made

Every Odisage Verified product is assessed through independent research, not simply by reading the specifications the manufacturer declares. Technical specifications matter, but they are only a small part of the final score: the rest reflects the real experience of the professional tattooist community.

Sources considered

When available, we consult: the manufacturer's official site, professional reviews, specialist shop reviews, tattooist forums, Reddit, YouTube video reviews, opinions of professional tattooists, recurring problems reported by users, independent tests and direct comparisons with competing products.

The manufacturer's published specifications alone, without independent confirmation, are not enough to justify a high score — and we state this explicitly whenever a data point comes only from the manufacturer.

The 5 evaluation criteria

• Build quality — 30%
• Performance — 25%
• Reliability — 20%
• Ergonomics and ease of use — 15%
• Value for money — 10%

Each criterion ranges from 0 to 100 and produces a final score from 0 to 100. A solid product with no documented flaws sits between 70 and 89; from 90 upwards we need very consistent agreement and no recurring problems; below 60 only with repeatedly reported defects.

Every score also shows the confidence level of its sources. If there are few independent reviews we apply a small caution (-4 points); if many independent sources agree we reward the product (+3). A product with few sources is not penalised down to insufficiency, however, and cannot earn the Certified badge.

Non-negotiable rules

• We do not invent data or make assumptions.
• If there are few reviews, we say so explicitly in the score.
• If community consensus is mixed, the score goes down. If independent reviews are missing we do not invent opinions: the score stays cautious and we say so.
• Every score must be justifiable with the sources collected.

Odisage Certified

A product earns the Odisage Certified badge only when its Odisage Score exceeds 90/100. It is a high bar: in our catalogue most products sit between 70 and 90. A middle score is not a negative judgement — it describes a solid but not exceptional product, or one assessed with few independent sources.

Updates

Scores are not static: they are reviewed when significant new sources emerge (new independent reviews, recurring problem reports, formulation or version changes). An Odisage Certified badge can be revoked if a later review brings the score below the threshold.