Circulation products are an unusually easy category to mislead people in, because a device can produce a real, measurable, short-term effect while changing nothing about the disease. This page sets out how guides here handle that.
What every product guide must contain
- The need the product addresses, stated as a task rather than a category.
- Who it may suit, and who should get clinical advice before using it.
- Affiliate and free-sample disclosure, before any commercial link.
- What we actually tested, researched or measured — with dates and specific model identifiers.
- A comparison covering fit, adjustment, ease of use, durability, cleaning, returns and limitations.
- Original photographs or video where hands-on testing took place.
- Category findings including the disadvantages.
- Evidence for any health claim, kept separate from usability observations.
- Alternatives, including lower-cost options and not buying anything.
- Appropriate use, cautions, and questions to raise with a clinician.
- Current retailer links and the date the page was last updated.
Three labels, used precisely
| Label | Means |
|---|---|
| Hands-on tested | We physically had the product, used it, and can say for how long and in what way. |
| Clinician assessed | A clinician examined the product against the clinical task, without necessarily long-term use. |
| Research-based comparison | Built from specifications, manufacturer information and published evidence. No hands-on use. Said plainly rather than implied away. |
Evidence labels for health claims
| Label | What it describes |
|---|---|
| Established clinical use | Recognized guidance supports this use in a defined patient group for a defined outcome. |
| Useful in selected circumstances | Evidence supports it for some people or some outcomes, not generally. |
| Limited or conflicting evidence | Studies exist and disagree, are small, or measure surrogate outcomes. |
| Unsupported claim | The marketing claim is not backed by evidence we can find. |
A label is always accompanied by what outcome and which group it refers to. A colored badge on its own is not an explanation.
Category rules for this subject
- Comfort, symptoms and disease outcomes are three different things. A device that feels good, a device that reduces aching, and a device that changes the course of a disease are separate claims needing separate evidence.
- Compression is never presented as universally appropriate. Every compression guide states that arterial assessment comes first.
- No product is positioned as treatment for arterial blockage. Not compression, not massage, not heat, not supplements, not electrical stimulation.
- Supplements get an evidence review before an affiliate decision, including interactions with anticoagulants and blood pressure medicines.
- Pneumatic compression and prescription devices are explained — indications, contraindications, how they are obtained — before any comparison.
- Therapeutic bandaging for ulcers is clinician territory and will not be presented as a self-management purchase.
What we will not publish
Invented test results. Star ratings we did not derive. “Best” awards. Testimonials we did not receive. Manufacturer copy presented as our findings. Prices stated as current when we have no reliable way to keep them current — we prefer “check current price”. Stock images of products we never handled, presented as our own photography.
Sources
- Google Search Central. Write high quality reviews.
- Federal Trade Commission. The FTC’s Endorsement Guides.
- NHS. Leg ulcer — treatment.
Published 20 September 2026.