How we compare wooden maps
Every score answers a declared buyer question. We keep sourced facts, calculated scores and editorial judgment separate so you can see what a recommendation actually means.
We compare exact products
A brand can make several very different maps. We compare named product families and configurations, record the research date, and identify exclusions such as temporary prices or incomparable sizes.
Scores follow the buyer question
We rate applicable criteria from 0 to 10 in half-point steps, then apply weights chosen before products are evaluated. Geographic-detail, premium-decor, travel-tracking and easy-installation questions use different approved weight profiles. Delivery, tax and customs clarity can receive a declared custom weight when it is material to the buying decision. We do not average these profiles into one permanent universal score.
Evidence stays visible
Facts can be tested, verified, manufacturer-stated, estimated, editorially inferred or unknown. A manufacturer product page supports what that manufacturer says; it does not become independent testing. Products need at least 75% weighted evidence coverage and no decision-critical unknown before they can be ranked.
When we inspect products in person, we state exactly what the hands-on test covered. Physical inspection does not make shipping, tax, customs, warranty or laboratory-durability claims “tested”; those conclusions keep their own policy-based evidence status.
Measurements work on both sides of the Atlantic
English comparisons give dimensions in centimetres first, followed immediately by the equivalent inches in parentheses - for example, 120 × 60 cm (47 × 24 in).
Commercial factors do not change rankings
Commission rates, sponsorship, advertising, stock pressure, clicks and conversion data are not scoring or ordering inputs. Paid publishing cannot receive a score, rank or award. Compensated links are covered by our affiliate disclosure.
Editorial judgment has a defined role
Calculated scores remain visible. Editor’s Choice can recognize a coherent practical fit that a weighted total does not fully capture, but it must include a concrete evidence-based reason and never alters the score.
Prices and policies age quickly
Prices are approximate, rounded and dated when used. Best Value requires comparable landed costs for one destination and configuration. If tax, duty, shipping or required accessories are incomplete, we do not issue the award. Only an editor changes and republishes a comparison after research.