You can get free products to review through product testing communities such as Home Tester Club and Influenster, through Amazon Vine if Amazon invites you, or by building a blog or social account in one niche and pitching brands directly. Legitimate programs don't charge you to join, and they expect an honest review with the free product disclosed.
Free products to review are real, but they come to people who've shown they write useful reviews, not to whoever signs up first. Here's where they come from and what each route asks of you.
Product testing communities
Testing communities match brands that want feedback with shoppers who fit their target customer. You build a profile, answer questions about what you buy, and apply for tests.
- Home Tester Club says it's free to join. You complete a member profile, then a pre-qualifying survey for each product test you want. Selection isn't guaranteed, and the club also looks at your points and badges. It asks testers for honesty in return. It runs separate sites by country, so check yours.
- Influenster sends members boxes of products, which it calls VoxBoxes, in exchange for their opinions. It chooses products based on what you've shared in its app, and members who review products they already own are more likely to be picked.
Expect a wait. Most people need to complete their profile, review things they already use, and keep at it for weeks before a box arrives.
Amazon Vine
Amazon Vine gives free products to reviewers it invites, called Vine Voices. You can't apply. Amazon says it picks Voices based on the insightfulness of their existing reviews. My guide to how Amazon Vine works covers the rules, including Amazon's note that Voices are responsible for tax on what they receive.
Pitching brands as a blogger or creator
Brands send products to people whose audience matches their buyers. You don't need a huge following, but you do need a clear niche and proof you review things well.
- Pick one niche and review products you already own in it, on your blog or social channel.
- Build a short media kit: who your audience is, what you cover and examples of past reviews.
- Contact small and new brands first. They need reviews more than big names do.
- Pitch one specific idea: what you'd test, how, and where it would appear.
- Deliver on time, and send the brand the finished link.
If Instagram is your channel, my guide to doing a product review on Instagram shows formats that work, and what brands want from a review influencer explains the brand side.
The disclosure rules
A free product changes how readers judge a review, so it has to be disclosed. The FTC says it doesn't matter whether a company gives you a code or ships the product to you: if knowing it was free could affect how much weight people give your review, say so, clearly and close to the review. Its rule on consumer reviews also bans rewards for reviews that must be positive or negative.
On Amazon, reviews written in exchange for free products are only allowed through Vine. A brand that asks you to post on Amazon in return for a free item is asking you to break Amazon's rules.
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Red flags to avoid
- Any site that asks you to pay to become a product tester
- Offers that require a five star review
- Requests to buy an item and be refunded after you post a review
- Testers asked for bank details before any product is mentioned
For the bigger picture of what a product review is and why honesty matters, start there. And if your reviews grow into longer articles, there are shopping sites that take guest posts.
Frequently asked questions
Is it legal to get free products to review?
Yes, as long as the review is honest and you disclose that the product was free. The FTC says free products should be disclosed, and it bans rewards tied to positive or negative reviews.
Do product testers pay anything to join?
Legitimate programs like Home Tester Club say they're free to join. Treat any program that asks for a fee as a warning sign.
Can I get free products to review on Amazon?
Only through Amazon Vine, which is invitation only. Other free-product-for-review deals break Amazon's rules.
How many followers do I need for brands to send me products?
There's no fixed number. Brands look for an audience that matches their buyers and proof you write useful reviews.
Do I have to keep the products?
It depends on the program. Some testing panels let you keep items; some brands lend products and ask for them back. Check before you agree.
