How We Research Bonsai Gear
How Bonsai Nest chooses products, builds reference charts, keeps guides current and handles corrections.
What we are
Bonsai Nest is a small independent site about bonsai, written for people who grow bonsai from seed, kits or nursery stock and need the right starter gear. No company pays to be included or to rank higher in a guide.
We earn a commission when you buy through some of our links, which is how the site is funded. It never changes the price you pay.
What we compare
Guides cover seeds, pre-bonsai stock, starter kits and gift sets. Every guide starts from one need and compares the products that fit it on published specifications. For this subject we look at three things first. Species and what the listing says about hardiness and indoor or outdoor use. Contents of kits: soil, pots, tools and instructions. Pot size and drainage, which affect root health.
How the texts are made
The texts on this site are drafted with the help of AI from manufacturer data and Amazon listings, they are checked and edited before publishing, and we do not test the products physically.
Recommendations come from listing details and manufacturer specifications, so where a pick depends on a measurement, the guide says what to measure so you can confirm the fit yourself.
How our score works
Every product in a buying guide gets an editorial score out of 10. It is our own assessment, not an Amazon customer rating. It weighs fit for the job (35%), published specifications (25%), build and materials as described by the maker (20%) and value within the guide (20%). Scores compare picks inside one guide, are not lab results, and change when a listing changes.
Prices, updates and corrections
We do not print prices in guides, because they change daily; check the current price on Amazon. Discontinued products are replaced when we find them. If you spot a mistake, email hello@bonsainest.com and we will fix confirmed errors.