The subscription is the product

We now list every subscription and account requirement in the verdict summary, above the fold, before the retailer button. If a product's headline feature costs extra monthly, that is part of what it costs, and it is the number we compare against alternatives.

Sound machines, security cameras, photo frames and — improbably — water bottles have all failed this check. Our recommendations in those categories lean toward the products that work fully without an account, because those are the ones that will still work in five years.