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Welcome to news.com.au checkout where you will find shopping information and inspiration brought to you by Australia’s number one news website, news.com.au.

news.com.au checkout is the go-to place for Australian shoppers to find trusted, authoritative and straightforward shopping advice and information on buying everything from laptops to beauty serums.

Our aim is to help Australians navigate the endless aisles of the internet and be the most trusted online shopping and discovery source for all Australians.

Our experience

In May 2020 news.com.au launched ‘Best Of’, a shopping section that quickly became popular with Australian shoppers looking for news.com.au’s recommendations on sales, deals and product roundups. In September 2023 we launched our expanded shopping and recommendation site – news.com.au checkout – bringing you more shopping content and recommendations with an improved shopping experience. Since then the team have tested, reviewed, researched and written about thousands of products and are adding more every day so chances are you’ll find information you are looking for.

We will let you know if a rice cooker has a dishwasher safe bowl (a major plus in our books) or if a robot vacuum cleaner can actually navigate around furniture (some are better than others).

We’ve tested coffee machines, activewear, vitamin c serums, air purifiers, eReaders and massage guns and many more products for your home and life. We go deep, often reading product manuals, combing through customer reviews – good and bad – or talk to experts about what to look for – the features that will make your life easier (refer to above dishwasher safe comment) and the ones you are likely to never use.

Why trust us

Our team of expert writers has years of experience writing about the products that make your home and life better and their goal is to help you find the right product with the help of our hands-on reviews, shopping guides and advice.

Our content is based on a range of different types of research – the team’s first-hand experience with products, hours of research (ever wondered who reads those product manuals? That’s us), scouring through pages and pages of consumer reviews, or information and advice from experts we trust.

Over the years, thousands of readers have used our guides to help them find the best product for their needs and our goal is always to provide the most relevant and trusted product and shopping information to Australian shoppers.

Our expertise

Our team of specialist shopping writers really know their stuff.

Consumer tech writer Lauren Chaplin has been reviewing and writing about laptops, mobile phones, headphones and gadgets for more than five years. She’s a former finalist in the Australian IT Journalism Awards and is an expert in simplifying the often complex jargon around tech products (what is the RAM and how much do I need?)

Shopping writer Tahnee-Jae Lopez-Vito previously worked as a content producer for comparison site Canstar Blue and spent her days learning what Australian shoppers really think by translating detailed national survey data into hundreds of highly respected consumer ratings – helping shed light on how well brands offer value for money and more.

Read all about the expert news.com.au checkout team

How we test and review products

When a product is tested, we keep it real. That’s why you will see plenty of before and after pictures of the team using a product in their own homes. As soon as the product is out of the box we are checking to see how complicated it is to assemble and set up, are the instructions easy to follow, does it take up a lot of space on our benchtops, is it noisy, fiddly to clean, hard to store and most importantly does it actually do what it’s meant to. From this we create an easy to read list of pros and cons and a more detailed What you Need to Know section.

To find out if a serum really delivers glowy skin, we try it ourselves. The same goes for moisturisers, mascaras and the hair products and tools we put to the test.

How we find our experts

As well as the expertise of the news.com.au checkout team, you will also find invaluable advice from industry leaders. Experts like former Food Director at taste.com.au Kim Coverdale, who has more than 25 years of experience in food publishing. Who better to give advice on what to look for when buying a kitchen appliance and share which one she owns?

Then there is Alex Kidman, an award-winning technology journalist and former editor at CNET, Gizmodo, PC Mag Australia, APC and Finder. You will want to read his laptop buying guide before getting a new one.

In addition to our go-to experts, we also search out and interview authorities in sleep, outdoors and adventures and even sexual wellness.

How we pick products and retailers

We pick products from well-known and reputable brands that are known for reliability, good customer service and that can be easily sourced by Australian shoppers. There is always a range of products in different sizes, styles and price points because we know the “best” product for you will differ depending on your particular needs and budget.

We link to many of Australia’s best-known brands and retailers and international sellers. When you click on or buy a product through one of our links we may receive a commission from the retailer.

Commission disclosure

Our shopping articles are free to read and share. We may receive payments for publishing our content and commissions when you purchase through links in articles. We receive it only if you don’t return the product.

How do I get in touch with the news.com.au checkout team?

We’d love to hear from you! Please send us any feedback, questions or your own amazing product recommendations the news.com.au checkout team should know about here: checkout@news.com.au