Authors
Scout, our cartoon dog, is the friendly face of Scout's Picks — an illustrated mascot, not a human tester. Behind Scout, our research team compiles every recommendation from manufacturer specs, independent expert lab tests, and verified owner reviews. Learn how we review.
Brian ConradDog Gear Research Editor
Brian Conrad leads Scout's Picks research on dog gear — harnesses, crates, GPS trackers, feeders, and outdoor equipment. He builds each recommendation from manufacturer specifications, independent expert tests, safety standards, and verified owner reviews, cross-checking claims across sources rather than trusting any single spec sheet. He focuses on durability and safety, and on how gear holds up in real households over months — not just on day one.
Caleb MercerSmall Pets & Outdoor Research Editor
Caleb Mercer researches gear for small pets and outdoor adventures with dogs — travel crates, harnesses, enclosures, habitats, and cold- and wet-weather gear. He builds recommendations from manufacturer specifications, independent expert and veterinary sources, safety guidance, and verified owner reviews, paying close attention to durability and whether a product still holds up months into daily use. He cares about build quality and long-term reliability — not just first impressions.
Dana SloaneHealth & Fitness Editor
Dana Sloane covers supplements, sports nutrition, and health-monitoring devices. Coming from health and science writing, she vets products by digging into the evidence — checking third-party testing (NSF, USP), reading the studies behind label claims, and flagging doses that fall short of the research. She leans on primary sources over hype and is upfront that this is product evaluation, not medical advice.
Jasmine ColeBeauty & Personal Care Editor
Jasmine Cole covers skincare, haircare, makeup, and grooming. A licensed esthetician who spent nine years behind the chair and on beauty-brand product teams before moving into reviewing, she reads an ingredient list the way other people read nutrition labels. She patch-tests, wears, and washes products over weeks — tracking how a serum behaves on real skin past the first glow, whether a hair tool holds heat evenly, and which "clean" claims actually hold up — before anything earns a score.
Marcus ReedStyle & Apparel Editor
Marcus Reed reviews clothing, footwear, watches, and everyday-carry accessories. He spent eight years as an apparel and footwear buyer, learning to judge a garment by its seams, fabric weight, and how it survives a wash cycle — not by the label. He wear-tests shoes across real mileage, runs jackets through rain and repeated laundering, and checks whether a "full-grain leather" or "automatic movement" claim holds up before recommending it.
Megan WhitfieldCat Gear Research Editor
Megan Whitfield covers cat gear at Scout's Picks — litter boxes, cat trees, water fountains, carriers, and feeding gear. Drawing on manufacturer specifications, independent expert reviews, and verified feedback from cat owners, she compiles recommendations that reflect how products really perform in busy, multi-pet homes over weeks and months. She focuses on the difference between gear that looks good in a product photo and gear that genuinely earns its place in a real household.
- The Inspect Aspect Editorial Team
Editorial Team
Independent reviewers covering tech, home, kitchen, and outdoor gear. We research, compare, and (where possible) test products, and label how each review was evaluated.