We do the opposite. We buy the gear, use it for 30+ days minimum, document everything, and tell you what we actually think. Then we tell you whether you should buy it, skip it, or wait for something better.
How we got here
Trevor Kaak started RecoveryStack after spending years and tens of thousands of dollars piecing together his own optimization stack — and getting burned by enough overhyped products to want to save other people the same trouble.
The site exists for one reason: there should be a place where someone serious about recovery, sleep, longevity, and performance can find honest, hands-on reviews from someone who actually owns the gear and can speak to what works after a year of daily use — not a week of marketing-induced enthusiasm.
We're not doctors. We're not pretending to give medical advice. We're not selling supplements. We're not affiliated with any of the brands we cover except through standard affiliate relationships that we disclose openly.
What we are: people who care deeply about getting recovery right, and who have the budget and patience to actually test the gear before recommending it.
What you'll find here
Real product reviews. Every product we cover, we own. We use it. We photograph it in our actual environment. We report failures along with successes.
Pillar guides. Comprehensive, evidence-based overviews of each category — cold therapy, sauna, sleep tech, longevity supplements, diagnostics, protocols.
Comparisons that pick a winner. We don't hedge. If the Plunge is better than the Ice Barrel for your situation, we say so. If neither is worth your money, we say that too.
Protocols and routines. How to actually use the gear, not just buy it. Cold plunge timing, sauna protocols, supplement stacking, sleep optimization.
The cheap-and-DIY path. For every premium product we cover, we also document the budget alternative. A $200 stock tank is often 80% of the experience of a $5,000 cold plunge. We'll tell you when that's true and when it isn't.
How we make money
We're affiliate-funded. When you click a link to a product we recommend and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. That's how we keep the lights on and continue testing premium gear.
This does not influence our reviews. Specifically:
- We buy every product we review. No free units, no comped trials, no manufacturer-supplied review samples.
- We write negative reviews when products deserve them.
- We recommend the cheaper alternative when the cheaper alternative is genuinely better.
- We disclose affiliate relationships at the top of every monetized article and in our footer.
If we ever recommend a product because we make more money on it, you should call us out. Email us at the contact below.
Editorial standards
We hold ourselves to standards higher than most outlets in this space:
- First-party testing on every product review — minimum 30 days of use before publication
- Original photos in every product article (no stock photos, no manufacturer-supplied images)
- Peer-reviewed sources for every health-related claim
- No medical claims — we report on research, we don't prescribe
- Disclosed affiliate relationships on every monetized article
- Updated articles — major reviews refreshed quarterly, comparisons monthly
- Visible byline with author credentials on every piece
- Correction policy — when we get something wrong, we update the article and note the correction
Read our full editorial standards and how we test.
Contact
Editorial: editorial@recoverystack.co
Partnerships: partnerships@recoverystack.co
General: hello@recoverystack.co