12 Best Blu Ray Media Stores Review

The 12 Best Blu Ray Media Stores

Best Blu Ray Media Online Stores Part 15: Ranking the 12 Best Stores

How we ranked Blu Ray media stores

After screening a large number of contenders, we reviewed in depth the 12 best stores we identified in the Blu Ray blank media industry. We used the data we collected, previously defined here,  to rank these stores with the following weights: 0.5 to the total inventory, 1 to inventory percentage for our sample list of 89 Blu Ray media,  1 for the percentage of selected archival grade media in stock, 0.5 for sorting and binning, 0.5 for site speed, 2.5 for general pricing, 0.5 for archival grade media pricing, 0.5 for best price matching, 0.25 for the ability to write user reviews, 0.75 for the number of user reviews,  1 for the corrected ResellerRatings rating, and 1 for the corrected Google Shopping rating. This gives us an aggregate of 2.5 for inventory, 1 for site usability, 3.5 for price, 1 for user reviews, and 2 for customer service, for a total of 10. We did some sensitivity analysis on these coefficients as well, and found that our resulting ranking was not very sensitive to small changes in coefficients.          

The rankings

Analyzing the rankings 

The 12 best stores can be neatly arrayed in three tiers. The top tier includes traditional favorites Amazon and NewEgg, along with the very surprising MediaMegaMall, which scores extraordinarily well despite having no user reviews and a short CS track record, because of great inventory and prices. Amazon scores well because it has no weaknesses, although it does not do extraordinarily well anywhere, except in reviews. NewEgg has a great combination of low prices and great CS, but poor inventory, particularly in the archival grade media we selected. MediaMegaMall, the great surprise of our rankings, has excellent inventory and overall prices, but, by some curse of fate, provides poor pricing to the basket of archival grade media we selected.

The next tier, some 15 rating points below, gathers Meritline, TapeOnline,  Beach Audio, and SuperMediaStore, and constitutes, like the first, a comedy of contrasts. Meritline, a traditional online electronic media store, scores decently in service and well in reviews, with mediocre inventory and fair to average pricing.  TapeOnline, another well known digital media site, has outstanding customer service and very good prices, but a remarkably small inventory, and carries almost none of the archival grade media we consider best. Beach Audio, by being average in all arenas, but neither truly poor nor truly good at any criterion, avoids the last tier. SuperMediaStore excells everywhere except in pricing, where it does so badly that we cannot recommend it at this time.

Finally, the trailing tier gathers Rima, RunTechMedia, Buy.com, BHP Photo Video and Provantage. Rima has excellent customer service, fairly good prices, no user reviews and a narrow inventory. RunTechMedia has a very short track record, very good inventory, and poor to fair prices.   Buy.com has fair customer service, good inventory, and a broad spectrum of prices, but carries a good number of our selected media with excellent prices. B&H Photo has excellent support, but a narrow inventory and poor pricing. Provantage has marketing and support issues, a somewhat small inventory and on average high prices, but does provide some of our selected archival grade media at excellent prices.

Unfortunately, as much as we would want to be able to settle on a single store, at this time we cannot get all we want in one store: none of our contenders gives us a broad inventory, most of our archival grade media, good site usability, good prices, lots of user reviews, and a great customer service record. While we feel strongly that the three highest ranked stores are good enough to be primary long term suppliers for blank Blu Ray media, we also feel that  each has some specific, significant drawback. MediaMegaMall prices our favorite media a bit too high, although its average prices are very good across its whole inventory. NewEgg, with great prices and outstanding service, does not carry most of our favorite media. Amazon does not have good usability for an easy selection of the right media, and often carries higher prices as well.


The right shopping process 

In our opinion, it is best, at this time, to primarily shop for Blu Ray media on MediaMegaMall, NewEgg, Amazon and TapeOnline, but to price check for specific media on Beach Audio, Rima, Buy.com and Provantage (or use Google Shopping to find best pricing). If MediaMegaMall, NewEgg, Amazon (non-marketplace), TapeOnline, or Rima have good pricing on the media, the ordering decision is clear. If Amazon marketplace, Beach Audio, Buy.com or Provantage have best pricing, if customer service is not a critical part of the purchase decision, ordering from any of these stores would be appropriate. if, on the other hand, customer service for the purchase is critical, (for instance if delivery time is critical) , then you will have to decide if good pricing is worth some service risk.




Conclusions

• #1 recommended Blu Ray media store: MediaMegamall. Outstanding inventory, very good prices overall but high prices on our favorite archival grade media, good service, no user reviews. Price check on other stores before ordering.

• #2 recommended Blu Ray Media store: NewEgg. Outstanding customer service, excellent prices, great user reviews, narrow inventory missing high quality archival grade media. You may need to go to another store if NewEgg does not stock your favorite media.

• #3 recommended Blu Ray media store: Amazon. Outstanding inventory, great user reviews, prices are only fair, poor site ergonomics make media selection difficult. Avoid marketplace purchase if customer service is important.

• #4 recommended Blu Ray media store: TapeOnline. Outstanding service, excellent prices, very narrow inventory, no user reviews. You may need to go to another store if TapeOnline does not stock your favorite media.

• Price checks only: Beach Audio, Rima, Buy.com, Provantage

Blu Ray Media: Best Products Review

Blu Ray blank media guide : Best Blu Ray media
Best Blu Ray Media Part 6: Best Blu Ray Media

In order to have a good comparative look at our best Blu Ray media picks across all format categories, it would be best to summarize them all across a single figure. Standardizing prices for 25GB (i.e. the capacity of a standard Blu Ray disk, and half the capacity of a DL disks) allows for direct comparison across all formats - this is what we did below. As a caveat, remember to multiply this price by two for a DL media in order to get the price per disk, since DL disks have a capacity of 50GB.

It is immediately apparent that, unless we absolutely need the larger per-disk capacity of DL disks, it is always more cost effective to purchase regular capacity disks, and that the most cost effective archival grade Blu Ray disks are Verbatim 97090 LTH (if your burner is LTH compatible), for $1.25 per disk,  and TDK 49024, for $2.18 per disk.

Figure 1: Price per 25G for best media ordered by LTH/ BD-R/ BD-R DL/ BD-RE/ BD-RE DL

When looking at whether to go archival and non-archival grade, the best decisions are not the same in every format. If your burner is LTH compatible, and if your sue is data archival or back-up, it might always make sense to pick Verbatim LTH media for recordable Blu Ray media. If you need regular, non-LTH media, it is a lot more cost effective to pick non-archival quality BD-R media (as long as you are comfortable losing your data), as you are saving more than 50% of the cost of your media. It also makes some sense to pick non-archival grade BD-RE or BD-RE DL media (if losing your data is OK). On the other hand, there is not enough difference, in our eyes, between archival grade and non-archival grade media in the BD-R DL format to justify picking a non-archival media.

What we picked for ConsumerPla.net: we use Verbatim 97090 LTH for back-up, and TDK 49024 BD-R 4x for archival. We use Pioneer Blu Ray burners, which we have found to be more tolerant of media brand variations in general.

Archival Grade Conclusions

• Most cost effective archival grade Blu Ray media: Verbatim 97090 BD-R LTH 2x, for about $1.25 per disk in 20 spindle packs - IF your burners are players are LTH compatible  

• Most cost effective archival grade BD-R media: TDK 49024 BD-R 4x speed disk in 50 spindle packs, for roughly $2.18 per disk

• Most cost effective archival grade BD-R DL media:  TDK 48737 BD-R DL 2x disk, for roughly  $8.95 per disk

• Best value proposition for archival grade BD-R DL media: TDK BD-R DL white hub inkjet printable 4x speed disk, for about $9.00 per disk 

• Most cost effective archival grade BD-RE Media:  TDK 48738 BD-RE 2x media, for roughly $4.64 per disk

•  Best archival grade Blu Ray  BD-RE DL media: TDK 48739 BD-RE DL 2x speed, for roughly $21.09 per disk

Non-Archival Grade Conclusions

• Most cost effective non archival quality, fast (relative to LTH) LTH media: Taiyo Yuden/ JVC BD-R LTH 4x, for about $1.72 per disk in 25 spindle packs.

• Most cost effective non-archival quality BD-R media:  Optical Quantum OQBDR04LT-25 BD-R, 4x write speed disk in 25 spindle packs, for about $1.00 per disk. While quality is excellent right now, we are concerned that future batches of this outsourced media could have a significantly lower quality rating.

• Most cost effective non-archival grade BD-R DL media: Verbatim 97335 BD-R DL 6x disk, for about $9.00 per disk

• Most cost effective non-archival grade BD-RE media: Optical Quantum OQBDRE02LT-10 BD-RE 2x speed media, for roughly $3.50 per disk

• Second Most cost effective non-archival grade BD-RE media: #2 Verbatim 96921 BD-RE 2x media, for roughly $4.10 per disk

• Best non-archival grade Blu Ray BD-RE DL media: Taiyo Yuden JVC BV-E260CW10  BD-RE DL 2x speed disks, for about $15.90 per disk 

Next we discuss criteria for the best Blu Ray media online stores... So come back soon!

The prices mentioned in this review are the best across the top ten Blu Ray media stores that we selected, which we will review shortly. It is in general possible to find a touch cheaper - but you will need to evaluate your supplier. One option, which is sometimes cost effective for high quality media, is to purchase Japanese imports directly in Japan - there are several specialized retailers for this purpose. This option comes with additional risks and longer shipping times.

To understand Blu Ray lingo, check our lexicon of Blu Ray vocabulary. Our Blu Ray brand predictive quality rating process is explained here. Our statistical analysis practices are described here, which is also where we discuss ConsumerPla.net's predictive quality rating.

<<Previous                                                                                                                     Next>>

Blu Ray Media: Best BD-RE DL Discs Review

Blu Ray blank media guide : Best Blu Ray media
Best Blu Ray Media Part 5: Best BD-RE DL Discs Review


In the same manner as Blu Ray BD-R DL media was much more expensive per GigaByte than BD-R media, the same comment applies to the price of BD-RE DE media when compared to BD-RE media. Blu Ray BD-RE DL media packs 50GB of storage in rewritable media, which is twice the capacity of BD-RE media, but costs three to four times as much. Like its regular BD-RE counterpart, it is also somewhat slow, being widely available in 2x write speeds only. Unless forced to use larger capacity discs, we feel that regular BD-RE media are a much more cost effective choice.

If we do need the capacity increase of BD-RE DL media, and are willing to pay a significant premium in price per GB, by going through our picks of the most reliable brands of Blu Ray media we can obtain a short list of choices.

Table 5: Blu Ray BD-RE DL  media from recommended brands easily obtainable on the net

There are many fewer choices in BD-RE DL media than in other Blu ray formats. When looking for non-archival grade media, the most cost effective choice is Taiyo Yuden JVC BV-E260CW10  BD-RE DL 2x speed discs, for $15.90 per disc, in 10 spindle packs. When looking for archival grade media, the most cost effective choice (in a manner of speaking) is TDK 48739 BD-RE DL 2x speed, for $21.09 per disc in 50 spindle packs -which means the spindle cost is a whopping $1054.50... It is important to note that, while we found Sony to be archival grade, the exception in the Sony line was the BD-RE DL format, often or always outsourced to Panasonic, which we found to have too few write cycles (sometimes dying out at 20-30 cycles).


Conclusions

• Best non-archival grade Blu Ray BD-RE DL media: Taiyo Yuden JVC BV-E260CW10  BD-RE DL 2x speed discs, for $15.90 per disc 

• Best archival grade Blu Ray  BD-RE DL media: TDK 48739 BD-RE DL 2x speed, for $21.09 per disc

Next we review all Blu Ray media recommendations... So come back soon!

The prices mentioned in this review are the best across the top ten Blu Ray media stores that we selected, which we will review shortly. It is in general possible to find a touch cheaper - but you will need to evaluate your supplier. One option, which is sometimes cost effective for high quality media, is to purchase Japanese imports directly in Japan - there are several specialized retailers for this purpose. This option comes with additional risks and longer shipping times.

To understand Blu Ray lingo, check our lexicon of Blu Ray vocabulary. Our Blu Ray brand predictive quality rating process is explained here. Our statistical analysis practices are described here, which is also where we discuss ConsumerPla.net's predictive quality rating.

<<Previous                                                                                                                     Next>>

Blu Ray Media: Best BD-RE Discs Review

Blu Ray blank media guide : Best Blu Ray media
Best Blu Ray Media Part 4: Best BD-RE Discs Review


Rewritable Blu Ray media, or BD-RE discs, are an interesting concept for data storage, than can be primarily used for two purposes: back-ups and drive images, and collections. For the case of back-ups and images, rather than burning data once and keeping the archive until you don't need it, you could keep two sets of archives: (a) a "permanent" one, that you keep for long periods of time, which is a snapshot, say, every two weeks, and (b) a rotating set of, for instance, 14, where you image one every day, which you will over-write 2 weeks later. For the rotating set, you use BD-RE media.

Collections are an even more clear-cut business case: rather than re-burning your collection every time you want a back up, you can copy the increase (for instance your latest pictures), or even re-write the whole collection again, using another rotating set like in the previous instance. Financially the choice can pay off, since BD-RE media is approximately twice as expensive as BD-R media. If you use it more than twice, you have justified the purchase.

The main drawback of the BD-RE process for non-permanent backups is that, since you cannot label it permanently, you need to be meticulous in your back-up processes, otherwise you run of the risk of erasing valuable data. A second drawback is that BD-RE media are slower, and only available in 2x speed. These two drawbacks are big enough, we think, that we do not use BD-RE media in our back-up processes, to limit the risk of human error. However, we do use BD-RE media for portable, temporary storage, and for general data archival.

Limiting the choice of BD-RE media to our picks for the most reliable brands of Blu Ray media, we can come up with a short list, based on our selection of archival grade and non-archival grade media.

Table 4: Blu Ray BD-RE  media from recommended brands easily obtainable on the net

The most cost effective  non-archival grade BD-RE media is Optical Quantum OQBDRE02LT-10 BD-RE 2x speed media, for $3.50 per disc in 10 spindle packs. We have already expressed our thoughts on the impressive quality of Optical Quantum, but also our concerns about it. The next non-archival grade choice is Verbatim 96921 BD-RE 2x media, for $4.10 per disc in 10 spindle packs.

If you need archival archival grade media, your first choice is TDK 48738 BD-RE 2x media, for $4.44 per disc in 50 spindle packs. If you want a different brand, your next archival grade choice is Sony BNE-25RH or BNE-25AHE BD-RE 2x speed for a hefty $8.30 per disc in a single jewel case pack.


Conclusions

• Most cost effective non-archival grade BD-RE media: #1 Optical Quantum OQBDRE02LT-10 BD-RE 2x speed media, for roughly $3.50 per disc

• Most cost effective non-archival grade BD-RE media: #2 Verbatim 96921 BD-RE 2x media, for roughly $4.10 per disc

• Most cost effective archival grade BD-RE Media:  TDK 48738 BD-RE 2x media, for roughly $4.64 per disc

Next we recommend rewritable Blu Ray discs, or BD-RE media... So come back soon!

The prices mentioned in this review are the best across the top ten Blu Ray media stores that we selected, which we will review shortly. It is in general possible to find a touch cheaper - but you will need to evaluate your supplier. One option, which is sometimes cost effective for high quality media, is to purchase Japanese imports directly in Japan - there are several specialized retailers for this purpose. This option comes with additional risks and longer shipping times.

To understand Blu Ray lingo, check our lexicon of Blu Ray vocabulary. Our Blu Ray brand predictive quality rating process is explained here. Our statistical analysis practices are described here, which is also where we discuss ConsumerPla.net's predictive quality rating.

<<Previous                                                                                                                     Next>>

Blu Ray Media: Best BD-R DL Discs Review

Blu Ray blank media guide : Best Blu Ray media
Best Blu Ray Media Part 3: Best BD-R DL Discs Review


BD-R DL Blu Ray discs carry double capacity (50GB) compared to regular size Blu Ray discs, thanks to a dual layer of data (DL = Dual Layer) on the media. Players and Burners need to be explicitly compatible with DL discs to be able to use them. At this time, it is never cost effective to use BD-R DL discs, when compared with regular BD-R discs. However, when limited by the inherent capacity of a regular BD-R disc, in particular for streaming media, it is not always possible to pick BD-R. In this case, be prepared to pay a premium.

We have already selected our picks for the most reliable brands of Blu Ray media, and separated them between archival and non archival grades. By restricting our choices to them, we can come up with a short list of choices, ordered by price.

Table 3: Blu Ray BD-R DL media from recommended brands easily obtainable on the net

The first reaction we had when looking at BD-R DL format prices was sticker shock. Where our recommended archival quality BD-R discs go for $2.18 per disc for 25GB, the lowest price for a BD-R DL disc from one of our recommended brands was $8.95 per disc for 50GB, i.e. more than double per GigaByte. Interestingly, in a BD-R DL format, there is no premium associated with archival grade by our standards, although the premium was significant in the BD-R format.

If your needs are not archival grade, the most cost effective choice is Verbatim 97335 BD-R DL 6x disc, for $9.00 per disc in 10 spindle packs. While the 6x speed is valuable, unless you truly trust the media, it might be worth going for the less expensive archival grade 4x TDK product mentioned below, which is also white hub inkjet printable (the Verbatim product is not).

The most cost effective media in BD-R DL format is archival grade: the TDK 48737 BD-R DL 2x disc comes for $8.95 per disc in 25 spindle packs. For only $0.05 more per disc, you can get a TDK BD-R DL white hub inkjet printable disc, with twice the speed (4x),  - a very valuable upgrade in our eyes.  The next best archival quality product is Sony's BD-R DL 4x white hub inkjet printable media, for $11 per disc, in 10 spindle packs.


 Conclusion

• Most cost effective non-archival grade BD-R DL media: Verbatim 97335 BD-R DL 6x disc, for roughly $9.00 per disc

• Most cost effective archival grade BD-R DL media:  TDK 48737 BD-R DL 2x disc, for roughly $8.95 per disc

• Best value proposition for archival grade BD-R DL media: TDK BD-R DL white hub inkjet printable 4x speed disc, for roughly $9.00 per disc

Next we recommend rewritable Blu Ray discs, or BD-RE media... So come back soon!

The prices mentioned in this review are the best across the top ten Blu Ray media stores that we selected, which we will review shortly. It is in general possible to find a touch cheaper - but you will need to evaluate your supplier. One option, which is sometimes cost effective for high quality media, is to purchase Japanese imports directly in Japan - there are several specialized retailers for this purpose. This option comes with additional risks and longer shipping times.

To understand Blu Ray lingo, check our lexicon of Blu Ray vocabulary. Our Blu Ray brand predictive quality rating process is explained here. Our statistical analysis practices are described here, which is also where we discuss ConsumerPla.net's predictive quality rating.

<<Previous                                                                                                                     Next>>

Blu Ray Media: Best BD-R LTH Discs Review

Blu Ray blank media guide : Best Blu Ray media
Best Blu Ray Media Part 1: Best BD-R LTH Discs Review

Table 1: Blu Ray LTH media from recommended brands easily obtainable on the net

We already rated Verbatim LTH and Taiyo Yuden/ JVC. In these posts, we concluded that:

• Vermatin LTH is archival quality
• Taiyo Yuden./ JVC does not have enough reviews at this time to be rated archival quality yet, but we recommend it for non-archival quality uses
• Make sure that your player/ burner is LTH compatible before purchasing LTH media

 When looking at the LTH products easily obtainable on the US market, it becomes clear that, at $1.25 per disc in 20 spindle packs, Verbatim 97090 BD-R LTH media is the best priced media in the category. It is, in fact, the best priced media among all of our recommended brands. It is a clear choice for the most cost effective recommended Blu Ray media. Its one drawback is that it is relatively slow at 2x. If you want a printable version of the same disc, the Verbatim 97331, for $1.72 per disc, provides white hub printable discs at a hefty premium.

If we want faster media, and your use does not require archival quality, the next best is Taiyo Yuden/ JVC, at 4x speed, for $1.72 per disc in 25 spindle packs. Since the JVC disc is also white printable (it is not clear if it is hub printable though), it might be a better choice than the Verbatim 97331, since it provides a printable alternative that is 6x for only $0.04 per disc more than the Verbatim, which is only 2x.

If, on the other hand, you need archival quality AND faster media, then your only choice in LTH media are the Verbatim BD-R LTH 4x discs in 25 spindle packs, for $3.33 per disc. Given the very high price per disc for this version, a better choice is to pick non-LTH media.

Conclusions

• Most cost effective archival quality LTH media: Verbatim 97090 BD-R LTH 2x, for roughly $1.25 per disc in 20 spindle packs - IF your burners are players are LTH compatible

• Most cost effective non archival quality, faster LTH media: Taiyo Yuden/ JVC BD-R LTH 4x, for roughly $1.72 per disc in 25 spindle packs.

• Most cost effective archival quality Blu Ray media overall: Verbatim 97090 BD-R LTH 2x, for roughly $1.25 per disc in 20 spindle packs - IF your burners are players are LTH compatible

Next we recommend discs for traditional BD-R media... So come back soon!

The prices mentioned in this review are the best across the top ten Blu Ray media stores that we selected, which we will review shortly. It is in general possible to find a touch cheaper - but you will need to evaluate your supplier. One option, which is sometimes cost effective for high quality media, is to purchase Japanese imports directly in Japan - there are several specialized retailers for this purpose. This option comes with additional risks and longer shipping times.

To understand Blu Ray lingo, check our lexicon of Blu Ray vocabulary. Our Blu Ray brand predictive quality rating process is explained here. Our statistical analysis practices are described here, which is also where we discuss ConsumerPla.net's predictive quality rating.

<<Previous                                                                                                                     Next>>

Best Blu Ray Media Brands: Review

Blu Ray blank media guide : Best Blu Ray media brands
Best Blu Ray Media Brands Part 19: Best Brands Review


 We can collate most of the information we gathered in our brand-by-brand analysis in a single easy-to-read chart.

Figure 1: Blu Ray Blank Media Brands Ordered By Increasing Predicted Quality

All brands are ordered by increasing predictive quality rating, although we used our corrected rating for Verbatim LTH (we took out negative reviews caused to non-LTH readers or burners). The line above shows statistical significance, which indicates if the review sample size is enough to give statistically valid results. We can clearly see a two-tiered quality structure. Below 80% predictive quality rating are all the brands which we believe should not be considered today. All of our recommended brands have a predictive quality rating over 80%.Those brands on the right with low statistical significance have the potential to see their predictive quality rating go up, and may be considered archival quality when enough additional user reviews are published.


Brands to avoid:

• Memorex: data loss
• Ritek:  data loss
• Panasonic: rewritable discs do not rewrite more than 20-30 cycles, may improve with time and become archival quality
• Kodak: poor overall quality
• Merax: poor overall quality
• Maxell: poor overall quality
• VinPower: poor overall quality

Recommended at this time: non archival quality brands with other uses

• #7 Verbatim non-premium: a small percentage of data loss, media and rating may improve with time
• #6 Verbatim DataLifePlus: likely archival quality, not enough reviews, rating may improve in time
• #5: Taiyo Yuden/ JVC: likely archival quality, not enough reviews, rating may improve in time
• #4: Optical Quantum: excellent reviews, poor DVD media record, outsourced media of high variability, rating may get worse with time - watch user reviews carefully

Recommended at this time: archival quality brands

• #3 Sony: all formats except BD-RE DL, sometimes outsourced to Panasonic
• #2 Verbatim LTH: excellent media ONLY IF your players and burners are LTH compatible
• #1 TDK: all formats, excellent coatings, no reservations

Best overall Blu Ray media brand: TDK

Next, we enter our Blu Ray Media Guide section on the recommended media themselves, and discuss recommended models for BD-R LTH media... So come back soon!

To understand Blu Ray lingo, check our lexicon of Blu Ray vocabulary. Our Blu Ray brand predictive quality rating process is explained here. Our statistical analysis practices are described here, which is also where we discuss ConsumerPla.net's predictive quality rating.

<<Previous                                                                                                                     Next>>

Review: Best Rifle Cartridges for 2011

Cost Effective Rifle Cartridges Part 21: Picking The Best Rifle Cartridges for 2011

It is now time for us to issue final recommendations for the best rifles cartridges to pick for 2011, specifically when looking at pricing and availability: which are the most cost effective and available cartridges in each category?

In order to have a good look at how these cartridges compare, we selected cartridges that got picked as best in kind in the ammunition survey and in the chamberings survey, and superposed their pricing and availability for ammunition and their availability as chamberings.

 

Recommendations by Cartridges Categories

• Most cost effective overall cartridge: 22LR

The 22LR led the ammunition survey for affordability, at $1.50 per box of 20, and the second most cost effective cartridge, the 22WMR, is almost three times as expensive to shoot. The chambering availability of the 22LR is, if anything, even better than it was, with many new offerings available. The 22LR has no rival as a training and plinking cartridge.

• Best rimfire varmint cartridge: 17HMR

The 17HMR and the 22WMR both are inherently superior to the 22LR in almost every way except cost (they are close to three times as expensive to shoot), with the 17HMR getting the advantage on range and accuracy. As The 17HMR continues to expand while the 22WMR is stable, we give the preference to the 17HMR, despite a slight 15% advantage to the 22WMR in cost.

• Most cost-effective centerfire cartridge: 223 Remington (5.56mm NATO)

The 7.62x69 Soviet is actually the most cost effective centerfire cartridge in existence ($7 per box vs. $10 for the 223), but the great difference in chambering availability with the 223, the dramatic drop in new chambering availability for the 7.62x39,  and the inherent superiority of the 223 cartridge in both range and accuracy give the 223 the edge. The 7.62x39 is is a poor range cartridge, and is not a good hunting cartridge.

• Best varmint cartridge: 223 Remington

The 223 is the #1 cartridge in existence by availability, and the #1 existing chambering on Gunbroker (although not among new chamberings). It is significantly more cost effective than other varmint cartridges, by approximately 100% - at $10 per box, it costs half to shoot. It has an excellent reputation for accuracy. While the 204 Ruger and the excellent 22-250 have an edge on range, it is not enough to take away the crown from the 223.

• Best 6mm medium game cartridges: 243, 25-06

The 243 and the 25-06, both flat shooting cartridges, are at opposite ends of the 6mm spread. The 25-06 is a necked-down 30-06 cartridge, large, powerful, noisy, with a lot of recoil for a 6mm (but not that much overall). The 243, on the other hand, is comparatively soft shooting, silent, yet still accurate. The 243 is sufficient for deer, but does not range any higher, while the 25-06 may be used for larger game if the circumstances are right: range, position, good bullet placement. The 243, with excellent availability and reasonable pricing at $23, is enjoying rapid expansion, while the 25-06, a bit more expensive at $26, still sees some growth.

• Best 7mm medium game cartridges below .30: 270 Winchester, 7mm-08, 7mm Remington Magnum

The 7mm cartridges are already the realm of the all around rifle. The 7mm-08 and the 7mm Remington Magnum use the same bullets (.284), while the 270 uses slightly smaller diameter (.277). All three cartridges shoot very flat. They are all derivatives: the 270 is a necked-down 30-06, the 7mm-08 a necked-down 308, and the 7mm Rem Mag a necked down 338 Winchester Magnum. The 270, Jack O'Connor's favorite, with significant although not outrageous recoil,  has killed every kind of game in North America. It is very popular, gaining in popularity, and cost effective to shoot at $18 per box. The 7mm-08, the softest shooting cartridge of the lot, can be used by most shooters without recoil becoming a problem, and has a bit less range than the other two. It can take big North American game if the circumstances are right in placement and range, and is the more costly of the three, at $32 per box. The 7mm Remington Magnum, priced between the other two at $27 per box, is the hardest shooting of the lot, and has the reputation, rightfully so, of shooting as flat as the 270 and as hard as the 30-06. All three cartridges are outstanding choices for different shooter profiles.

• Best .30 caliber cartridges: 308 Winchester, 30-06 Springfield, 300 Winchester Magnum

The 308 and 30-06 are long time rivals, and end up being very close to each other in performance, and equal in cost at $19 per box. The 308 has slightly softer recoil and can be used in slightly shorter/ lighter rifles, while the 30-06 a touch more range (about 25 yards) and punch at the cost of 20% more recoil, a difference that is not negligible. The 300 Winchester Magnum, another long range cartridge, has more power, a higher price at $25 per box, slightly more range than both (about as much as the 7mm Rem Mag) but a lot more recoil. Where the 308 is within the limits of acceptable recoil, the 30-06 is at the edge of being too punishing for a long session at the range and may induce flinching, and the 300 Winchester Magnum is clearly in significant pain territory. All three can take any North American game, and are excellent cartridges for what they are designed to do. 

• Best Medium Bore cartridge: 338 Win Mag

The American Medium Bores are a troubled category, with very few successful cartridges. In fact, of all of them, only one shows any life along with significant controversy. The 338 Winchester Magnum shows good availability and growing popularity. However, it is a very expensive cartridge ($55 per box), and its performance may not always justify its price. For a heavy price in recoil (20% more than the 300 Win Mag), it has shorter range than the 300 Win Mag, approximately matches the 300 Win Mag's kinetic energy and killing power at 200 yards and beyond, and shows significantly less velocity. It is only at short range that the 338 Win Mag shows itself to be significantly superior to the 300 Win Mag, a property which has led to its use in Alaska as a protection and bear rifle. However, after the first few years of adoption, a significant number of professional guides switched back to the 375 H&H, following some concerns about ultimate killing power. The 338 Win Mag is the best choice among medium bores, but, in the end, its performance may not  be sufficiently superior to the 300 Win Mag to justify the extra cost and recoil. Depending upon your needs, you may be better off sticking to the 300 Win Mag or switching to the 375 H&H.

• Best Big Bore cartridges: 375 H&H Magnum, 45-70 Government

Compared to the medium bores, the big bores shows a surprising amount of life, probably due to the relative popularity of Alaskan hunts and African safaris. The 45-70 can take North American game of any size within 150 to 200 yards when shot from a modern lever rifle. While the 45-70 remains the leader among all big bores, it remains barely ahead of the 375 H&H (often considered a medium bore) in new chamberings, while enjoying a solid 3-1 lead in the market as a whole. This shows a very significant progress for the 375 H&H, which is clearly the most versatile of the two, enjoying a 100 yard range advantage on the 45-70. The 375 H&H can take any game anywhere, including Africa. Other big bore cartridges, while weak compared to the two leaders, largely maintain their popularity and do not show the total collapse seen in the medium bore market.



Recommendations by purpose

• Most cost effective training and plinking: 22LR 

• Most cost effective centerfire training and plinking: 223 Remington

• Best long range varmint hunting: 204 Ruger, 22-250

The 223 is an excellent, accurate varmint cartridge, but both the 204 Ruger ($19 per box) and the 22-250 ($22 per box), the best wildcat of all times, have a significant edge in trajectory. Both cartridges are very available, and new chamberings and growing fast, an amazing record for the 204 Ruger given how recently it was introduced (2004). The 204 Ruger and the 22-250 shoot equally flat ( a touch flatter/ longer for the 204 Ruger, but not for reloaders). The 204 Ruger does not heat up as much during a long shooting session, while the 22-250 carries a bigger bullet and retains more energy within 500 yards. The 204 Ruger is best on small varmints while the 22-250 excels with larger ones.

• Best low recoil deer hunting: 243, 25-06, 7mm-08

The 243 has significantly less recoil than other deer sized cartridges, about 11 ft.lbs vs. 13.5 for the 25-06 and the 7mm-08, and 17 for the 270 Winchester. It is also the most cost effective choice, at $26 per box, vs. $29 for the 25-06 and $32 for the 7mm-08. The 7mm-08 ranges highest in potential game size, able to take elk, moose or caribou if the circumstances are favorable (range, position, bullet placement), followed by the 25-06, the 243 being last in that regard.

• Best all around US hunting: 270, 308, 30-06, 7mm Remington Magnum

The Top Four have been at the top of the world for close to a half century now, and nothing has dethroned them,. The 270 and the 7mm Rem Magnum have the advantage on trajectory and range, while the 30-06 and the 7mm Rem Mag have the advantage in energy and killing power. While none of these cartridges have soft recoil, the 308 has the least recoil, followed by the 270. The 7mm Rem Mag costs 50% more to shoot than the other three.

• Best large US game hunting: 300 Winchester Magnum

The 300 Win Mag is definitely above the pain threshold, but provides substantively more power than the all around cartridges, while being much less painful than the medium and big bores.

• Best all around low recoil rifle cartridge: 7mm-08

The Top Four are outstanding cartridges, but they all have substantial recoil. The next most versatile cartridge after the Top Four is the 7mm-08, an outstanding cartridge with power and range along with softer recoil, approximately 20% less than the 308 Winchester. Shooters should use the 7mm-08 with CXP3 game only if the right conditions exist with respect to range and bullet placement.

• Best long range all around cartridge: 7mm Remington Magnum

The trajectory of the 270 with the punch of the 30-06:-)

• Best dangerous US game hunting: 45-70 Government

There is nothing in North America that the 45-70 in a new rifle chambering (old ones cannot handle as much pressure) cannot take down at 100 yards.

• Best dangerous African game hunting: 375 H&H Magnum

The 375 H&H Magnum can take any game anywhere in the world.

Next we review cartridge selection FAQs... So come back soon!

Ammunition Survey: Best Rifle Cartridges Overall

Cost Effective Rifle Cartridges Part 10: Ammunition Survey Recommendations

 

In the past sections, after reviewing the general results of the ammunition survey, we analyzed them in detail by categories. The above chart displays all the cartridges that were mentioned in section conclusions, whether or not they were recommended. We can now summarize our findings across all categories.

Recommendations: most affordable and available calibers

• 22LR is, by far, the cheapest caliber overall, and the best choice for the most frequently used rifle at the range: it is a clear winner for trainer caliber. 
• In the rimfire category, the 22LR leads the 17HMR and the 22 WMR. The 17HMR and 22WMR, better options for small varmint hunting, are approximately three times more expensive to shoot, but still significantly cheaper than any centerfire option.
• Across all centerfire calibers, the 7.62x39 Soviet is the cheapest, in all senses of the word. For centerfire practice, we recommend the next most inexpensive cartridge, the 223 Remington, which, while a bit more expensive, is much more accurate and versatile.
  
• Among varmint calibers, the 223 Remington is over 50% cheaper to shoot than its alternatives.
• In 6mm caliber, the 243, a very popular cartridge, is the most economical to shoot. It also provides little recoil and fine long range accuracy. The 257 Roberts and the 6.5x55, both with great reputation and ability, more versatile than the .243, do not make the cut on availability and affordability grounds.
  
• Among the 7mm calibers below .30, the 270 Winchester is the least expensive to shoot, and the 7mm Remington Magnum, more expensive, also carries more punch, as much range, and more recoil. The 7mm-08, although pricier, is an excellent alternative for shooters looking for low recoil.
• Among the popular .30 caliber rounds, the most available and cost effective are the 30-30, the 308 and the 30-06; the 7.62x39 is a special case, inherited from Eastern block military weapons, large but short and imprecise, made for injuring men rather than practicing marksmanship or killing game, and not well suited to regular hunting or range applications except for its low cost. The 300 Winchester Magnum is the best option among the 300s.
• Of the medium bores, the 338 Winchester Magnum is the only choice for availability, but, surprisingly, shows very high cost in the category.
• Among the large bores, the only rounds with good availability are the 45-70 Government (great in brush and for any game in the US) and the 375 H&H Magnum, a cartridge with a long African and European history, the smallest of the large bores but also the most successful - the first truly universal cartridge able to be able to tackle any game on the planet.

Recommendations by purpose, to optimize cost of ownership and availability

• Training, plinking: 22LR
• Centerfire shooting practice: 223 Remington ( the 7.62x39 is slighter cheaper to shoot, but we find the 223 Remington much more versatile)
• Small varmint hunting: 22WMR, 17HMR
• Varmint hunting: 223 Remington
• Deer hunting, low recoil: 243 (least expensive), 25-06, 7mm-08 (more expensive)
• Deer hunting, brush: 30-30 Winchester
• Deer hunting, any recoil: 270 Winchester, 308 Winchester, 30-06 Springfield, 7mm Remington Magnum
• All around US hunting: 30-06 Springfield, 308 Winchester, 7mm Remington Magnum
• All around US hunting, low recoil: 7mm-08 (more expensive)
  
• Large US game: 300 Winchester Magnum (the 338 Win Mag is more than double its cost)
  
• Dangerous game: 375 H&H Magnum, 45-70 Government
• African big game: 375 H&H Magnum

These recommendations are specifically made with cost of ownership and availability as primary criteria, and are based on the ammunition survey. We can also look at the availability of rifle chamberings,  and derive similar conclusions from them. The next few sections will review our survey of rifle chamberings, along with our survey analysis.

Electric Trimmers and Edgers: Best Online Resources

Best Electric String Trimmers and Lawn Edgers Review Part 17: Online Resources

Online reference sources and stores: there are few authoritative sources in issues that regard electric trimmers, lawn edgers, and related accessories. As usual, the best resources are forums and sources of user-generated content. Good expert reviews are few and far between, and, as is normal for the part, include little of the reliability information that would be critical for homeowners getting ready for a purchase.


Online Sources

The best of the user-generated sources is gardenweb, with several active forums in the subject. The best of  these forums is the  Lawn Mower's Forum, but interesting information can also be found in the Lawn Care Forum and the Garden Tractors Forum. An example of such direct testimonies is this Worx thread - although, because of the nature of the topic, this thread includes little information about long term reliability. Another example is this electric vs gas trimmer thread.  The equivalent site for commercial operators - rather than homeowners- is the Lawn Site, with a wealth of information regarding professional equipment, which, unfortunately, rarely scales well to home use due to different requirements. Another forum primarily focused on commercial operators is the Lawn Service Forum. The Lawn Mower Forum is a good source of information for powered mowers primarily, as is the section of My Tractor Forum focused on lawn tractors. While there are many other lawn-related forums, we have not found them either to have enough traffic or to focus sufficiently on lawn tools to be useful.

Good numbers of valuable user reviews for electric trimmers and edgers can be found at Amazon, Lowe's, Home Depot, Sears, Walmart, and Mowers Direct. Other retailers also carry reviews, but in smaller numbers, and therefore are less useful. Unusually, Troy-Bilt also offers customer reviews - a laudable feature that we would like to see on all manufacturers' sites.

As usual, expert reviews are less useful - they typically fail to assess reliability, and often usability, in a manner that allows them to appropriately map to users' concerns. Consumer Guide has reviewed several string trimmers and lawn edgers, and the reviews appear to have been written by people who actually used the item. Consumer Search published a general string trimmers review, which includes specific selections for electric trimmers. Their background discussion is good, although some of their selections suffer from lack of in-depth analysis. Consumer Unlimited offers a weak summary review of string trimmers. Galttech, while short of providing a thorough analysis, offers a quick selection of some good models for lawn edgers string trimmers. This Old House has a brief and incomplete discussion  of cordless electric trimmers and of multi-head string trimmers. Lowe's  recently dropped its string trimmers buying guide, and only has brief buying guide for hedge trimmers and edgers buying guide. Garden Guides has a short discussion on grass edgers.


Online stores

Beyond Amazon and the large superstores, we found few specialized retailers with a good selection of power garden tools. The best places to find electric string trimmers and edgers online are Amazon, Home Depot, Lowe's, Sears, and Mowers Direct.

Best Quick Release Front Handlebar Bike Basket

Quick Release Front Handlebar Bike Basket: Wouldn't it be great to be able to jump on your bike, ride to the supermarket, do a few quick errands, hang the shopping bag on the handlebar, and ride back? This is exactly for the quick release front handlebar bike basket allows you to do.

The quick release handlebar bike basket is fastened to a permanently mounted, but very light, bracket on your handlebar.  When you need to go for a quick shopping trip, you mount the basket on your handlebar mount and ride to the store. You typically disengage the quick release basket by pulling on the handle, then do your shopping with your basket, reengage the basket on the handlebar, and bingo - you are riding back home with your groceries.

Where a quick release basket does not fit: these baskets do not work with road racing handlebars, which leave too narrow a space in the middle for the baskets to fit. They may not work either if your handlebar is too low on the fork, because they need a minimum of depth. Finally, they will not fit kids' bicycles.


What makes for the right quick release handlebar bike basket

The mount fits your bike. You want to make sure of that first... Be sure to check the paragraph above to validate that your bike fits the general case. make sure to read the basket and mount dimensions prior to purchase. It might be a god idea to buy this item at a bike shop where you can make sure that it will fit your bike.

Secure mount. The basket needs to stay on its mount through bumps and potholes without jumping off.

Easy release. The basket should release and remount easily on the bike.

Weight. The mounting hardware should be very light (since it remains on your bike at all times). The basket itself should not be too heavy.

Sturdiness. The basket must be bale to take heavy contents without bending or breaking

Reliability. The basket and its mounting hardware need to last multiple years without breaking or corroding

Rattling. The basket should make minimal noise while you are riding on irregular terrain.


Installation Issues

All equipment that needs to be mounted on a bike may create installation problems, because bike frames have different geometries and sizes, and because mounted components are all different. It is quite possible that the basket model you pick can be mounted very easily - in fact, it is likely. But there is still a possibility that the way your bike is put together requires some adjustments or extra parts. If you have any doubt, your best bet is to buy the basket you want from a local bike store, and/or ask for the equipment to be mounted for you. It will only cost you a few dollars and make the process very easy. Use your local bike store!


These models did not make the grade

The Pyramid Pyramid Lift Off Front Basket has good reviews, but too many users complain that the basket easily falls off on the bumps when empty. The Bell Quick Release Handlebar Basket is good looking and made of fine mesh, but the mounting hardware is plastic and will not withstand enough stress. The Biria Quick Release basket falls easily, and the plastic bracket also lacks structural strength. The Sunlite Stainless Steel Quick Release has no reviews, and, we feel, is inferior to the mesh bottom basket version by Sunlite. The MTS Quick Release has few reviews, one of which experienced early gear breakage. The Eleven81 looks good, but has few reviews, and but the mounting hardware appears to let the basket jump off easily. The Schwinn Quick Release has no reviews and appears to have a fragile mount. The Topeak Front Basket, also quick release, has a good number of pans in its reviews due to its poor mounting system. The Sunlite Liftoff Basket has fairly good reviews but does not appear to be fully secure on its mount while riding. The Wald 133 has good reviews, but the Wald 3133 uses the same basket and a better mounting bracket.



The Best Quick Release Front Handlebar Bike Baskets

#3 Sunlite Mesh Bottom Bicycle Basket. The $16 Sunlite Mesh Bottom Bicycle Basket  has a solid 1,165 in³of capacity, with 13 1/2" x 9 7/8" x 9.5" dimensions. It is made of powder-coated steel wire, with a mesh bottom.

It is easy to install and fits most bicycles: "installs very quickly", "easy to install", "comes with foam pads in place to protect the handle bars (and make it more secure) as well as a Velcro strap with some padding to hold it against the steering column","easy to mount." While most users were able to mount it easily, one user was not able to make it fit: "just does not fit the handlebars of my bike." It remains reasonably secure while riding, but sometimes comes off the mount: "stay put even over bumps", "can pop loose when going over a bump and it's empty."

The basket is sturdy, and the fit and finish and general quality are good: "very sturdy & well-constructed", "rugged and easily handle 10 lbs or more", "a lot more durable and sturdy compared to some of the other baskets I've researched and the vinyl finish will certainly keep the scratches away." The mesh bottom is quite useful to put items directly into the basket: "mesh bottom keeps things from falling through." The basket is spacious and fits a regular size grocery bag: "two 1/2 gallons of milk, on top of other miscellaneous items", " it was also important that my 5 pound Pomeranian fit in the basket", "will hold the standard paper grocery bag with room to spare."

The Sunlite Basket gets 89% positive reviews but, with only 19 reviews (across several listings on Amazon), likely error may be as high as 14%. Because of the small number of reviews available, we are recommending the Sunlite basket with reservations.

#2 Wald 3133 Q-R Bolt-on. The $25 Wald 3133 Q-R Bolt-On front handlebar bike basket has 1,240 in³ of total capacity and 14.5" x 9.5" x 9" dimensions. It is made, in the USA, of powder-coated steel wire. There is a shallower compact model of the same type, the Wald 114, with 845 in³of capacity and 11.75" x 8" x 9" dimensions. The quick-release mechanism is all metal.

Reviewers find the basket and mount sturdy and well built: "sturdy and practical", "all metal basket, all metal mount", "can (and has) taken some abuse", "very sturdy", "heavy duty", "well made, sturdy." The basket cannot fall easily: "only way that basket is coming off is if the handle is up and the basket is lifted off the hooks." Capacity is good: "3 quarts of milk/juice and a few other things", "capable of holding 1 full grocery bag." A user suggests wrapping the handle in cloth to make it more comfortable to shop with. Another user notes that, if you are going to take it in the store, two handles would be better, a criticism that applies to all quick release baskets.

A small number of reviewers complain that the mount does not stop the basket from falling, and that it can be hard to release as well: "could not get it to stop falling on the wheel", "frequently falls onto my wheel", "basket will not stay on unless you go to extraordinary lengths",  "incredibly difficult for me to pull the basket out of the carrier."  As usual with bike equipment, while most users had no problems with installation, a number of positive  reviews mention some difficulties in installing the hardware: "Installation was very easy", "installed it in about 10 seconds", "mounted with only a little difficulty", "hard time getting it on the bike."

The Wald 3133 gets excellent reviews, with 90% positive ratings (46/51 on Amazon and REI) and a likely error under 9%. We really like the sturdy frame and good mount, and the good number of reviews. We would prefer some metal mesh on the basket so as to allow the user to put some items directly into the basket. In fact, Wald actually sells liners to fit into the 3133 basket. The Wald 3133 basket is an excellent basket and we are recommending it.

#1 Wald 933 Front Mesh Quick release. The $27 Wald 933 Front Mesh Quick Release Bicycle Basket has 1,140 in³ of capacity, and 13" x 9.75" x 9" dimensions. It is made of mesh mounted on powder-coated steel wire: "nice tight diamond mesh and has a tough black vinyl coating." The quick-release mechanism is all metal. While the basket itself is made in China, the rest is US made.

Users like how sturdy the basket is: "very strong", "frame and basket are very sturdy", "amazingly (but not surprisingly) very sturdy", "parts are well made and high quality", "Well constructed", "sturdy basket." The mounting mechanism (the same as for the Wald 3133) gets kudos: "comes with a mounting bracket that attaches to the handle bars by 2 split clamps. It has an angled brace on the bottom that rests on the handle bar tube to prevent the clamps from slipping and tipping the basket out of position", "removal/locking method is quick and dependable", "simple yet elegant mount."

The basket locks in place when the handle is down.  The system worked well for most users, although a few reported some problems with bumps: "basket does not come off when I ride my mountain bike over curbs or rough terrain", "when I hit a big bump, the handle jumps and dismounts the basket. [...] So I put a thin rubber band around the handle through the mesh and locked it down with a carabiner", "basket is held securely in place, no jostling loose", "basket easily attaches securely to the mounting and seems very secure while I am riding", , "the handy would pop up every now and then causing it to almost fall off. An easy solution to that is to bring a twist-tie with you and tie down the handy to the basket while it is empty. ",

The basket releases easily: "easy to release", "basket mounts and dismounts seamlessly", "[most important] issue for me is ease of use because of the arthritis: I have absolutely no problems releasing, reattaching or using it", "When you lift the arm, the arm disengages. My 6-yr old knows how to operate it." One user report rattles: "it rattled when empty. A zip tie solved this easily." The capacity is good: " good size", "I have loaded several pounds worth of groceries -- and the ride is smooth", "fairly large", "big enough to carry all that I want." The mesh sides and bottom really help: "You can put the smallest things in it and they won't fall out. It doesn't need any liners compared to other larger wired basket",

As usual for bikes, some people find it easier to install than others, although the overall feedback is that installation is in general easy: "easy to install on my bike", "it was very easy to mount the bracket to the handle bars","very easy to put on.", "instructions were relatively easy", "it wasn't that difficult to install on my bicycle", "mounting system was quick and easy to install (after pushing aside the brake cables)", "easily installed onto my wife's bicycle", "may work on some bikes, but not all. I solved this problem by using heavy duty zip ties to attach the piece and it works great", " I have an old bike so I needed to make a few adjustments", "I needed to be creative in my assembly because my bike had several cables that prohibited normal installation."

The Wald 933 gets excellent reviews, with 91% positive ratings, and a likely error under 10% (32/35 on Amazon). It is a basket of excellent quality and very good functionality. Because of the mesh sides and bottom, we are giving it #1 rating over the Wald 3133. Recommended.

Best Front Handlebar Bike Baskets

Front Handlebar Bike Baskets: do you regularly need to carry rather heavy gear on your bike, on a bike route or where quick handling of the contents is important? Then you need handlebar bike baskets. If you only need to use them from time to time, and if what you carry is reasonably light, say, 10 lbs or less, then get a quick release basket: we already reviewed them here. If, on the other hand, you really need to use them often and you are carrying significant weight, then you need permanently mounted baskets.


What makes for the right front handlebar bike baskets

Fit. The mount must fit your bike - that is the first thing to establish:-) There are broad categories of bikes which will not work with front baskets: baskets do not work with road racing handlebars, which leave too narrow a space in the middle for the baskets to fit. They may not work either if your handlebar is too low on the fork, because they need a minimum of depth. Finally, they will not fit kids' bicycles. If your bike appears to be of a type that will fit baskets, there still are two primary possible problems. Your handlebar must fit the handlebar mount, and the geometry of your bike must be appropriate for the length of the struts that support the front basket. Make sure to check the basket and mount dimensions prior to purchase. It might be a god idea to buy this item at a bike shop where you can make sure that it will fit your bike.

Sturdiness. The basket must be bale to take heavy contents without bending or breaking.

Reliability. The basket and its mounting hardware need to last multiple years without breaking or corroding.

Weight. The basket and mounting hardware should be reasonably light, since they remains on your bike at all times.


Installation Issues

All equipment that needs to be mounted on a bike may create installation problems, because bike frames have different geometries and sizes, and because mounted components are all different. Permanently mounted front baskets can actually be tricky to mount for some bike models. If you have any doubt, your best bet is to buy the basket you want from a local bike store, and/or ask for the equipment to be mounted for you. It will only cost you a few dollars and make the process very easy. Use your local bike store!


Danger: Bike Balance

Because of increased weight high and in front (when carrying gear in your basket), your bike will balance differently. Ride slowly until you have been able to experiential with the new balance - the bike will behave differently, and it is easy to crash. Your bike will also tumble more easily when self standing.


The models did not make the grade

The Sunlite Standard Deep Bicycle Basket has few reviews. The Avenir Adjustable Front Basket has none. The Cycle Force front Bicycle Basket has few reviews, an unusually complex mounting system, and no installation instructions. The Avenir Wicker Bicyle Basket is cute, but its velcro attachment system lacks versatility and limits the number of models that it can attach to - too bad! The Nirve Wire Basket has few reviews and a doubtful mounting system.


The best front bike baskets

It turns out that the models that qualified are all Wald baskets. Wald is a US company which does most of its manufacturing in the US, and has a long track record manufacturing quality components for the biking industry. Wald baskets are made of powder-coated wire with squares of approximately 1.5" x 1.5". All models are very similar, with same basket construction and mounting brackets, with the exception of the largest model, the 157, which has different mounting brackets.

All baskets are reviewed as sturdy and well built: "Wald baskets are the best I've seen, and I've seen lots of good baskets", "welds are solid and [...] smooth", "great quality all around", "product is very well made", "quality materials mean it will last forever", "good quality, strong and durable", "very sturdy." The weight is moderate: "surprised how light the box was when I picked it up", "light enough to not make too big a difference when unloaded."

As for all bike gear, some users have easier installation  than others, but installation is in general easy: "easy to mount", "installation was straightforward", "bike had a different type front wheel that made it tricky to get on",  "easy to install but not all the hardware is included", "did not fit my bicycle", "took me like 15 minutes to install it", "Installation was a snap [...] The only thing remotely difficult was trying to find the best routing for the shifter and brake cables." However, there are some possible incompatibilities. Struts can sometimes be too short: "it won't fit most bikes unless you make extensions of around 6 to 8 inches." Handlebar fit also can be a problem: "Most handlebars these days have a larger diameter where mounted to the stem and then tapper off towards the ends. This does not work with this basket [bracket]." Finally, the brackets do not work with quick release wheels: "legs that came with it can't be used with quick release front tires, which wasn't mentioned in the product description, and if it was, it's pretty hidden! you can buy special attachments at your local bike shop." All these issues can be resolved by your bike shop - but it will be easier if you talk to them prior to buying the basket.

The Wald permanent front basket product line, as a whole, carries excellent reviews, with 92% positive ratings, and a likely error under 6% (73/79 on Amazon).  However, several reviews specifically identify customer support issues with one of the suppliers on Amazon, Niagara Cycles. On that basis, it would be best to deal with other suppliers.

Rather than rank all Wald models separately, we will describe their differences, as their construction is so similar.

The $20 Wald 137 is the smallest of the lot, with a capacity of 675 in³, and 15" x 10" x 4.75" dimensions. Be sure to check the dimensions carefully, as this basket is shallow and small. The handlebar mounting brackets may not work with large diameter, tapered handlebars. There is a small risk that the struts may be too small to fit your bike.

The $15 Wald 135 is the next largest, and carries the exact same size as the popular quick release 3133 model, i.e. 1,240 in³ capacity and 14.5" x 9.5" x 9" dimensions. The handlebar mounting brackets may not work with large diameter, tapered handlebars. There is a small risk that the struts may be too small to fit your bike.

The $27 Wald 139  is the next size up, with a capacity of 1,404 in³, and 18" x 13" x 6" dimensions. The handlebar mounting brackets may not work with large diameter, tapered handlebars. There is a small risk that the struts may be too small to fit your bike.

Finally, the $40 Wald 157 is the giant model, with a capacity of 2,205 in³, and 21" x 15" x 7" dimensions. The Wald 157 is the traditional newspaper road basket:-) It has a very large capacity and sturdiness to boot. The 157 has special handlebar mounting brackets which may be more adaptable than the other brackets.






The Wald permanently mounted front handlebar bike baskets are solid and sturdy gear with a long track record. There are some possible incompatibilities due to bike geometry and options. On that basis, they are recommended with reservations. If in doubt, get your local bike store to order and mount the equipment - it will save you both time and aggravation, and will only cost you a few dollars.

Wald 482 Rear Bike Baskets Review: Cool Gear

The $33 Wald 582 Folding Rear Bicycle Grocery Baskets are some of those unique items which fill a need that nobody knew existed until they arrived on the market. These unusual rear baskets fold down when not in use to get rid of the most of the superfluous bulk, a feature which is particularly valuable as you put the bike away: "folding option comes in real handy when parking the bike in the garage." The only competition is represented by the Sunlite Rear Folding Baskets, which have also gathered some good reviews, albeit in very few numbers so far, and which may have reliability problems with the hinge components.

The Wald 582 rear baskets, like other rear baskets, need an existing bike rack. The capacity for the pair is 1,570 in³, and the dimensions are 12.75" x 7.25" x 8.5" for each basket. They are made of powder-coated (if colored) steel wire, in squares of approximately 1.5" x 1.5". The weight, for the pair, is 5.5 lbs: "they're quite heavy", "heavy", "they're quite heavy", "nice but heavy", "I wish it was lighter. It weighs more then a the plastic milk crate I was using before." They can be used with heavy amounts of content without unbalancing the bike: "I keep expecting to have problems with balance and the strain of lugging 40lbs of food, but, so far my trips have been pure JOY", "even with bags of flour and canned goods I have not felt like I was overloading them on weight", "you can carry quite a heavy load in the basket and it is still stable."

Users feel that they are versatile, in particular for the bike commuter: "I can choose to fold one out if it gets too hot to wear my jacket or stop by the store on the way home." Each basket is sized to receive a full grocery paper bag: "will hold two full size grocery bags or one bag & 1/2 dozen bottles of wine", "easily take a large paper grocery bag each", "grocery bags fit nicely","each basket holds a full shopping bag of groceries", "each basket will hold 1 paper sack or 1 "green" bag."

Reviewers are pleased with the sturdiness: "used them for years and have given them as gifts", "very sturdy/strong", "strong and functional", "baskets are sturdy and provide ample space for your belongings", "baskets are certainly durable and should last the life of the bike", "quite sturdy", "feel sturdy." The looks do not get unanimity: "serviceable but not elegant. I would recommend the black ones. The silver ones are pretty garish and ugly looking","black baskets definitely look nicer."

As usual for bike gear, installation is easier for some than others: "took about 10 minutes to install on the bike, but about 1 hour of tinkering to get it perfect so I wouldn't hit my feet on the baskets","a little bit difficult to secure to the back rack","in order to attach the baskets [...] I had to purchase longer bolts to properly secure the braces", "mounted easily", "easy to assemble", "took some ingenuity to install, and quite a bit of time. The clips provided for attaching it to the bike rack were not quite the right size and I ended up bending and twisting them to make them work", "had to add longer screws though, as the ones they supply were not long enough to secure it to my rear rack", " installation in general is a fiddly affair calling for thin, nimble fingers. tools with long handles and magnetic tips would also help, not impossible for a regular person to do, but you may be in for about half an hour of cussing at it", "I am a VERY Mechanical person and could not install these baskets", "took less than ten minutes to install both baskets", "easy to install", "installing was not too hard, but for my rack the screws were a little short so I simply bought longer ones from the hardware store ($0.15 each)."

Many users mention needing to mount the baskets further back on the rack to clear your heels: "must mount towards the back of rack for pedaling clearance ", "you have to mount these off center or you kick them with your feet when you pedal", "don't install them centered but back about 2 inches on your rack." No locking hardware is provided, which is a mistake for a bike: " included mounting hardware uses regular nuts instead of nylocs or lock washers. Check them often or get some nylocs at the hardware store, because this is not a vibration friendly setup", "really should include lock nuts or washers", "hardware isn't locking hardware so I will have to get a new set."

Some users complain about rattling: "I use zip ties to attach the Wald baskets to my bike, because with the included hardware they tend to rattle", "they do rattle a bit, but that's the result of them being a collapsible metal basket", "when in use they make sounds not unlike the clatter of a shopping cart." Users recommend the use of bungee cord of netting to make sure not to lose any of the content: "I would make sure you have bungee cords or nets available to hold things in that risk bouncing out during rides over uneven pavement or brick/cobblestone surfaces"

The open and close easily for most, but a few have problems: "once they're on, they're super easy to open and collapse", "I have a difficult time unlocking the hook to open the basket", "the little clip that holds the basket shut just didn't want to move at all. I had to wiggle it back and forth with pliers, then worked a bit of lubricant into it to get it to move freely enough that I could snap the thing open and shut comfortably." Reviewers feel that the baskets create less theft potential than panniers:" they don't scream 'steal me' the way a set of panniers would", "you don't have to worry about them being stolen like with regular panniers."

The Wald 582 gathers excellent reviews, with 94% positive ratings and a likely error of up to 4% (125/133 on Amazon). Users are very pleased about the unusual capabilities, and gush about the functionality. The baskets are sturdy, long lasting and well sized, but heavy. They can be used with heavy content without trouble. There are some installation issues for some owners, which could be easily solved by the local bike store - if you have any doubt, ask them to install the baskets for you. W have no problem strongly recommending these Wald 582 baskets for anyone for whom weight is not a critical issue.