How is the TrailRunningCompare score calculated?

For each spec of its category (weight, cushioning, grip, battery…) a product is ranked against all the others from 0 to 100. The score is the average of those ranks, on a scale where the category's best product gets 98 and its weakest 50. A spec without data counts as the category average.

Can brands pay for a better score?

No. Scores and rankings come only from the specs and, in the best value view, the price. The featured product box is an ad, marked as sponsored, outside the ranking. Affiliate commissions never change a score or a position.

Does price change the score?

Not in the default “premium first” view, which ranks by specs alone. In the “best value” view the price counts as one more spec, cheaper being better.

Where does the data come from?

From the specs the manufacturers publish, checked product by product, and prices from the shops that sell each product in the visitor's country.

How we score

Every product gets a score out of 100 from its own specs, the same way for every brand. This page explains where the data comes from, how the score is calculated and what never changes it.

Catalog last updated on November 3, 2026.

Nobody pays for a score
Brands and shops can't buy a better score or a higher place. The “Featured product” box is an ad, marked as sponsored, and sits outside the ranking.
From the specs
We use the figures manufacturers publish: weight, stack height, drop, lug depth, battery life, capacity… The same data you see on every product page.
Against its own category
A shoe is only measured against shoes and a watch against watches: a score says where a product stands among its peers.

How the score is calculated

1
We rank every spec
For each spec of the category we look at where the product sits among all the others, from 0 (the weakest) to 100 (the best). Lighter is better for weight; more is better for cushioning, grip or battery.
2
We average the ranks
The score is the average of those ranks. A spec we don't have counts as the category average, so missing data never helps a product.
3
We put it on a 50–98 scale
The category's best product gets 98 and its weakest 50. No product is perfect, and even the weakest is a real option somebody makes and sells.

Drop is shown but doesn't score: a low drop isn't better than a high one, it depends on how you run.

A real example

Hoka Speedgoat 6

Ranked against 174 shoes

98/100

Cushioning40 mm91
Lightness278 g64
Grip5 mm87

Its ranks average 81. On the category's 50–98 scale, where the best product gets 98, that makes 98/100.

“Premium first” (the default)

The ranking by specs alone: the most capable products first, whatever they cost.

“Best value”

The price counts too, as one more spec where cheaper is better: a product that does nearly as much for much less moves up.

What counts in each category

The specs each category is ranked by, straight from the code that scores the catalog.

Category	Specs	Default score
Shoes 174 models	Cushioning Lightness Grip Drop ° Affordability *	By its specs
Watch 34 models	GPS battery Smartwatch battery Features Water resistance Lightness Affordability *	By its specs
Vest 11 models	Capacity Pockets Lightness Affordability *	Key specs and price range
Poles 11 models	Lightness Packability Affordability *	Key specs and price range
Socks 9 models	No comparable specs yet	Key specs and price range
Sunglasses 8 models	No comparable specs yet	Key specs and price range
Action Camera 15 models	Battery life Photo resolution Field of view Water resistance Lightness Affordability *	Key specs and price range
Heart Rate Monitor 14 models	Battery life Features Range Water resistance Lightness Affordability *	By its specs
Headphones 17 models	Battery life Lightness Affordability *	Key specs and price range
Headlamp 10 models	Light output Beam distance Lightness Affordability *	Key specs and price range
Nutrition 18 models	Carbs Sodium Calories Affordability *	Key specs and price range

* Price: only in “Best value” · ° Shown, not scored

Some categories don't have the same specs for every product yet. Until they do, their “Premium first” order weighs a few key specs and the price range as a guide to the product's tier; “Best value” ranks them by their specs and price. They move to the full spec score as their data fills in.

“Best for” lists

Lists like “best for mud” or “wide feet” take the products whose specs and description say they're made for it, ranked by the same score.

Your preferences

Signed in, you can pick your favourite brands and shops: they lift those products in your own rankings only. Everyone else sees the same scores.

Prices and links

Prices come from the shops that sell each product in your country (≈ when converted to your currency). Some links are affiliate links: if you buy, the shop may pay us a commission. It never changes a score or a position.

Updates and corrections

The catalog was last updated on November 3, 2026. Spot a wrong figure? Write to us and we'll fix it.

support@trailrunningcompare.com

See the rankings

Shoes Watch Vest

How we score

Nobody pays for a score

From the specs

Against its own category