From A for battery chargers to Z for toothbrushes: Stiftung Warentest examines almost everything. Despite the enormous range, clothing is rarely tested. In an interview, a long-time employee of Stiftung Warentest has now revealed the reasons behind it.
There is hardly an organization that Germans trust more than Stiftung Warentest. The strict judgment of the product tester often decides whether a product is better or worse. Holger Brackemann is one of those who has made a significant contribution to the success of Stiftung Warentest. He has been working for Stiftung Warentest for 19 years, 14 of them as head of investigations. In an interview, Brackemann gave rare insights into the work of the test professionals (Source: T-Online)
Food tests need lots of specimens
In food tests Stiftung Warentest, for example, needs a particularly large number of copies. “There are a lot of chemical, microbiological tests,” explains the 60-year-old. In addition, they would be tasted. According to Brackemann, each test product comes with 30 copies together.
Testing televisions is less complex. Here, Stiftung Warentest usually only needs one. at Washing machines, on the other hand, are used at least four times. Three are running in parallel in the endurance test, one model is used for functional testing.
“Fashion cycles so extremely fast”
And if you’ve always wondered why Stiftung Warentest tests clothing so rarely: According to Brackemann, it’s because of the ephemerality of the fashion industry: “The problem is that the fashion cycles are so extremely fast and that the variety of products is totally heterogeneous. By the time the test results are available, the item of clothing will no longer be on the market.” For this reason, the product testers tend to focus on timeless standards – for example light blue men’s shirts or functional clothing.
What you need to know about Stiftung Warentest:
Vacuum cleaner comparisons are particularly popular with Stiftung Warentest
Both vacuum cleaners are at the forefront of the most popular topics in individual calls, followed by mattresses and washing machines. Online subscribers to Stiftung Warentest, on the other hand, are most interested in investing: Funds take first place here, followed by smartphones and vacuum cleaners.