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The best things in life are free. If Janet Jackson, Coco Chanel, and your grandmother have all said it, you know it’s true. These days, everything seems to cost more than it used to, which makes getting your hands on some freebies that much sweeter.
If you’re someone who loves to leave product reviews after shopping online, are trying to find ways to curb your shopping obsession, discover new brands, try before you buy, or just find the idea of new products exciting, this post is for you. Whether you are interested in saving a buck and learning where to shop in your 20s, 30s, 40s, and so on, you won’t want to miss out on these tips and tricks to creating relationships with brands and enjoying free products that are actually applicable to your life!
There are tons of ways to try products for free, no strings attached—and you can even get them delivered straight to your door. Sound too good to be true? Keep reading to learn how it’s done.
How Can I Get Free Products?
Getting to try products for free happens in one of four ways:
- Companies give you free products in exchange for testing and reviewing them.
- You complete a short task (an online survey, subscription, Facebook like, etc.) and get access to free stuff, no reviews required.
- Sign up as a new member for a servuce such as Thrive Market. You will receive a Thrive Market promo code to redeem free products after spending X amount of money.
- You sign up for a rebate site and get 100% cashback on products.
Both options are easy and fun, and chances are, you give your feedback and subscribe to emails already, so you’re just cashing in on the freebies you deserve!
There’s a huge variety of different products you can get through each, so all you have to do is decide which method is a better fit for you. This guide will teach you everything you need to know about both.
Free Means FREE
Before you get started on your journey of product testing and free sample collecting, it’s important to remember that some free product offers are too good to be true. You can usually identify a free product scam because they’ll look something like this:
- A company is offering something worth a lot of money, like an iPhone, Xbox, or laptop.
- They expect you to pay a small amount of money first, like paying for a testing manual, survey materials, or even a wire transfer as a deposit.
- Suddenly, the company stops responding. You never receive your product and your money is gone.
There still are some incredible stories about people receiving valuable and legitimate free products. Last year, LG gave free appliances to product testers. Seriously. Refrigerators normally worth $1,599 and washing machines costing $899 were delivered and installed in people’s homes for $0—and there are Instagram posts to prove it.
The key is to never put up any money of your own and always use a website you know people trust. Keep reading to learn about the trusted sites for testing and sampling so you can score some exciting freebies of yourself.
How Do I Become a Free Product Tester?
Product testing is a great way to get free stuff that you’d normally buy anyway.
Companies are happy to give away their products to consumers if it means they’ll get good reviews out of it, and the possibility of a product tester becoming a paying customer in the future. From beauty products, to grocery store items, to fun and educational stuff for kids, this giant list is sure to have something interesting for you to product test.
1. Influenster
Influenster sends out free product sample boxes called “VoxBox” for anyone who qualifies—but rest assured, it’s easy to qualify. After you get your makeup, hair care, skin care, health, and other goods, you’ll be expected to leave reviews demonstrating your honest opinion of the products you were sent.
Here’s how to see if you qualify for a VoxBox: create your profile, list some information about your lifestyle and brand preferences, and follow Influenster’s social media accounts.
Then you’ll get a box in the mail full of products from brands like Downy, Always, Cutex, Pantene, and Dickinson’s.
2. PINCHme
With PINCHme, the signup process is even simpler, because everyone qualifies. You simply create a profile on their website, answer some questions about your household and shopping habits, and then you’ll have samples recommended to you. What’s great about PINCHme is that you get to choose the samples, so there’s no question of whether or not you’ll like what you get.
PINCHme offers food, drinks, dog and cat food, personal hygiene, beauty, and so much more. Some of the popular brands they partner with include L’Oreal, Johnson & Johnson, Method, Starbucks, Lysol, Playtex, Tom’s, Skinnygirl, and Paper Mate.
3. Johnson & Johnson
If you’d rather just product test Johnson & Johnson goods, you can join their Friends & Neighbors testing panel. As one of the largest consumer goods manufacturers in the world, Johnson & Johnson owns tons of brands, like Aveeno, Listerine, Band-Aid, Neosporin, and Neutrogena.
Signing up on their website will allow you to receive invitations to try products for free in exchange for feedback, such as joining a focus group, filling out surveys, or posting on discussion forums.
4. RebateKey
Free products are amazing, but you usually have to jump through some hoops to get them. If you’re consistently getting the best deals, you’ll save more money in the long-run than you would by getting freebies—and you’ll certainly save more time.
Today, one of the best ways to save is to spend wisely.
With RebateKey, you’ll get direct access to 100% rebates for products you already shop for at your favorite places, such as Amazon. All you have to do is sign up, shop, and wait for your rebate check in the mail after using your Amazon promo code.
5. BzzAgent
While many companies only offer mini and travel-size products, BzzAgent gives you access to free full-size products in exchange for data.
All you have to do is sign up on their website, answer some questions about your interests, and then products will be recommended specifically for you.
A lot of companies are geared more towards women and families, but BzzAgent also has tons of options for men. Some of their participating brands include Reebok, Samsonite, Gillette, P&G, Purina, L’Oreal, and Rimmel London.
6. L’Oreal
L’Oreal also offers product testing directly.
All you have to do is register for an account online, and then you’ll be able to try L’Oreal hair care, skin care, sun care, and makeup—as well as products from all the companies L’Oreal runs.
Some of their brands include Garnier, RedKen, The Body Shop, Maybelline, and NYX, as well as higher-end luxury brands like Lancome, Vichy, Yves Saint Laurent, Urban Decay, and Kerastase.
7. InStyle Trendsetters
InStyle Magazine offers a great way for consumers to test out the newest beauty trends. As a part of their InStyle Trendsetters community, you’ll be given the opportunity to regularly share your honest opinion on style topics ranging from fashion, to beauty, to home decor.
You’ll also be sent brand new products to evaluate.
Plus, every time you review a product or complete a survey for them, you’ll be entered into the “InStyle Quarterly Panel” sweepstakes for a chance to win prizes such as $100 in gift cards.
8. Brooks
The wildly popular running shoe and workout apparel brand Brooks gives active people a chance to wear their shoes, clothes, and other running gear for free. To see if you qualify, you have to fill out a survey about your exercise habits, list your shoe and clothes sizes, and wait for Brooks to notify you about whether or not they see you as a good fit.
There are some items that need to be returned after the trial period, but they do pay for all shipping, and may still offer you more merchandise to test in the future.
9. ThePinkPanel
Not only does The Pink Panel send you free luxury items like hair straighteners, skin care products, and facial cleansing brushes, but after you review them, you get another reward: either more beauty products or $25-100 gift cards.
To join, either fill out the subscription questionnaire on their website (made up of some personal questions like income, how much of it you spend on beauty products, your skin type, hair type, and products in your usual routine), or sign up through ThePinkPanel’s Facebook.
10. MomSelect
If you’re looking for new products for your kids but are afraid to buy something they won’t like, you can test the waters first. MomSelect offers fun toys and educational adventures from brands like LeapFrog and Crayola.
To register as a member of MomSelect, you fill out a form, identifying yourself as either a mom or a mom blogger, and then you’ll be given options to participate in a number of product testing opportunities.
11. Home Tester Club
Home Tester Club offers a massive variety of products from brands like Tefal, Eucerin, Nivea, Colgate, and Johnson’s Baby. Beyond getting free products in exchange for leaving a review, they also hold competitions and monthly giveaways.
After signing up for a free account, you’ll be able to apply for freebies, and receive an email if you’ve been selected as a reviewer.
Once you’ve tried your new product, you return back to Home Tester Club and leave an honest review. Sometimes they’ll ask you to share your experience on social media, but they make it worth your while.
Home Tester Club awards members badges for posting reviews, photos, and sharing experiences in other ways, and the more badges you earn along the way, the more freebies you’ll qualify for.
12. SheSpeaks
Qualifying for product testing on SheSpeaks isn’t quite as simple as creating an online account and hoping you’re the type of person a brand is looking for.
But, if you regularly participate in online discussions, it gets easier.
Here’s how it works: women sign up for SheSpeaks and contribute to the online platform by sharing opinions, talking about how they live their lives, give feedback on discussion topics, and participate in surveys.
If you’re an active member, you’ll be rewarded with skin care products, makeup, kitchen cleaners, and food, and then you’ll be asked to share your opinion afterwards. The food rewards component of SheSpeaks can come in handy especially during those conflicting moments when trying to decide whether eating at home vs. eating out is the best decision, considering your monthly budget.
13. Smiley360
If you’re looking for a way to leave feedback that’s a little more exciting than a typical product review, Smiley360 is the company for you.
By participating in discussions and taking surveys on the company’s website, you’ll start qualifying for “missions,” which are sort of like a scavenger hunt and a product testing experience at once.
Once you’ve been notified that you’ve been given a mission, you’ll receive a full-size product (like new cleaning supplies and skin care releases), as well as a card with instructions on how to go about your product testing.
Typically, the instructions will tell you to try a product, share your thoughts on social media, Smiley360’s website, connect with a brand on social media, or share a coupon with a friend.
By completing missions and staying active on the site, you’ll automatically start qualifying for more missions.
14. Boots Volunteer Panel
The company Boots has its very own Boots Volunteer Panel where you can test big-name brands in health and beauty like No7, Soap & Glory, Remington, Botanics, and Champneys.
Boots has been known to have a lower acceptance rate than other freebie panels, giving out around 30,000 free items a year, but if you are selected, it’s well worth it—and many people have been selected multiple times.
So if you fit the consumer demographics they’re looking for, you’re about to strike gold.
After you register and receive your approval notice, Boots will let you know about each of its trials via email, and then you apply online. Whether you get one expensive item or several less expensive items, all you have to do is give a quick review after you’ve tried your gift.
15. HomeSchool
Parents who homeschool their kids need to take advantage of product testing with HomeSchool.
All you have to do is subscribe to their product tester email list on their website, and then you’ll be contacted via email about any and every school supplies testing opportunity.
You and your kids will then start receiving school supplies and can share your feedback with the company together.
16. Parent Tested Parent Approved
As a parent, you’re probably familiar with the company Parent Tested Parent Approved (PTPA)—and you can be one of those parents. PTPA has been making a name for itself as the go-to parent seal of approval, and tons of brands are looking to get that seal on their products.
Parents who fill out an application will be sent free products to try and review, and each review, participation in contests and giveaways, and friend recommendation earns you points.
You can then use points to cash in on a huge selection of other products.
What Companies Send Free Samples?
If you’d rather just receive free samples without having to leave any reviews, you still have options. These are some fan favorites:
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Vogue Insiders — Vogue Magazine offers free full-size beauty products without any reviews required. You may need to take a short survey or participate in a panel to qualify, but once you get your product, your work is done.
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Marie Claire’s Velvet Rope Club — Signing up for Marie Claire Magazine’s Velvet Rope Club will give you access to free makeup, handbags, and more. Additionally, it will provide you special offers, sweepstake entries, and insider events.
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Thrive Market — First time users are always offered a free gift (with a minimum purchase). Throughout your membership you will see frequent Thrive Market offers for additional free products to try.
We love free things just like you. Take advantage of all of these resources and start shopping now!
Sources:
LoveMoney. Product testing scam promises free iPhones and other fake gadgets. https://www.lovemoney.com/news/11741/beware-the-product-testing-scam-fake-real
Guide2Free. Free LG Refrigerators. https://www.guide2free.com/product-testing/free-lg-refrigerators-from-home-tester-club/
