I attended a one-day Blogger Health Summit at Consumers Union's headquarters in Yonkers, New York on January 22. There were twenty or so bloggers and health care professionals in attendance, and I was there representing Z Recommends and the ZRecs Guide. Among the day's events was a tour of the nonprofit's testing labs, where everything from digital cameras to washing machines is rigorously tested for Consumer Reports and a wide range of other publications CU produces.

I failed to get a photograph of the exterior of the building, which is what it would make sense to put here, plus I would apparently be the first person on the internet to do so. It's a fortress-like concrete building where a lot of business clearly gets done. I did get this nice shot of the interior, though, which is full of plants.



The tour consisted of several stops to see how various products are tested. None of them were actually children's products, but lo and behold, when I was supposed to be watching this:



I couldn't help but notice this across the room:



And these lined up against the wall:



I chatted with our tour guide about CU's testing procedures for playpens, strollers, and related products. As it turns out, they typically do ease-of-use testing with adults, but only get children involved if they have a specific issue they need to examine for a given brand's product. This makes sense, but also speaks to the ongoing relevance of individual user reviews in the face of such exhaustive testing.


The organization's food testing lab was an interesting stop. The little rollup doors in the wall lead to the tiny cubbies where the tasters sit, both so they can taste products "blind" and so they won't be unduly influenced by smells generated during cooking. This is also the room where they test the microwaves, coffee makers, etc. themselves.


Washers and dryers require a lot of laundry. The presenter who explained this room's workings recommends front-loading washing machines, if you can afford one, because of their efficiency and the way they treat your clothes.


Here's the laundry. Apparently they do not bring in their laundry from home.


Cleaning effectiveness is measured using German-produced, pre-stained swatches that replicate the effects of coffee, tea, blood, and other staining agents.


Gentleness is gauged by pre-cut fabric samples that are designed to fray generously. After drying the sample a given number of times, testers log the number of frayed strings.


The camera testing room. Photographic prints and digital files are evaluated using optical thingamaboos.


Craigslist founder and customer service agent Craig Newmark was interviewed for the closer, and encouraged bloggers to think about their writing and self-publishing in terms of public service, and how to contribute to needed social change.