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Who we are

ICRT is a global consortium of consumer organisations that work together on research and testing of consumer products. Founded in 1990, we are a not-for-profit organisation fully owned by our members. As such we are independent of product manufacturers, and act exclusively in the interest of the consumer.

ICRT operates as two independent entities, ICRT Ltd and ICRT GmbH.

  • ICRT GmbH is an independent subsidiary based in Germany and is 100% owned by ICRT Ltd.

  • ICRT Ltd is based in the UK and 100% owned by our members, who are independent consumer organisations.

ICRT is the only organisation of its kind. We enable consumer organisations worldwide to co-operate in providing high-quality and independent information on products and services, thus helping consumers make smart choices in increasingly complex markets.

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What we do

Our members publish comparative test results on consumer products to millions of consumers around the world. ICRT provides the tools, framework and structure for consumer organisations to join forces on product testing and research, enabling them to publish more, higher-quality tests.

By conducting joint tests, members share the cost of testing, allowing them to test with higher quality and publish more for consumers. This in turn empowers consumers to make more informed purchasing decisions. We also help our members to design test programmes and facilitate the sharing of expertise and important test findings.

We run more than 60 large joint continuous tests and numerous smaller one-off joint tests each year. We use around 50 highly-specialised independent laboratories worldwide to carry out research and tests on thousands of products.

Our testing encompasses a vast range of popular consumer products in sectors including domestic appliances, cars and mobility, electronics, personal care, gardening and DIY, energy, leisure and child products.

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  • Domestic Appliances Icon
  • Hi Tech Icon
  • Personal CareIcon
  • Gardening Icon
  • Energy Icon
  • Food Icon
  • Child Products Icon
  • Leisure Icon
  • Domestic Chemicals
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Global Impact

ICRT is the only independent international organisation for joint consumer research and testing. We have 30+ members that represent the interests of consumers in 34 countries worldwide, with the potential to reach more than 25m consumers through the publications of our member organisations.

Our members include consumer organisations in Asia, Australia/Oceania, Europe, North America, and South America. Members range in size from the largest consumer organisations worldwide, with subscription or membership levels above five million, to smaller organisations with less than 10,000 subscribers/members.

Our members

Testimonials

"The Hong Kong Consumer Council has been a member of ICRT since it was founded in 1990. ICRT membership is valuable to us because it enables us to participate in much more consumer testing and make substantial cost savings. This allows us to do more testing at the national level and cover a wider range of consumer products, which provides extra value for our readers. We also benefit from a technical perspective when others in the ICRT network share their expertise and learnings."

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Dr. Keith Kwok

Head of Research and Survey Division