Never Fear! Consumer Reports is Here!
What Is It?
Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that uses testing, customer surveys, and investigative journalism to review products and provide consumer recommendations, which they publish in a monthly magazine and annual buying guide. This information can be helpful when you’re considering a large purchase such as a car, dishwasher, or dryer. They also cover day-to-day purchases such as toothbrushes, energy bars, and sunscreens.
Where To Find It
Several SJPL branches have the Consumer Reports magazine and buying guide available for check out, while others have them available for in-library use only.
We also have the digital edition, which is a great option for reading articles at home (or taking them with you while you’re shopping!). To access it, visit the SJPL website. Select Books & eResources in the menu bar, then eResources, A-Z. From there, scroll down to Consumer Reports.
How To Use It
Consumer Reports is now available in an easy-to-browse digital magazine format from Flipster! You can browse through recent issues, but if there's a specific article or subject you’re looking for, you can check Consumer Report’s 5 Year Index to find the exact issue and page number.
You can access Flipster from a web browser or download the app. You’ll need to log in using your library card number and PIN. You'll see cover images of the most recent issues. Click on one to open it, then navigate through the magazine by clicking on the left and right arrows at the bottom of the page.
The digital version of the magazine has links to help you navigate quickly. In the cover image shown below, hovering over the words “Protect Your Home, Car, Money & More” will show a link to page 26 of the magazine, where the article is located.
The Flipster toolbar (shown below) is located at the top of the screen. It has additional tools you can use to help you read and navigate the magazine.
Left to right, the buttons are:
- Text View: View the text of the magazine with no images
- Print: Print pages from the magazine
- All Issues: View all available issues of the magazine
- Table of Contents: View the full Table of Contents
- Pages: View all pages of the magazine. Click on an image to go directly to that page.
- Search: Find keywords in the current issue or search all issues
- Settings: Adjust your viewing settings
For a visual walkthrough of Flipster, check out the Flipster Web Tutorial. You can also view the Flipster App Tutorial.
Get Social!
Has Consumer Reports helped you shop smarter? Tell us on social media! #SJPLeResources
Need Help?
Please contact library staff with additional questions about any of our eResources. You can also find more information, FAQs, and tutorials on our eResources Help page.
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