about
Independent sensory product investigations for neurodivergent and sensory-sensitive adults. No sponsorship. No outsourcing.
Most product reviews are written for people who don't notice very much. This site is for people who notice everything.
Box of Small Things tests everyday products for autistic, neurodivergent, and sensory-sensitive adults. The focus is the details most reviewers never consider: the fragrance a shampoo releases only at shower temperature, the pressure sensation an earplug creates after forty minutes, the squeak on rinse that becomes an alarm signal in a sensitive nervous system. Every investigation checks whether manufacturer claims hold under the conditions you actually use the product in.
Nothing here is sponsored. Every item is purchased independently. Findings are not for sale.
How the testing works
The investigation method
Each investigation runs a fixed methodology before a single verdict is written. Products are tested across real-use conditions, not controlled laboratory settings. The earplug investigation covers attenuation strength and character at five perception frequencies, ear canal pressure measured at 15, 30, 60, and 90 minutes, occlusion and own-voice effect, clamping force, and performance across seven test environments. The fragrance-free shampoo investigation covers scent at room temperature and shower temperature, lather, foam character, rinse squeak, pH, residue, and packaging noise. Both methodologies are published in full.
Every product receives one of three verdicts. No stars. No numbers. No ranking.
Full methodologies: Earplugs · Fragrance-free shampoos
Who this is for
The reader this site assumes
Autistic, neurodivergent, or sensory-sensitive adults. People with SPD, misophonia, or heightened sensory processing. Anyone who finds that smell, texture, sound, or friction affects them more intensely than most, and who wants to understand why a product behaves the way it does, not just whether someone else liked it.
The site doesn’t explain sensory sensitivity or justify it. It takes it as given. If you’re working out your own sensory profile before looking at specific products, start here.
About the investigator
Why this site exists
Box of Small Things is an independent investigation site run by Charlie N. All testing, writing, and editorial decisions are carried out personally and are not outsourced.
I’m autistic. Finding reliable information about products that were safe for my sensory experience was proving close to impossible. Mainstream review sites don’t ask the right questions. The market is full of products claiming to address sensory needs, and most arrive, get used once, and fail, sometimes in ways that are hard to articulate and even harder to search for.
After wasting significant time and money on products that solved one problem while creating three others, it became clear that someone needed to do this systematically. The aim is to test products in real conditions and document what the investigation finds: enough information for you to make a better decision.
Investigations open
Current case files
Investigation No. 2: Earplugs. Ten products tested across seven environments. Noise, Proprioceptive, Tactile, Interoception, Hygiene. If crowd noise or sound unpredictability is where your day breaks down, start here.
Investigation No. 1: Fragrance-free shampoos. Eight products tested in real heat and steam. Scent at temperature, squeak on rinse, pillow linger: the tests that matter for a sensory-sensitive bathroom routine.
Start investigating