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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 mainstream reviewers never consider: the fragrance a shampoo releases only at shower temperature, the pressure sensation an earplug creates after forty minutes, the ache a “premium” headphone leaves round the ears by the end of a commute. Every investigation at BOST also checks whether manufacturer claims stand up 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 in real-use conditions and in replicable laboratory settings, and scored on the same eight sensory axes every time: noise, scent, tactile, proprioceptive, interoception, visual, hygiene, and social. Every claim on the packaging is checked against what the testing found. Every product ends on one of three verdicts. No stars, no numbers, no ranking.
The full framework, the eight axes, the claims-checker, and what Cleared, Caution, and Flagged each mean, is set out in How We Test. Each investigation also publishes its own methodology in full: earplugs, noise cancelling headphones, and fragrance-free shampoos.
Who this is here to help
The specific reader this site assumes
Autistic, neurodivergent, ADHD, AuDHD, 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, and mainstream review sites don’t ask the right questions. The market is full of products claiming to adress sensory needs. Most get used once and go straight in a drawer, for reasons that are hard to explain to someone who’s never felt them themslves (never mind friends, colleagues and certain family members).
After enough money went on products that fixed one problem and caused another, it seemed like someone needed to do this properly. The aim stays the same across every investigation: test in real conditions, document what’s found, and give you enough to make a better decision than the packaging will.
Investigations open
Current case files
Investigation No. 3: Noise cancelling headphones. Eight pairs tested across six environments, eardrum pressure timed through ninety minutes, misophonia triggers evaluated live. If pressure inside the ears or a specific mouth sound is what ends your day, start here.
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, chaotic foam: the tests that matter for a sensory-sensitive bathroom routine.
Start investigating
Where to go next
Beyond the case files
Substack
Check out the Box of Small Things Substack feed where principal investigator, Charlie N, covers the history and culture behind sensory experience, not just the products. Recent posts: