Review discussion: why maintenance burden belongs in the score

A product can perform well and still be frustrating to own if routine cleaning, refilling, or part replacement is unusually awkward. That is why maintenance burden belongs in the review rather than being treated as an unrelated footnote.

The point is not to punish a product for needing normal upkeep. It is to document when the upkeep is materially easier or harder than comparable products.

This is one of the biggest reasons my opinion changes after the first week. Something that feels great on day one can lose points fast if every refill becomes a cleanup.

Maintenance is also useful in comparisons because two products can perform similarly while demanding very different amounts of attention.

Exactly. It becomes a decision factor when the difference is large enough to change which product fits the reader.