Gear Patrol

What Gear Patrol does

Gear Patrol is a privately-held digital media company operating under the legal entity GPS Media, founded in 2007 and headquartered in Brooklyn, New York. The company publishes product reviews, buying guides, and how-to editorial content for enthusiast consumers across motoring (cars, motorcycles, EVs), watches, outdoors, tech (audio, smart home, smartphones), food and drink, style, home, and fitness categories. The portfolio also includes DPReview, a wholly-owned photography-focused sister publication, and Gear Patrol Studios, an in-house creative services agency producing branded content for external brand clients.

The core technology is a standard web content management and publishing platform hosting the gearpatrol.com website, with distribution extended across YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Flipboard, email newsletters, and an RSS feed. The company holds Google Preferred Source designation, providing enhanced algorithmic visibility in Google Search and Discover for product-related queries. Recurring content franchises include the annual GP100 product ranking, the 'This Year in Gear' year-end review, and the daily 'Today in Gear' product news briefing.

Gear Patrol monetizes through three primary revenue streams: affiliate commerce commissions on reader purchases routed through retailer partnerships (Tire Rack, Walmart, direct brands), display advertising and sponsored content, and professional creative services revenue from Gear Patrol Studios. Content is free to consumers, and the company's go-to-market motion is content-led, using independent expert testing and original photography to build audience trust that converts to commerce. The company employs 51-100 staff and operates primarily in North America, though digital distribution is global.

Name

Gear Patrol

Legal name

GPS Media

Website

https://gearpatrol.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Gear Patrol is a privately-held digital media company founded in 2007 that publishes product reviews, buying guides, and editorial content for enthusiast consumers across motoring, watches, tech, outdoors, and lifestyle categories, monetizing primarily through affiliate commerce, advertising, and creative services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations

Revenue model

1. Affiliate Commerce: Gear Patrol earns commissions when readers purchase products through affiliate links. The site discloses 'If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission.' This is the primary monetization mechanism, leveraging product recommendations and buying guides.
2. Advertising: The site displays advertising including display ads, sponsored content opportunities, and brand partnerships through Gear Patrol Studios creative services.
3. Creative Services (Gear Patrol Studios): Award-winning creative services studio that works with brands to bring their product stories to life, offering advertising and branded content production.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Gear Patrol is a digital media company that publishes product reviews, buying guides, and how-to articles across consumer categories including motoring, watches, outdoors, tech, food and drink, style, home, and fitness. It monetizes this free editorial content primarily through affiliate referral commissions on retail purchases and display advertising, and it operates Gear Patrol Studios, a creative services agency that produces branded content for external brands. The portfolio also includes the DPReview photography publication, the GP100 annual award, the This Year in Gear year-end review, and the Today in Gear daily briefing.

Product overview

Gear Patrol is a media and publishing company that operates as the definitive buying guide for enthusiasts, offering independent expert testing, reviews, and original photography across consumer product categories. The core offering consists of editorial content including product reviews, buying guides, and how-to articles organized into major verticals: Motoring (cars, EVs, motorcycles), Watches, Outdoors, Tech (audio, smartphones, smart home), Food & Drink, Style, Home, and Fitness. Supporting products include the annual GP100 award ranking, 'This Year in Gear' year-end review, 'Today in Gear' daily briefing, and Gear Patrol Studios creative agency. The company also publishes DPReview, a photography-focused sister publication. The portfolio is structured as a unified media platform with ancillary services (Studios, newsletters), not a software product architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Gear Patrol Studios: Award-winning creative services studio and advertising agency for brand or product storytelling.
• GP100
• This Year in Gear

Products and services

• Gear Patrol Editorial Content The primary media platform publishing product reviews, buying guides, and how-to articles across consumer product categories including cars, tech, watches, outdoors, food and drink, style, home, and fitness, aimed at enthusiast consumers.
• Buying Guides Curated product recommendations organized by category (cars, motorcycles, watches, outdoors, tech, home, style) with expert analysis and comparisons for enthusiast consumers.
• DPReview A photography-focused publication under GPS Media covering digital camera reviews, photography guides, and imaging technology news for enthusiast readers.
• GP100 Annual ranking of the 100 most important product releases, featuring top picks across consumer categories from watches to automobiles to audio equipment.
• This Year in Gear Year-end comprehensive editorial review of notable products and releases from the past year for enthusiast readers.
• Today in Gear Daily curated snapshot of new product announcements and releases, independently curated by Gear Patrol editorial staff for subscriber audiences.
• Gear Patrol Studios Award-winning in-house creative services studio and advertising agency offering brand and product storytelling, branded content, and creative production services to external brand clients.
• Gear Patrol Newsletters Email newsletter subscriptions delivering curated product news and recommendations including the Today in Gear daily briefing.
• Gear Patrol Video Channel YouTube video channel distributing product reviews, buying guides, and multimedia editorial content to enthusiast audiences.

Quantifiable outcome

• Affiliate marketing drives significant ecommerce sales, with global affiliate marketing spending expected to reach $15.7 billion in 2024

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• DPReviewcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDPReview (Digital Photography Review) is a Gear Patrol publication covering photography equipment. This represents an owned media brand within the Gear Patrol portfolio, extending content reach into a complementary enthusiast category.
• Gear Patrol StudioscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn-house creative services studio that produces branded content and advertising solutions for external brand clients. Offers award-winning creative services to bring brands' product stories to life.
• Retail Affiliate Partners (Tire Rack, Walmart, etc.)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGear Patrol maintains affiliate partnerships with major retailers including Tire Rack, Walmart, and direct brand partnerships. Readers clicking affiliate links and making purchases generate commission revenue for Gear Patrol.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Engadget: Yahoo-owned consumer technology publication covering gadgets, gear, and consumer electronics. Overlaps with Gear Patrol's tech vertical but operates with broader news and review remit.
• The Verge: Vox Media's consumer technology, science, and culture publication. Overlaps with Gear Patrol's tech and motoring verticals but with a broader news and culture remit beyond buying guides.
• CNET: Red Ventures-owned long-running consumer technology and product review site. Overlaps with Gear Patrol's tech and consumer product coverage but operates at broader scale and with deeper tech focus.
• Popular Mechanics: Hearst-owned long-running enthusiast publication covering tools, automotive, and outdoor categories. Comparable vertical coverage and Hearst-family relationship given Gear Patrol's Hearst investment.

Direct peers

• The Strategist (New York Magazine): New York Magazine's product recommendation vertical focused on expert-vetted buying advice across consumer categories. Comparable editorial model and affiliate-driven monetization.
• The Manual: Men's lifestyle publication covering gear, food, travel, and style with hands-on product reviews. Comparable content verticals and audience targeting to Gear Patrol's enthusiast platform.
• Reviewed: USA Today/Gannett's product review and testing platform covering home, tech, and lifestyle categories. Directly comparable in editorial review and recommendation approach.
• Wirecutter: New York Times-owned product review and recommendation site covering consumer products across categories with hands-on testing. Directly comparable to Gear Patrol's core buying guide and review model.
• Hodinkee: Watch enthusiast media and commerce platform covering watches and adjacent gear. Comparable to Gear Patrol's watches vertical and adjacent enthusiast commerce model with original content and commerce integration.
• InsideHook: Men's lifestyle and gear recommendation platform targeting a similar enthusiast consumer persona across food, drink, travel, and gear categories. Closely aligned audience and content positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/gearpatrol
• Instagraminstagram.com/gearpatrol
• TikToktiktok.com/@gearpatrolofficial?lang=en
• Xx.com/gearpatrol
• Facebookfacebook.com/gearpatrol
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gear-patrol

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gear Patrol