Methodology
How the medals are decided.
Six events, each with public criteria and a fixed weight. A 0–10 Olympic scale. One weighted total that settles the podium. This page is the whole rulebook.
Weights
Purity first. Then the buying experience.
Purity & Testing carries 30% because a supplier that cannot document what is in the vial fails at the only thing that matters. The other five events share the remaining 70%.
- 30%
Purity & Testing
Third-party testing, batch-level certificates of analysis, retesting after release, and how easily a certificate can be matched to the vial in hand.
- Independent third-party testing, not only in-house claims
- Batch-level COAs that are published, current for the lots on sale, and easy to find
- Identity and purity confirmed analytically (HPLC, MS) for each lot
- Batches retested after release, with the newest certificate replacing the old one
- Additional panels where relevant: sterility, endotoxins, heavy metals
- Lot numbers on the vial that match the certificate
- 10%
Product Range
Breadth and depth of the catalog: compounds covered, vial sizes, blends, research supplies, and how reliably items stay in stock.
- Coverage of commonly researched compounds
- Multiple vial sizes and blend options
- Ancillary research supplies (bacteriostatic water, vials, storage)
- Stock reliability and restock cadence
- 15%
Pricing & Value
Price per milligram against the rest of the field, promotions and loyalty programs, and whether cost tracks documented quality.
- Price per milligram on a basket of reference products
- Transparent, stable pricing without surprise fees
- Promotions, bundles, and loyalty or newsletter discounts
- Value relative to testing and documentation quality
- 15%
Shipping & Fulfillment
Same-day dispatch against a published cutoff, real-world handling time, packaging quality, tracking, insurance, and free-shipping thresholds.
- Same-day dispatch for orders placed before a published cutoff
- Real-world handling time measured against the published promise
- Packaging that protects lyophilized product in transit
- Tracking, insurance, and clear policies when shipments go wrong
- Free or expedited shipping thresholds
- 15%
Customer Support
First-reply time during business hours, available channels, and competence on technical, documentation and order questions.
- Average first-reply time during business hours
- Channels on offer: email, phone, chat, contact form
- Technical competence when asked about lots and certificates
- Clarity of order, return, and replacement policies
- 15%
Reputation & Consistency
Track record, standing in the research community, and whether quality and service hold steady from batch to batch and month to month.
- Length and quality of track record
- Community standing and independent feedback
- Batch-to-batch consistency over the season
- Transparency when something goes wrong
The Olympic scale
What a score means.
Every event is scored to one decimal place. Bands describe performance; they do not change the arithmetic.
| Band | Score | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Record pace | 9.50 – 10.00 | Exceptional. Sets the standard the rest of the field is measured against. |
| Podium standard | 9.00 – 9.49 | Excellent. Minor gaps only; a medal-calibre performance. |
| Finalist | 8.00 – 8.99 | Strong. Competitive, with clear areas to improve. |
| Qualifier | 7.00 – 7.99 | Adequate. Meets the bar for inclusion with notable weaknesses. |
| Did not qualify | below 7.00 | Below the standard required to be ranked. |
Process
From nomination to podium.
- 01
Define the field
Suppliers enter the field by nomination or by the panel’s own survey of the market. To be scored, a supplier must sell research-use-only materials with public pricing and a reachable support channel.
- 02
Collect the evidence
For each supplier the panel gathers published documentation (COAs, lab reports, policies), pricing on a fixed basket of reference products, shipping terms, and support responsiveness across the channels the supplier offers.
- 03
Score each event
Every event is scored from 0 to 10 against its published criteria. Scores are set by the panel together, recorded to one decimal place, and anchored to documentation rather than marketing copy.
- 04
Weight and rank
Event scores are multiplied by their weights and summed. The weighted total decides the overall podium; raw event scores decide event medals. Ties on the weighted total are broken by event golds.
- 05
Publish and revisit
Standings carry a visible “last updated” date. Suppliers may submit corrections or new documentation at any time; the field is fully re-scored each season.
Rules of the Games
Event medals and ties
Within an event, the highest raw score takes gold, the next silver, the next bronze. Suppliers tied on a raw event score share the higher medal. Overall ties on the weighted total are broken by the number of event golds, then silvers.
What can move a score between seasons
- New or withdrawn third-party documentation.
- A sustained change in pricing on the reference basket.
- A material change in shipping terms, support channels, or policies.
- Verified, repeated reports of batch inconsistency or service failure.
What never moves a score
- Advertising, sponsorship, affiliate arrangements, or any payment.
- A supplier’s own marketing claims without documentation behind them.
- Anonymous reports that cannot be corroborated.
Corrections
Factual errors are corrected as soon as they are confirmed and noted on the page. Suppliers can request a review by writing to panel@peptideolympics.com. Score changes outside the seasonal re-score are applied only through this methodology.
Disclosures
Commercial relationships that could reasonably be seen to affect coverage are listed on the editorial policy page. Rankings are not for sale.
Revision history
- October 2026. Four practices are now scored directly: retesting after release, certificate currency, same-day dispatch against a published cutoff, and average first-reply time during business hours. Customer Support weight raised from 10% to 15%; Product Range lowered from 15% to 10%. Amino Club added to the field. Every statement in the standings is now tagged as published, supplier-reported or panel assessment; see the 2026 report.
- October 2026, first edition. Six events, weights 30 / 15 / 15 / 15 / 10 / 15.
Nominations
Think a supplier belongs on the podium?
The field is reviewed every season. Send the panel a supplier name, a link, and the documentation you would want us to look at first.