Trusted by teams of 1 to 1000+
Real-world usage in a natural setting with in-home usage tests
IHUTs allow consumers to test products or services in their own homes, closely mimicking how they would actually use them in their day-to-day lives.
- Gain a more accurate representation of how consumers will interact with the product.
- Yield meaningful data and insights based on real-world usage.
- Gather tactical and specific feedback that builds on prior learnings.
Tour the Highlight Platform
Get your questions answered and see the platform in action with a personalized demo.
Your flexible, agile IHUT product testing platform
- An engaged and diverse community with:
- 90% Completion rates
- Niche targeting
- Representative
- Streamlined technology: Automated, turnkey IHUT platform to centralize your testing & data across your team.
- Integrated Logistics: We handle all product distribution. Frozen, refrigerated, blinding, repack, returns, you name it.
Product & Line Optimization For King's Hawaiian
King’s Hawaiian came to us to discuss potential line extensions. As a dominant player in the bakery space, King’s Hawaiian needed to understand consumer reactions to potential new products in the pipeline among current and potential customers.
We packed and shipped the new King’s Hawaiian products to a curated segment of our community for agile in-home testing in just two days.
✅ 180 buns sent nationwide
✅ 94% survey completion rate from targeted Highlighters
✅ 4 days from product receipt until initial data
In less than two weeks, King’s Hawaiian was ready to revise its roadmap for its new product line with an assessment of brand fit and product resonance among loyal and new customers. By understanding the key sensory insights, they were able to prioritize across products in the innovation pipeline.
Explore more from Highlight
Calista Corley and Emma Steele help you navigate product success in a period of economic uncertainty.
Taste tests and sensory tests play an integral role in product development which can help uncover consumer expectations, preferences, and previously unknown needs.
Read nowTech-enabled in-home usage testing (IHUT) is revolutionizing the product testing landscape to gain real user feedback and valuable insights into the usability of products.
Read nowChoose faster innovation today.
See why brands like Nestlé, Estée Lauder, Colgate, and more trust Highlight with their physical product testing needs.
In-Home Usage Testing FAQs
In-home usage testing (IHUT) is a real-world product trial where consumers test your product in their own homes, providing authentic feedback on usability, performance, and appeal in their daily lives. Unlike focus groups or lab testing, IHUT captures genuine, unfiltered insights by observing how products perform in real-life settings, delivering feedback that actually reflects consumer behavior and preferences. Learn more: IHUT testing explained (full guide) |
IHUT delivers authentic, actionable insights by evaluating your product in real-world conditions. Key benefits include:
1. Realistic feedback, such as how a cleaning product performs on a user’s countertops, bathtubs, and other surfaces2. More comprehensive evaluation
3. Targeted insights from your preferred demographic or customer base (e.g., parents of toddlers testing organic snacks)
4. Faster time to market
Products that need real-world use to assess functionality, durability, or appeal—like food, beverages, beauty products, apparel, or household items—are ideal. |
Feedback is collected through surveys, written and video diaries, and real-time user interactions, then analyzed to highlight trends, issues, and actionable insights. |
Potential Highlight product testers must go through a rigorous screening process, with only 48% acceptance into the Highlighter community. This exclusivity guarantees a reliable pool of engaged participants. Highlighters consistently deliver results, with 90%+ survey completion rates, ensuring robust and comprehensive feedback. Additionally, the community’s loyalty is unmatched—less than 0.7% of Highlighters have ever requested to delete their accounts, reflecting their commitment and satisfaction. |
- Participant recruitment
- Turnkey logistics, including product shipment and tracking
- Test timeline coordination
- Tester instructions for use and feedback
- Real-time test tracking via Highlight’s dashboard
- Feedback collection
- Data analysis and reporting
- Compliance with privacy and regulatory standards
- Secure data storage and management
With Highlight, brands can run an IHUT test and receive actionable insights in just ~3 weeks from start to finish. Our nearly perfect data validity rate—just 1% junk data compared to the 30% industry standard—means you’ll get fast, reliable results you can trust to make confident decisions. |
Highlight streamlines IHUT with a digital platform that handles everything from recruitment to data analysis. Pre-screened testers ensure you get feedback from your exact target audience, while real-time analytics deliver actionable insights fast. Unlike lab testing or focus groups, IHUT captures genuine consumer behavior at home, giving you the real-world insights you need to make confident, informed decisions and launch with success. |