Introduction to Gearbest
Gearbest is a Chinese ecommerce company owned by Global Top E-Commerce Co. Ltd, that sells products directly from Chinese factories and warehouses to consumers worldwide. Founded in 2014 and headquartered in Shenzhen, China, Gearbest has become one of the largest online retailers operating globally.
Some key facts about Gearbest:
- Product catalog has over 500 categories and 1 million+ SKUs from over 5000 brands
- Ships to over 200 countries and territories globally
- Has over 15 million registered users
- Processes over 3000 orders per day on average
The Gearbest business model focuses on working directly with Chinese manufacturing partners to offer products to consumers that avoid middlemen markups you would find on products sourced through western retailers and brands. This allows them to offer attractively low prices, but as we‘ll discuss later, also has some disadvantages.
Overview of the Gearbest Shopping Experience
The Gearbest website and mobile apps make it easy to browse products or search for items across a dizzying number of categories rivaling Amazon in selection size.
However, while Amazon primarily sells products shipped from USA warehouses, Gearbest exclusively sells items shipped direct from China and Hong Kong warehouses. This means shipping times are longer, often between 15-45 days.
In order to offer their unmatched price savings, Gearbest relies entirely on these long shipping timeframes direct from China to keep costs low. This can understandably turn away some shoppers, especially in the US and Europe where 2 day Prime shipping from Amazon has conditioned expectations instant gratification.
However despite the longer shipping times, there is a widespread segment of savvy online shoppers who are happy to wait 3-6 weeks for delivery if it means 50-80% discounts relative to buying the identical item from Amazon or other major local retailers.
Gearbest does provide expedited shipping options which shortens delivery to 5-15 days for North America and Europe. Naturally this costs extra, but is there for people less patient or buying something needed quicker.
Now that we’ve covered the key tradeoffs around shipping times and cost savings, lets take a closer look at the kinds of products Gearbest sells and what customers can expect when buying from them.
Gearbest Product Catalog Analysis
Gearbest organizes their catalog into over 40 major product categories spanning everything from home goods and apparel to electronics, tools and sports equipment. Within each category you’ll find recognizable international brands like Xiaomi and Huawei for electronics or major apparel brands side by side with Gearbest’s owned brands and non-branded products sourced direct from the factory.
Some of their most popular categories based on order volume include:
- Cell phones and accessories
- Consumer electronics
- Computers and network products
- Home and garden
- Apparel
- Personal care appliances
- Automotive accessories
To give you a better idea of what you can find on Gearbest today, I reviewed some of their current top sellers across a range of product categories:
haylou RS4 Plus Bluetooth 5.0 Earbuds
With over 3000 reviews and a 4.9 star average rating, these wireless earbuds are the #1 ranked electronics product on Gearbest right now.
For just $32, they offer many high end features found on models priced over $100 like Apple Airpods and Samsung Galaxy Buds:
- Bluetooth 5 for stable connectivity
- IPX5 waterproof and sweatproof rating
- Ultra lightweight and ergonomic design
- 30 hour total battery life with charging case
- Touch controls, noise cancelling microphone
For budget wireless earbuds under $50, the Haylou RS4 Plus seem extremely competitive when compared to brands like Anker Soundcore available on Amazon for example. The value proposition is outstanding.
The only negatives seen in some customer reviews relate to slower shipping, needing to adjust equalizer settings out the box, and lack of wireless charging case. But small tradeoffs given the huge price difference.
Xiaomi Mijia Smart Robot Vacuum
Robot vacuums continue gaining popularity thanks to falling prices and improving functionality. Gearbest shoppers love this Mi model earning a 4.8 star average across over 1500 reviews.
It competes well with more expensive brands like iRobot Roomba offering powerful 2000Pa suction with LDS laser navigation allowing methodical cleaning routes that map your home.
Other key features making this an impressive robot vacuum include:
- 150 minute runtime
- Selective room cleaning
- App control and Alexa integration
- Automatic recharging and resumption
- HEPA filter removes allergens
Priced competitively at $239 given all the advanced cleaning modes and customizations paired with proven Xiaomi quality. Most budget alternatives from brands like Lefant and Proscenic are far more basic lacking advanced mapping and navigation capabilities.
While a few reviews mention Alexa skills not working outside China and lackluster Chinese app UI, most agree the excellent cleaning performance outweighs these software quirks.
KUGOO S1 Folding Electric Scooter
E-scooters saw huge growth in urban areas pre-pandemic as an eco-friendly last mile transportation option. And the KUGOO S1 stands out as Gearbest’s top ranked scooter with a 4.9 average rating.
This affordable $339 scooter folds for easy carrying and storage on public transport or in your home. With a 230W brushless motor, it reaches 18 mph top speeds covering over 30 miles per charge.
Other features buyers love include:
- 8 inch rugged tires
- Double braking system
- LED headlight for night visibility
- Cruise control
- Digital display shows speed and battery
Considering most competitors with similar performance and range cost $100+ more, its easy to see the appeal of this capable yet wallet friendly electric scooter.
The handful of critical reviews cite issues with initial learning curve, lack of suspension system and potential tire issues over time. But pros seem to vastly outweigh the cons for most.
DERC Z87 LED Video Light
Rounding out our sampling of top Gearbest products, lighting is hugely important for photography, videography and livestreaming.
The DERC Z87 looks extremely versatile earning a perfect 5 star average so far. It offers adjustable color temperature from 3200k-5600k to match any environment.
Packed with features, it delivers:
- 500w power equivalent of hot light
- App control over brightness/temperature
- Bowens mount for modifiers
- Sony NP-F battery plate powers 2+ hours
- Lightweight under 2 lbs design
This kit costs just $99 including batteries, charger and carrying case making it an incredible bargain for what you get. Most photographers I know easily spend $300-500 for capable LED panels.
No noted downsides in reviews yet, it overdelivers for the reasonable asking price. Seems like an easy 5 star purchase decision for streamers or video creators needing flexible, affordable lighting.
What This Sample Tells Us…
Analyzing this range of top sellers illustrates Gearbest’s formula of partnering directly with manufacturers to offer feature rich products spanning nearly any category at unusually affordable pricing compared to shopping domestically.
While niche products lack brand recognition, staple categories like mobile devices and electronics come from leading Chinese brands like Xiaomi with proven reputations for delivering quality and innovation at budget price points.
And categories like lighting equipment where brands hold less importance demonstrate how GearbestGive users extreme value purchasing directly from the source factories.
Now that we’ve surveyed this sampling of products in depth, let’s take a broader view of common pros and cons raised across Gearbest reviews overall.
Analysis of Gearbest Reviews Across the Web
Digging deeper into Gearbest reviews on aggregate review sites like TrustPilot and SiteJabber in addition to their own website shows a consensus around the main benefits and potential pitfalls shoppers encounter.
Pros of Buying from Gearbest
Without question, reviewers praise Gearbest first and foremost for unmatched prices and product selection even versus competitors like BangGood and AliExpress shipping items direct from China.
Other recurring positives often cited include:
- Smooth ordering to delivery logistics process with package tracking
- Range of shipping speed vs cost options
- Quick customer service responses and issue resolution
- Flexible return policy on unused items
Considering everything that can go wrong buying from little known suppliers thousand of miles away, Gearbest appears to largely deliver positive experiences matched with exceptional prices.
Cons of Buying from Gearbest
On the other hand, areas reviewers commonly identify needing improvement include:
- Slow delivery times ranging 15-60+ days
- Added costs for faster shipping options
- Import duties/taxes for some countries
- Language barrier struggles contacting support
- Low refund amounts on returns
- Defective electronic items not uncommon
Many note these cons are unavoidable aspects of importing directly from Chinese ecommerce sites. So buyer expectations and risk tolerance play a major role.
Yet Gearbest earns praise minimizing these through extensive shipping updates, responsive support channels, and flexibility addressing problems. Still, buyers must prepare for potentially slower and less smooth process versus domestic shopping.
How Gearbest Compares to Alternative Chinese Sites
Given the enormous selection of Chinese ecommerce sites, how does Gearbest stack up to chief alternatives serving global customers?
Analyzing reviews shows Gearbest rated higher overall than BangGood in categories like support and consistency. But BangGood offered slightly faster shipping on average.
Gearbest beats more well known AliExpress in product quality control and support. But prices were slightly lower on average from AliExpress.
LightInTheBox struggled most in reviews particularly around deficient refund policies. But held an edge in lower prices in certain categories over Gearbest like clothing.
So in summary, while no consensus “best” option exists, Gearbest strives to balance rock bottom prices with robust service and support better than peers specializing in purely one strength or the other.
Is Gearbest Legit, Safe and Trustworthy?
Given both pros and cons we’ve explored for this China based ecommerce company, is Gearbest a safe choice to hand over your hard earned dollars?
In my research compiling this review, everything indicates shopping on Gearbest for discounted products direct from Chinese suppliers poses no higher fraud risk than rivals serving the same niche.
Some reassuring indicators Gearbest is not a scam:
- Company founded in 2014 with 10+ year stable operation
- Rights holders and content creators openly partner with Gearbest
- Extensive user generated content shows real customer experiences
- No worrisome review patterns suggest fake reviews/data
- Company based in Shenzhen, global ecommerce hub
While buying across borders inherently raises legitimacy concerns versus domestic businesses, data shows Gearbest complies with required certifications in jurisdictions they sell to regarding data privacy, taxation etc.
No business reaches their scale in ecommerce without occasional issues, but research suggests Gearbest deals honestly with setbacks and prioritizes customer satisfaction through their solutions.
So in summary, while vigilance checking policies never hurts, evidence supports Gearbest as a legitimate company operating safely within international ecommerce compliance standards.
Conclusion
I hope this in-depth Gearbest review provided an unbiased look at unique pros and cons facing consumers around the world considering shopping on this Chinese import platform.
While some downsides exist – chiefly around shipping times and refund processes – Gearbest goes further than peers in product selection while maintaining high standards delivering customer satisfaction.
For shoppers open to buying straight from Chinese factories and warehouses in exchange for unrivaled pricing across an enormous catalog, Gearbest earns a recommendation. Yet everyone must weigh savings advantages versus product origination and customs considerations within their own situation.
With up to 80% discounts achievable on leading Chinese brands like Xiaomi or non branded products from local suppliers, I suggest at minimum cross referencing prices on Gearbest while searching for your next major purchase. You may be shocked seeing identical items costing 2-3x elsewhere!
Have you shopped on Gearbest before? Share your thoughts in comments!
