Independent theme evidence lab
Choose a WordPress theme with the conditions attached. We separate measured lab baselines, repository facts and editorial judgment—so a clean demo never passes for a real-world guarantee.
First dataset published 16 Aug 2026 · Three mobile runs per theme
Shortlist, with caveats
These are editorial starting points. Open a profile to see the measured baseline, dependency warning and who should actually use it.
View evidence → Lean content and business builds
A restrained, modular foundation that gives performance-minded builders a clean starting point without forcing a visual builder.
View evidence → Design control with a block-first workflow
A visually capable block-first theme with polished header, typography and WooCommerce controls before reaching for a full page builder.
View evidence → Polished visual sites and WooCommerce
A modern, feature-rich theme with strong visual defaults and commerce controls. It aims for design range without a heavy legacy feel.
The real problem
A tiny empty shell can top a benchmark and still become a heavy production site. We make the hidden layers visible before you commit.
See what actually makes WordPress slow →Evidence model
Lab and field measurements answer different questions. Vendor and repository facts have different confidence again.
Three fresh Lighthouse mobile runs on the official WordPress.org preview. Useful for a controlled baseline—not a production promise.
Current test setup →CrUX can reveal production experience, but reliably attributing WordPress sites to a theme is difficult. We show “unavailable” instead of guessing.
Why field and lab differ →Version, update date, ratings, install bucket and screenshots come from the public WordPress.org Themes API, with a retrieval date.
Review sources →We interpret workflow, dependencies, visual flexibility and scenario fit. Judgment is clearly labelled and kept out of measured metrics.
Editorial rules →Performance literacy
Five practical guides turn vague promises into checks you can repeat on your own site.