Amazon sells around 368 million products in the United States alone. You are spoiled for choice. But thank to its smart algorithms, choosing what to buy isn't such a challenge.

Or is it?

There are a few thorny hedges you must cross. There's the cluttered interface to begin with. As soon as you get used to that, the fake reviews distract you from your path. Some practical Amazon shopping extensions make the process easier though, and today we're covering the latest to join the list.

Amazon Sort for Chrome helps you sort search results by number of reviews. Simple but effective!

Average Customer Reviews

You would expect search to be easier with the millions of products in thousands of categories. But shopping on Amazon for the best deal is a mix of art, science, and plain luck. Amazon gives you a few filters to sort through the results and you should use them one after the other to find the right product.

There is the sort by Average Customer Reviews option but it doesn't help when the number of reviews are less. Also, it can be easily doctored with fake reviews -- a persistent problem with online shopping. The more useful Most Reviews option is only available on the Books category.

Amazon - Number of Reviews

The Amazon Sort Chrome extension is an improvement as it sorts the results by the total number of reviews. Install the extension and you can spot a new sort method called Number of Reviews in the dropdown. This extension is the fishing net for huge categories like Cell Phone and Accessories.

So, pick the specific category for the stuff you are searching for. I noticed that using it with All Departments in the search box threw off the extension and it couldn't sort results accurately. Picking a single category brings the right results.

Do You Trust Amazon Reviews?

As a rule, don't trust reviews from websites that sell the item. Google the specific product and find real reviews on unrelated sites. There is a lot that you can do to move beyond online reviews and shop smarter.

But sorting through the results with the most reviews is a wink at the most popular product. Use your sleuthing skills to rummage around the reviews and the web. Then, part with your cash.

Try Amazon Sort for Chrome and tell us if points you in the right direction.