Row highlighting: when bold text works better than a colored background

Highlighting the recommended row is standard practice. How you do it changes the result.

Background color:
— strongest visual signal, works well on desktop where the row is wide;
— on mobile, a filled row can look like a header or a separate block, breaking the table's logic;
— printing and dark mode often mangle it.

Bold text plus a label:
— a small "Editor's pick" tag at the row start, product name in bold, nothing else;
— survives every screen and theme;
— reads as editorial judgment rather than an ad.

Border accent:
— a thick left border in the accent color, subtle but persistent;
— works in tables with many rows where a filled row would look like a mistake.

What to avoid: combining all three. A row with a filled background, bold text, a border, a badge and an animated arrow looks like a sponsored placement, and visitors have learned to skip those.

Pick one method. Keep it consistent across every table on the site.