“Real world laboratories” and “sustainable living labs” are increasingly becoming established as new research infrastructures designed to initiate social-ecological transformations. However, it remains to be seen whether they go beyond established research approaches. This lecture will explore how these methods can serve as a reality check for transdisciplinary knowledge and whether they can fulfil the associated expectations. The lecturer will critically and constructively discuss with junior sustainability scholars opportunities and pitfalls in conducting impactful real-world experiments in support of sustainability transformations/transitions.