diff --git a/script/ci-custom.py b/script/ci-custom.py
index 02ec08bc318..4d71df74cfa 100755
--- a/script/ci-custom.py
+++ b/script/ci-custom.py
@@ -837,7 +837,16 @@ def lint_no_std_to_string(fname, match):
         f"{highlight('std::to_string()')} (including unqualified {highlight('to_string()')}) "
         f"allocates heap memory. On long-running embedded devices, repeated heap allocations "
         f"fragment memory over time.\n"
-        f"Please use {highlight('snprintf()')} with a stack buffer instead.\n"
+        f"\n"
+        f"For plain integer formatting, prefer the dedicated helpers in helpers.h over "
+        f"{highlight('snprintf()')} — they avoid pulling in printf formatting code and are "
+        f"smaller and faster:\n"
+        f"  int8_t:                       {highlight('int8_to_str(buf, val)')}      (buf >= 5 bytes)\n"
+        f"  uint8_t/uint16_t/uint32_t:    {highlight('uint32_to_str(buf, val)')}    (buf = UINT32_MAX_STR_SIZE; smaller types auto-widen)\n"
+        f"Example: {highlight('char buf[UINT32_MAX_STR_SIZE]; uint32_to_str(buf, value);')}\n"
+        f"For sensor values, use {highlight('value_accuracy_to_buf()')} from helpers.h.\n"
+        f"\n"
+        f"Otherwise use {highlight('snprintf()')} with a stack buffer.\n"
         f"\n"
         f"Buffer sizes and format specifiers (sizes include sign and null terminator):\n"
         f"  uint8_t:          4 chars   - %u (or PRIu8)\n"
@@ -851,7 +860,6 @@ def lint_no_std_to_string(fname, match):
         f"  float/double:     24 chars  - %.8g (15 digits + sign + decimal + e+XXX)\n"
         f"                    317 chars - %f (for DBL_MAX: 309 int digits + decimal + 6 frac + sign)\n"
         f"\n"
-        f"For sensor values, use value_accuracy_to_buf() from helpers.h.\n"
         f'Example: char buf[11]; snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%" PRIu32, value);\n'
         f"(If strictly necessary, add `{highlight('// NOLINT')}` to the end of the line)"
     )