Easy-care perennials are some of my favourite plants for the garden. It is simply a case of planting once and letting them flourish – ideal when you want a dreamy garden but don't have the time to dedicate hours a week to the task.

The secret to easy-care perennials is finding the right plant for your garden. For example, if you have clay soil, then make sure you stick to the best plants for clay soil; the same applies to sandy soil, full sun or shady spots. Taking the time to read the labels before you get planting will set you up for success.

Looking for inspiration? These are some of our favourite easy-care perennials that you can plant once and enjoy, with next to no additional care or maintenance.

1. Verbena

With its billowing stems and beautiful purple blooms, verbena is always a welcome addition to the garden – something only made better by the fact that it's also an easy-care perennial. Thriving in both pots and borders, Verbena can withstand periods of excess water while also being drought-tolerant – meaning it can cope with a soggy spring and a heatwave in summer.

Plant verbena in full sun (west-facing or south-facing gardens are best) and then let this low-maintenance border plant do its thing.

'Verbena bonariensis usually lives for several years but can succumb to a hard frost. Still, it seeds itself freely, so new plants usually appear to replace any losses,' adds experts from the RHS.

It is worth noting that if you have a shady garden or waterlogged soil, then Verbena may not be the best option, as it needs sun to flower and will rot if left in standing water.

For a budget-friendly garden idea, try growing from seeds – these Thompson & Morgan seeds are available on Amazon.

2. Erigeron karvinskianus

Mexican fleabane is loved for its pretty pink and white daisy-like flowers, and is also a low-maintenance addition to the garden.

Thriving in soils that other plants would struggle in, Mexican fleabane is most at home in dry, poor conditions – making it one of the best drought-tolerant plants for summer – and a welcome addition to coastal gardens. However, if you have wet soils or rich ground, then Mexican Fleabane might be best kept in pots.

If you're specifically looking for an easy-care perennial that will offer plenty of ground cover, the mat-forming Mexican fleabane is a great option – once established, it will help stop weeds from taking over garden beds.

Some varieties of Erigeron are annuals, biennials or short-lived biennials, so be careful which you purchase. Look for Erigeron karvinskianus, available at Crocus as both seeds and established plants.

3. Pansies

Not just hanging basket flowers, pansies are, without a doubt, an easy-care perennial – especially when added to the border. Coming back every year with an abundance of blooms, pansies offer some of the best value for money plants – you can even pick them up in most supermarkets.

‘Pansies are beloved spring classics with their distinctive markings and rich colour palette ranging from deep purples to sunny yellows. Cold-hardy and reliable bloomers, pansies perform beautifully in beds, borders, and containers while requiring only basic watering and occasional deadheading for continuous flowers,' says Julian Palphramand, Head of Plants at British Garden Centres.

While Julian recommends deadheading for continuous flowers, it isn't essential – you'll just get slightly fewer blooms.

These jumbo flowering pansies have great reviews on Amazon – or for something more unusual Crocus stocks these Frizzle Sizzle Burgundy pansies which have pretty frilled petals.

4. Sedum

Growing sedums is the textbook choice for perennials that thrive on neglect, and stonecrop is a brilliant choice. One of the larger sedums, this shrub-like plant grows up to 40 cm tall with a 60cm spread, and produces vibrant pink umbellifer flowers in summer that last well into autumn. Leave the seedheads intact after flowering for winter interest – then cut the flower stems back to ground level in early spring.

Happily growing in most conditions – they particularly thrive in drier soils, making them a great choice if you're looking for easy-care perennials that will survive a heat wave.

Autumn Joy is a particularly popular variety – available at B&Q.

5. Cornus

A winter garden staple, Cornus, also known as dogwood, is one of the easiest shrubs to grow – after all, it's seen thriving in borders on industrial estates or alongside supermarkets.

Dogwood can be planted at any time of year (though autumn is best) and is one of the shrubs that thrives in wet soil – meaning if you have clay soil or a damp garden, then dogwood is a great option.

The only real maintenance – other than occasionally watering during prolonged hot and dry spells – is pruning dogwoods. However, it isn't as daunting as it first appears; it is simply a case of either thinning the stems once a year or pruning back to ground level every two years – it's nearly impossible to get it wrong.

There are lots of different colours of Cornus available. My favourite is Cornus alba Sibirica Varigata – available at Gardening Express – which has the iconic red stems and beautifully variegated leaves during spring and summer.

6. Primroses

Found in woods, hedgerows, grass verges, and even in the cracks in the pavement, perennials don't get more hands-off than primroses.

'These are iconic spring bloomers that thrive in cool temperatures and partial shade, making them perfect for early planting. Their vivid colours beautifully adorn beds, containers, hanging baskets, and troughs. Low maintenance and requiring only water and well-drained soil, primroses truly shine in spring when clustered together for a visually striking spring display,' says Julian Palphramand, Head of Plants at British Garden Centres.

There is a colour combination available for every style of garden from bright whites and yellows to moodier reds and purples – Suttons stocks a wide variety.

Alongside planting easy-care perennials, consider installing an irrigation system or using Ollas to make watering and care super easy in the summer months.

If you’re thinking about making the switch to a robot lawn mower, it can be difficult to know where to start. Leading garden machinery brands are releasing more models than ever, so it’s tricky to track down the very best robot lawn mowers on the market.

I’ve seen robot mower popularity soar over the past few years, and I was asking all of the usual questions: What are robot lawn mowers? How do they work? Are they actually worth it? I’d learned plenty about robot lawn mowers on press trips last year, but I'd yet to get some hands-on experience in my own garden.

That’s why I set out to test some of the best robot lawn mowers on the market myself. I wasn’t sure they’d compete with the best lawn mowers, but oh boy, was I wrong.

The robot mowers in this guide blew me away. Below, you’ll find my notes on setup, ease of use, performance and design to help you choose the right robot lawn mower for you, your budget and your garden. It’s a very dynamic list – I’ll be updating it as I test more machines over the course of the year (Husqvarna is on the way!) – but these are the robot lawn mowers I rate highest right now.

Quick list

The best robot lawn mowers I've tried and tested

Best premium robot lawn mower

Since Eufy tops our guide of the best robot vacuum cleaners, I had to give its garden counterpart, the Eufy E15 Robot Lawn Mower, a whirl.

It didn’t disappoint – I unboxed a solid machine with ultra-smart tech that provided a neat, intuitive cut. It's certainly on the pricier end, coming in at RRP £1499 (although I’ve seen a few good deals recently!) – but if you’re out to find one of the best robot lawn mowers on the market and want to invest in a premium model, this one stands as my current favourite.

Setup was simple: once I’d connected the garage roof to the base station (with just four screws!) and the charging station to the mains, I downloaded the Eufy app, made an account and connected my mower to the Wi-Fi. Once I’d charged the mower and completed the software update in-app, I simply had to click ‘Start’ to get the mower to map my lawn.

Mapping was great fun. I watched, wide-eyed, as the mower backed itself out of its charging port and onto my grass (it was like watching one of those space robots exploring Mars for the first time). The Eufy E15 uses pure vision FSD technology with high-precision cameras and intelligent AI algorithms for accurate mapping and obstacle avoidance via Wi-Fi or 4G, with no need for boundary wires or an RTK station like older robot mowers. On the app, I could see a map of my lawn taking shape with every square metre the Eufy E15 covered.

Stepping stones splice the right-hand side of my lawn, and I wasn't convinced the mower would manage to map around them – but sure enough, eight tiny blobs appeared in a neat line on the green map on the app. All in all, it took about nine minutes for the Eufy E15 to map my lawn, which was really impressive. What made me really giggle like a child, though, was the fact that it returned to its garage when it was finished.

Once mapped, I started the first mow. The cut itself was smooth and methodical, providing an even finish across the main body of my lawn. The Eufy E15 actually gave my lawn its first cut of the year, which meant it had to tackle long grass – and because the maximum cutting height is 75mm, it tackled my 70mm-long grass with ease.

It didn’t quite reach the very outer edges of my lawn, though (but that’s often the case with regular lawn mowers, too, where you have to go back and straighten your lawn edges manually). It also missed some of the grass around my stepping stones on its first cut – but I then found a handy setting to toggle the edge cutting distance in the app, and the ability to set priority cut areas that the mower must mow, which covered most of the missed areas.

The only downside was the size and weight of the unit, which meant the accompanying garage was large, too. You’ll need a fair amount of space (72.7 x 48 x 45.2 cm) for it – and the box that the Eufy E15 and its accompanying base station came in was huge, too (and heavy enough to be a two-person job). It's also louder than other robot mowers I've tried – though still a lot quieter than regular electric and petrol lawn mowers.

Overall, the Eufy E15 Robot Lawn Mower was staggeringly impressive, with smart driving, responsive object avoidance and an even cut across my lawn. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a sturdy robot mower that's as fun as it is capable.

Best robot lawn mower for efficiency

I’ve heard nothing but good things about Mammotion – it's celebrated as the manufacturer of some of the best robot lawn mowers on the market – so when I had the chance to test the Mammotion YUKA Mini 2 1000 Robot Lawn Mower, I took it.

What I loved most about the Mammotion YUKA Mini 2 1000 was its efficiency. The mower mapped my lawn a lot faster than the Eufy E15, in just three minutes. The speed at which it charged around my lawn actually made me chuckle – it was definitely on a mission.

The setup was simple. Once I connected the charging station to power, app setup was just as straightforward as it was with the Eufy E15. In fact, I found the Mammotion app to be even more informative, with each step explained thoroughly as you get started.

The cut itself was breathtaking. The Mammotion YUKA Mini 2 1000 effortlessly striped my lawn (albeit with thin stripes, owing to the robot mower’s smaller size), and gave my grass an even finish at the desired cutting height (in this case, 50mm). You have to toggle the cutting height using the dial on the machine itself, rather than in the app, prior to starting the mow.

Like the Eufy E15, the Mammotion YUKA Mini 2 1000 did miss parts of the grass around my stepping stones, as well as the outer perimeter of my lawn – but I’ve yet to try a robot lawn mower that gets it just right (and that’s where a cordless strimmer comes in handy!). There is the option to drive the mower around your lawn manually, though, which you control from your phone (it’s a bit like playing a video game), and I found that better for tackling the grass that lines my garden border. I just had to be careful that I didn’t accidentally drive the mower into my plants!

Obstacle avoidance was also really strong with the Mammotion YUKA Mini 2 1000. The mower uses a 360 LiDAR and Dual-Camera AI Vision (1080P), and every time I stood in front of the machine or threw small objects like my cap in front of it, the mower would stop at a moment’s notice, back up and continue away from the obstacle, which means it’s great for lawns with pets, toys and wildlife.

If you're looking for an efficient robot mower that's brilliant at its job yet perfect for beginners, this is the one to go for.

You can take £50 off the Mammotion YUKA Mini 2 1000 when you buy it from Mower Magic using this link.

Best quiet robot lawn mower

Best quiet robot lawn mower

Now, the Segway Naivmow i208 LiDAR Robot Lawn Mower isn’t actually the quietest robot mower on this list on paper, but bizarrely, it sounded quieter than the Eufy E15 during testing. Granted, the Bosch VISIMOW is still the quietest in this guide – but the Navimow i208 takes the top spot for the quietest mower with the best cutting ability and features.

At 59dB, the Navimow i208 was so whisper-quiet, I forgot it was even on. The tougher grass it mowed made more noise than the machine itself, and it didn’t make noticeable whirring sounds during manoeuvres like the Eufy E15. It also has the widest cutting width (22cm) of all the robot mowers in this guide, which means it covers larger areas of grass at a time.

The cutting-edge technology (pardon the pun) is also something to shout about – LiDAR and onboard vision sensors pave the way for satellite-free navigation and, impressively, enable it to work day or night.

Setup was simple: first, I set up the charging station (you’ll need to fix it to the ground with the included screws), and then installed the Navimow app on my phone. The in-app setup instructions are really easy to understand, which made the whole process a breeze. I had to wait for the software to update, and then it was onto mapping.

You can either manually map your lawn (recommended for unclear or uneven lawn edges) or select auto-mapping, which I did, given my lawn is relatively flat and clearly defined. What’s different about Navimow’s auto-mapping process, though, is that you have to remotely control the mower to the nearest lawn to get started. That’s because there’s the option to map multiple lawns, or ‘zones’ – but given that I only have one lawn, I simply had to mark the first zone via the app and then initiate auto-mapping.

Mapping was remarkably speedy – the quickest of all the robot mowers I’ve tried – taking just two minutes (!) to map my 529ft2 lawn. It was really intuitive, intelligently skirting the perimeter of my lawn and even the tiny area in front of the shed (which I expected it to miss).

Then, it was time to start mowing. It took 23 minutes for the Navimow i208 to mow my lawn (as you can probably tell from the images above, it was suffering a great deal of post-heatwave dryness and patchiness!), and it did a brilliant job of giving it a clean, thorough cut. It even mowed over some of the weeds in my lawn, and didn’t miss any patches at all (save the outer edges, of course). When it did miss a tiny sliver on the map, it actually went back for it at the end!

Obstacle avoidance also got my seal of approval. AI VisionFence and GeoSketch Precision can detect over 200 obstacles within 1cm of accuracy, and the mower did indeed stop at a moment's notice when small and medium-sized objects were thrown in front of it.

The only thing to watch out for with the Navimow i208 is its weight – at 14.7kg, it’s a few kilos heavier than the other robot mowers in this guide, so I did find it more difficult to lift out of the box and push onto the charging station.

But, for a wider cutting width, impressive power, low noise level and a competitive price tag for a robot mower of its level, features and capabilities, it’s one of the very best robot lawn mowers I’ve tested.

Best budget robot lawn mower

The Bosch VISIMOW is by far the most straightforward, no-nonsense robot lawn mower I’ve tested. It provides an intuitive, even cut, and boasts an easy three-button setup, which makes it the best robot lawn mower for gardeners on a budget or who are completely new to robot mowing.

The mower uses a SmartVision camera with AI SpotMow, which allows it to locate exactly where your grass needs cutting. When I first set the mower off (it was literally a case of putting the battery in the machine and pressing three buttons), I was a little unsure of its random mowing pattern – it didn’t follow a methodical length-to-length approach like the other robot lawn mowers I’ve tested – but that’s exactly how SmartVision works. It travels around a lawn based on what it sees in front of it, monitoring for uncut grass, and it did a fantastic job of cutting my grass to a height of 40mm. It actually gave my lawn one of the neatest finishes I’ve seen with a robot lawn mower.

Stripes aside, of course – the random mowing pattern does mean that it won’t stripe your lawn like the Mammotion YUKA Mini 800, but if you’re willing to forgo the look, the VISIMOW’s thorough cut makes up for it.

It’s also smaller than the other robot lawn mowers I’ve tested, which means it’s easier to store, and it has a convenient handle for carrying, too. Plus, you don’t have to worry about fixing a charging station into the ground, since it's battery powered. The battery sometimes comes as a bundle with the mower itself (or you can buy it separately – the battery powers a range of other power tools, too).

The Bosch VISIMOW doesn’t fall short on cutting heights, either – it covers a 20-60mm range, which is impressive for such a compact robot mower.

Obstacle avoidance wasn’t quite as strong with the VISIMOW – it would sometimes ‘boop’ the objects I placed in front of it last-minute before stopping. It never ran over them, though, so it was still pretty responsive.

The VISIMOW also cut my lawn at a much slower pace than the other robot lawn mowers I’ve tested – it took around an hour in total - but as the mower is suited to small gardens up to 100m² and it’s on the cheaper side, I’d say it’s a fair compromise. It also isn't accompanied by an app like the other robot lawn mowers on this list are, but for some, that takes away some of the fuss.

For those with a small garden looking for a quick, simple setup and an even cut, the Bosch VISIMOW is the best budget robot lawn mower I've tried.

Read my Bosch VISIMOW18V-100 Robot Lawn Mower review for the full details.

How I tested

If you're wondering how we test robot lawn mowers at Ideal Home, the process is a thorough one – we put each machine through its paces, testing performance, ease of use, design and additional features, too.

I've tested each of the robot lawn mowers in this guide in my own 38m² garden, with a focus on the following areas:

• Unboxing: How protective and sustainable the packaging is, and how easy the boxed mower is to transport and unpack.
• Setup: How easy it is to connect the cables (or fit the battery), and how straightforward wi-fi and app connectivity is.
• Mapping: For models that map a lawn prior to mowing, how fast the process is and the accuracy of the final map.
• Performance: The precision of the robot's mowing ability and the final finish of the lawn. Where patches were missed, I finetuned the settings and evaluated the success of the second attempt. I also introduced a number of objects to the mower's path to assess its object avoidance skills.
• Maintenance: How easy it is to clean the robot lawn mowers after use, as well as ongoing maintenance such as software updates.

How robot lawn mowers work

Robot lawn mowers have evolved rapidly over the last five years, with technology shifting toward boundary wire-free installation.

When robot lawn mowers first entered the market, they required a boundary wire, which needed to be dug into the perimeter of the lawn so that the mower stayed within its bounds. That was quite a big deterrent for me and plenty of other gardeners I've spoken to – but in recent years, wireless robot lawn mowers have become mainstream.

For this guide, and for the convenience of you, the reader, I've only tested robot lawn mowers that don't require a boundary wire. Instead, these newer models rely on smart AI-assisted cameras to detect their surroundings and obstacles – sometimes using a random mowing pattern, like the Bosch VISIMOW or, in smarter machines, mapping the lawn via GPS.

It's this map that provides the robot mower with the information it needs to stay within your lawn's boundaries. An accompanying app allows you to view the map, start and schedule mows, toggle cutting settings and even designate specific mowing areas for some models.

The beauty of robot mowers with charging stations is that they work in the background, cutting grass little and often to maintain a neat appearance without you lifting a finger beyond initial setup, cleaning and occasional maintenance. For battery-operated robot mowers, you'll just need to remember to charge the battery.

That's my roundup of the best robot lawn mowers I've tested so far, but I'll be updating this guide as I try out more machines over the coming months. There were a few things I wish I knew before trying robot lawn mowers, so it's been a real learning curve!

Aeropress coffee is a cafe classic. For nearly two decades, these clever contraptions have made strong, smooth coffee for a fraction of the price and hassle of espresso machines, moka pots, and other coffee machines.

But if you aren't a coffee obsessive it can be tricky to work out which model is best for a Christmas gift. It's not clear from the marketing if there's much of a difference between the Original and the Premium models, nor if there's any anything particularly special about the travel version.

To find out, I put the three bestselling Aeropress models to the test for weeks to work out which makes the best Christmas gift.

I found that the Premium model looks great, but there's no difference in coffee quality between it and the Original. While the travel model is fun to take with you on a hike, it's just as easy to carry the original Aeropress.

In short, I think the Aeropress Original (£39.99 via Amazon) is easily the best option for a Christmas present. It makes exceptional coffee and it usually costs under £40, so it's a perfect gift for any coffee lover.

The quick list

What is an Aeropress?

Invented in the early 2000s, an Aeropress offers a unique style of coffee. You quickly brew coffee in its chamber, then use a plunger and air pressure to force hot water and air through the coffee grounds.

It combines the steeping process of filter, pour-over or French press coffee with some of the pressurisation of a moka pot and espresso.

The idea is that this makes fast, rich coffee. It lacks the bitterness or sourness of some espressos, but it's not as watery as coffee from one of the best filter machines.

Which Aeropress should I buy?

1. Aeropress Original coffee maker

This Aeropress makes laughably good coffee for the price. The marketing copy on the box says it’s ‘Full bodied like a French press, Smooth like a Pour-Over, Rich like Espresso’, which I was very skeptical about but it’s sort of true.

It’s probably closest to pour over or filter but it doesn’t have the watery weakness of these coffees. Instead, it brings a strong, rich flavour. Unlike most coffee steeped in hot water there were no grounds or grittiness either.

The coffee is exceptional for the price. It's one one of the few coffee makers I’ve reviewed where I made another coffee simply for the taste, not to test. Steeping the coffee for a minute longer than Aereopress recommend made a much stronger, richer coffee, which I liked even more.

A great thing about the Aeropress is its simplicity. Put a filter paper in the filter cap, lock the filter cap into the chamber, put that over the mug, add water, stir, wait, then press down. It's simple, fast, and no louder than boiling a kettle, so you can make one of these without waking the whole house.

The inversion method is even easier – just flip it upside down to add the coffee and the water, which skips the faff of quickly stirring and adding the plunger to create the seal.

It's really simple to clean, too. When you're done, push the plunger through the chamber and pop all the coffee out into the bin, then rinse everything under the tap.

A very minor issue is that this obviously has no way to steam milk, so cappuccinos are out of the question. It also won't work if the person you're giving this to someone who loves espresso, because the coffee isn't true espresso. It’s nothing like espresso or or moka pot coffee, so don’t buy it expecting to pull perfect espresso shots. The paper filters will be an ongoing expense too, though the company sells metal filters at Aeropress.co.uk.

Another issue is that it only makes one cup at a time. This is perfect for me, because my partner doesn't drink coffee, but anyone wanting to show off their coffee skills may find it a little frustrating.

The best news – this is the best option for most people. I tried the Aeropress Premium below and liked it, but there is no difference between the coffee quality. You can buy a present that makes excellent coffee for £40 instead. So if you know a coffee obsessive that doesn't have an Aeropress already, this is an excellent gift.

2. Aeropress Go coffee maker

The Aeropress Go, unsurprisingly, is designed for travel. 100ml smaller than the Original and Premium models, it cleverly packs a folding stirrer and coffee scoop into its chamber. It also includes a handy snap case for paper filters, and it comes with a lid.

To test it out, I took it on a 20k walk around Richmond Park to se if it was easy to use on the go. In the wild you'd probably use a camp stove to boil water for the chamber but I just took some boiling water in a travel flask.

I was really impressed. The scoop is just the right size for the chamber, so it's easy to add coffee, and the folding stirrer was also effective. I could put the scoop and stirrer into the lid to keep them from getting muddy on the ground, and it was just as simple to add the water and press down.

The coffee was great, almost as good as the original, and it was great to sit for a minute by a pond and enjoy some freshly brewed coffee. There was a slight flavour difference from the Original and Premium models, but I'm almost certain this was because the boiling water in the flask was cooler than the water I'd been using from my kitchen kettle. The friend I was walking with loved the coffee; he called it a 'rich' and 'clean' coffee flavour without any grittiness or sourness.

Of course, it's a little gimmicky. If you're taking coffee on a walk it's much simpler to make it before and keep it in a travel flask. But it could be great for taking camping; it's lighter and takes up less room than a French press or moka pot, which you can also use on the go.

However, the cup included in this Aeropress means that it's actually heavier than the original Aeropress, so some ultralight campers might prefer to stick to the Aeropress Original and take their favourite travel mug with them to save on the weight. I think this is a great option for taking on hikes or camping, but if you want an Aeropress to take with you on work trips, it's just as easy to pack an original Aeropress, which is usually cheaper. This makes a great gift for anyone who loves to camp, but in most cases the Original is a better option.

3. Aeropress Premium

No prizes for guessing the point of the Aeropress Premium. This model swaps out the polypropylene plastic of the original for stainless steel, aluminium, and a dual wall glass chamber. Everything about it steps up the design of the original. Even the packaging is fancier than the regular Aeropress, filled with foam to stop the glass from breaking, and the box even has a magnetic opening.

The material swap makes for a much chunkier product than the Original. The original weighs in at 255g, and this weighs 891g. At nearly a kilo, it feels a lot more substantial than the original.

However, it makes identical coffee to the original. I thought the sleeker materials might make a difference, but they don't. It costs £130 more, but that price only covers slightly better looking materials. At first glance you might think that it's non-toxic, because it doesn't contain plastic, but the plunger end is rubber, so it's not truly plastic-free.

The materials look great, but they come with a few drawbacks. The metal filter conducts heat, so you have to be careful not to burn yourself when cleaning up after a cup. While it's interesting to watch the coffee steep through the glass, this picks up fingerprints, and it's not as easy to clean as the plastic Original, even if only by a matter of seconds.

On top of that, one of the joys of the Original is that it's light and small. You can throw it in a drawer or chuck it in a bag to take with you on trips, which isn't very practical with the Premium.

I think this is a great gift if you know someone who already loves Aeropress and fancies something that looks a little nicer. This is a great present for anyone who might find the plasticky Aeropress Original out of keeping with their kitchen design. It makes just as good coffee as the original, but it's probably not worth the £130 price jump from the classic Aeropress above.

With my thoughts after trying and testing these picks, hopefully lining up a present for the coffee obsessed in your life just got a little bit easier.

Demand for hands-free cleaning is on the rise, and the best robot vacuum cleaners and robot mop combos are becoming increasingly popular. And while years ago I shrugged them off as a gimmick, I'm now a fully-fledged convert who can't get enough of them.

However, as Ideal Home's Certified Expert in Vacuums, I understand that buying a robot vacuum cleaner isn't the same as buying one of the best vacuums or even one of the best vacuum mops. For many people, these modern, robotic inventions are still a confusing unknown - which is where I come in.

Myself and my team of testers have spent hundreds of hours testing the best robot vacuum cleaners out there, assessing everything from ease of use, navigation skills, overall cleaning power, obstacle avoidance and more to break down the jargon and help you choose the best option for you and your home. These are my top picks.

Quick list

Short on time but still want to choose the best robot vacuum cleaner? This quick list will give you a brief overview of each of my top-rated models, with more information just a scroll away.

The best robot vacuum cleaners and mops I've tried and tested

Best robot vacuum cleaner overall

The Eufy Robot Vacuum Omni E25 seriously impressed me during testing. As such, it's since become the model I use every day in my own home. This is largely due to the 20,000 Pascals (Pa) of suction power, which is well above the industry average of 2,000 - 6,000Pa. In fact, the only robot vacuum we've tested that has surpassed this power is the Dyson 360 Vis Nav, which has a suction power of 22,000Pa.

However, the Eufy E25 isn't just a stand-alone robot vacuum cleaner like the Dyson. It's also a robot vacuum mop, featuring an effective rotating mop roller that provides impressive and hygienic cleaning of hard floors throughout the home.

The dual water tanks (clean and dirty) also ensure that you're only ever cleaning with fresh, clean water, and the 3L dust bag - which you'll need to buy replacements of, sadly - can hold up to 75 days’ worth of debris. Additionally, the docking station utilises heated air to dry the roller mop after use, preventing odour or bacterial build-up. As a result, maintenance is minimal, contributing to the hands-off nature of the robot vacuum cleaner and mop.

And while it's not the cheapest robot vacuum cleaner and mop on this list, it's also nowhere near the most expensive. In fact, for such a well-rounded model, I think it's an extremely affordable price and well worth the investment. But if it's still too much of an investment for you, we have recently tested a new, cheaper Eufy robot vacuum - the Omni C28. It's not as powerful or as effective, but it is more affordable.

Read my full Eufy Robot Vacuum Omni E25 review for more details

Best budget robot vacuum cleaner

If you're looking for an affordable robot vacuum cleaner, the Hoover HG2 Turbo Slim Hydro Robot Vacuum Cleaner should tick all of your boxes. While I wouldn't recommend it for those who have bought robot vacuum cleaners in the past (although I do think it would make a great second robot vacuum), it's the ideal entry-level model for those looking to dip their toes into the water.

During testing, the 6,000Pa of suction power was more than enough to tackle both the hard flooring and the carpets in my home, and it passed my debris testing assessments with flying colours. Of course, it's never going to be as effective as a robot vacuum with higher suction power, but I found it ideal for quick in-between cleans when I didn't want to use my regular vacuum cleaner or when I was out of the house.

With such an affordable robot vacuum cleaner, though, you're always going to have to make some sacrifices. And while I'm not overly messy or have kids throwing their toys all over the floor, I still found that the Hoover HG2 struggled with the obstacles in my home. Naturally, the buffer bar took most of the hits, but this is something to consider if you have a busy home.

I also found that the navigation system was a bit more higgledy-piggledy than the likes of the Roborock QV 35S Robot Vacuum With Mop - but, ultimately, you can't really expect too much with the super affordable £270 price point.

Read my full Hoover HG2 Turbo Slim Hydro Robot Vacuum Cleaner review for more details

Best robot vacuum for mopping

If you have a mix of hard flooring and carpets in your home and want to ensure a thorough clean, the Roborock Saros 20 is definitely a contender. Like the previous Roborock model that held this spot - the Roborock QV 35S - it offers exceptional mopping thanks to the rotating mop pads.

However, this model is definitely a step up from the QV 35S, as it also offers 36,000Pa of suction power, which is almost double that of the Eufy Omni E25. And this cleaning power proved its worth during testing, tackling everything from smaller debris to larger pet hair with ease.

The navigation system of this particular robot vacuum cleaner was also excellent, offering clear, confident cleaning lines that are a credit to the smart technology and features that this model offers - and that's before I mention the AdaptiLift Chassis that allows it to tackle higher thresholds than any other robot vacuum cleaner on this list.

The hands-off dock also charges, empties, refills, and dries all of the relevant components, so it's always ready to go again. But it's not without its challenges. That's because Roborock robot vacuums aren't for the faint-hearted and will generally suit those already au fait with these appliances. The app and cleaning options in particular were incredibly overwhelming and might be overkill for the everyday user.

Nevertheless, I can't deny that the Roborock Saros 20 left my floors significantly cleaner than they were before. And I have to say that I love the look of the docking station, and loved having it in my home.

Read my full Roborock Saros 20 Robot Vacuum With Mop review for more details

Best robot vacuum cleaner for everyday use

I'm a huge fan of the best Shark vacuum cleaners, and the Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal 2-in-1 Vac & Mop Robot Vacuum is another model to add to that list. It's even better than the Shark PowerDetect NeverTouch Robot Vacuum and Mop I first tested last year.

Not only is this Shark’s first robot with UV light to reveal invisible messes, but it will then clean those invisible messes with the HyperSonic Mopping - and it's very illuminating (in more ways than one). When I tested this model for the first time, its UV technology found four stains that weren't visible to the eye, and I had absolutely no idea that they were there.

Because of this, the Shark UV reveal offers a confident clean - especially when you add on the 8 PowerDetect technologies that allow it to detect floor type and debris, automatically pick up the mop pad, detect objects and more. And during the debris and wet debris tests, it performed excellently and removed everything in just 1-2 passes.

However, my favourite thing about this model is just how easy it is to use - and this is true for all of Shark's robot vacuums. The app couldn't be simpler, and even the bot and dock have instructions on them, so it's quite literally impossible to go wrong.

Just be warned that this Shark robot vacuum cleaner doesn't support multi-floor mapping, so you'll only be able to save one map (either upstairs or downstairs). If you want to clean both, or more, floors, you'll need to either buy another robot vacuum or just let it loose without any map or structure to follow.

Read my full Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal 2-in-1 Vac & Mop Robot Vacuum review for more details.

Best robot vacuum cleaner for spot cleaning

It's been a few years since Dyson first launched their older robot vacuum cleaner, the 360 Vis Nav - and it's fair to say that this new model is a huge improvement. Not only does this new robot vacuum now offer mopping functionalities, but it's also equipped with advanced AI technology to aid cleaning and navigation.

This model is currently being tested by our Senior Digital Editor, Jenny, in her busy family home - and she's been impressed by its cleaning ability, especially when it comes to stubborn stains. She says, 'What stood out for me with the Dyson Spot + Scrub AI is that it actually scrubs my floors properly rather than just giving them a once-over, using its wet-roller to go back over tougher marks until they're virtually gone (bar a few more stubborn marks).'

The 18,000Pa of suction power puts it almost at the same level as our top-rated model, the Eufy Omni E25, and Jenny has found that it can easily pick up everyday crumbs and debris in a single pass. Plus, the obstacle avoidance has been able to detect (and traverse) the toys and everyday objects in its path.

However, the Dyson Spot+Scrub isn't perfect. It's at the seriously expensive end of the spectrum, and it'll primarily suit larger homes due to the fact that both bot itself and the docking station are extremely big and bulky.

Jenny has also noted that the app can be a little buggy and difficult to use, so if you definitely need an easy-to-use robot vacuum, I'd suggest opting for the Shark PowerDetect NeverChange model instead as it's a doddle to navigate.

Our full Dyson Spot+Scrub AI Robot Vacuum Cleaner review will be coming soon.

Best robot vacuum cleaner for obstacle avoidance

This Samsung robot vacuum cleaner and mop was tested by our tester, Rebecca, a mum of three young children who was eager to see how it would cope with random toys, spare shoes and the everyday chaos of a busy family home. Her take? The AI object detection makes it perfect for obstacle avoidance, which means she doesn't have to tidy up before setting it up to clean.

In terms of power, it has a slightly higher Pa than the Hoover HG2, and Rebecca found the 6,000Pa and the mopping ability to be more than enough to tackle her home. She also appreciated that the 180-minute run time let her clean her entire house in one fell swoop.

The docking station is also decked out with steam power, which means it automatically washes the mop at a high temperature with steam and water to clean any nasties and prevent any bacteria build-up in her family home. Just be warned that this cleaning cycle does take a long time.

This robot vacuum cleaner and mop is also on the expensive end of the spectrum and is extremely big and heavy, so I think it would suit bigger family homes that not only have the space to store it, but would also appreciate such impressive obstacle avoidance.

Read our full Samsung Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI+ 3-in-1 Robot Vacuum Cleaner review for more details

Robot vacuum comparison at a glance

Best of the rest

The Ideal Home team and I have tested countless robot vacuum cleaners and robot vacuum cleaners and mops. So, if one of the options above doesn't quite meet your criteria, these are some other options I'd recommend.

How I tested

We take how we test at Ideal Home very seriously, which is why all of the best robot vacuum cleaners and robot vacuum mops on this list have been through a rigorous testing process before being included.

In the case of this guide, the majority of them were tested by me, Ideal Home's Certified Expert in Vacuums, but some were also tested by my wider testing team. In each case, we focused on assessing the following features:

Unboxing and setting up to assess the eco-friendliness of the packaging, the weight of the box (and its manageability for one person to carry), and the assembly of the robot vacuum cleaner itself. We also ensure that we dissect how easy or hard it is to connect the robot vacuum to the app and perform the initial mapping process.

Ease of use to see what features the robot vacuum cleaner app provides. In most cases, you should be able to customise the cleaning functionalities, set cleaning schedules, and keep an eye on maintenance. Where the app seems complicated, we will explain in detail our issues or concerns. We will also state whether we encountered any bugs.

Performance to assess the pickup power of the robot vacuum, and the mopping power of the best robot vacuum mops. During this stage, we take a look at how it performs during everyday cleaning and through specific debris testing - the same as how we test vacuum cleaners. We also perform an obstacle test, which determines how well the robot vacuum cleaner deals with obstacles in its path, like a dumbbell or a shoe. If it struggles to detect them and bumps into them, they are marked down. Ideally, they should avoid them altogether - as shown below.

Cleaning and maintenance to determine how much hands-on attention the robot vacuum requires. We assess how big the dust capacity is, whether it's bagged or not, and how easy it is to clean.

Online ratings help us understand how other customers feel about the product. If we encounter problems that other customers have, we can determine that there's a genuine issue with the model that may affect the buying decision.

Comparisons with similar models allow us to come to a final star rating, as we can compare them by their price, suction power, ease of use and overall performance. If we feel like another model is better, we will always share this.

How to choose a robot vacuum cleaner

If you're looking to buy a robot vacuum cleaner - whether it be your first one or a replacement for an old one - there are some things to consider first. This includes:

• Robot vacuum vs. robot vacuum mop combo: If you have a mixture of hard flooring and carpets, opting for a robot vacuum cleaner that also mops is well worth the investment. However, it may not be worth it if you largely have carpets and rugs in your home.
• Suction power: Although the average robot vacuum suction power of around 6,000Pa should be more than enough for quick, everyday cleaning, many modern robot vacuum cleaners and mops can offer up to (and sometimes more than) 20,000Pa. These generally come with a higher price tag, but are well worth it if you have a high-traffic house or want to ensure a deep clean.
• Docking station vs. no docking station: Nowadays, many of the best robot vacuums come with docking stations that automatically empty the appliance as soon as it's finished. For robot vacuum mops, it'll likely auto-fill the water and dry the mop out afterwards. This can be extremely handy for hands-free cleaning. However, docking stations do take up a lot of space and can be extremely heavy, so you need to be sure that you have room in your house.

• Multi-floor mapping: While some robot vacuums only allow you to save one map of your home (which is ideal for flats and bungalows but not for larger homes), others let you save multiple maps for multiple rooms and floors. It's worth weighing up how many you'll need before purchasing a robot vacuum.
• Cleaning and app functionalities: Robot vacuums are controlled by apps, which allow you to customise your cleaning settings. It's worth assessing your home environment and figuring out what's important to you. Do you share a home with pets and value suction power and anti-tangle technology? Do you have a busy family home and require better obstacle avoidance? Look at the specs of each model and read write-ups to determine who the model is aimed towards.

FAQs

• The quality of robot vacuum cleaner you buy. Expensive models from established brands should last longer, while cheaper models from less-established brands will normally not last as long.
• How often you use it. If you use your robot vacuum cleaner multiple times a day in high-traffic areas, you'll find that it won't last as long as someone else who uses it every other day in a quiet home.
• How well you take care of it. If you don't regularly empty your robot vacuum cleaner, clean the filter or follow the other cleaning and maintenance requirements, you'll find that the life expectancy will drop and it may keep stopping during use.

It's almost spring, and there's no better time than the present to refresh your garden tool collection. To help you do that, I've tracked down the best secateurs on the market right now.

I sampled secateurs from a range of trusted garden tool brands like WOLF-Garten and Wilkinson Sword to pin down winners for green stems, woody stems, small hands and more. You'll find all of my notes below – I’ll be talking about how easy each pair of secateurs is to use, what they feel like in action, and, of course, their design.

We've also lined up a list of the best lawn mowers on the market right now, if you're starting to think about lawn care – and a guide on the best pressure washers, too, if patio maintenance is on your radar this month.

Best secateurs

How we tested these secateurs

These secateurs were tested by Ideal Home's Gardens Editor, Sophie King, in her Essex garden. The secateurs were assessed for comfort, ease of use, cutting ability, materials and design.

How do I choose the best secateurs?

Secateurs aren’t a one-size-fits-all kind of tool – there are several different types, and the best secateurs for the job will depend on what you’re pruning, and whether you'll be tackling green stems or tougher, woodier growth.

To help you make the right choice, I’ve broken down the three main types: bypass, anvil and ratchet secateurs.

1. Bypass secateurs

My favourite analogy for bypass secateurs is that they work like a pair of scissors. The two blades glide past each other to provide a sharp, clean cut.

They're better suited to softer green and live stems because they crush them far less than their anvil counterparts – and because they’re so precise, they’re often used to deadhead flowering plants, too. Generally, they can cut through stems up to 15mm thick, but it depends on the model you choose.

You can even buy electric secateurs like the VonHaus Cordless Garden Secateurs from Amazon, which work like bypass secateurs with a whole lot less effort from you. I’ll be testing some of those for this guide over the coming months.

2. Anvil secateurs

Anvil secateurs work more like a knife on a chopping board – one blade cuts into the anvil block, which is better able to support thicker plant material.

Anvil secateurs are perfect for cutting through tougher, woodier stems and dead branches, but they can crush and bruise green stems (that’s why it’s best to reserve live, soft growth for bypass secateurs). For dry, woody stems, though, anvil secateurs are ideal, and they can usually handle stems between 15mm and 25mm thick, depending on the model.

3. Ratchet secateurs

If you’re looking for wrist and hand support when it comes to pruning tougher plant material, ratchet models are the best secateurs to go for. They really take the effort out of pruning woody stems – and if you’ve got a really thick stem to cut through, the beauty of ratchet secateurs is that they essentially ‘lock’ the blade into place, so you can release your grip and then re-squeeze the handles to continue cutting where you left off.

They can generally handle stems up to 25mm thick – beyond that, you’d need to use a pruning saw.

Ratchet secateurs are a brilliant choice for gardeners with mobility needs or weaker hand strength, but like anvil secateurs, they shouldn’t be used on live green stems.

FAQs

Is it worth sharpening secateurs?

It’s always worth learning how to sharpen secateurs. Blunt blades can make clumsy, unclean cuts on stems and even bruise them, damaging the plant more than necessary. Sharper blades also mean better precision, especially on bypass secateurs, whose middle name is accuracy.

It’s crucial that you know how to clean your garden tools properly between pruning sessions, too, so that you don’t spread diseases between plants.

How long do secateurs typically last?

Secateur warranties vary, but many of the most trusted garden brands offer years-long guarantees. Wilkinson Sword and WOLF-Garten offer a 10-year guarantee on many of their secateurs, for example, while Gardena's PremiumCut Pro Secateurs come with a whopping 25-year guarantee. Beyond that, brands like Kimura offer a lifetime warranty, and they work hard to resolve any customer issues with their secateurs.

That's my pick of the best secateurs on the market right now. I can't wait to test more models over the coming months!

The best silk pillowcases can transform your bed and your sleep experience. That might sound dramatic, but as Ideal Home's Sleep Editor, I've spent the last few months testing the best silk pillowcases on the market, and I'm now 100% convinced silk is the best fabric to rest your head on at night.

So much so that I'm ditching all of my cotton pillowcases in favour of Mulberry silk pillowcases from now on. Why? Because there is no other fabric that performs quite so well next to my skin.

A silk pillowcase doesn't just feel super luxurious to sleep on, but silk fibres also have numerous skin and hair benefits. Silk doesn't sap the skin's natural moisture in the way cotton and synthetic fabrics can, so it's less likely to cause dryness or make skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis worse. It's also naturally hypoallergenic, and its smooth surface is perfect for taming frizzy hair.

Plus, silk pillowcases are perfect for hot sleepers like me. That silky surface doesn't just feel cool to the touch when you first lie your head down. I paired my silk pillowcase with one of the best pillows for hot sleepers, and silk's natural temperature-regulating qualities mean I haven't overheated or turned my pillow over in search of a cooler side once.

Best silk pillowcases

The downside is that the silk pillowcases can be expensive. Which is why I've compiled my past few months of testing into a round-up of the best silk pillowcases on the market. This is the silk bedding I would buy again... and again, and again.

Also tested

I've kept my shortlist to the six best silk pillowcases I tested, but I also tried out more affordable options to find out if you *really* need to spend this much to get a good silk pillowcase.

Overall, I found that you do. The £30 M&S Pure Mulberry Silk Pillowcase was the most budget-friendly I tested. So far, I've found that below this price point the quality of the silk tends to drop, or you get satin rather than silk, which offers similar silky snoothness, but as a synthetic fibre has different qualities to silk and feels nowhere near as luxurious.

How I tested

I tested each of these silk pillowcases by sleeping on it for at least a week on my own bed.

I also dived into the specifications to find out each pillowcase's momme rating, how many colour options it's available in (ideally I like a little more choice than simply white), and its washing instructions. I also read customer reviews to make sure that other owners experiences aligned with my own.

I then washed each pillowcase according to its care instructions to make sure there wasn't any shrinkage and that this delicate fabric came out of the washing machine in the same condition it went in.

I've only included those silk pillowcases that performed the best in this round-up.

How to choose a silk pillowcase

There's a common theme in all of the best silk pillowcases I tested, and that's that they're all made from Mulberry silk (apart from the one rogue satin entry I included as a budget alternative).

There are four main types of silk, and Mulberry silk – so named because the silkworms that produce the cocoons that this silk is spun from are fed exclusively on mulberry leaves – is widely recognised as the softest and smoothest. That makes Mulberry silk the perfect option to have next to your face overnight.

Having tested other options simply described as 'silk', I would recommend sourcing a Mulberry silk pillowcase if you want the best quality.

It's also worth considering the silk's 'momme' rating. Momme is for silk what the best thread count is for cotton bedding, and describes the weight of the silk fabric. The higher the momme, the denser the silk weave and the heavier the fabric.

All of the best silk pillowcases I tested were between 19 and 22 momme, and although I didn't notice that much difference in quality between these two ratings, I would recommend not going any lower if you want a high-quality fabric.

FAQs

If you dream of having espresso, americanos and marvellous macchiatos delivered at the click of your fingers, but can’t quite afford your own personal barista, then you need one of the best Nespresso machines on your kitchen worktop.

I’ve tried and taste-tested all kinds of the best coffee machines, and it’s fair to say that Nespresso machines often win out in terms of pure convenience. You get all the usual capsule benefits of ease of use and mess-free preparation, but no other brand delivers such a vast variety of flavours. Nespresso’s capsule collection encompasses everything from light, floral Ethiopian brews to robust Italian espresso to fire up your mornings – there’s a whole world of coffee to explore.

There is one other decision to make before you set off on your travels, however: which of the two types of Nespresso machine suits you best. While some use the original Nespresso capsules, which pack a mouth watering amount of flavour into a tiny foil package perfect for espresso and shorter coffees, the newer generation use Nespresso’s larger, spinning Vertuo capsules to serve up everything from pitch perfect ristrettos to travel-cup filling altos and latte macchiatos. It’s either or, though – no machine supports both types.

Here I’ve recommended two of our favourite machines of each type, so all you have to do is read on to find the perfect machine to fill your coffee cup. With prices starting at around £80 – and maybe even cheaper if you can wait for sales – these four machines are guaranteed to bring a little coffee shop magic into your home.

Who tested these Nespresso machines?

The quick list

Want to get to the most convenient coffee machines as conveniently as possible? Here's the condensed list of the best.

Best value Nespresso machine

This Philips-made machine isn’t an official member of the Nespresso family: it’s actually ‘Nespresso-compatible’. In practice, though, it’s every bit as good as Nespresso’s own models. And it’s actually a tad more versatile as you can use both original Nespresso and L’OR’s own brand capsules – including L’OR’s XXL pods, which are designed to deliver a double dose.

The design is rather swish. The curved physique looks every bit as good as the official Nespresso models, and Philips has added a bit of subtle bling with a snazzy pair of gold spouts.

Those dual spouts aren’t just for show: they allow you to pour two coffees simultaneously. With Nespresso’s own capsules that means two very short lungos (or two small shots of espresso). Switch to one of L’OR’s XXL pods, however, and you can brew two 40ml espressos or two small 110ml cups of black coffee. Or you can be entirely selfish and brew one big cup for yourself. One word of warning: only smaller cups fit side by side on the drip tray.

That tiny drip tray needs regular emptying, too, as the Barista Sublime drips for a good while after each shot. This can be an annoyance: it separates into three parts a little too easily. The 0.8-litre water tank is on the small side, too, but this is unlikely to prove annoying for all but the thirstiest households.

Crucially, though, the coffee is consistently excellent – and any minor quibbles evaporate given the price and how often it’s on sale. The £110 RRP is very reasonable, but shop around and you’ll find it discounted heavily – and sometimes with 50 or 100 capsules thrown in.

Read our Philips L'OR Barista Sublime coffee machine review for the full details.

Best Nespresso for tiny kitchens

If you just want an ultra-compact Nespresso machine with the minimal compromises, the Citiz is a great pick. It supports Nespresso’s standard capsules and the simple, sensible design serves up tasty espresso and black coffee. Frankly, it’s hard to beat.

It’s a tad larger than the smallest model in the range, the Nespresso Pixie, but it’s still a wonderfully compact machine. At only 13cm wide, it’ll slot into even the tiniest kitchen worktops. The 1-litre removable water tank helps, too, as you can refill the tank without having to constantly slide the machine back and forth.

Turn on the Citiz, and it’s ready to brew after 20 seconds. Simply pull back the silver handle, slot the capsule into place and press the handle down again. Press the espresso button and you’ll get a 40ml shot of espresso. Press the Lungo button and you’ll get a small 110ml black coffee. Hold down either button and you can set your preferred amount – but 110ml is the max.

The results are steaming hot and consistently tasty. Even the longer coffees have a surprisingly rich crema on top – add a dash of milk and you’ve got a lovely coffee with barely any effort at all. All you’ll have to do is empty the drip tray diligently – like most machines, the Citiz tends to drip after each brew – and empty the capsule bin after every 12 drinks or so. Easy.

Best Nespresso for long coffees

The Vertuo Plus’ thunder may have been stolen by its cheaper stablemates, the Vertuo Next and Vertuo Pop, but it remains the best of the bunch. It’s the quietest Vertuo model I’ve tested, makes great coffee, and the design both looks and feels a cut above.

Our review model was finished in a lustrous glossy black with chrome highlights, and it’s a good looking machine. You can also take your pick from white, red, matte black and grey, if that’s a better match for your kitchen. Shop around and you might notice that some Vertuo Plus models have a slightly different profile – some have a flattened top and some rounded – but they’re all functionally identical. Like several of Nespresso’s machines, they’re made by different manufacturers. The one thing they have in common, though, is an ability to deliver longer drinks based on the unique barcode on each Vertuo pod type which automatically adjusts the machine's water output.

The 1.2-litre tank allows you to brew roughly five mug-sized coffees before needing a refill – so larger coffee-drinking households won’t be running back and forth to the sink. One really neat touch is that you can rotate the water tank around to the left or right, or straight back – it’s useful for fitting it in awkward spaces.

Lightly click the wide front button and the motorised lid lifts up to allow you to insert a capsule. The machine accepts all Vertuo capsules apart from the XL and Carafe versions, so the smallest capsule you can use is a 25ml Ristretto, and the largest a 230ml Mug. Heat up time is just under 30 seconds.

All of the Vertuo machines are noisier than the Original models – the Centrifusion technology physically spins the capsules to extract every drop of flavour from the coffee – but the Vertuo Plus is markedly quieter than the Next or the Lattissima. Quality of the coffee is spot on, too, and it brews a wonderfully hot, tasty espresso or mug sized capsule in under a minute.

Best Nespresso for frothy coffees

The Vertuo Lattissima fuses Nespresso’s Vertuo Next model with De’Longhi’s LatteCrema milk-frothing technology. The result is a Nespresso machine that serves up a lovely espresso or lungo, and also serves a delightfully frothy cappuccino or indulgent latte macchiato.

These added milk-frothing talents mean that the Lattissima is one of the larger capsule machines on the market, but it’s still not hideously oversized. At 19cm wide, it’ll slide into most kitchens fairly unobtrusively, although it is a substantial 43cm deep. The 1.6-litre tank unclips easily from the rear, which makes refilling a tad easier, and the 500ml milk carafe simply clips onto the right hand side and comes to pieces to make for easier cleaning.

The Lattissima supports all of Nespresso’s Vertuo capsules, so you can choose anything from a 25ml Ristretto to a 535ml Carafe. The size of capsule affects the size of milk drinks, though, so make sure to check your cup is big enough before hitting the button – depending on the capsule you use, you may end up with anything from a 180ml cappuccino to a pint-sized 590ml latte macchiato.

It’s typically simple to use. It’s ready to brew in under 30 seconds, and the milk system takes about another 30 seconds to prepare for milk frothing. The milk carafe isn’t refrigerated, though, so you’ll need to pop it in the fridge after use and keep on top of cleaning – any milk residue goes bad very quickly. The quality of the results are worth the extra housekeeping, though – the milk-based coffees are dangerously moreish.

Read our Nespresso Lattissima review for the full details.

How we tested these Nespresso machines

I'm constantly testing coffee machines at home and these four Nespresso machines have been on long term test for several months.

They’ve all been used for weeks at a time, so I’ve learned what I love – and don’t love – by making them part of our day-to-day routine. I've also tested them with a wide selection of capsules, including third-party capsules for the models which use original Nespresso capsules.

I don’t just taste-test them, however, I make sure that they pour consistent volumes of coffee with specialised coffee scales; test the temperature of each brew to make sure they’re not too cool; and measure the noise levels from 1 metre away to compare how noisy they are in normal use. If I love them, I reckon you’ll love them too.

FAQs

While I may be Ideal Home's resident expert in all things floorcare and cleaning, my busy schedule means I don't have a lot of time to clean my actual home. Because of this, I've made it my mission to find tools that will offer quick, convenient clean-ups - and the best vacuum mops are my secret weapon for squeaky-clean floors (in literal seconds).

Yes, I love an appliance that does double duty for nothing, and a vacuum mop combines the suction power of the best vacuum cleaners with the wet-cleaning functionality of the best mops. This is a lifesaver when I have to contend with mucky dog paws, messy nieces and nephews who like to throw their dinner on the floor, and hard floors that need TLC that vacuuming or mopping alone can't handle.

And if you couldn't already tell that I'm utterly obsessed with vacuum mops, the extra proof in the pudding is that my dedicated team of testers and I have spent the past few months testing the best vacuum mops on the market. I've then whittled these models down to my six top, editor-approved options.

Quick list

Best vacuum mops 2026

Best vacuum mop overall

Shark is known for its easy-to-use and relatively affordable floorcare appliances, and our tester, Rebecca, found this to be the case with the Shark HydroVac Cordless Hard Floor Cleaner, too. It's not the most advanced model on this list, but she found it a great all-rounder that's ideal for grab-and-go cleaning and for those who want a vacuum mop to get the job done with minimal fuss.

During testing, mum-of-three Rebecca used the Shark vacuum mop to clean everything from baked beans to eggs and flour off her kitchen floor, and she found it to be a game-changer during messy mealtimes. The vacuum mop picked up wet and dry debris with ease, often removing all of it in a single pass.

She found it to be incredibly lightweight, and the built-in headlights helped her illuminate hidden dirt on areas of her floor that would previously go unnoticed. And the odour-neutralising technology meant that her floors smelled clean after use.

This model also comes with two modes to use on hard floors or to freshen area rugs and mats, which comes in very handy. However, it's worth noting that these are the only two modes. So if you're looking for something a little more advanced, I'd recommend the Bissell or the Tineco instead.

Read our full Shark HydroVac Cordless Hard Floor Cleaner WD210UK review for more details

Best budget vacuum mop

Vacuum mops aren't cheap, so if you're looking for an affordable vacuum mop that does what you need to with minimal fuss, this Beldray model is a great budget-friendly option.

Of course, the lower price point means that, on paper, it offers less than the other alternatives on this. But the 25-minute runtime and two cleaning modes proved more than enough for our tester to navigate dirty floors both upstairs and downstairs in her home.

During official testing, it tackled various sizes and types of debris with ease, and left the floors visibly damp to prove its cleaning power - but not so damp that the floors were left soaking wet or difficult to walk on. It also suits smaller homes, as it's lightweight and compact, making it easy to store when not in use.

However, it does have its downsides - and the main one our tester found was its 5.5-hour charge time, which meant that she couldn't use it as regularly in her busy family home as she'd typically like. But if you only plan on using it once or twice a day, it'll suit you well.

Read our full Beldray All-In-One Multi-Surface Floor Cleaner review for more details

Best multi-purpose vacuum mop

I've tested countless vacuum mops in my role as Ideal Home's Vacuum Expert, and this is still the model that I use in my home regularly. With the ability to switch between three modes - PowerVac, PowerMop, and Turbo Mode - you can customise your cleaning to suit your individual needs. And while it still won't tackle carpets (I've yet to find a vacuum mop that does), it does allow for rug cleaning.

The appliance itself is also extremely compact, which makes storage and manoeuvrability a breeze - and I was able to get right into corners and up to edges thanks to Bissell's ZeroGap edge cleaning technology. As a result, my home is noticeably cleaner after every use, with my hard floors left damp but not soaking wet to prevent damage.

The 30-minute runtime is about average for a vacuum mop, and I was able to clean all my hard floors on one charge in my three-bedroom home. But if you require a longer run time, the Tefal X-Clean may suit you better with its 50-minute run time.

For homes with pets (like mine), a major perk is the included natural cleaning solution that provides a hygienic, deep clean while keeping furry friends safe and releasing a delicious scent into the air. Not to mention the high-quality filter and in-built strainer in the dirty water tank, which captured all manner of hair, dust and debris during my testing period.

All in all, I've yet to find a vacuum mop that beats the Bissell OmniForce Edge - so it's still my number one choice (for now!)

Read our full Bissell CrossWave OmniForce Edge review for more details

Best high tech vacuum mop

If you have a large home with multiple occupants who leave big messes in their wake, I couldn't recommend the Tineco FLOOR ONE S5 Smart Cordless Wet-Dry Vacuum Cleaner and Mop more. It's the smartest vacuum mop I've tested so far, which can take a bit of getting used to (especially when it 'speaks' to you), but it makes cleaning so much more effective.

This is largely thanks to Tinco's iLoop Smart Sensor Technology, which automatically detects and reacts to messes on the floor. Not only will it visually show you when a floor is muckier by changing colour on the LCD screen, but it will also automatically increase suction, roller speed, and water flow to deepen the cleaning when needed.

During testing, I pipped it against muddy dog prints, tomato ketchup, and countless other wet and dry debris, and I have to say that the cleaning ability is impressive, leaving my floors quite literally squeaky-clean afterwards.

However, the elephant in the room with this model is that it's better suited to larger homes, as it's both big and heavy. The self-propelling aspect of the appliance makes the 8.6kg weight less intimidating and more manageable, but it also has a large cleaning head, which makes cleaning smaller nooks difficult, and it is big to store. This is a relatively small trade-off for impressive cleaning if you have the space, though.

Read our full Tineco FLOOR ONE S5 review for more details

Best vacuum mop for run time

Most of the vacuum mops in this guide have a typical runtime of 25-35 minutes, but the Tefal X-CLEAN is in its own league with a 50-minute runtime. This makes it ideal for larger homes or those who know that they'll be using this handy appliance multiple times a day.

The cleaning power is excellent, too, and when testing it in my own home, I found that the self-propelling motion made the 4.3kg appliance feel lighter, and that my floors were dry just two minutes after everyday cleaning. For more targeted cleaning, the auto-adjusting roller excelled here.

In fact, the vacuum mop can quickly and efficiently detect changes in the amount and type of debris and adjust its settings accordingly. And this worked excellently 99% of the time, but it struggled with small debris on occasion.

The self-cleaning function is a handy addition, as is the cleaning brush that helps you reach every nook and cranny of the debris chamber. My only real niggle? Tefal doesn't provide any cleaning solution.

Read our full Tefal X-CLEAN 4 Cordless Wet & Dry Vacuum Mop review for more details

Best robot vacuum mop

The best robot vacuum cleaners come in a few different shapes and sizes, but they can also serve as a hands-free alternative to the best vacuum mops - all while offering many of the same benefits. And this is the model that I've ranked number one for many months now.

While this model can vacuum carpets, rugs and hard floors, those looking for a vacuum mop will be happy to note that it can also mop your floors - either at the same time as vacuuming, or separately. This model even offers a HydroJetting mopping system that targets everyday debris and stickier messes. In fact, it handled ketchup with ease on my floors.

The beauty of this robot vacuum mop is that it can also be programmed and scheduled according to your needs. And during testing, I let it clean my laminate and tiled floors while I was walking the dog, so I didn't have to get involved at all.

When it returns to the dock, it's then automatically emptied and refilled with clean water and the amazing Eufy cleaning solution. Of course, it does come at a premium price compared to regular vacuum mops, so you'd need to be sure that you'd make use of it.

Read our full Eufy Robot Vacuum Omni E25 review for more details

Best of the rest

I've reduced my shortlist of the best vacuum mops to my three top options, but there are a few other alternatives that I think are well worth a mention if the above options don't quite take your fancy.

How we test

Part of this testing process involves general, everyday vacuum mopping to see how the appliance fares during basic cleaning. However, my testing team and I also take it one step further by throwing all kinds of debris on the floor too - such as tomato ketchup, milk and cereal, rice, coffee, and even whole eggs to mimic the daily struggles of larger, messier families. We also take into account third-party reviews, as I understand that everyone's experiences are different.

Each vacuum mop tested is then rated out of 5 stars, and I've chosen the three best vacuum mops overall to include in this guide. However, I have included some runners-up if my top choices don't quite suit your home and needs.

As Ideal Home's Vacuum Expert, I have personally spent hundreds of hours in-house testing all kinds of vacuums - from the best cordless vacuums to this new iteration of an appliance that combines vacuum and mopping. As a result, I have been able to narrow down the models my team and I have tested to the few best vacuum mops I think are worth the investment - and with so many impressive options to choose from, it hasn't been easy!

To do this, either myself or a member of my expert testing panel thoroughly assessed every aspect of the vacuum mop over (at least) two weeks in our own homes, from the weight and the manoeuvrability of the vacuum mop to the suction and mopping power, run time, how easy it is to clean, and how well it actually cleans up wet and dry messes. Because, ultimately, there's no point buying one that will simply spread your cereal around the floor.

Our expert testing panel

How to choose a vacuum mop

Vacuum mops are growing in popularity, and there are now more on the market than ever. And just as knowing how to choose a vacuum cleaner can help you make the right decision, the same can be said for choosing a vacuum mop. After all, they're not cheap, and you don't want to waste your money on something that doesn't suit your cleaning requirements.

So, after testing a wide range of vacuum mops myself (and being a keen vacuum mop lover), these are the things I think you need to consider before making a purchase.

• Run time: Vacuum mops typically offer between 20-50 minutes of run time (similar to the best cordless vacuums) and can take up to five hours to recharge. So, if you have a larger home with a larger area of hard flooring, it's best to opt for one with a longer run time.
• Weight: Vacuum mops are typically heavier than a traditional vacuum or mop, especially when they're full of both clean and dirty water. If you struggle with dexterity issues, it's a good idea to choose one that also offers self-propelling technology.
• Cleaning solution: Some of the best vacuum mops come with their own dedicated cleaning solution and only recommend that you use that specific cleaner to maintain the warranty, while others don't come with any. Because of this, it's a good idea to understand what you can and can't use in the machine before buying.
• Extras: Vacuum mop rollers aren't invincible, and most vacuum mops also come with filters that will need to be replaced at some point. If ongoing costs are a worry, opt for a vacuum mop that comes with spares. It's also worth checking to see if they come with any other tools, such as cleaning brushes or a self-cleaning solution.

FAQs

As Ideal Home's Vacuum Expert, I've tested more vacuum cleaners than you can shake a stick at. But even I know that choosing the best Dyson cleaner is difficult - mainly because there are so many different options to suit so many different homes, cleaning requirements and budgets.

Now, as you can imagine, Dyson is a brand that's regularly topping the charts as some of the best vacuums. But when you take into account run times, bin capacities, and Air Watts, all of the Dyson options can muddle together on the screen in front of you. And when you're paying for a premium product, you don't want to waste your money.

That's why I've decided to make the process easier for you, and whittle down the Dyson vacuum cleaners myself and the Ideal Home team have tested to my three top choices (including the ones I choose to use in my own home!). And if you're in the market for one of the best cordless vacuums, you'll be happy to know that my top choices are all cordless, stick options.

Quick List

Short on time but still want to bag the best Dyson vacuum cleaner? I've got you. This quick list will give you a brief overview of each top-rated model, with more information just a scroll away.

Best Dyson vacuum cleaner 2026

Best Dyson vacuum overall

The Dyson V16 Piston Animal is the vacuum cleaner I now choose to use in my own home - after it kicked the Dyson Gen5detect from its previous top spot in this guide.

Offering 315 Air Watts, it's officially Dyson's most powerful model, and this was clear during testing and in the months since. It tackles every kind of debris with ease, and the brand's innovative new cleaning head - which offers a conical shape - is a game-changer for those with pets (or just a lot of their own hair that sheds!)

It also offers up to 70 minutes of run time, which is more than enough time for me to clean my three-bedroom house from top to bottom a few times before I need to charge it again. And in an efficient upgrade from the Gen5detect before it, this model just has one floorhead suitable for all floor types - so you don't have to mess around with switching between them when you venture from hard flooring to carpet.

However, this newly shaped floorhead does come with a slight disadvantage, as it does require a little more wiggling to ensure effective edge cleaning. But this isn't a dealbreaker in my eyes.

The piece de resistance of this whole Dyson vacuum, though, is the new CleanCompaktor bin - a genius new invention that allows you to compact your debris down after use to free up even more space. That means that the Dyson V16 Piston Animal ultimately has the space for 1.3L of dust. Plus, there's an auto-empty dock coming soon, which will make it even more impressive on the capacity front.

The caveat is that this model is at the pricier end of the spectrum, but I do think it's a worthwhile investment.

Read our full Dyson V16 Piston Animal Cordless Vacuum Cleaner review for more details

Best budget Dyson vacuum

Although it's fair to say that the best Dyson vacuum cleaners tend to lie on the more expensive end of the spectrum, there are cheaper Dyson vacuums on offer - if you're willing to sacrifice high-tech features like lasers and LCD screens. But with the Dyson V8 Cyclone, you still get a fair amount of power and impressive cleaning ability.

For this model, Dyson has taken what worked with the Dyson V8 and upgraded it - so, it now offers up to 60 minutes of battery, 150 Air Watts of suction power, and a 0.5L dust bin capacity. It's also very lightweight at just 2.7 kg. Of course, these stats don't match up to the Dyson V16 Piston Animal, but it's also half the price.

During testing, I found that the V8 Cyclone thrived on carpets and rugs and really dug deep into the fibres of my soft flooring. It even tackled my dog's hair with ease, and to this day, I still choose this model over the V16 Piston Animal when I just need to have a quick whip-around.

And while it didn't exactly struggle on hard flooring, it did take a couple more passes to leave my floors completely debris-free. So, just bear this in mind if you have a lot of hard flooring in your home.

It's also worth noting that Dyson will soon be releasing an auto-empty dock for this model - which means you won't have to faff around with emptying it after every use. So, keep your eyes peeled for that.

Read our full Dyson V8 Cyclone review for more details

Best versatile Dyson vacuum cleaner

A growing trend in the floorcare world is the rise of the vacuum mop, and the Dyson V15 Detect Submarine was one of the first iterations of this handy 2-in-1 appliance. After all, having the ability to vacuum and mop with a single cleaning tool can save time, energy, and storage space.

Although I didn't personally test this particular model, my colleague Molly had nothing but good things to say about it. That's because this vacuum mop doesn't sacrifice either the vacuuming aspect or the mopping aspect of floor cleaning, as the interchangeable heads mean that you can use the powerful vacuum functionality before switching.

It still offers up to 60 minutes of vacuuming time, and the 0.77L bin volume is exactly the same as what you'd find on my top-rated Gen5detect model. Then, you can fill the tank on the Submarine head and let the rollers mop your hard floors to finish. Of course, this does mean that you have three cleaning heads to switch around for your cleaning needs - the Submarine wet roller head, Fluffy Optic cleaner head and the Digital Motorbar cleaner head - which could be a bit annoying for some, but it's ideal from a storage point of view.

Read our full Dyson V15 Detect Submarine review for more details

I've also tested

I've tried a wide array of Dyson vacuum cleaners, so if one of my top 3 doesn't quick tickle your fancy, there are some alternative I'd recommend instead. I've added a brief description of the Dyson vacuum and added a link to the full review below.

How I tested

At Ideal Home, we take how we test extremely seriously, which is why we've come up with a rigorous vacuum cleaner testing process to ensure we're able to provide you with all of the information you need, both good and bad, to make an informed purchase. As the best Dyson vacuum cleaners are typically on the more expensive end of the spectrum, I want to ensure you make the right decision for your home and budget.

That's why I, or my Ideal Home-approved testers, always start every review assessing the unboxing and setting up process to determine how easy (and how quickly) you'll be able to start vacuuming your home after your Dyson delivery.

Then, I put each Dyson vacuum cleaner through a series of pre-approved debris tests - typically including smaller debris like flour and sugar, before moving onto larger debris such as cereal and rice. I always note how many passes it takes the Dyson vacuums to suck up this debris. If it's advertised as a Dyson vacuum for pet owners, I also follow the pet vacuum testing process and sprinkle hair on the floor, too.

Alongside this, I always ensure that I or another reviewer replaces their regular vacuum cleaner with the Dyson vacuum they're testing for at least two weeks, using it as naturally as possible to mimic how the everyday customer would use it. I use all of the tools and accessories provided, and focus on manoeuvrability, noise levels, weight, storage, dust bin emptying, and any other features I believe customers need to know.

However, as Ideal Home's resident vacuum expert and someone who tests both new Dyson models and older veteran vacuums, it's also my job to understand everything there is to know about the build quality and engineering behind the best Dyson vacuums, too. This also includes understanding the common Dyson vacuum problems.

So, I interview industry experts - including Senior Design Engineers behind some of the best Dyson vacuum cleaners in this guide - and aim to get as much behind-the-scenes knowledge as I can.

In June 2025, I also had the pleasure of visiting the Dyson HQ in Malmesbury to check out some very exciting new products launching in the next year or so, and to explore the labs where they design, engineer, and build their prototypes before deciding which ones come to market.

Meet our testing team

FAQs

While ‘getting your hands dirty’ as a gardener is all part of the fun, the mud-caked fingernails and thorny scratches soon start to lose their appeal after a while, so finding the best gardening gloves to keep your hands protected is a must.

There are plenty of reasons why gloves are an essential gardening tool to buy and wear while working outdoors. Earth and compost can be full of bacteria and soilborne diseases, so a trusty pair of gloves will keep hands clean and shielded from cuts and scratches, not to mention protecting thorny roses or plants you should never touch. And a sturdy pair will also come in very handy for tackling tougher outdoor jobs like landscaping, heavy lifting or garden clearance.

Choosing the best gardening gloves will depend on the tasks you plan to use them for. Thin, lighter-weight gloves will give greater dexterity for finer gardening jobs like potting up and weeding, while still keeping hands clean and scratch-free. Heavier-duty gardening gloves made of tougher materials and with extra padding are a must if you are working with heavy gardening equipment or need protection from coarse materials or spiky foliage.

I tested six gardening gloves below, with lightweight gloves, budget buys and heavy-duty options. Keep on reading to find the right pair of gardening gloves for you.

Best gardening gloves

How we tested these gloves

These gloves were tested by Ideal Home Content Editor Lisa Fazzani, in her Kent garden. The gloves were assessed for comfort and fit, materials, grip and protection, as well as if the gloves were waterproof or washable.

FAQs

Do thorn proof gloves work?

For thornproof gloves to work, they need to be made of a durable material that won’t let thorns penetrate, such as leather, suede or a tightly-woven synthetic material. Because the material of the gloves needs to be very thick and impenetrable, gloves don’t tend to have as much flexibility as a regular gardening glove. It is also important that gloves offer some protection for the arms as well as hands, so gauntlet-style gloves that cover the forearm are best.

What gloves are best for weeding?

If you’re doing fiddly gardening tasks like weeding or finer work like potting up delicate seedlings, then a lighter-weight gardening glove is the best choice. Usually made from tightly woven cotton or polyester, woven gloves will fit more snugly, offering greater dexterity than bulkier, heavyweight designs.

Gloves with nitrile coating on the fingertips and palms give extra grip (even when wet), so you can work nimbly, while the coating still gives some resistance to punctures and tears.

We've tested a range of gloves to suit varied gardening tasks. Will you be buying a new pair of gardening gloves this summer?

If you're looking for the best budget mattress, you're in the right place. As Ideal Home's Sleep Editor, I've spent the last two years testing out the most affordable mattresses on the market.

Myself and our mattress testing experts, Jenny, Rachel, and Annie have slept on multiple low-cost mattresses in our homes to find our top recommendations for a double mattress that costs under £500.

That includes £150 mattresses from Zinus, sleep surfaces for under £250 from IKEA, Bensons for Beds, and Dreams, and bestselling entry-level mattresses from DreamCloud, REM-Fit, Emma, and Simba that stretched our £500 budget to its maximum.

Whilst none of the budget mattresses we tested could compete with the best mattress on the market (sadly, spending upwards of £800 will result in better support), we found that some cheaper mattresses are most definitely better than others.

In this guide, I share our four top recommendations if you're on the hunt for the best budget mattress.

The quick list

Three of the best affordable mattresses we've tested are listed below. You'll find more information on each mattress and why I recommend it if you keep on scrolling.

Best budget mattresses

Best budget mattress overall

At £499 for a double, this mattress pushed our 'under £500' budget to its max, but, overall, I still think the DreamCloud Hybrid mattress is very good value for money.

This is a hybrid mattress with a pocket spring base and memory foam top layer, and reviewer Rachel was impressed by its comfort levels. 'The cushioning of this mattress can't be faulted,' says Rachel, 'I slept so well on my side on it. And when I slept on my back, I found it was firm enough to prevent my hips and lower back from dipping too low, but offered ample cushioning to support my lower back.'

This firmer level of tension is something the team has struggled to find in mattresses below the £500 price point. 'It's firmer tension meant that the lower back pain that I often experience after running didn’t bother me at all for the month when I slept on this mattress,' says Rachel.

The DreamCloud Hybrid's motion isolation also scored well, 'my husband often comes to bed later than me,' says Rachel, 'and on some mattresses the movement reverberation of him getting in wakes me, but not on this mattress.' Rachel also rated the mattress's temperature regulation and found its edge support to be the best of all the budget mattresses the team has tested. 'That meant when the kids climbed into our bed, I could lie right on its edge without any feeling I was about to roll out,' Rachel shares.

All in all, if you're looking for the best budget mattress for around the £500 mark, this is my top recommendation.

Our DreamCloud Hybrid mattress review has the full lowdown.

Best under £400 mattress

The Simbatex Cool Mattress is an Amazon-exclusive, and at £399 for a double, it's far more budget-friendly than most Simba mattresses. That lower price point does mean there are some compromises, especially compared to our top-rated Simba Hybrid Mattress, which retails at £899. However, our tester, Annie, was still impressed by this budget buy's performance.

In fact, at the end of the testing period, Annie chose to keep the Simbatex Cool on her bed and donate the more expensive mattress she and her husband had previously been sleeping on; you can't get much higher praise than that.

'As a back and side sleeper, I found this medium-firm sleep surface very comfortable,' says Annie. 'I especially enjoyed its light cushioning around my shoulder and hip when I lay on my side.'

Unlike Simba's usual hybrid mattresses that combine springs and memory foam, this mattress is foam only. That can mean it doesn't offer heavier sleepers as much support as the hybrid DreamCloud mattress above, but, as Annie found out, there are also some plus points to its construction.

'My husband and I really appreciated this mattress's motion isolation,' says Annie, 'on this mattress we didn't notice when one of us in the bed tossed or turned. Plus, it has a nice amount of bounce to say it lacks springs.'

The downsides? Annie felt it didn't quite live up to its 'cool' name. 'It didn't actively cause us to overheat like many all-foam mattresses, but it wasn't as cooling and breathable as I would have liked either,' she says. Plus, 'its edge support is lacking,' says Annie, 'that meant my leg could sometimes slip out of bed when I was pushed to the edge by our star-fishing toddler!'

You need to order this mattress via Amazon, rather than directly from Simba, which means slightly less customer service support. However, it's good to know that you can still pay a little extra for delivery to your room of choice, and that Simba's usual 200-night sleep trial still applies.

Find out more in Annie's full Simba Simbatex Cool Mattress review.

Best under £250 mattress

Perhaps unsurprisingly, once I dropped our mattress purchasing budget to under £250, I found it became a struggle to find a mattress that fulfilled all of our testing criteria. However, all in all, the Bensons for Beds Simply Support Pocket Sprung mattress proved itself to be the best of the under £250 crop, and at just £219.99 for a double and £199.99 for a single, it's very reasonably priced.

Like all the mattresses Rachel, Jenny, and I tested at this price point, it lacks the support of more expensive options. However, it's available in two tension options – medium and firm – and Rachel found the firmest option to offer more support than similarly priced competition, such as the £229 IKEA VALEVÅG Pocket Sprung mattress a little lower down this list.

'It's a no-frills mattress,' says Rachel, 'and as someone who prefers a firm mattress, I often find that cheaper mattresses don’t provide the support to the spine that I like, however, this one did better than most. It was comfortable, and I slept well on it, as did my husband.'

The downsides? 'I could feel when my husband rolled over in the night, and it didn't offer the memory foam cushioning that the DreamCloud Hybrid mattress does, so my hip and shoulder weren't as comfortable when I was side sleeping.' says Rachel. However, it has decent edge support for a sub-£250 mattress, and I love the fact that the pocket spring support is padded with 75% recycled PET polyester – it's great to see a more environmentally-friendly budget mattress.'

Rachel's full Bensons for Beds Simply Support Pocket Sprung mattress review has more detail.

4. Best IKEA budget mattress

If I'm looking to kit out a room on a budget, IKEA is the first place I head to, and unlike most of our options, if you have an IKEA store in your area (and big enough transport), it's one of the few places you can test out and take home a mattress on the same day. (Very useful if you're trying to time a mattress delivery with moving-in day).

As such, I wanted to figure out which is the best under £500 IKEA mattress, and the IKEA VALEVÅG mattress proved itself to be the best of the brand's low-priced range. Plus, at just £229 for a double, it's *very* reasonably priced.

However, it isn't perfect. Similar to all the mattresses Rachel, Jenny, and I tested at this price point, it feels softer than I'd hoped, even though it's also available in two tension options. If you're looking for a slightly firmer mattress for under £250, the Bensons for Beds Simply Support Pocket Sprung mattress above offers slightly more support, but if you prefer a soft mattress, then IKEA's VALEVÅG is a decent alternative.

As such, the VALEVÅG will likely lack enough support for heavier-weight sleepers, and its edge support and motion isolation were also lacking, but this was the case with all of the mattresses we tested in the under £400 price bracket.

That said, I was impressed by the mattress's combination of affordability and comfort. As Rachel says, 'This mattress looks quite basic, but on testing, its no-frills design pleasantly surprised me. The more I slept on it, the more I liked it. The cushioned top layer provided a decent level of comfort for my hip and shoulder when I lay on my side, and I felt it gave a decent level of support compared to similarly priced options I tested.'

Our IKEA VALEVÅG pocket sprung mattress has more detail.

Also tested

Budget mattress quick comparison

How I tested

All the mattresses in this round-up have been put through Ideal Home's mattress testing process by either myself, Rachel, Jenny, or Annie from our team of expert reviewers. That means we slept on each mattress at home in real-life conditions, for at least a month before writing our reviews.

During the review process, each mattress is tested for comfort, motion isolation, responsiveness, temperature regulation, and edge support.

In rating each mattress, we also consider whether the manufacturer offers a sleep trial and assess ease of care, the mattress delivery process, value for money, and any third-party reviews.

Meet our testing team

FAQs

Making great coffee is all about getting your priorities right. Freshly roasted coffee beans are a perfect start, but unless you’re feeding them into the best coffee grinder for your preferred type of brewing, then you’re quite literally crushing their potential.

The grind is by far the most important step in the coffee making process. Start out with one of the best grinders on your worktop and you’re guaranteed to get the most from your pick of the best coffee machine too.

As a dedicated drinker of coffee in all its forms, I’ve spent the past couple of weeks testing a handful of grinders suitable for everything from marvellous moka pots to fantastic filter coffee and espresso.

They’ve gone head to head (to head) on my kitchen worktop, as per Ideal Home's coffee testing protocol, and I’ve used a couple of bags of freshly roasted coffee beans from Craft House Coffee and Clifton Coffee to put them to the test across both espresso and filter brews. Here's what I discovered.

Who tested these coffee grinders?

The quick list

Get to the best coffee grinders as quickly as you need your morning caffeine fix with this condensed list.

The best coffee grinder for budding baristas

The K6 pairs a high quality 48mm set of burrs with a wonderfully sturdy, aluminium design, and a nice big handle with a large, comfy wooden grip. It feels far more upmarket than cheaper models. Pop off the plastic lid and the grind chamber has a 35 gram capacity, while the rotary dial offers a vast range of adjustability. The top section spins around to adjust the grind, and this provides over 200 clicks of adjustment, allowing you to dial in anything from the finest Turkish coffee grind (~20 clicks) to extra coarse grinds for cafetiere brewing (~150 clicks).

The K6’s 35 gram capacity is ample for espresso, where you’ll rarely want more than 20 grams a shot, but you’ll need to grind two batches for a full jug of filter coffee or large cafetiere. For espresso grinds, it takes just over 30 seconds to grind 18 grams of coffee, but you can grind double that at a coarser setting in under a minute. You can even use an electric drill to do the grinding for you if you’re feeling lazy.

Put in the effort, and this grinder delivers everything from gorgeously full-bodied filter coffee with one of the best filter coffee machines to unctuously rich espresso. Whether it’s on camping holidays or the comfort of your own kitchen, it’s a true do-it-all grinder.

Best coffee grinder for pour-over

One big appeal of this second generation Fellow grinder – aside from the excellent grind quality – is the Ode’s unique looks. Available in black and white, it’s shorter and deeper than most grinders, with a unique squared off profile and a huge, oversized dial on the front. That dial gives you 31 levels of grind size adjustment, ranging from fine enough for Aeropress through to coarser pour-over, filter coffee machine, cafetiere and cold brew grinds. Sadly, espresso is a no-no – the Ode doesn’t go fine enough. More fine adjustment would be appreciated, too; we hope Fellow moves to a stepless design for Gen 3.

The bean hopper has a mere 100g capacity, but it’s not really intended for storage – there’s no airtight lid, for starters. Instead, it’s designed for a single dosing approach, where you weigh the beans you need for each brew and pour them in. The hopper’s angled edges ensure that no beans get left behind, and flicking the little silver lever helps loosen any ground coffee which gets stuck. You will need to give the chute a brush reasonably regularly, though – fine coffee grounds still tend to get stuck after a few uses.

The grind quality from the 64mm burrs is superb. There was just a smidgen more variation in grind size than the Aarke, but they were neck and neck – and there was little between them in the taste tests. The Ode Gen 2 produced wonderfully fragrant, floral brews from Clifton Coffee’s Ethiopian Werka Wuri beans. Crucially, though, it’s the user-friendly design which takes it from good to great.

Best coffee grinder for espresso purists

To operate this grinder all you need to do is push the portafilter into the PL72’s metal jaws – or ‘fork’ – and it starts grinding. Another shove, and it stops.

The bright OLED display allows you to program timed grind settings for both single and double shots, and this can be adjusted from 2 to 20 seconds. Alternatively, you can press and hold the single button on top to grind manually – you can hold the button for as long as you want.

There’s a supremely wide range of grind adjustment, with the big clicky dial ranging from espresso fine all the way through to cold brew coarse, but the non-removable metal portafilter fork makes it awkward to use for anything other than espresso – it’s hard to get a grounds container under the spout.

Grind quality is good. Unsurprisingly, it’s optimised for espresso more so than filter – I had great results using it alongside the Lelit Anna PL41TEM manual espresso machine I have in for testing. It’ll makes a pleasingly full bodied filter brew, too, but as its burrs produce a larger percentage of small and large particles for each grind, the more focused grind size of the Fellow and Aarke grinders produced a more refined, fragrant cup.

The design does have its issues. There’s a tendency for stray beans to get left behind on the hopper’s flat bottom, and the grinder also produces a huge amount of static, which means that finely ground coffee gets stuck to your portafilter and all over the machine’s lower surfaces. It’s irritating. And messy, too.

At this price, the Lelit has a lot of strong competition from established favourites such as Baratza and Eureka. It’s a decent enough choice for espresso-only enthusiasts – especially if you find it at a discount – but it’s a lot of money to spend on an espresso only grinder. If you’d prefer a do-it-all grinder that can shift effortlessly from filter to cafetiere and back to espresso, then something like the Sage Smart Grinder Pro at number 5 on this list or, my usual go-to, Baratza’s superb Vario W+ (£419.95 at Amazon) are far more suited to flitting back and forth.

Best coffee grinder for style points

The grind quality with this choice from Aarke is excellent, a brand that also makes some of the best kettles. Espresso is off the table as the Aarke doesn’t grind finely enough, but the 60 clicks of adjustment cater for everything from moka pot to cold brew. In my testing, the Aarke produced very similar brews to the Ode Gen 2, which is no mean feat – it eked out a wonderful darjeeling-like crispness from Clifton Coffee’s Werka Wuri filter coffee roast.

The 250g hopper is sealed with a glass, rubber-sealed lid, and a handy guide to the suggested grind size is printed on top. To adjust the grind size, the whole top of the Aarke spins around with reassuringly solid clicks. This makes it easy to dial in wonderfully balanced filter and cafetiere brews, and also to remember preferred grind sizes for different bean types. The lack of fine adjustment feels like a missed opportunity, though – a stepless adjustment would provide better fine tuning possibilities.

You can also select from automatic or manual grind amounts. Set the dial to manual mode, and it’ll keep grinding until the hopper is empty, or until you click the large silver lever a second time. Set the dial between 2 and 10 cups, and it’ll grind a set amount for a filter coffee brew. This is time-based, though, so it’ll vary depending on the hardness of your beans – you’re better off using scales and doing it manually.

The design is gorgeous, but quirky. It’s the noisiest grinder in the group, and the powerful motor vibrates enough to rotate the grinder around just a tiny bit. Also, a handful of beans tended to get stuck on the plastic lip at the bottom of the hopper, and the chute gets clogged with coffee, too, so you’ll want to keep the supplied brush close to hand.

Best do-it-all grinder

Sage’s Smart Grinder Pro is an upgraded version of the cheaper Dose Control Pro model. You get a friendlier and more informative LCD display, a more powerful 165W motor and finer time-based grind settings for more precise adjustments. The hopper is a more capacious 450g versus the 340g on the Dose Control Pro, too. For budding coffee enthusiasts, it’s a good do-it-all grinder.

Unlike some of the other grinders here, the Smart Grinder Pro is designed for all kinds of brewing. You get a nice, sturdy-feeling container for grinding larger batches suitable for filter coffee or cafetiere use, and this has a rubber lid so that you can seal it to retain freshness if you grind a little too much. You also get two sets of plastic jaws in the box for grinding straight into an espresso portafilter: one set for 50-54mm portafilters and the other, 58mm portafilters. Shove the grinder in and the grind starts; another shove, and it stops.

The backlit screen and simple controls make all the difference for beginners. The LCD screen gives a nice clear indication of the grinding ranges for different brew types, tells you the current present grinding setting – there are 60 to choose from – and makes it easy to adjust the preset grind time and various settings. Much like the best Sage coffee machines, this one looks the part too.

The 40mm conical burrs do a decent job with everything from fine espresso to coarse cafetiere grinds, but they’re more at home with finer espresso type grinds. With filter brews, the Sage tastes a bit muddy and indistinct when compared to the Fellow or Aarke grinders here. The motor noise is a bit irritating, too, but it’s not vastly louder than the other grinders here, just higher in pitch.

And if you’re wondering, yes: it’s outperformed for espresso by the £100 KINGrinder K6. Still, it’s worth paying for the convenience and versatility of the design – and, unless you fancy an arm workout with every shot of espresso, the Sage Smart Grinder Pro is by far the easier option.

How I tested these coffee grinders

For this article, I’ve tested all of the grinders side by side on my kitchen worktop for several weeks.

They were paired with a pair of high-end filter coffee machines – the Fellow Aiden and Sage Precision Brewer – and my go-to espresso machine, the Sage Barista Touch Impress (which Ideal Home has also reviewed). I also used a set of Kruve Sifter sieves to calibrate an identical grind size across the various grinders, and to give a sense of how consistent the quality of grind is from each grinder. Below you can take a look at the different grinders I tested.

FAQs

Why do I need the best coffee grinder?

If you want the best tasting coffee in your cup, then don’t skimp on your grinder. This is where the magic happens. The best grinders crush coffee beans to a consistent grind size that allows the flavours from the coffee to be extracted evenly, and it’s this that allows you to get the best from any coffee machine, maker or manual brewer. As a very rough rule of thumb, you’ll almost always get better results by spending more on your grinder than your machine.

Why is grind quality so important? If you look at ground coffee, you’ll see that it’s a mixture of different sized particles including big bits, medium-sized bits and dust-like fine particles. The problem is that fine particles brew really quickly, so add a lot of bitterness. Larger pieces brew slowly, so add sourness.

A little variety isn’t a problem at all – in fact, extra fine particles can be beneficial, especially for espresso – but if a grinder creates too many unevenly sized particles, then the sour and bitter flavours overwhelm all the rich, delicate flavours that you want to focus on. The result is a coffee that doesn’t taste of anything interesting at all.

If a grinder is able to minimise how many of the really big and small particles it produces for any given grind size, and do so consistently, then the result will be a better tasting cup with more complex, defined flavours.

How much should I spend on a coffee grinder?

This is the bad news: you won’t get an objectively good grinder for much less than £100. Firstly, you want to avoid blade grinders, as they hack at the coffee and create a horribly uneven grind. I’d recommend avoiding cheap burr grinders, too, if you can afford to. This is because most burr grinders under the £100 mark tend to use ‘false’ burrs. False burrs aren’t as sharp or precise as proper, precisely machined burrs. They’re better than blade grinders, they still struggle to produce an even, balanced grind. And that means you’ll get an equally unbalanced, unpredictable brew.

If you want the best quality coffee on a budget, then buy a good quality hand grinder. For instance, the KINGrinder K6 I recommend here retails for around £100, and it actually has larger burrs than the Sage Smart Grinder Pro which costs twice as much. You’ll need a bit of patience – it takes around a minute to grind a full dose of coffee – but the results are stunning. For espresso, it keeps pace with any of the grinders here up to the £300-400 mark. For filter brews or coarser grinds, it’s not a million miles off of the £300+ filter coffee specialists such as the Fellow Ode Gen 2 or Aarke Flat Burr. If you’re brewing smaller batches of coffee, a high-end hand grinder will show you what you’ve been missing.

How to buy a coffee grinder

The most important thing to check when buying a grinder is to make sure that it suits your preferred type of coffee brewing. Not every coffee grinder can grind coffee fine enough for espresso, and not all espresso grinders are suitable for grinding coarsely enough for filter, pour over or cafetiere brews.

If you love espresso, then you need a grinder that can produce a fine grind. It also needs to provide lots of fine adjustment so that you can dial in the perfect pour. Always check the specifications: if it doesn’t explicitly say it’s capable of grinding for espresso, then it’s a safe assumption that it can’t. If you really want to indulge your inner barista, then look for a grinder with a portafilter fork, so you can grind directly into your portafilter – just like the baristas do in coffee shops.

If you want great filter brews, then you don’t have to be quite so picky. Some models, such as the Aarke Flat Burr, have a raised spout which allows you to grind directly into a filter coffee basket, which can be handy. Others simply grind into a removable container, and sometimes these have lids so you can save any excess grinds for another brew.

If you want a grinder that’s great for both espresso and filter, that’s a little trickier. You want controls that allow you to quickly adjust from a super-fine to a coarse grind, and ideally with numbered settings so you can remember your preferred settings. A model such as Sage’s Smart Grinder Pro (£200), for instance, is a good pick, as it’s designed to work well with both espresso and filter-style brews.

Several of the grinders here have inbuilt timers that allow you grind a set amount of coffee. Some base this purely on time, others allow you to select a number of ‘cups’ and they then grind an appropriate amount of coffee. As these settings are time-based, though, they won’t always grind a consistent weight of coffee. Given that darker and lighter roast coffee beans grind at different rates, and then also grind a little more quickly as they dry out, you’re usually better off weighing what you need. For espresso I’d recommend a set of scales which work to 0.1g precision, but if you just want to check that your larger cafetiere and filter brews are in the right ballpark, a basic set of kitchen scales will do the job.

Finding the best mattress for a side sleeper is an important consideration if we lie on our side at night.

In the five years I’ve worked as Ideal Home’s Sleep Editor and certified Sleep Expert, I’ve discovered that our sleeping position is one of *the* most important factors in choosing the right mattress for our sleep needs, and the best mattress for a back sleeper won’t be the same as the best mattress for a side sleeper.

As side sleepers, we need a mattress that keeps our spine in the same alignment when we're lying down as it would be when we're standing up straight, which tends to mean a mattress with medium-firm support and a cushioned top layer to reduce pressure on the hip and shoulder.

So far, I’ve put over 45 mattresses through Ideal Home’s mattress testing process, many of which are designed specifically for side sleepers. To help you find the right option for you, I’ve rounded up my three top recommendations below, taking into consideration support and cushioning, as well as factors such as breathability, ease of care, value for money, delivery, and customer service.

The quick list

Three of the best mattresses for side sleepers are listed below. You'll find more information on each, and why I recommend it if you keep on scrolling.

Best mattress for side sleepers overall

When I first lay down on Simba's bestselling mattress, I found it instantly comfortable, both for back and side sleeping, with a good level of support that kept my spine well-aligned in both positions.

As someone who isn't a huge fan of being enveloped by memory foam, I also found its memory foam surface really nicely responsive. It moulded around my hip and shoulder joint to offer pressure relief when I lay on my side, but I still felt I was lying on the mattress rather than in the mattress, and I found it easy enough to turn over in the night without too much lag waiting for the memory foam to reform around me. It also has just the right amount of bounce.

This is also one memory foam mattress that didn't immediately make this hot sleeper break out in a sweat. I did find it warmer to sleep on than a mattress filled with natural, breathable materials, but its temperature regulation was better than most memory foam and memory foam hybrid mattresses I've tested. (If you're a hot sleeper like me, or you want a non-synthetic mattress that's more environmentally friendly, consider the Hypnos mattress at #3 in my round-up instead).

Its mattress-in-a-box delivery was also very convenient when negotiating my narrow staircase on delivery day, and I appreciated the brand's delivery to my room of choice and the option of 'white glove' delivery (where the mattress is unboxed and packaging removed) so I didn't have to lug the mattress about by myself.

Add to that the 200-night sleep trial that gave me peace of mind, I could return the mattress if I didn't get on with it, great customer service, a reasonable price point, and Simba's ongoing commitment to lowering its environmental impact, and I think this mattress rightly deserves its 5-star Ideal Home rating.

Our full Simba Hybrid mattress review has more detail.

Best memory foam mattress for side sleepers

A lot of side sleepers love a memory foam mattress because this adaptable material becomes more malleable as it warms to your body heat. That means it moulds around the body to cushion the shoulder and hip joints well, and the TEMPUR EASE is one of the best all-round memory foam mattresses we've tested.

Personally, I'm not so keen on memory foam's 'hug' because I change position a lot in the night and can feel a little 'stuck' in it. I prefer the extra bounce and responsiveness of the Simba Hybrid mattress for this reason, and I can also find they sleep a little warm, but our mattress tester Jennifer loved the TEMPUR EASE's mouldability.

'I found that I slept more comfortably on my side than on any other mattress I've tested,' she said after four weeks sleeping on the EASE. 'My shoulders and hips are relieved of pressure, and I'm not waking in the night with pins and needles down my arms like I was on our old mattress. The mattress contours around me, cushioning and supporting each inch of my body.'

Jennifer also loved this mattress's motion isolation, saying, 'My husband and I agreed this mattress exceeded our expectations in how well it absorbed movement. We have a young family, so one of us is often in and out of bed during the night, and we were a lot less disturbed by each other's movements on this mattress.'

Jennifer also appreciated TEMPUR's 100-night sleep trial, didn't struggle with any overheating during testing, and appreciated its medium-firm support, although she does advise opting for the 25cm depth mattress – she tested the 20cm depth, and found it a little low and lacking in support for heavier weight sleepers.

The only downsides she encountered are this mattress's weight, which means some heavy-lifting is required to rotate it, and a lack of edge support. In comparison, the Simba Hybrid is much lighter and easier to manoeuvre, and has better edge support.

Our full TEMPUR EASE mattress review has more detail.

Best cooling mattress side sleepers

If, like me, you're a hot sleeper, then even the best memory foam mattresses might prove too warm for you.

From my first night testing this pocket-sprung mattress packed with natural breathable materials, I was struck by just how much of a cooler sleep it offered. No waking up hot and sticky in the middle of the night; instead, even when I've slept on this mattress throughout heatwaves, it's offered fantastic temperature regulation that has meant I slept much deeper and woke up feeling better rested.

The mattress' sewn on 'pillow top' also offers good pressure relief for side sleepers. It's not as cushioning as a memory foam mattress, but I find it still offers a good level of softness around my hip and shoulder when I'm lying on my side, making side sleeping much more comfortable than on most sprung mattresses I've tested.

Made from predominantly natural, renewable, and biodegradable materials – that pillow top layer is packed with wool, kapok, and cotton – this is also one of the most environmentally friendly mattresses I've tested.

The downsides? This mattress has good edge support, but its motion isolation is a little lacking compared to our memory foam options. When I got a co-tester to toss and turn next to me, the vibrations through the mattress were more noticeable.

There is also no sleep trial as standard on this mattress, and it arrives delivered flat, which may make delivery day trickier if you have awkward access. However, as a hot sleeper, these are all things I'd overlook for this mattress' superior breathability, so if you too tend to overheat at night, I thoroughly recommend giving this mattress a try.

Our full Hypnos Pillow Top mattress review has more detail.

Also tested

The above mattresses are three of my top recommendations for most side sleepers. In my opinion, they nail most side sleepers' needs for a mid-range price point.

However, there are always ways to tweak your sleep comfort even more, or you might have more – or less – cash to splash. Below are some other great options that might fit your budget, your sleep preferences, or your desire for an alternative option better.

How to choose the best mattress for a side sleeper

As registered osteopath, sleep expert, and founder of The Sleep Site, Dave Gibson explains, when choosing the best mattress for side sleeping, it's all about creating good spinal alignment.

'Our posture and spinal alignment are crucial both during the day and at night,' says Dave. 'Good spinal alignment during sleep allows the ligaments, muscles, and joints of the back to relax and recover. In addition, this relaxed state promotes optimal breathing, circulation, and overall rejuvenation.'

So, what does good spinal alignment look like for a side sleeper? 'Ideally, your spine should be in the same neutral alignment when you're lying down as it would be if you were standing up straight,' explains Dave.

That means a side sleeper needs two things:

• A medium-firm mattress that offers good support whilst still allowing the hips and shoulders to sink into the mattress enough to keep the spine well-aligned. 'Side sleepers should look for a mattress that feels soft enough to cushion pressure points like the shoulders and hips, while still giving the spine the support it needs,' agrees Erin Parker, buyer at mattress retailer Dreams. 'A medium to medium-firm mattress is usually a good balance, as it lets those areas sink in comfortably without throwing your body out of alignment.' 
• A cushioned sleep surface to provide pressure relief for the hip and shoulder joints. A mattress that is too firm and lacks cushioning will often result in pins and needles or aches in the arm, shoulder, and hip you're lying on. 'Materials that gently mould to your shape, such as memory foam or plush comfort layers, can really help create a more comfortable and supportive night’s sleep,' agrees Erin.

For this reason, there are a few particular mattress styles that suit side sleepers well.

• Memory foam mattresses: 'Memory foam mattresses are a popular choice for side sleepers as they mould to your body shape, which is particularly effective at reducing pressure around the hips and shoulders as you sleep,' says Erin. The caveat is that memory foam can get hot, so it's well worth looking for a model with cooling technologies or extra breathability. Heavier-weight sleepers may also find that memory foam alone doesn't offer enough support.
• Hybrid mattresses: That's where hybrid mattresses come in. They usually provide a layer of springs for support, with a memory foam or latex top layer that provides cushioning. Those added springs can improve breathability and offer heavier sleepers more support.
• Pocket spring mattress with a pillow top: Or, if you prefer the breathability and eco-friendly credentials of a natural-fill rather than a synthetic mattress, a medium-firm pocket-spring mattress with a pillowtop is another good choice. You could also add one of the best mattress toppers to a traditional sprung mattress to add an extra comfort layer to cushion hips and shoulders.

How I tested

As Ideal Home's Certified Expert in sleep, over the past five years, I've lain on over 150 mattresses in-store, at trade shows, and through at-home testing. Following this research, I selected 45 mattresses (and counting) to be put through Ideal Home's mattress testing process.

This means that each of those 45 mattresses has been slept on at home for at least a month (and often much longer) by either myself or one of our expert testing panel.

During the review process, each mattress is tested for comfort and support – in this case, specifically for side sleeping – as well as motion isolation, responsiveness, temperature regulation, and edge support in real-life conditions. I also assess any sleep trial, the mattress delivery process, value for money, and, where possible, take into account third-party reviews and environmental impact.

This guide rounds up the three best mattresses for side sleeping that we've tested over the past five years. My choices are based on a combination of comfort, support, customer service, and value for money.

Our expert testing panel

FAQs

One of the best iced coffee makers is not just for the summertime, for some (me included), it's an appliance that can feed a year-round passion. While heading to your favourite coffee shop for an iced this or that is a lot of fun, the £££s can start to add up quick, which is where these machines and gadgets are as essential as putting something on ice on a hot day.

The best iced coffee makers differ from the best coffee machines thanks to built-in settings or features that enable you to either make cold brew for yourself at home or pour specially brewed coffee over ice. They aren't a neccesity, no, but if you mostly drink iced coffee they'll certainly make your life easier.

To cover every budget, we've tested a cup which allows you to make cold brew at home, a budget filter machine, and a top of the range bean-to-cup machine that has built-in iced coffee programs. So all you need to do now, after reading our expert takes on each one in line with our coffee testing protocol, is decide which one suits you best.

Early Amazon Prime Day iced coffee maker deals

This year's Amazon Prime Day event will take place from 23rd to 26th June, but I've spotted some early Amazon Prime Day iced coffee maker deals to have on your radar.

The quick list

If you're looking to get from A to B quick, then our quick list will get you where you need to shop, fast!

The best iced coffee maker overall

This De'Longhi machine costs almost £1000, which we know is pretty wild. But, if it's an at home barista service for iced drinks you're looking for, the Eletta is faultless. Bean-to-cup coffee machines are ordinarily the most expensive way of making a cup of joe at home, but if you want it, they can give you the highest quality at-home coffee at the touch of a button.

The Eletta Explore takes that idea one step further, with a huge menu of drinks available, as well as a dedicated cold drinks offering. In total, the Eletta Explore offers: 'Cold Americano, Cold Cappuccino, Cold Cappuccino Mix, Cold Latte Macchiato, Cold CaffeLatte, Cold Flat White and cold brew options.

Our reviewer Helen loved the depth of choice available with iced drinks. The Eletta Explore registers exactly how cold you want your iced drink and then instructs you on exactly how many ice cubes you should add to your cup. Helen also noted that rather than just hot coffee pouring over ice, the brew technology of this machine means that the brew process is actually formulating an iced drink.

Helen found cold drinks as easy to make as hot drinks, and the overall set up and use of this machine couldn't be easier, too. For cold cups of coffee, it's the superstar buy you need.

Read our De'Longhi Eletta Explore review for the full details.

Best budget iced coffee maker

This is a basic filter coffee machine (featuring a reusable filter basket), which also comes with a double-walled iced coffee cup. Pop that under the machine's spout and fill it with ice, and you've got a DIY iced coffee at home. It's a very simple machine, with no frills compared to the decadence of the Eletta Explore, but for those looking for a bargain, it'll fill an iced-cappuccino-shaped hole.

There's no special brew process at work here to craft cold brews. Instead, the hot coffee will be going over ice, so you need to make sure there's plenty of it in the cup below. There's also no capacity for milk frothing, so you'll need to do that separately too.

I did find throughout testing this buy that it tended to be a little leaky after dispensing coffee. Despite that, though it's a budget option, I really love the included cup that comes with this machine, and think that it's a great standalone buy.

Best cold brew iced coffee maker

This cold brew cup from one of our favourite coffee brands GRIND helped our writer Jullia to kick her takeaway coffee habit for good. At £30, it's a perfect inexpensive buy if it's specifically cold brew coffee you're after.

To operate it, you add your ground coffee and water to the bottle the night before you want a cup, or up to 24 hours beforehand. Then, pop it into the fridge so that it can steep overnight, and wake up to a delicious cold brew to enjoy on the go. It has a huge 1 litre capacity too, so there's cold brew enough for your entire household.

Our tester Jullia loved how easy to use this gadget was, and with no need to make space for a coffee machine on your worktop, it's a gem for small kitchens too.

Read our GRIND Cold Brew Bottle write up for the full details.

The best iced coffee maker for cold espresso

If your love of cold coffee really is all consuming and you have the budget to match your passion, then you can't really look past the quality of this Sage machine. Kitted out with a huge range of features for cold brew and cold espresso, it really impressed our reviewer during our testing process.

She found the dedicated auto-dosing and extraction features went a long way to improve the taste of her coffees, as well as the adjustable temperatures for steaming milk. The cold milk options are particularly noteworthy for anyone wanting to make an iced cappucino or latte, with 8 different texture levels to choose from.

This is a seriously premium machine with a price-tag to match, but if you're looking for a machine to give you the kind of calibre of iced drinks that you can find in a coffee shop, it's a runaway winner.

Read our full Sage Barista Touch Impress with Cold Extraction review for the full details.

How we tested these iced coffee makers

Here at Ideal Home, we're passionate about thoroughly reviewing the products we recommend to you as per our coffee machine testing protocol. We're also a team that's big on iced coffee, which is why you'll see this list is curated of products tested by different members of the team. Regardless of who tested each product, each iced coffee maker has been put through its paces at the home of each reviewer, with each person looking for the product to fulfill a set criteria.

That includes ease of use, smoothness of set up, the quality of parts and the resulting coffee, and considerations on value too. With all of that considered, we've settled on the rankings above. To see more on how we tested these iced coffee must-haves, take a look at our testing gallery below.

So now you've got the low down on all of the best iced coffee makers that have our seal of approval, the only thing left to do is decide which one is right for you. And start stockpiling ice cubes, of course.

Whether you work from home, are short on floor space, or simply prefer a fan that sits on a table top, you'll need one of the best desk fans if you want to stay comfortable over the summer months.

The UK has already experienced multiple heatwaves so far this year, with temperatures regularly exceeding 30°C. And so ensuring you have one of the best fans to keep you cool at home has never been more important.

But with so many desk fans on the market, how do you know what's worth spending your money on? That's where I come in. It's literally my job put desk fans through their paces, compare them and share with you the ones I think are worth your money.

Remember though, fan are brilliant at circulating the air which can make you feel cooler, but if you are looking for something to actually lower the temperature in the room, a portable air conditioner may be better.

Where to find in-stock fans

The recent heatwave means many of our top-rated fans are currently sold out. However, I've highlighted below where I've found some alternative models still in stock.

• Amazon does have some pedestal fans still available, but many do have longer delivery times than normal.
• B&Q has pedestal, tower and handheld fans available for next day delivery.
• Very. There are a few left in stock, including the Shark ChillPill.
• Dyson has its HP100 purifying fan heater in stock that offers three functions in one appliance.

Quick list

This is a quick look at the best desk fans we've tried and tested here at Ideal Home, and you can carry on scrolling for a deeper dive on why each of these desk fans made the list.

Best desk fans

Best overall desk fan

It's a combination of various factors that lands this Morphy Richards desk fan at the top of this list. It's compact enough to easily fit on a bedside table, desk or sideboard, offers a decent scope when it comes to wind speed (from a nice gentle breeze to a powerful gust) and great oscillation and is available for under £80.

When I tested this in my own home, I loved the most gentle setting while it was on my desk — it was just enough to keep me comfortable without drying out my eyes while I worked. In the lower speeds, it's quiet enough to not distract, but as with all fans, they get more audible on the higher fan speeds.

It's very straightforward to use, with a clear control panel on the base and an easy to use remote control. I'm always misplacing remotes, so I definitely appreciated that this one is magnetic and can be stored on the base behind the neck of the fan.

It has three different modes (normal, natural and sleep) and eight speed settings, but it's the oscillation that really impressed me. You can set it to oscillate from left to right where the base moves from side to side, but instead of vertical oscillation, the fan head spins on it's axis, going from pointing forwards, to the side, up to the ceiling and across to the other side and back again. Combining this 360° oscillation with the horizontal movement means this little desk fan can get the air moving around the whole room.

In terms of using this as a bedroom fan, it wasn't quite as whisper-quiet as other desk fans I've tried, so it wouldn't be my first choice for a bedroom. However, if you don't mind a bit of white noise when you're dropping off to sleep, this fan also has a timer you can set to switch it off, and you can turn all the lights off on the display.

For more details, my full review is coming soon.

Best battery-powered desk fan

If you have a larger budget for your desk fan, then you can't go wrong with the Meaco Sefte Pro Table Top Air Circulator.

First up, it's quiet, powerful and very easy to operate via either the onboard controls, the magnetic remote or the connected app. It oscillates well, comes with 12 speed settings, as well as Eco and Night modes, so it's really easy to personalise the settings to your ideal comfort preferences.

What's more, this fan can be run off the rechargeable battery or mains power, so you have loads of flexibility around when and where you can use it. The wind speeds are more powerful when it's connected to the mains, but it still creates a decent breeze when running off the battery. Depending on the settings you have the fan on, you can get up to 40-hours use out of a single charge.

While the Sefte Pro is a bit of an investment, it's one that will last you. The rechargeable battery is also replaceable, so when it reaches the end of it's life you can simply buy a new battery instead of a whole new fan.

Read my full Meaco Sefte Pro Table Top Air Circulator review for more details.

Best desk fan for bedrooms

Duux's Whisper range of fans are ultra quiet which makes them a great choice for the bedroom. And for me, the best Duux desk fan (although adaptable to a pedestal) is the Whisper Flex 2 smart fan. It really is super-quiet, which is essential for me when I'm trying to fall asleep, but it's got loads more going for it too.

As well as looking brilliant (I've got it in Stone, and I love the aesthetic), it's got a whopping 30 different speed settings, plus different modes to create the Goldilocks of comfort levels. The natural mode, which mimics a real breeze, has to be my favourite. While I didn't necessarily feel a marked difference between all the speed settings, it's so nice to be able to customise the wind speed to such a degree.

It oscillates well to get the air moving arounds the whole room, and is really easy to use via the control panel on the base, the remote control or the app. As the on-board control panel is located on the base, it's not that easy to see what settings you're on, especially if it's on a table top across the room. And for me, that's why the app is so brilliant (I use the app to control it way more than the remote control because it's just so easy). It's quick and simple to slide through to your chosen speed settings, and you can set the oscillation exactly how you like it, as well as switching between modes.

While a battery isn't included, you can purchase one separately (for about £60) that will give you extra flexibility about where you use it.

For more details, my full Duux Whisper Flex 2 review is coming soon.

Best affordable desk fan

If you are looking for a desk fan on a budget, then this Vonhaus Air Circulator Cooling Fan fits the bill.

It might not have as many speed settings as other options on this list, but it does have a sub-£50 price tag, which makes it an ideal choice if you are looking for something more affordable.

While it only has three speed settings, they are surprisingly powerful and can get the air moving around the room with ease. But that power, even on the lowest setting, means that it's a little intense to have up close, so I'd definitely recommend having a bit of distance between you and the fan to keep things comfortable.

I also found this fan incredibly easy to use, with simple controls on the fan base and a remote control that allow you to adjust the fan speed, horizontal oscillation and mode. If you want to adjust the vertical tilt, that needs to be done by hand.

This fan is a little noisier than others on this list, so it's not ideal for the bedroom, but if you don't mind that, and your budget is more of a priority, then this fan is well worth a look.

For more details, read my full Vonhaus Air Circulator Cooling Fan review.

Best misting desk fan

Our Senior Digital Editor Jenny is a big fan (pardon the pun) of the Shark FlexBreeze HydroGo. Not only will it fit neatly on a desk, but it also offers really impressive airflow meaning you can feel the benefit of it up to 20m away. It's also really lightweight and can be run off the battery or by mains power, which makes it incredibly easy to move around both indoors and out, wherever you need it.

The ultra-fine misting function is heavenly in a heatwave and won't leave you or your nearby furniture soggy. If you do choose to use it outdoors, it's also rain and UV resistant to give you additional peace of mind.

Jenny particularly loved how quiet it was when she was using it to help get her youngest child to sleep during a heatwave.

It might not be the most affordable, but it's definitely effective. It's also available in a range of on-trend colours which allow you to showcase a bit of your personality too.

For more details, read Jenny's first look of the Shark FlexBreeze HydroGo.

Best desk fan for travel

If you want a desk fan that you can use at home and take away with you when you travel, then the Duux Rize is ideal.

It's super-lightweight (weighing just 1kg) and compact, which means it's not only really easy to move around your home, but it's easy to take away with you on holiday too.

When I tested it in my home, I loved the telescopic pole that made it really easy to adjust it from a desktop to a short pedestal fan. It could not be more simple to operate either. There is a power button and four speed settings and that's it.

The fact that the Duux Rize is battery operated (with up to 15 hours run time) means that you don't have to worry about where the plug sockets are when it comes to your ideal fan placement. It's compact proportions also mean it's perfect for small spaces.

This is very much a fan for personal comfort, rather than something that can benefit multiple people in a room. If you want something to benefit multiple room occupants, then the Meaco Sefte Pro or Duux Whisper Flex 2 on this list would be more suitable.

For more details, read my full Duux Rize fan review.

Best desk fan comparison at a glance

Find out the running cost of any desk fan you are considering, even if it's not on this list, by using our calculator. All you need to know is the wattage.

How we test

At Ideal Home, we take how we test products extremely seriously. We only ever want to recommend products that we have hands-on experience with, and every desk fan on this list has been tested for at least two weeks (or sometimes more) to help us come to an honest and reliable verdict on whether they're worth the money or not.

We assess every fan we test on a variety of factors including looks, the set up process, ease of use and effectiveness. All fans are tested in our own homes so we can give you the best idea of whether it's the right solution for your home.

We also track the specs of every single fan we test, as well as those things you only know from first hand experience, so that we can compare them with each other and give you all you need to determine which will suit you best.

Find out more about how we test fans.

FAQs

How to choose a desk fan

While this guide should help you choose the best desk fan for your needs, I understand that the process can be daunting, and you may question whether an air conditioner would suit you better or whether a pedestal or tower fan would be a more practical option.

However, there are some questions you can ask yourself to make the process easier. These are:

• What size is the desk fan? If your plan is to pop a fan quite literally on your desk while you're working, you need to be conscious of how much space you have to work with. This is especially true as an oscillating fan is better than a still fan, so if you opt for a desk fan with oscillating functionalities, it needs to have space to move. You should also consider the size of the fan base, especially for those that can double up as pedestal fans, as these can be quite large.
• What type of desk fan do you want? Desk fans come in a surprising number of varieties from traditional oscillating to towers, misting to bladeless, and corded to battery operated models. Each have their own benefits and drawbacks. For example, battery operated fans are ideal if you don't want to worry about proximity to sockets, but they usually lack the power of their corded counterparts. Similarly, misting fans might offer better cooling capacity, but may not be suitable for use right next to your work computer and power cables. Think carefully about how you want to use your fan and when, so you can make the right choice.
• How many speed settings does it have? Although no fan actively cools a room, the air circulation of a fan does help to expel the hot air, cooling a room in the process. So, if you have a hot house, you should opt for a desk fan that has more speed settings.
• How noisy is it? If you're easily distracted while you're working or sleeping, you should also pay attention to the noise levels of the desk fan. This should be included within the specs of the product in decibels, and the higher the decibels, the louder the appliance. If you want a quieter model, try to opt for a desk fan that has the Quiet Mark accreditation. For context, anything in the 30s when it comes to decibels is the equivalent of a gentle whisper, up to readings in the 60s that is the equivalent of a chat among friends.
• How heavy is it? The beauty of desk fans is that they're more portable than pedestal or tower fans, and they're generally a lot lighter. This allows you to avoid the places you shouldn't put a fan and aids those with mobility issues or limited strength.

Should you buy a desk fan or a pedestal fan?

If you are unsure whether you need a desktop or a pedestal fan, the good news is that there are a lot of excellent fans that can be adapted from pedestal to desktop really easily, so it's entirely possible to get both options in a single appliance.

If you want one or the other, then it's worth thinking about how much available space you have, and how you want to use your fan.

For those short on floorspace, then a table-top fan is likely the best solution as it keeps your floors free, and can fit neatly on a sideboard, desk or bedside table. It's worth checking the dimensions of the fan to ensure it will fit comfortably on your chosen surface, with a bit of extra room to allow the fan to oscillate without obstruction. However, desk fans are usually less powerful than pedestal fans, and as such are best for personal comfort.

Pedestal fans, on the other hand, tend to be more powerful with a better reach, meaning they are ideal for getting the air circulating around the whole room, benefiting everyone in it.

In the market for the best hot tub? With summer here, we can hardly blame you. A hot tub instantly elevates your garden and makes outdoor entertaining feel that little bit more luxurious, whether you're hosting friends for a BBQ, unwinding from work, or simply making the most of long, warm evenings outdoors. And you can find one for as cheap as £379.99 – and that's not even the sale price.

Thanks to the rise of inflatable hot tubs many years ago, there's now more choice than ever before. It's a good thing for those who aren't so keen on a permanent fixture in their back garden, or if you need something small and moveable (once empty!) to fit around your gorgeous garden furniture set. Plus, let's not forget that there are lots of designs of inflatable hot tubs available, so whether you want something black to fit with your garden design or a wooden option for the Scandi vibes, there's plenty of choice.

Of course, there's more to consider than design – but not to worry, as that's where our experts come in. I've solicited help from reviewers to test the best hot tubs in the UK for 2025. This includes newly launched hot tubs, inflatable hot tubs from market leader Lay-Z-Spa, and even foam options if you want something slightly more luxe than an inflatable tub.

Our team of reviewers have tested and compared ease of assembly, capacity, thermal efficiency and ease of use, as well as the looks and prices of all the top models, so you don't have to. Here are our top recommendations for the best hot tubs to make the most of sunny summer days.

The quick list

Short on time? This quick list is an overview of the best hot tubs on the Ideal Home team's radar. You'll find more information on each outdoor spa and why our testers recommend it if you keep on scrolling.

Best hot tubs tried and tested

Best inflatable hot tub overall

The Lay-Z-Spa Miami has taken over our top spot as the best inflatable hot tub you can buy in 2025 – and our best budget hot tub as it costs just £379.99. Our tester Annie loved reviewing this hot tub, and she particularly raved about its easy and fast setup. If you're a first-timer looking for a hot tub and don't want to spend a fortune or get yourself too overwhelmed and confused, then take a glance at the Miami AirJet. Once filled and the heater was turned on, Annie noted that every hour, this hot tub heated between 2°C and 2.5°C. Once heated to 40° and switched off, it had dropped to 35° within one hour and 30 minutes – but its temperature soon stabilised as 12 hours later and overnight, it had only dropped from 40° to 29°C.

For an incredibly decent price, you get most of the bells and whistles included with the Miami AirJet. In the box comes a specially-designed lid, which helps to keep the heat in. Size-wise, it's perfect for small gardens. It can easily fit two to three adults or two adults and two children. It could fit four adults, but you'd be cosy. Fitted inside you'll find 120 air jets that you can control from its pump. This same pump lets you put the tub on a timer, too, while it also allows you to heat the tub to 40°C. Also integrated into the pump's design are two handy cup holders.

Extra features include FreezeShield (which protects it in the winter from cold temperatures). Perhaps the only downfall of the Miami AirJet is that it cannot be WiFi-controlled like other, more expensive models. While this didn't bother our tester and actually, she found it less confusing to use only via the pump, for some, it might be important. Also, do note that you can set it on a timer to preheat when it suits you. Its black-and-white design might be considered boring for anyone who wants their tub to stand out, but for most people, it's the perfect option to blend into an outdoor space. With a white interior and a classic blue and white tiled pool floor, you can't really go wrong. This hot tub is the smallest on our list, with a diameter of 180cm (not including the pump). It also holds a lot less water than the others, at 669L, which is something to bear in mind when it comes to emptying and refilling, which is required every two to three months. This also makes it the cheapest on our list to run and heat.

Best rigid foam hot tub

Setting up the Lay-Z-Spa Toronto was relatively painless – all in, it took just under two hours. The thermal foam panels are lightweight yet sturdy and slot easily into the tough TriTech liner, which has a stone-grey finish that blends well with most garden spaces. Once filled with roughly 1,300 litres of water, it took around 6 to 8 hours to reach 38°C. Our tester Jenny reviewed it only a few weeks ago, at the start of spring, and also noted that once its temperature reached 40°C and after being switched off, it stayed within the 40°C-35°C margin for four to five hours. And 12 hours after being switched off, its temperature was still reading 27°C.

What really sets Toronto apart is its sturdiness. Unlike inflatable hot tubs, the rigid foam construction gives it a much more solid, supported feel – this definitely makes a difference when you’re sitting in for longer sessions. It’s marketed as a seven-person tub, but in reality, five adults fit comfortably, six at a squeeze, and seven would be elbow-to-elbow. Price-wise, it feels like good value considering the build quality and overall experience, and it's much sturdier than standard inflatables without straying into premium price territory.

Feature-wise, it’s surprisingly well-equipped. The integrated UltraFit heater and filter system is neatly housed, so you’re not sacrificing extra garden space, and the dual jet settings let you pick between a gentler soak or more vigorous bubbles. The built-in WiFi is a real bonus, being able to switch it on via the app and have it bubbling away ready when you walk through the door is genuinely handy. Its faux wood design might not be for everyone because of its inner water-effect lining (it wasn’t to my taste), but it does look more realistic than the Lay-Z-Spa Helsinki.

Where the Toronto earns its stripes is in energy efficiency. It’s up to 60% more efficient than an inflatable hot tub thanks to the rigid ThermaCore insulating foam. Add to that a power-saving timer, insulated lid and thermal top cover, and it all helps keep the heat in and running costs down. If you’re looking for a roomy, robust and easy-to-use spa that doesn’t guzzle energy, the Toronto ticks a lot of boxes, even if it is larger than others, so it requires a whopping 1,300L of water.

Best small hot tub

While our reviewer Annie loved testing the Lay-Z-Spa Zurich and still uses it to this day, she did note that the setup was particularly difficult. Mostly because it arrived to her with a missing part so it took longer than the 10 minutes it claimed to. Boasting inflatable walls, it took roughly an hour and a half to fill, as it requires around 669 litres of water. Once filled, she noted that on average, it took one hour to heat 2°C. On the flip side, once the heating was turned off, its temperature dropped by around 1°C every hour. She reviewed it in August 2022.

The thing we loved the most about the Zurich was its ability to retain heat and therefore preserve energy. In the box comes a specially-designed EnergySense™ lid and liner, both of which make it 40% more energy efficient than other hot tubs. This is the same as our top pick, the Miami. In fact, the Zurich and Miami are almost exactly the same hot tub, the only thing that sets them apart is design – the Zurich being grey instead of black. Thanks to this cover, our tester Annie noted that once the heating was. Size-wise, if you only have a small outside space to squeeze a hot tub into, or there are only two of you who will be using it, then like the Miami, this is a great option. While it says it seats two to four people, we think it's a better option for two adults and a couple of kids. Or three adults max. Four adults could fit, but you'd need to get close.

When it comes to features, it admittedly doesn't wow you as much as newer hot tub models. It does have FreezeShield to protect it from freezing in the winter, and we've already mentioned its energy-efficient cover and liner, but other than that, the only other features it boasts are two cup holders built into its pump. Unfortunately, the Zurich isn't Wi-Fi compatible, so you won't be able to control it via your smartphone, which for some, could be a game-changer.

Though do note that it offers a timer on its pump, so you can set it to turn on to heat whenever you need it to. Otherwise, if Wi-Fi connectivity doesn't bother you, then go for this, especially if it's on sale at the time of purchase. Its grey suede-effect design might not be for everyone, but it's inoffensive, and inside the tub, there's your classic blue and white tiled pool floor. We suggest that when purchasing, if you also like the Miami, then do a price comparison for both the Miami and the Zurich, and also consider design. Otherwise, the same amount of water and space is required for both.

Best large hot tub

Whilst this is still an inflatable hot tub – and so benefits from being easy to set up, quick to dismantle, and easy to store – Lay-Z-Spa's Helsinki is different. Its innovative thin-walled rigid design means that despite its outer dimensions measuring small, its inner dimensions are far bigger, allowing for an impressive 1,123 litre water capacity and space for five to seven adults. While we're yet to test this one, it gets top marks for design, comfort and features from thousands of shoppers. We've rated it our best large hot tub, especially if you are on a budget.

This spa is the same size as our top pick, the Miami, which fits 2-4 people, but because of its thinner walls, it can fit more water and therefore more people. Though both spas have a diameter of 180cm, the Miami can only fit 669 L of water while the Helsinki requires 1,123 L. The Miami fits 2-4 adults. Now let's compare it to the foam option from Lay-Z-Spa, the Toronto. The Helsinki is a tiny bit smaller in both diameter (10cm difference) and height (6cm difference), but if your water bill is a concern, it holds significantly less water – 1,300L vs 1,123L – which is worth considering when it comes to emptying and refilling. Both the Toronto and the Helsinki spas fit 5 to 7 adults.

Feature-wise, there are 180 air jets to ensure everyone gets some therapeutic massaging bubbles. Plus, like most Lay-Z-Spa hot tubs, it also comes with anti-freeze technology plus an inflatable lid with safety lock clips. Because it's an older model, this lid doesn't boast the same energy-efficiency technology. ChemConnect makes dispensing chlorine into the tub simple. Unfortunately, it cannot be controlled by Wi-Fi, but it does offer timer settings.

Design-wise, we love it: the printed wood-effect exterior makes this tub look more stylish than most, plus it offers built-in cup holders. Unfortunately, its modern-looking thinner walls do mean it offers less insulation. It used to be one of the most expensive inflatable hot tubs on the market, but now that it lacks Lay-Z-Spa's latest thermo-efficient insulation, the price has come down considerably, making it a good value spa if you're looking for a spacious tub with plenty of room to stretch out and splash about. So, if you can't quite fit the Toronto in your garden, then consider this one.

Best stylish hot tub

If you're put off by the look of traditional inflatable hot tubs, the Lay-Z-Spa Stockholm AirJet could change your mind. It's our pick for the most stylish hot tub in this guide, thanks to its sleek black finish, contemporary square shape and integrated pump that avoids the bulky external unit you often get with inflatable models. The overall effect is far more spa-like and design-led, making it feel like a natural extension of a modern garden.

We haven't yet put the Stockholm AirJet through our full testing process, but a review is underway. On paper, it has all the features we'd expect from a premium buy, including 140 airjets, app connectivity and FreezeShield technology, so you can use it all year round. The ThermaCore rigid foam construction is also designed to retain heat more effectively while giving the spar a sturdier, more luxurious feel.

Everything we've seen online so far has been incredibly encouraging too. Reviews regularly mention how spacious, comfortable and premium the Stockholm feels, with many owners praising its chic appearance and excellent heat retention, helping to reduce both rehating times and running costs.

Best hot tubs – final verdict

Where to buy a hot tub

• Amazon: Lay-Z-Spa, Wave Spa and more
• Argos: Lay-Z-Spa hot tubs and accessories
• B&Q: regular deals on MSpa and Lay-Z-Spa
• Homebase: brand-name hot tubs
• Robert Dyas: inflatable and resin hot tubs

How to choose the best hot tub

Want to add a hot tub to your outside space but not sure where to start when shopping? We're here to help with our guide to the key things to look out for before you buy.

Types of hot tub

There are four main types of hot tub you will need to decide between before you shop.

Inflatable hot tubs

At the lowest end of the price scale are inflatable hot tubs. These are relatively cheap, portable, easy to deflate and store, and simply plug into an outdoor power socket.

An inflatable hot tub tends to range from £300 - £1200, depending on its size and specifications. Inflatables are the most hassle-free option that tends to fit most sizes of outdoor space. Our round-up predominantly features the best inflatable hot tubs for this reason.

Rigid foam hot tubs

Next up, there is the new breed of rigid foam hot tubs. These aim to strike a balance between a budget-friendly inflatable and a more expensive static resin spa.

Made from foam sections, they are easy enough to self-assemble, but do take more time to set up and dismantle and require more storage space than an inflatable option. The bonus is that they look a lot less like a giant paddling pool, are sturdier and less vulnerable to punctures, and tend to offer more space inside.

Resin or plug-and-play hot tubs

Further up the price scale are more substantial wood or resin plug-and-play hot tubs. These can cost anywhere between £1500 - £5000 and generally offer more durability and greater functionality, whilst still offering the relative ease of plugging into an outdoor socket.

Technically, they're still portable, although they don't tend to be dismantled, so you'll need somewhere spacious to store one if you don't want to leave it outside all year round, and good access to get one into the garden in the first place.

Built-in hot tubs

And then, there are built-in hot tubs that require professional electrical installation and a permanent site in the garden. These require much more commitment and a lot more cash to install, with prices depending on contractors and how much landscaping you require. However, as these hot tub decking ideas show, they can provide a statement focal point in an outside space.

Hot tub size

Once you've decided on a rough budget and, therefore, the type of hot tub that's best for your outdoor space, next up is considering how many people you'd like to be able to use the hot tub at once.

At this point, it's very important to note that manufacturer guides on how many people a hot tub can hold are, in our experience, always very ambitious. If a hot tub is marketed as being a four-person hot tub, then although it will be physically possible for four adults to squeeze in, it's likely to be much more of a squash than you may be comfortable with, so generally speaking, you'll want to size up if you can.

Whilst a six-person hot tub may sound extravagant if you're a family of two adults and two kids, it's still going to be a much more relaxing experience if you all want to enjoy the jacuzzi at once.

Hot tub water capacity

A good way to get a true gauge of a hot tub's size, beyond how many people the manufacturer optimistically claims it will fit, is to check out its water capacity.

This measures how many litres of water the hot tub will hold, with a small two-person hot tub tending to be under 700 litres and a larger six-person hot tub coming in around the 1000-1200 litre mark, and a four-person hot tub somewhere in between.

When considering water capacity, it's also worth noting that the larger the water capacity, the longer the hot tub is likely to heat up from cold, and the more energy it will require to maintain the temperature of that larger volume of water.

So if there will only be two of you using the hot tub, you're best opting for a smaller hot tub rather than wasting energy heating up a six-person model.

Hot tub energy efficiency

There's no denying that incorporating a hot tub into your garden ideas is going to increase your energy usage during the times that you want the water heated. However, there are ways to make your hot tub usage more energy efficient.

In an attempt to lessen the environmental impact of hot tub energy use, and make daily running costs cheaper, more hot tubs are now available with energy-saving features, such as inflatable lids that help to maintain the water temperature when the hot tub isn't in use and more thermo-efficient sides and bases to prevent heat loss.

A growing number of retailers are also starting to provide estimates of how much their hot tubs cost to run, such as this breakdown of Lay-Z-Spa running costs, making it easier to find a more energy-efficient model.

Bear in mind that older hot tub models are less likely to have had energy efficiency factored into their design, whereas newer models may cost a little more but will have all of the latest technology built in.

Things to consider when buying a hot tub

There are so many things to consider before buying a hot tub, but most importantly of all comes safety. Hot tubs should not be heated above 40°C, and most of them won't reach temperatures higher than this. It also states in hot tub manuals that they are not to be used by children under 8. If they are, water should not be higher than 36, and the time they spend in there should not exceed 15 minutes.

Before the first use of your hot tub, you'll need to add a shock dose of chlorine and also perform a series of tests to determine whether the water is safe. Each time you add a chemical, you should allow at least 2 hours between that and the next. Invest in a hot tub starter kit to make things a little easier, and refer to Lay-Z-Spa's guide if you've invested in one from them. This guide is handy as it tells you how much of each chemical you need to use based on which hot tub you own. Essentially, it means you needn't do the maths yourself.

It's recommended that you test your hot tub chemicals twice weekly, and also just before use. Failure to test and maintain your hot tub will result in not only the growth of bacteria in the water, but it could also lead to skin irritation. This can also affect the hot tub itself; unbalanced chemicals can lead to corrosion, and it can affect the heat pump, pipes and liner. It's also recommended to drain the water and change it every 2-3 months, so bear this in mind when it comes to your water bill.

There are several long-term costs to consider before purchasing a hot tub, and these go beyond chemicals, filters and energy and water consumption. Also, consider that you might need to invest in replacement parts should yours break for whatever reason. Luckily, these don't tend to be too expensive, depending on what you need to replace. For built-in hot tubs, it's recommended to get a yearly service to ensure all parts are working as they should and to prevent any minor damage from becoming severe.

Lastly, not everyone should use a hot tub. It explains in each manual that you should avoid bathing in hot tubs if you have certain health conditions. These include but are not limited to cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure and diabetes.

How we tested

You'll find full details of the Ideal Home review process on our how we test page.

When it comes to our hot tub review process, we solicited help from a few team members and their gardens. These team members were given a specific hot tub to test, and they used it in their garden, in a real-life setting, over two weeks. The factors we consider and test while reviewing a hot tub are:

• Unboxing and box contents
• Assembly and setup time
• Hot tub fill time (this is also dependent on water pressure)
• Heat-up time (this is also dependent on outdoor temperature)
• Design and comfort
• Ease of cleaning and maintenance
• Energy efficiency, by testing how much the temperature drops while the lid is on over 12 hours, and how long it takes to drop from 40°C to 35°C
• Price point
• Size in comparison with how many litres of water is required

If there are any products that we haven't managed to test in person, or the product didn't achieve over 4 out of 5 stars, then they won't have an Ideal Home Approved badge. However, you can rest assured we've done thorough research on their technical specifications and read multiple happy – and not-so-happy – customer reviews to narrow down our suggestions to only the best-in-class. We've tested 3 out of 4 of the hot tubs in this guide, with more reviews to come.

Hot tub testers

Other hot tubs we've tested

FAQs

Wondering where to buy children's bedding? We've rounded up the Ideal Home team's top recommendations so you can jump straight to the cream of the crop.

When it comes to decor ideas, a childrens room is one of the places that the imagination can really run wild, and bedding can really set the tone for the whole room scheme.

Kids bedding can also be a quick, easy, and affordable way to let your child inject their own personality into their bedroom – and it's a lot easier to swap out when their tastes change than repainting the walls!

Whether you're looking to add the finishing touches to a themed kids room, are after some playful prints or colourful patterns to create a focal point in a small childrens bedroom, or you need practical basics – these are the best places to shop for kids bedding.

Where to buy childrens bedding

At a glance

• M&S: fun bed linen and practical bedding
• John Lewis: good quality kids bedding
• H&M: neutral Scandi-inspired bed linen
• The White Company: subtle details
• The Little Green Sheep: natural bedding
• naturalmat: organic kids bedding
• Habitat: fun and affordable bed linen
• Argos: kids duvets, pillows, and sheets
• furn: fantastic prints and patterns
• Piglet in Bed: gingham, stripes and neutrals
• Very: basics and themed bed linen
• Dunelm: wide variety of kid's bedding

Our favourite finds

Marks & Spencer

If you're anything like us, then M&S is probably one of the first places you head for good quality bed linen that washes well, and has a relatively affordable price point. The brand is a staple for plain sheets and practical bedding like waterproof mattress protectors. The good news is that they also stock plenty of fun kids bed linen, with options for toddlers through to tweens.

Shop the collection: M&S childrens bedding

H&M

If you're looking for childrens bedding that's a little more understated, then H&M is the place to go. The brand offers subtle prints, playful designs, and pretty pastel patterns that have the longevity to appeal to both oh-so-little and not-so-little kids.

Shop the collection: H&M childrens bedding

John Lewis

From baby swaddle and sleep bags to easy-care toddler pillow and duvet sets, waterproof mattress protectors to stylish kids bed linen, you're sure to find everything you need to kit out a nursery or children's bedroom at John Lewis. In fact, there's quite a few options that we wish came in bigger sizes!

Shop the collection: John Lewis childrens bedding

The White Company

If you're wondering where to buy childrens bedding that isn't chock full of colour and pattern, then The White Company will deliver. The brand's kids collection features cot bed and single sized bed linen that's more subtle than most, with a focus on... you guessed it... white bedding sets with subtle child-friendly detailing.

Shop the collection: The White Company childrens bedding

Dunelm

Dunelm has a huge range of kids bedding, including basics for cribs, cots, and toddler beds, as well as essentials for older children. The brand's selection of children's bed linen is also one of the widest we've come across with a mix of colourful prints and patterns, themed bedding with all of their favourite cartoon and Disney characters, and plenty of more grown-up options for your tween or teen.

Shop the collection: Dunelm childrens bedding

Whether you're looking for practical kids bedding, like fitted crib sheets or a waterproof mattress protector, or for a fun bedding set to add colour and pattern to a girls bedroom or boys bedroom, hopefully this round-up has given you plenty of inspiration for where to shop.

And, if you're now inspired to move onto switching up the bedding in your own bedroom – whether that's investing in the best mattress, best mattress topper, or best duvet – our guide to where to buy bedding for adults can help.

After all, kids aren't the only ones who can have fun transforming their sleeping space into the bedroom of their dreams!

Nothing beats the flavour of food grilled on a charcoal BBQ – it's the surest way to cook authentic flame-grilled dishes. If you're looking for the best charcoal BBQ for maximum taste and versatility, you've come to the right place.

When we're searching for the best BBQ for our gardens, it comes down to two choices: the best gas BBQs offer speedy grilling, while charcoal BBQs are well-loved for the signature smoked flavour they bring to meals.

Our expert reviewer and home economist, Helen McCue, has tried and tested the best charcoal BBQs from leading brands like Weber and Char-Broil to help you choose the best BBQ for your space. We've covered our favourite budget options, tabletop models and more to narrow down the top performers for every garden size, with notes on performance, ease of use and cooking ability.

Best charcoal BBQ - the quick list

Best charcoal BBQ overall

When we think of charcoal BBQs here at Ideal Home, our minds go straight to the Weber Original Kettle, which is as much an affordable product as it is a quality one. The type of kettle grill style was made popular by Weber way back in 1952, and quickly became a staple in the US.

But this classic grill would be equally at home here in a UK garden, with a practical design that has a space to store everything neatly onboard, as well as a big enough grate to cater to a family. And if the Original Kettle E4710 isn't big enough, you can always size up in the range.

Our expert tester, Helen, thinks that this is simply the ideal choice for 2 to 4 people, and an elite entry-level option if you're new to charcoal grilling outside of disposable BBQs. The set-up couldn't be easier, and our reviewer had great success cooking vegetable skewers, halloumi, sausages, veg, and roasting an entire chicken with plenty of room to spare. The process for removing ash is also made easy thanks to the design, and if you've ever encountered someone who owns a Weber Kettle, you'll know they last in a garden for an absolute age.

Our Weber Original Kettle review has the full details.

Best charcoal bbq under £100

A BBQ under £100 can save you from the perils (and the environmental impacts) of disposable BBQs for good, and we can't think of a better one than the Weber Smokey Joe. It's a more compact version of the Original Kettle, and certain models come equipped with carry handles too, to allow you to take this grill to the beach or the park on a day trip.

Even though it's super compact, the size of the cooking grate with this BBQ might surprise you, with enough space for Helen to grill up plenty of sausages on it, as well as ample skewers and chicken thighs. As with the Original Kettle, the cooking capability of this BBQ is excellent, and you can cook with direct and indirect heat easily.

Our Weber Smokey Joe BBQ review has the full details.

Best large charcoal BBQ

This BBQ is not only a great large charcoal grill choice, but can also double up as the best charcoal BBQ and smoker if that's what you're looking for, with the option to add an attachment.

Helen thinks this is the charcoal BBQ to get your hands on if you want to host big outdoor soirees this summer, thanks to the huge grill size and the extra space for food prep, as well as storage. Though it's a little unwieldy, Helen found it was actually pretty straightforward to fit together, and she completed the assembly by herself in 50 minutes.

The small features, such as the built-in thermometer and the adjustable chimney go a long way into making this feel like a quality BBQ, and the charcoal grate itself can be adjusted for precise cooking. During one test, Helen cooked four corn on the cobs, four vegetable skewers, four chicken breasts and a whole block of halloumi at once, and found there was still plenty of space left over. It's also an easy BBQ to clean, and therefore will do just the trick if you want to entertain a crowd this summer.

Our Char-Broil Charcoal L BBQ review has the full details.

Best tabletop charcoal BBQ

The Everdure Cube, much like its sister BBQ the Everdure Force, has a design which will wow you, with every tiny detail thought out wonderfully. This compact tabletop BBQ is an all-in-one delight, with a bamboo prep board, a food storage tray and a grate that can fit up to 6 small burgers at a time.

During testing, we found that the Cube retained heat exceptionally well and can be used for quite a few hours at a time, meaning that even though it's a tabletop design, it can cater to a fair few people. Every time Helen used it, she found that it was still hot three hours after lighting it. If you're sitting outside for the evening, that makes it a great ad-hoc heat source!

You can't smoke with the Cube, and there isn't a lid that you can pop on the BBQ while it's hot, which some might find limiting. You also can't store it outside, and in the rainy British weather, this did pose some problems for Helen. On the whole, though, this is a solidly stylish, reliable little BBQ that will make tabletop grilling easy.

Our Everdure Cube review has the full details.

Best charcoal BBQ and fire pit

Those who love camping and caravaning, or are simply looking to double up on a BBQ and fire pit combo, will love the functionality of the Wave, which has a slim design to make it easy to travel with and space for two people to enjoy an outdoor meal. It features a large cooking grate and is the perfect height for those who want to warm themselves in their camping chairs around a fire pit.

Helen found it could fit four burgers comfortably and tried lamb chops, halloumi and a range of chargrilled veg on the surface too. She thought the results were great and loved the added extra of the built-in bottle opener.

On the whole, this is a space-saving wonder if you usually spend your summers on the go. It's a great extra to cram into your car or caravan, and the fire pit element makes it a worthwhile buy, too. Though it's not ideal for the park or the beach, you'll definitely be grateful for giving it a spot in your car when you pack for your holidays.

Our Wave Hex BBQ review has the full details.

How we tested these charcoal BBQs

We tested all of these charcoal BBQs following our in-house testing protocol to make sure we're giving you the most reliable notes on each grill.

We follow guidelines for testing BBQs and standardise the foods we use, applying the same methodology across tests. For example, we've cooked sausages, skewers and chicken on the grills we've tested.

Plus, each of the above grills was tested by our expert freelancer and home economist, Helen McCue, to ensure that they've been tried out fairly, and in comparison to each other.

How to choose the best charcoal BBQ for you

There are a few things you need to know before you buy a charcoal BBQ, and part of the process is finding the best charcoal BBQ for your space and grilling requirements.

Here are the key considerations you'll need to keep in mind.

• Size and capacity: Charcoal BBQs vary in size and capacity, so before you buy one, you'll need to work out how many people you'll be cooking for. A kettle grill is suitable for smaller families and spaces, for example, whereas a barrel or cart charcoal BBQ is usually larger, perfect for catering to bigger groups. A portable tabletop model, on the other hand, is ideal for balconies, smaller courtyards or even a camping trip.
• Features: Some charcoal BBQs come with a lid or hood with air vents, which allow you to control the temperature of the food you're cooking. Better still, many models include a built-in temperature gauge, which allows you to monitor your cooking with precision. A lot of grills come with cooking grates, too, and an ash collection system, which makes the unit easier to clean after cooking.
• Material and durability: Charcoal BBQs are made from a range of materials, but among the most common are steel, vitreous enamel, cast iron, ceramic and porcelain. The best combination of materials tends to be stainless steel cooking grates for durability and rust resistance, and a ceramic bowl for heat retention, longevity and ease of cleaning. A lot of the best pizza ovens are designed that way, too.

Types of charcoal BBQ

• Kettle grills: The classic charcoal grill shape, rounded and great at direct and indirect cooking. Kettle grills are usually portable and easy to clean, too.
• Barrel/cart grills: Larger and often rectangular, perfect for families, thanks to a larger cooking area. A lot of models come with shelves to aid food preparation.
• Kamado grills (ceramic smokers): Egg-shaped with a thick ceramic construction for top-notch heat retention and precise temperature control. These grills are usually more expensive, but they're really versatile; they're perfect for smoking, baking and high-heat searing.
• Portable/tabletop grills: Ideal if you'll be cooking on the go or on a balcony, owing to their compact and lightweight design.

Charcoal BBQ fuel types

There are a few different types of charcoal BBQ fuel, and knowing when your charcoal is ready to cook on will depend on the one you're using. Lump charcoal and briquettes are the two top contenders.

'Lump charcoal is a solid choice for those in the pursuit of flavour,' says Liam Glennon, senior buyer at Vonhaus. 'It imparts a distinct, smoky flavour to your food when cooking on a charcoal grill, which enhances the natural taste of your grilled goods.'

It can be more expensive, though, and more difficult to control the temperature and cook food through consistently. If you'll be cooking for longer periods of time, briquettes are a great alternative.

'Briquettes burn far more consistently than lump charcoal and for a longer duration, making them ideal for slow cooking and smoking,' says Liam. 'While they may not offer the same smoky depth of flavour as lump charcoal, their ease-of-use makes them a summer-long staple for casual grillers and BBQ aficionados alike.'

Of course, you'll need to know how to light a charcoal BBQ properly for the best results.

Charcoal BBQ sorted? If you'll be eating outdoors on chillier evenings, it's worth investing in one of the best patio heaters on the market, too.

The best sunrise alarm clocks are designed to make waking up in the morning a little bit easier, and they really do work. 

A quick poll of the Ideal Home team found that they were a staple in the majority of the team's bedroom ideas. I have used a sunrise alarm clock for the last five years and credit it for helping me become a morning person and tackle 6.30am workouts during the week. 

On a really basic level, a sunrise alarm clock is a digital alarm clock that wakes you up with a combination of light and sound. The light will slowly start to turn on before your alarm is due to go off, mimicking the sunrise to help you wake up.  They also work as sleep tech, mimicking a sunset to help you drift off too.

The current sunrise alarm clock market is largely dominated by Lumie and Phillips who specialise in wake-up lights and SAD lighting. However, in the last few years brands such as Beurer and Lexon have begun offering bold new takes on the sunrise alarm clock. 

The price of sunrise alarm clocks can range from budget-friendly £40 to £200 plus for a top-of-the-range model. I have tried several sunrise alarm clocks at both ends of the price range, and along with reviews from other customers I've compiled a list of the six best sunrise alarm clocks to help you wake up on a dark morning easily.  

Best sunrise alarm clocks

How to choose the best sunrise alarm clock for you?

'Sunrise alarm clocks are a great help during the darker months. Using light during your wake up and wind down routine is a great way to reset your internal clock,' explains John Lewis Lighting Buyer, Katherine Mitchell, who has seen the popularity of sunrise rise alarm clocks grow. 'The gentle settings can help ease you awake or help you drift off with the light signalling to your body's nervous system what it needs to do'.

'When looking for the right clock for you it's best to work out what you want and need - for example are you looking for the additional boost of a radio to get you up and out of bed or do you prefer nature sounds to help you drift off,' explains Katherine. 'Some customers look for colour options that will help with mood too.'

When choosing the best sunrise alarm clock for you I'd recommend working through this list to check you're investing in one that works for your needs.

• Wake-up sounds - If you hate being woken up by a beep you should look for a model offering a range of different sounds. Personally, I like to be woken up by the sound of birds, so I usually look for nature sounds to be included.
• Light colour - The sunrise and sunset light colour is what separates more budget options from higher-end versions. An orange-yellow transition colour will lend itself to a more gentle wake-up for light-sensitive sleepers.
• Design - The design of sunrise alarm clocks can be quite divisive, they are large items that will dominate your bedside table so take some time getting it right. They can often take the place of a bedside lamp, so it is worth considering this when working out what you can afford to spend on your favourite design.
• Extra features - Functionality such as radio and Bluetooth inclusion is what ramps up the price of sunrise alarm clocks. If these aren't features you think you'll use, then save your money and invest in a more affordable entry-level model. 

Are sunrise alarm clocks effective?

In short, yes they are effective. I use mine every day to help drag myself out of bed to a gym class. A number of the Ideal Home team members also swear by their effectiveness. 

'I depend on my sunrise alarm clock like no other object in my house,' says Molly Cleary, Kitchen Appliance Editor at Ideal Home. 'My Lumie is the perfect size to be able to see the time across the room, and the gentle introduction of light works with how I like to wake up.'

Holly Cockburn, Content Editor at Ideal Home is also a fan: 'I'm notoriously bad at waking up and I've been like this my entire life, so I was sure there was nothing that could be done about it. However, I got given the Lumie Spark 100 as a gift last year and it has changed my mornings'. 

'The gradual sunrise helps me to acclimatise to waking up and the days where I'm away from home and don't have it are now a huge struggle. Don't get me wrong, I still don't jump out of bed raring to go at 6am, but it does mean that waking up is much more peaceful.'

Take it from us, if you're not a morning person then do yourself a favour and add a sunrise alarm clock to your bedside table, sharpish.

How we chose the best sunrise alarm clocks

You'll find full details of the Ideal Home review process on our how we test page.

I have used a budget Lumie sunrise alarm clock for the last six years to help me wake up. It's one of the most affordable and popular sunrise alarm clocks on the market so I used this as the benchmark to measure all the other alarm clocks that I tested in this guide. 

If I wasn't able to get my hands on an alarm clock to test it myself, I've carefully researched multiple customer reviews to make sure each sunrise alarm clock lives up to its promises.

Once upon a time, we relied on candles (and torches) to light up our al fresco dining tables – but now a new wave of wireless outdoor lamps is set to change all of that, thanks to their oh-so-easy, oh-so-convenient, and oh-so-stylish twist on garden lighting.

Easily one of the year's best garden trends so far, wireless outdoor lamps – sometimes also known as rechargeable lamps – capture the look and feel of all of our favourite indoor lighting, while remaining completely portable.

The result? An illuminated outdoor space that's free of messy wires and charging stations, allowing its hyggelig glow to transform our garden table into the warm and inviting space it has always deserved to be.

Best wireless outdoor lamps 2026

Anyone hoping to inject some new life into their outdoor dining space will definitely want to think about ditching their citronella candles in favour of... well, of a distinctly more modern garden idea.

'Gone are the days when the only way to light up your outdoor space was with a wired, often badly-positioned outdoor light,' says Ideal Home's senior digital editor, Jenny McFarlane. 

'Wireless outdoor lamps offers endless possibilities and can be taken wherever you need a little extra light, from adding ambience with a soft, warm glow at an outdoor seating area to lighting up your favourite trees or plants. Not only are they the epitome of convenient but they're also a super sustainable, energy-saving choice!'

With that in mind, then, here's our pick of the best wireless outdoor lamps:

FAQs

Why should I buy a wireless outdoor lamp?

Setting aside all of those scaremongering headlines about scented candles posing a health risk, there are so many reasons to consider buying a wireless outdoor lamp – not least of all because they offer a stylish way to control the lighting levels at your next al fresco dinner party.

'We’re loving our new Rechargeable Lights for SS24,' says Sian Foxworthy, buyer for Home Accessories at Homebase. 'Not only are they perfect for the garden, but they’re great indoors too!'

That's right: if you pick the best wireless lamp for you home, you'll be pleased to know that you can reap the benefits of its portable and clutter-free vibes wherever you are, be it inside or out.

'They add a lovely atmosphere to any space,' continues Sian, 'and, if you pick one with a dimmable setting, as seen on Homebase's range of rechargeable lights, you can have a well-lit space for hosting, or a more intimate, close feeling in your garden.'

Are battery powered outdoor lights any good?

If you want to light up your garden table all year round, whether it's sunny out or not (and, let's face it, this is the UK, so it's more likely to be not), then a rechargeable or battery-powered outdoor light is probably better for you than a solar option.

Alternatively, you can muddle the two and opt for something like the Arnold Small Battery Outdoor Table Lamp from Lime Lace, which boasts a rechargeable battery that can be charged via its solar element.

'This means it can be used as a table light outdoors, but also on the windowsill in the house,' explain the Lime Lace team. 'Wherever there is a lack of sockets, essentially.'

How long do battery operated lamps last?

Your wireless outdoor lamps will, depending on the type of batteries used, last for around 8-12 hours on average. Which is, in our opinion, more than enough time for an outdoor dinner party!

Personally, we have a feeling that the wireless outdoor lamps trend is going to outlast 2024. How could it not, when it means less fiddling about with matches and lighters, and more time spent enjoying the well-lit faces of your nearest and dearest?

If you'll excuse us, then, we're nipping to the shops for a bit. Race you to the checkouts!

Over the last couple of years, the best wireless lamps have revolutionised lighting a home. No longer restricted by plug sockets, every corner of a room can now be illuminated by a striking 'it' light.

The lighting trend toward wireless (rechargeable and battery-powered) kicked off in a big way in 2024, but in 2025, there has been a boom in the stylish new options available. This trend marries form and function and is now available in so many striking styles, from petite reading lamps to large statement table lamps and floor lamps.

I've trawled the highstreet and social media to uncover the most striking wireless lamps available right now. Whatever your price point or available space, one of these lights will illuminate your home in style in 2025 and beyond.

Best wireless lamps