From cooling bedroom fans to the best ever teabags: 12 things you loved most in May

Our on-again, off-again relationship with summer finally went official in May, with temperatures soaring across much of the UK. Many of us sweltered in the heat, ordering fans to try to get a good night’s sleep during the unprecedented heatwave, and shade shelters to keep us out of the sun’s glare.

But we also couldn’t help embracing that summer feeling, with many of your May favourites reflecting a little more time spent outside. Many of you got back to nature and went camping, with some of your fellow readers’ top camping products making the list, such as an ingenious washing line and a flying disc. From comfy holiday sandals to a cult favourite K-beauty SPF, these were your favourite things in May.

Our favourite fan

AirCraft Lume fan

It’s no surprise that in the sweltering heat, the winner of our recently updated test of the best fans was by far your favourite product in May. “Of all I tested, this is probably the best fan for sleeping,” wrote Caramel Quin. “It’s the best for low noise relative to wind speed.” I’m one of the many of you who bought this in desperation during the recent heatwave – and can confirm I’ve been sleeping better as a result.

The budget camping chair

Mountain Warehouse folding chair

It’s hard to spend much time outside without feeling comfortable – and this £14.99 folding chair delivers the goods. It’s “good fun for festivals, the beach and camping, and it works perfectly well despite its bargain price,” wrote Sian Lewis in her test of the best camping chairs. As ever, you couldn’t turn down a bargain.

The SPF moisturiser

Beauty of Joseon relief sun rice + probiotics SPF50+ moisturiser

With the help of a skin moisture meter, beauty writer Sarah Matthews tested 25 of the best moisturisers on the market – and her top SPF moisturiser was your favourite from the piece. It also came top in Sarah’s test of the best face SPFs, so it is a proper two-in-one, with a lightweight, silky texture that works well under makeup. “I’ve yet to find a beauty journalist who doesn’t rave about it,” wrote Sarah.

The perfect toy for the park

Aerobie Superdisc flying disc

In our recent newsletter on the camping essentials readers can’t live without, your top pick wasn’t the practical washing line, or the comfortable camping mattress (more on both below). No, it was what we must refer to as a flying disc, for legal reasons. Maybe not the most essential, but “it’s cheap, doesn’t take up much space and will provide hours of entertainment”, wrote the Filter’s festival frequenter, Lily Smith.

The summer sandals

Women’s Ravina strap sandals

“Holiday sandals need to be comfy enough for a hot walk but nice enough to wear with your going-out-for-dinner dress,” wrote Jess Cartner-Morley in her roundup of 52 summer wardrobe updates for under £100. “Clarks shoes are always comfy, and the crossover straps lend a little elegance.”

The washing machine cleaner

Dr Beckmann Service-It washing machine cleaner, 250g

For the sake of both your wallet and the planet, you want your clothes to last as long as possible. Mabel Banfield-Nwachi’s guide recommends keeping your washing machine clean, as they “quietly collect detergent residue, lint and general grime over time, and if they’re not cleaned regularly, all that can end up back on your clothes”. Her go-to is this Dr Beckmann Service-It washing machine cleaner.

The camping washing line

Decathlon Quecha camping washing line, 5m

Your dedication to laundry even stretches to the great outdoors. As we wrote in our camping guide, “a basic washing line is so useful for drying towels, swimmers, anything: string it up between tents or around trees”. This from Decathlon is ingenious because you don’t even need pegs.

Our top teabags

Birchall Great Rift tea, 40 bags

Our resident food tester, Tom Hunt, braved the hot topic of the best teabags – and many of you were keen to try his favourite. The carbon-neutral Birchall tea “makes a bright, aromatic, full-bodied cup with brilliant clarity and great tannic structure,” he wrote, with “a clean, malty flavour”.

The bargain camping mattress

Decathlon Simond MT500 XL inflatable trekking mattress

This new version of Decathlon’s bargain Simond mattress was your favourite from our test of the best camping mattresses, passing Linda Geddes’s princess-and-the-pea-style tests with flying colours. “Its vertical air-filled chambers absorbed uneven ground and even larger stones with ease, to create a comfortable sleeping surface for a budget price,” she wrote. “And its compact pack size makes it a practical choice for campers without a car.” Linda “appreciated the generous width of the XL pad”, but it’s also available in a slightly cheaper L version (£44.99).

The no-fuss pizza oven

Ninja Artisan electric outdoor pizza oven and air fryer

Testing pizza ovens is no mean feat, taking days to set up and clean up each one – especially for self-professed “indoorsy kinda gal” Rachel Ogden. But “if indoorsy me can make amazing pizza using these ovens, then so can you”, she wrote in her guide to the best pizza ovens. And many of you clearly “prefer your outdoor cooking to be a spur-of-the-moment thing”, with this plug-and-play Ninja oven your top choice. “All you need is an outdoor socket or suitable extension, and you’re ready to bake pizza in minutes,” wrote Rachel. “No gas, no fires, and no need to have fuel in stock.” It’s currently on offer, too.

The summer exfoliant

Ameliorate Illuminating Glow body lotion, 300ml

“The onset of sunshine has caught my limbs by surprise,” wrote Sali Hughes in a recent column – as it has for many of us. “The answer for us all is an exfoliating body lotion – an all-over moisturiser to even out upper arm bumps, slough off dead skin, smooth roughness and moisturise dry patches, ready for lighter clothing.” This one from Ameliorate “adds a subtle, streak-free veil of golden tan”, making it “a fast and easy way to look immediately healthier while it simultaneously does the grunt work”.

The shade

Decathlon Quechua multifunction tarp camping shelter

If, like me, you find yourself desperately seeking out shady spaces outside, why not bring your own? “As a seasoned festival-goer, the thing I’ve found makes the most difference is a camping shelter,” wrote Lily Smith in our camping essentials newsletter. “It’s perfect for temperamental British weather, offering protection from both torrential rain and blazing sun.” It’s not only useful for festivals, either: it could offer up some much-needed shade in a sun-trap garden or on a camping trip.