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Will 2024 really be remembered for brat, brain rot and AI-generated slop? Judging by the Filter recommendations you loved the most, it’s actually been the year of heated blankets, book lights and big coats. An altogether more cuddly vibe.
It makes perfect sense. When times are toxic, you reach for comfort. You’ve already had your fill of Trump, Musk and Baby Reindeer – not to mention rain, rising bills and the relentless horror of global news – so you’re craving a psychological detox. Finding joy in autumn’s best beauty buys and money-saving products that make life easier is a way of giving your mood a hug.
When we crunched the sales data for more than 350 of the products we tested and recommended in 2024, self-soothing emerged as the clear theme. Thermals, pyjamas and a peacoat all featured in the top 20. So did a couple of products designed to feather your nest (a Ninja air fryer and Sage’s gorgeous Bambino coffee machine), and there was even a foam seat pad to comfort your bottom while camping.
Excellent work, readers. We couldn’t have created a better collective antidote to the year of floods and algorithmic junk if we’d tried. Here are the 10 items you loved the most.
The Thermos that keeps you in hot lunches
Thermos food flask, £18.75
amazon.co.uk
The classic chunky Thermos delivers all we’ve desired in 2024: hot food, hot food right now, and hot food right now that doesn’t cost a bomb. It’s also fabulous value, so it’s no surprise that you bought it in droves after the Filter’s editor Hannah Booth mentioned it in everyday products that make life easier.
The heated throw to cut your bills
Dreamland Hurry Home heated throw, £94.99
johnlewis.com
Another everyday product that makes life easier, this toasty soft blanket is the smartest way to get warm. Wear it while you WFH, bury yourself under it while trying to escape the real world – and use it instead of putting on the radiators. It could even pay for itself by shaving pounds off your heating bills (see below for our more recent test).
The pampering body stick
The Inkey List body stick, £15
theinkeylist.com
This deodorant-style glycolic body stick was the most popular of all our best beauty buys. It’s a great price, easy to use, and wonderfully soothing on rough patches and body spots.
The pillow spray to soothe you to sleep
This Works pillow spray, £20
thisworks.com
A calming fragrance is one of the best triggers for good-quality sleep, as said sport sleep coach Nick Littlehales when recommending this clinically tested pillow spray in 16 affordable essentials. You loved the lavender edition so much that it’s sold out, but many other varieties will help you sleep that bit better in 2025.
The best socks on the high street
Heattech socks, £7.90
uniqlo.com
Heattech socks are much more than a pretty pair of feet: they trap heat, absorb moisture and control odours, and they’re wonderfully comfortable. You know all this already, judging by how many of you bought these fabulous cable-knit socks after we featured them in our best Christmas gifts of 2024.
The heated airer that dries your laundry – and warms the room
Lakeland Dry:Soon Deluxe heated airer, £249.99
lakeland.co.uk
This was my favourite of all the heated clothes airers I tested as autumn turned to winter, around the time Trump claimed victory. Boy, did this thing cheer me up. It’s pricey to buy but so cheap to run that I was happy to leave it on all day, and as well as drying my smalls with aplomb it gently warmed whatever room I used it in. A smart buy, especially if 2025’s weather is as wet as 2024’s.
The scarf coat
John Lewis Anyday crop scarf coat, £69
johnlewis.com
A whole new coat! The year may have delivered some bad things but fashion editor Jess Cartner-Morley found the ultimate antidote in the rise of the scarf coat, which, if nothing else, will prevent you from forgetting your scarf on a chilly day. You were particularly keen on this boxy version from John Lewis, which is excellent value at £69.
The knee pillow that could save your sleep
Ergonomic knee pillow, £17.95
amazon.co.uk
A “gamechanger” for a side sleeper who’s fed up with trying to jigsaw their knees into place, this memory foam knee pillow was writer Simon Usborne’s selection for everyday items that could improve your life. He credits it for keeping his “spindly” knees “cosseted and comfortably separated” in bed, and you were convinced enough to blast it into the year’s top 10.
A life-saver when you’re up a mountain
Anker power bank, £26.99
amazon.co.uk
If 2024 left you wanting to flee to the woods or mountains, we don’t blame you – but please do take a battery pack so you’re not stranded with a dead phone. Anker’s power bank featured in our university essentials guide and autumn hiking roundup, and it left all our other tech recommendations for dust in the sales charts.
The vegetable chopper that saves you time (and makes chips)
Vegetable chopper and cutter, £19.99
amazon.co.uk
This one’s basically a giant garlic press – and what a fabulously time-saving, hassle-reducing, kitchen-injury-avoiding little masterpiece it is. In our list of everyday products that make life easier, books editor Charlotte Northedge credited it for tempting her children into eating more fruit and veg, and says it makes “perfect chips”. Surely that’s the best cure for 2024.
This week’s picks
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The best slippers for men and women, from cosy sheepskin mules to chic ballet shoes
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The best waterproof jackets for men: get outdoors whatever the weather with our expert-tested picks
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The best women’s waterproof jackets for every type of adventure, reviewed and rated
Editor’s pick
With the cold, icy grip of January stretching before us, can you think of anything better than cuddling up with a fluffy blanket on the sofa? No? Well, what if the blanket was heated? Saving energy may come with all sorts of financial and environmental benefits, but doing so will rarely make you feel more warm and cosy. Yet, heated throws and electric blankets are so effective at heating the person, rather than the whole house, that they can also help you save money on energy bills (although you’ll need to factor in the initial cost of the blanket, of course).
Bedding expert Emily Peck tested 10 electric blankets and throws for the Filter, measuring the temperature, calculating running costs and cuddling lots of blankets to seek out peak January cosiness for as little as 2p an hour.
Monica Horridge
Deputy editor, the Filter
In case you missed it …
Whatever your bubble of choice – whether crémant, champagne or cava (or indeed non-alcoholic fizz) – New Year’s Eve is a time to bring out the best. Wine writer Sophia Longhi has rounded up the 10 tastiest bottles for every palate and budget, from supermarket bargains to wine club favourites.
Get involved
What are your shopping and consumer intentions for 2025? Do you want to spend less on skincare? Create a capsule wardrobe, or buy more vintage? Would you love to reduce the cost of your supermarket shop, or build a wine collection?
Let us know your New Year’s shopping resolutions by replying to this newsletter, or emailing us on [email protected]
