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With each month that passes, we learn more and more about our readers. For one, you clearly love a bargain – the top budget choice in our group tests is often your favourite. You also love to get outdoors, whether that’s a camping trip or a walk in the local park. So it was no surprise at all to see that our favourite budget walking boots and camping mattress were among your favourites, too.
Nor was it much of a surprise to see two bestsellers under £10: a bargain skincare pick much loved by Caroline Hirons and a wildflower seed mix to up the eco-friendliness of your gardens.
Bargains aside, however, you also want to buy things that last, whether that’s the vacuum cleaner that excelled in our thorough tests or a stunner of a dress to wear to weddings for years to come. Here’s what you loved most in May.
The £5.99 body lotion loved by Caroline Hirons
Garnier Body Repair body lotion
When we asked experts for the beauty products they’ve found gamechanging, we heard all kinds of recommendations, from fancy light therapy masks to vitamin C serums. But your favourite? This basic £5.99 body lotion. Of course, it might have helped that it was chosen by skincare guru Caroline Hirons. “This incredible body lotion is my most used skincare product of all time,” she said. “I’ve lost count of how many bottles I’ve got through. It has been around for 25 years, and my mum and nana used it almost as evangelically as I do.”
The jeans that will change your life
Lee Rider loose jeans
“If you make one change to your wardrobe in 2025, switching to a loose jean shape should be it,” said Jess Cartner-Morley in her May style essentials. “I have found the holy grail of jeans for grownups, which look cool but not ridiculous.” And many of you agreed, judging by the popularity of these jeans from heritage denim brand Lee.
The best eye cream
Medik8 Crystal Retinal Ceramide Eye
Beauty journalist Sabine Wiesel has tested plenty of eye creams and serums over the years – but perhaps what most qualified her to test 25 of them for us is the fact that she’s afflicted with the issues they’re designed to address. “With undereye bags and dark circles revealing themselves when I haven’t had enough sleep, and fine lines that began to appear as I hit my 40s, I’m the perfect candidate,” she said in our roundup of the best eye creams. Her favourite was this Medik8 formula, which contains retinal, an advanced retinoid “known to work 11 times faster than standard retinol”. Her only negative? “On a personal note, [that] I didn’t start using this from an earlier age.”
The bargain camping mattress
Simond inflatable trekking mattress MT500
Camping season is upon us, and former science correspondent and regular camper Linda Geddes has been hard at work testing 26 camping mattresses. She tested each mattress on top of sharp stones, Princess and the Pea style, and left 20kg of boxes on them overnight to see which could avoid the midnight sag. Linda’s top budget pick – this £44.99 inflatable mattress from reliable, affordable brand Decathlon – has been far and away your favourite.
The wedding guest dress
Colour block pleated midi dress
This showstopper of a dress was chosen as an ideal wedding-guest look by fashion writer Ellie Violet Bramley in our recent roundup of women’s spring wardrobe essentials. “The work of a popular recent collaboration between John Lewis and the British label Awake Mode, it’s a beautifully bold rebuke to all those years of quiet luxury,” she wrote. “Best worn for many years to come – and luckily the fit should mean it needs only very occasional (eco) dry cleaning.”
The eco-friendly addition to your lawn
Wildflower seed collection
It’s not often you can buy something that’s beautiful, good for the environment, and cheap. But these £3.89 native wildflower seeds tick every box. “An immaculate, weed-free lawn is becoming as taboo as an outdoor heater,” wrote professional gardener Matt Collins in our guide to making your lawn more eco-friendly. The lawn still plays an important role in many of our gardens, though, so a lot of you were tempted by the idea of introducing some biodiversity. We’d like to think that thousands of these flowers are blooming in your gardens by now.
The best cordless vacuum
Shark IP3251UKT PowerDetect cordless vacuum cleaner
When we test products, we really test them: so when Andy Shaw rounded up the best cordless vacuums for us, he had to clean up flour, cat litter and pet hair (sourced from the local dog groomer) repeatedly, on both hard floor and carpet, with all 10 models. This Shark vacuum was his all-round favourite – and not only because it’s an excellent cleaner. “If there’s one thing that makes cordless vacuum cleaners a pain, it’s the emptying,” he said. That won’t be the case with this one, though: “It empties itself.”
The nautical phone strap
Native Union City Sling strap
Phone straps have become a must-have: “On a practical level, it means you don’t have to root around in your bag every time you need to check Google Maps for directions,” wrote deputy fashion and lifestyle editor Chloe Mac Donnell, and “it could keep your mobile safer.” Your favourite of her pick of the best phone straps has been this “minimalist, urban strap by Native Union, with nautical knots and an adjustable length to turn it from necklace to cross-body. One for the purists”.
The walking boots
Merrell Moab 3 hiking boots
Men’s, £129.99 at Decathlon
Women’s, £150 at Merrell
Paddy Maddison has been back in the bogs testing men’s hiking boots for the Filter – but the Merrell Moab 3s remain his favourite budget pick, and our readers’ favourite. “I’d recommend the Moab 3s to anyone looking for a comfortable, versatile hiking boot that won’t completely drain their bank account,” he says. This versatility is their real strength. “Whether you’re strolling along coastal cliffs, bagging Wainwrights in the Lake District or traipsing around a field with the dog, this is the perfect boot for the job.”
The rechargeable light
Mushroom wall light
“In the past few years, rechargeable lights have become a mainstay,” said interiors expert Kate Jacobs in our guide to decorating small spaces. “They work brilliantly in spaces where wiring is hard to access or looks ugly.” You’ve been loving this simple, dimmable design from John Lewis, which comes in eight colours and is now 20% off.
The 30-minute workout
Suspension trainer
Can you really fit a full-body workout into half an hour? Yes, according to personal trainer Nick Finney, in this guide to making the most of a power half hour. By attaching an affordable suspension band to the back of a closed door, and following the routine outlined in the article, you can “improve strength while giving [yourself] a cardio workout, exercising your heart and lungs”.
