Each week the Filter newsletter cuts through the noise to bring you smart, practical recommendations on how to live better – from what is worth buying to the tools, habits and ideas that actually last.
In September, anything goes.
Some are sunbathing poolside with a beach read, insisting summer is a state of mind that never has to end. Meanwhile, others are planning apple-picking outings and Halloween costumes.
We’ve spent the month toeing the line between the two seasons – recommending ice-cream machines and comforting weighted blankets.
Of the products that we shared, five were especially popular with readers. Below are your top items of the month, according to the anonymized purchasing data we have access to.
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<em>A neck pillow:</em>
If memory foam or feathery down pillows haven’t improved your sleep, we shared an alternative. Filter contributor Alan Truly, a side and back sleeper, shared why he’s used a buckwheat pillow for five years, writing: “The unique filler does something other pillows couldn’t, combining firm support with the ability to reshape in seconds.”
Read more: Neither foam nor feathers – the perfect pillow for my neck and back is filled with buckwheat hulls
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<em>A dog training hack:</em>
In September, you loved this pouch for taking rewards on the go. “If you’re always laboriously working a treat out of your pocket, all of a sudden you reaching your hand and digging around in your pocket becomes the entire cue to the dog,” one expert told Filter contributor (and dog owner) Tim Stevens.
Read more: Dog enrichment ideas: toys and activities to keep your pup engaged, happy and healthy
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<em>Beginner-friendly ice-cream makers:</em>Dash MyMug and Deluxe
Senior editor of partnerships Danielle Renwick proved that making ice-cream at home is almost as quick as opening up a container of Ben and Jerry’s. “The machines could not have been easier to operate. I plugged in, pressed on, slowly poured the mixtures into respective mixing bowls and waited 20 minutes,” she writes. Of the three models she tried, you loved My Mug and Deluxe the most.
Read more: ‘As creamy as Haagen-Dazs’: I tried Dash’s affordable ice-cream machines – the $24 beat them all
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<em>An affordable sleep mask:</em>Mzoo
I wasn’t surprised that Mzoo’s sleep mask made your list of monthly standouts; it regularly proves itself a reader favorite, after earning the top spot in Filter contributor Juno DeMelo’s test of 32 models.
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<em>A 10lb blanket:</em>Yescool Weighted Blanket
Many of you must have cozied up this month – as this weighted blanket was one of your favorite items in September. It was yet another recommendation from Filter contributor Alan Truly, who even uses his as a makeshift yoga bolster during the day.
Read more: My wife swears by weighted blankets to sleep – and now I understand why
Tell us: a purchase you’re putting off
We’ve all had that one annoying purchase we’ve dragged our feet on for months – whether it’s a new set of bedsheets or a pan that doesn’t leave your eggs stuck to the bottom.
Have a current product you’re struggling to find or one you keep considering but can’t quite pull the trigger on? Email us at thefilter.us@theguardian.com. (While all responses will remain anonymous, we may use them in a future newsletter or story.)
