The best mattresses in 2026: sleep better with our 12 rigorously tested picks

From luxury Simba and Otty mattresses to brilliant budget buys, here’s what we recommend – and how to know if you’ve found a good deal

The best padel rackets in the UK for every player, from beginner to pro

The sport is booming, but which racket will boost your game? Our expert enlisted the help of a padel coach to round up the aces

My depression felt creatively expansive. Now I’ve overcome it, how do I keep the meaningful parts?

Darkness can present itself as truth, writes advice columnist Eleanor Gordon-Smith. But love, joy and awe are far richer experiences

Promotion burnout: why women are quitting the race to be boss

In a survey of 1,000 professional women, more than half said they felt less motivated to progress in their jobs than they did two years ago

The best mattress toppers for a more comfortable night’s sleep, tested

Whether you’re looking for memory foam, wool, cooling or firm, we reveal the toppers we rate – and whether they can really rescue a bad mattress

A moment that changed me: I was planning to be a musician – then I had my ears syringed

Until that point, all my life’s dreams revolved around becoming a saxophonist. But with sudden and significant hearing loss, I had to face up to a new reality

My mother’s best advice: learn to raise one eyebrow at the world

It took almost a year of practice and then I was too embarrassed to show off my talent. But finally, during a stage performance, I elevated a solitary brow and the crowd went wild

My ‘difficult’ patient made my heart sink. But what happens when doctors are part of the problem?

One in six patients is deemed to be dissatisfied and demanding. But to prevent difficult medical problems from being redefined as difficult patients, doctors need help

A perfect pillow, a ‘bargain’ Ikea mattress and more: the best sleep products on sale right now

From a bestselling Coop pillow to the Hatch sunrise alarm clock, these editor-tested picks are discounted for sleep awareness week

A Mississippi mother couldn’t find accurate sex ed for her kids. So she started a class at church

As states scale back requirements for comprehensive sex ed, some parents and faith communities are stepping in to teach what schools won’t

‘Peas are criminally overlooked!’ Seven fabulous forgotten superfoods

Yes, we all know blueberries and kale are good for us. But what about some of the other less well-marketed food heroes that have fallen out of favour?

Is it true that … if you pluck a grey hair, two will grow in its place?

If plucking made more hairs grow, it would be the solution to thinning, but sadly it can have the opposite effect

I went into motherhood an oblivious idiot – and I don’t regret it

All the information about pregnancy and parenting can be understandably off-putting. It’s best to look at it clear-sightedly and, if you do decide to give it a go, accept that the path ahead is unpredictable, writes Emma Beddington

Nicola Coughlan is right: ‘body positivity’ traps us in the same old conversations

The Bridgerton star has told of her horror at being approached by a fan who only wanted to talk about her body. Surely it’s time we focused on something else, says Guardian columnist Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett

‘Children see magic in the smallest adventures’: exploring Scotland with my four-year-old

On a tight budget, we stayed in a bothy, climbed a mountain, looked for Nessie and – best of all – made memories that money can’t buy