7 most popular things IndyBest readers bought in April 2021
As lockdown restrictions eased, purchases have focused on the great outdoors
We’re sure you’ll agree that April 2021 looks a lot different to its predecessor. At this point last year, we were in the unchartered territory of the very first national lockdown – but this time around, the arrival of spring has also marked the gradual relaxation of the restrictions we’ve been living under in various degrees throughout the last year. Feels nice, doesn’t it?
In line with this shift, our attentions have mercifully redirected from essentials like pasta and toilet roll, and now appear to be firmly focused on our gardens, as outdoor entertaining returns to the agenda.
With a burst of sunshine in the middle of the month, sales of garden furniture and barbecues are on the up, as our SPFs – both for ourselves and high factor protection for our babies and children.
On the subject of kids, we also saw an uptick in interest in items like roller blades, climbing frames and trampolines – well, there was a two week Easter holiday to fill, after all.
And even with pubs now open, we’ve also seen an increase in clicks through to our edit of beer dispensers, as hosting at home continues.
Read more:
Intrigued about how everyone else has been spending their hard-earned cash this month? Here are some of the most popular items IndyBest readers picked up in April 2021.
You can trust our independent reviews. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections. This revenue helps us to fund journalism across The Independent.
Weber spirit II E-320: £765.45, Weber.com
We voted this Weber gas barbecue as the best money can buy; our reviewer praised both its looks and functionality in every area, noting that it “gave a really good sear to all our food, and it incorporates a removable circular section, so you can accessorise with a pizza stone, griddle or even a wok, adding real versatility.” It even works in conjunction with a smart app so you can keep an eye on your meat from your phone – in short, it’s a seriously clever bit of kit. However, if budget doesn’t stretch quite this high, we also rate the portable but still powerful Char-Broil X200 grill2go very highly in our edit, and you can get it for £164 from Amazon.
TP explorer metal climbing frame with platform and den: £199, Tptoys.com
We suspect more than a few of these innovative climbing frames may have been purchased during the Easter holidays – it’s the ideal way to get kids engaged and outside without any screens. It earned its spot as the best buy in our climbing frames article a great all-rounder for a reasonable price – plus, you can add to the basic climbing frame with a platform, den, extra climbing arm, and crazy wave slide, so it can adapt to suit your family as they grow. It’s out of stock right now, but you can sign up to be notified when it returns in May.
Decathlon oxelo play 5 inline skates: £29.99, Decathlon.co.uk
We saw another half term hit in the form of these roller skates, which were our best buy in our round-up of roller skates and blades for kids. They come in a choice of three different colours, and are adjustable to three different sizes, making their low price tag even more impressive. “These were also very easy for our kid-tester to put on and take off herself. Despite being one of the first pairs she’d tried, within minutes of fitting them on her foot she was confidently rollerblading down a flat path and back again, insisting she just wanted to keep on skating,” our reviewer reports. Decathlon also offers a pretty extensive range of adult skates too, if you’re tempted...
Despite being beaten to the coveted best buy spot by REN Clean Skincare clean screen mineral SPF30 in our search for the best facial sunscreens, La Roche-Posay’s anthelios was our most purchased sunscreen of the month in April, and there’s never been a better time to shop it, because there’s currently 25 per cent off all LRP products at Boots. Our reviewer loved it because “it feels featherlight on the skin, despite its high factor, and lasts incredibly well” – no wonder this small but mighty bottle has such a cult following among beauty editors and influencers.
Simba hybrid pillow: £99, Simbasleep.com
After all of that outdoor socialising, a good night’s sleep is paramount, which might be why more than 1,500 people clicked through to the Simba hybrid from our ranking of the best pillows this month. This medium-firm pillow is our best buy for a number of reasons – not only is it comfortable and supportive, a special layer of mineral-enriched fibres ensures you stay cool throughout the night, making it a great investment for the summer months as they approach. “It’s a versatile pillow, suiting all types of sleepers – front, side and back – and one of those pillows that’s so comfy, you’ll really miss when you stay away from home,” our reviewer says.
Slumberdown summer cool 4.5 tog duvet: From £12, Argos.co.uk
It’s not just their pillows our readers have been upgrading – summer duvet season is almost here, and you really can’t go wrong with this purse-friendly Slumberdown option from Argos. “Plump yet lightweight, this duvet has been created especially for people who like to remain cool on warmer nights, but who also like more fill to their bedding than a skimpy layer draping over them,” our reviewer explains – the perfect balance of cosy and cooling, and little wonder it was our most popular duvet on the site this month.
Pro Fitness air and magnetic rowing machine: £279, Argos.co.uk
Gyms may have reopened their doors in April, but the fact that this rower was the most purchased piece of fitness equipment on IndyBest in April suggests that many of us are choosing to keep the workout from home regime going. While this wasn’t awarded the title of best rowing machine overall, getting pipped to the post by the far more expensive £1,199 Echelon model, it’s our best under £300 by a mile – and with assembly that takes less than 20 minutes, you’ll be in the seat and breaking a sweat in no time. “The build quality is high and the machine was stable, even when we were giving maximum effort on the highest level of resistance,” our reviewer confirms.
Voucher codes
For great deals on your purchases for the month ahead, check out the links below:
Want more shopping insights? Robin James shares his ultimate Gamechangers – the buys he couldn’t live without