Searching for the best towels get you dry pronto – and to give your bathroom a new lease of life? High-quality, fluffy towels don’t always have to cost the earth. In fact, we’ve been testing a load of bath towels so that you can buy yours online, with peace of mind. From DUSK bath towels to Sheridan towels and even The White Company towels, our guide ought to steer you in the right direction.

When buying new bath towels it’s important to consider two things – GSM and size. GSM stands for grams per square metre, and essentially, the higher this number the thicker – and more absorbent – the bath towel will be. As for size, bath towels come in a standard size of 70cm x 140cm. If you like to wrap your towel around yourself, or if you prefer a larger towel, opt for a bath sheet. These are sizeable at around 90cm x 160cm.

Head to our dedicated bathrooms page for inspiration and ideas if you are redecorating

How to tell if you need to replace your current bath towels? You should mostly be able to tell by looks, but a sign that you need to replace your towels would be if yours are no longer absorbing as much water as they once did. With that, you can see 14 of the best towels you can buy below. Find more top tips on finding the right type of towel for you at the end of this page.

“The bathroom is the place to bring in soft and nurturing textures. They are also key to creating a spa-like feel in your bathroom. Nothing says spa quite like a fresh stack of plush towels placed over a towel bar, rolled in baskets or stacked neatly on a shelf.” – Joanna Ross, General Manager – Product & Innovation, Sheridan

The best bath towels to buy in 2021

1. Sheridan Living Textures Ribbed Stripes Pattern Pure Cotton Bath Towel

The best bath towels you can buy

Image: Sheridan

The Sheridan ribbed towels are, without a doubt, among the best we’ve tested. They are super absorbent and they can dry your body fast thanks to their ribbed texture. Made from 100% cotton, these towels are weighty and thick, thanks to their 670GSM. Rest assured we can vouch for the fact that they stand the test of time – you can use them for a good few showers before needing to wash since they dry fast, plus they wash well. They’re admittedly fluffy but not too fluffy so as to make a hard job of getting you dry. The best part? They are nice and big!

GSM: 670

Size: Face Towel, Hand Towel, Bath Mat, Bath Towel, Bath Sheet

Buy now: Sheridan Living Textures Ribbed Stripes Pattern Pure Cotton Bath Towel, from £9.95, Amazon

2. Dusk Monaco Bath Towels

The best budget bath towels

Image credit: DUSK

This bath towel range from DUSK truly is impressive. So much so that we rate them the best towels if you want luxury but are on a budget, mostly because they feel like they could melt in your hands since they are so soft. Made from 100% cotton and 500GSM, they’re a combination of lightweight and quick drying. Choose from three stylish colourways and use them to also add texture to your bathroom shelves. We recommend buying the bath sheet size as the bath towels come up a tad small. They come out nice and fluffy when tumble dried. Put a few of their hand towels in your basket to wow guests.

“Flawlessly fluffy towels are the perfect finishing touch to any bathroom, which is why the DUSK Monaco Supreme collection is designed using zero-twist 100% cotton. It means our towels are super soft, quick-drying, and incredibly absorbent, ensuring they stay fluffy for longer!” – Farah Arshad, Head of Design at DUSK

GSM: 500

Sizes: Face Cloth, Hand Towel, Bath Towel, Bath Sheet

Buy now: Monaco Bath Towels, From £3, DUSK

3. The White Company Luxury Egyptian Cotton Towels

The best luxury bath towels

Image credit: The White Company

Our sources at The White Company inform us that these are the definitive best-selling range – winning high accolades from all manner of experts. The luxury spa-like towels are made from an incredibly high 700GSM twisted Egyptian cotton Terry, which feels super-soft and generously plush to the touch. Their heavyweight design helps to make you feel reassuringly enveloped in complete comfort. In the brands signature crisp white these towels will help to add a posh hotel feel to any bathroom. The clean white design features a detailed simple border, to add just a hint of interest without the need for more. Doing what The White Company does best, these towels help make an everyday home accessory feel a little bit more luxurious.

GSM: 700

Sizes: Face Cloth, Hand Towel, Bath Towel, Bath Sheet, Super Jumbo

Buy now: Luxury Egyptian Cotton Towels, From £4, The White Company

4. Beddable Dark Grey Towels

The best bath towel set

Image credit: Beddable

Made from 100% Turkish cotton, these thick towels come in at 600GSM making them both weighty and impressively absorbent. They are probably the most fluffy on our list – especially once tumble dried – and they are ribbed to help get you dry faster. Not only that, but they are OEKO-Tex Certified with no harmful chemicals used in the process of creation. Use them on yourself, your children… anyone! They come in a set and you get a face cloth, hand towel and bath towel. Rest assured that the bath towel is pretty large at 100cm x 150 cm. The only thing they’ve not got? A hook for hanging!

GSM: 600

Size: Face Cloth, Hand Towel, Bath Towel

Buy now: Beddable Dark Grey Towels, £55 for a set, Beddable

5. Christy Honeycomb Towels Platinum

The best patterned bath towels

Image credit: Christy

This Honeycomb design by Christy is a great way to add pattern without having to add another accent colour. The simple Platinum grey towels feature a stylised honeycomb pattern sculptured into the towel, rather than having to use multiple colours to create an intriguing design. Made from 100 per cent cotton the highly durable, luxurious towels are ideal for adding decorative interest to simple bathroom schemes, in style.

GSM: 650

Sizes: Hand Towel, Bath Towel, Bath Sheet

Buy now: Honeycomb Towel Platinum, from £12, Christy

6. John Lewis & Partners Ultra Soft Cotton Towels

The best John Lewis bath towels

Image credit: John Lewis & Partners

Made using untwisted yarn to create a super-soft feel, these are an affordable option for luxury towels. The super-soft towels are coated in an innovative natural peppermint treatment that contains antimicrobial protection, to keep them fresher and cleaner for longer. And while peppermint is the key ingredient in the process, it doesn’t leave the towels smelling like a minty fresh toothpaste – the unique ‘Natural Life’ finish actually helps to keep them completely odour-free. John Lewis test the towels to the highest standards of durability, colour-fastness and performance to ensure they last and last. Available in 16 pleasing shades, from ‘Pale Pink’ and ‘Sapphire’ to more neutral ‘Linen’ and ‘Mineral’ there’s a hue to enhance every bathroom suite.

GSM: 580

Sizes: Face Cloth, Guest Towel, Hand Towel, Bath Towel, Bath Sheet, Extra Large Bath Sheet

Buy now: Ultra Soft Cotton Hand Towel, From £4, John Lewis & Partners

7. Tesco Fox & Ivy Egyptian Cotton Towels

The best supermarket bath towels

Wrap yourself in a little luxury with Fox & Ivy’s Egyptian cotton bath towels. Made with superior Gold Seal accredited Egyptian cotton in a plush 650gsm pile, this towel range feels wonderfully thick and soft against your skin, even after multiple washes. Available in 3 beautiful colour choices including charcoal, rose and silver. The ultra-absorbent range is available in face cloths, hand towels, bath towels and bath sheets. Coordinating Egyptian cotton pedestal mats and bath mats are also available to create a harmonious bathroom scheme. These luxurious towels offer a hotel feel on budget, without compromising on quality.

GSM: 650

Sizes: Hand Towel, Bath Towel, Bath Sheet

Buy now: Fox & Ivy Egyptian Cotton Towels, from £7-£16, Tesco

8. Utopia Towels Premium Jumbo Bath Sheet

The best bath towels on Amazon

Image credit: Utopia Towels

This towel is, without a doubt, the best towel on Amazon. With a whopping 15,000 reviews – and a 4.6-star rating – this towel comes in only one size: bath sheet. Though rest assured you can buy them in a pack of two if you need to upgrade a few of your towels. They are made of 100% ring spun cotton to make them highly absorbent and super soft. While they even come in a range of colours including blue, electric blue, grey, pink, plum, navy and of course, white.  This bath sheet is ideal if you are on a budget, or equally enough it would be ideal for students, teens…

GSM: 600

Sizes: Bath Sheet

Buy now: Utopia Towels Premium Jumbo Bath Sheet, £12.99, Amazon

9. Marks & Spencer Egyptian Cotton Luxury Towel

The best Egyptian cotton bath towels

Image credit: M&S

Not only are these M&S towels high quality, but they come in a huge range of colours – 40 to be exact – so that you can choose to match them with your decor or use them to add a pop of colour to your toilet. They are made using longer lasting mature cotton fibres and also infused with Marks & Spencer’s StayNEW technology to keep them looking and feeling fresh after several washes. Let’s not forget they are also 100% pure Egyptian cotton with a 650gsm rating. For a spa-like experience in your own home, these towels are your best bet.

GSM: 650

Sizes: Face Towel, Guest Towel, Hand Towel, Bath Towel, Bath Sheet

Buy now: Egyptian Cotton Luxury Towel, From £2, Marks & Spencer

10. Marks & Spencer Cotton Leopard Design Towel

The best striking bath towel

Image credit: M&S

Because sometimes you just need to go wild with pattern, and the bathroom is a great place to have fun with it. Somehow there’s less commitment to pattern when it features on towels that can be changed weekly. Who doesn’t love a bit of leopard print? This timeless favourite is the trend that keeps giving, going from strength to strength on decorative accessories. The print in grey at M&S is somewhat subtle – if we dare say that of animal print? The design also comes in a neutral beige. These design-led towels are made from responsibly sourced cotton with 500 GSM, using innovative StayNEW technology which helps to keep them in prime condition for longer.

GSM: 500

Sizes: Guest Towel, Hand Towel, Bath Towel, Bath Sheet

Buy now: Cotton Leopard Design Hand Towel, From £3, Marks & Spencer

11. Sheridan Eden Organic Cotton Towel

The best organic cotton bath towel

Image credit: Sheridan

The Eden Towel collection is luxuriously soft to the touch, yet highly absorbent. This silky soft towel collection is more than stylish, made using organically sourced cotton, Global Organic Textile Standard certified – that’s the worldwide leading textile processing standard for organic fibres to you and me. Organic, in any measure is always considered the best option to get the best quality. The organic cotton yarns are wrapped in lyocell to enhance the super soft touch. The delightful ducky pink shade welcomes a touch of on-trend colour to bathrooms.

Sizes: Face Towel, Hand Towel, Bath Mat, Bath Towel, Bath Sheet

Buy now: Eden Organic Cotton Towels, From £8.95, Amazon

12. Boots Cuddledry hand-free baby towel

The best bath towel for babies

Image credit: Cuddledry

This is hands down (see what we did there!) the best bath towel for babies. Thanks to the clever design that allows the towel to loop around your neck leaving you hands-free. This eliminates the problem of how to lift baby from the bath – which is a tricky task given they are wet and slippery. This award-winning towel is made from a bamboo and cotton mix, to ensure it’s super-soft against babies skin. It’s also such a simple and yet genius idea for a babies towel!

“We asked hundreds of parents and found that mums and dads everywhere battle with baby towels held awkwardly under their chin, or in their teeth, or put crying babies onto towels on cold bathroom floors. It is of course impossible to safely lift a baby without two hands, but you also somehow have to hold a towel and wrap them in it.” – Polly Marsh, one of Cuddledry’s creators.

Buy now: Cuddledry Hand-free Baby Towel, £34.99, Boots

13. The White Company Hydro Cotton towels

The best value bath towels

Image credit: The White Company

This ribbed cotton design is a best-seller and for good reason! Made using clever ‘low twist’ technology these towels have an extra quick dry time – which is ultra handy for those who need a quick turnaround on washing. The 100 per cent Hydrocotton towels are ultra fluffy to the touch and they remain that way, blissfully soft and supple after each wash. The ultra white colour choice is perfect for a fresh, clean feel for your bathroom; but they are also available in slate and pearl grey.

GSM: 500

Size: Face Cloth, Hand Towel, Bath Towel, Bath Sheet, Super Jumbo

Buy now: Hydrocotton Towels, From £5, The White Company

14. Soak & Sleep Supima Cotton Towels

The best Supima cotton bath towels

You can’t beat the ‘Cashmere of cotton’ for a truly luxurious feeling for bathtimes and showers. These 750gsm towels feel indulgent and cosy whilst boasting high-performance absorbency, for complete post-bath heaven. The range is available in 6 versatile colour choices of white, mid grey, smoke stone dark teal and aubergine.

“The exceptionally high standard of Supmina fibres used for this range are used to create towels with amazing softness and supreme durability.” – Sarah Smith, Head of Buying & Merchandising at Soak&Sleep

GSM: 650

Sizes: Hand Towel, Bath Towel, Bath Sheet

Buy now: Supima Cotton Towels, From £12, Soak&Sleep

Where to buy bath towels?

Keep scrolling for the best places to search for new bath towels, if none of our picks above tickled your fancy.

• Amazon bath towels
• Christy bath towels
• Dunelm bath towels
• House of Fraser bath towels
• John Lewis & Partners bath towels
• M&S bath towels
• Matalan bath towels
• Soak & Sleep bath towels
• The White Company bath towels
• The Range bath towels
• The Towel Shop bath towels
• Wayfair bath towels

Bath towel deals

What is GSM?

You’ll see this abbreviation frequently when sourcing towels – it’s like the thread count associated with bedding. GSM stands for ‘grams per square metre’. Put simply, it’s the way weight is measured for towels. Typically speaking, the higher the GSM the higher the thickness of the towel. Therefore the higher the GSM attributed, the more luxurious a towel is considered.

‘The GSM is a good indication of how heavy and dense a towel is. Generally, the higher the GSM, the thicker and more absorbent the towel will be. When deciding on the GSM, think about how you’ll use your towel and how often. Lightweight towels dry quicker, but heavyweight towels have a more luxurious feel.” – Lucy Comer Comer, Partner & Bath Shop Buyer at John Lewis & Partners.

What is the best bath towel material?

There’s no one material fits all with bath towels, as this will be dependent on what you prefer. Here’s a low down of bath towel materials and constructions that are the most popular.

Supima cotton is known as the “cashmere of cotton” to quote Sarah Smith, Head of Buying at Soak&Sleep, and for good reason! Grown only in the USA to exceptionally high standards, the fibres are longer and stronger than any other kind of cotton. They are therefore the most expensive towels, so consider them as a long term investment.

Egyptian cotton towels are a good alternative to costly Supima towels. They are super soft, durable and highly absorbent thanks to the long, thick loops. These towels are only slightly less luxurious and this is reflected in their price.

Standard towels are made from synthetic fibres and are therefore less absorbent and are of a lesser quality than cotton towels. However, they are low-cost and are ideal if you’re planning to change them frequently.

Waffle towels have a textured surface and their lightweight nature makes them handy for travelling.

What is the best bath towel colour?

Plain white bath towels will bring a hotel chic look to any bathroom and can complement any scheme, dark or light. Be mindful of keeping your whites bright – especially if you use a lot of beauty products! It can be tricky to remove those mascara and foundation marks! If you want your towels to make a statement, choose a contrasting colour or pattern. For a more subtle look, choose towels that tone with your tiles and flooring.

“Blue is one of the most popular colours in the bathroom. It can have a positive effect on our mood as it connects us to a blue sky or ocean found in nature, which helps us to feel relaxed. The colour blue is known to help calm the mind and produce a feeling of tranquillity, a perfect sensation for winding down at the end of your day.”  – Joanna Ross, General Manager – Product & Innovation, Sheridan

How many bath towels do you need?

Consider what combination of towels you need and whether you want a matching set. Towel bales are cost-effective sets that usually offer 2 face cloths, two hand towels and two bath towels. If you want larger bath sheets you’ll have to buy individual towels.

You should aim to allocate each member of the family two bath sheets and two bath towels, so they always have a clean one when one is in the wash. Hand towels can be limited to one per bathroom, and of course, always have plenty of spare towels of all sizes for guests.

What is a zero-twist bath towel?

Zero twist is a term you will see when researching towels. It basically means the cotton is spun with an open loop with no twist, giving a softer and more plush feel.

Which cotton is best for bath towels?

“Cotton is the most traditionally used material for bathroom towels, as it is extremely durable and absorbent.” –  Lucy Comer at John Lewis & Partners

Egyptian cotton

Egyptian cotton towels offer supreme quality and performance. Long, fine fibres of cotton help to create towels that offer high absorbency, durability and a super-soft touch. Egyptian cotton is an ideal towel choice if you prefer a heavier weight for your towels.

Supima cotton

Supima cotton is a superior cotton choice, only grown in the USA. Unique with its extra long fibres, Supima cotton is highly durable and stronger than a large majority of alternative cotton types. Despite its tough properties, Supima cotton is sumptuously soft. Making it the ideal choice if you want a hardworking heavyweight towel with a soft feel.

How to care for your bath towels

1. Wash thoroughly

‘Always wash towels before first use so they are thoroughly clean.’ recommends Julia Galloway, Design Manager, Christy Towels, ‘Don’t overload the machine, towels need plenty of space and water to effectively soak.’

2. Condition

‘To maintain the best results wash after wash we recommend using no fabric conditioner with your towels as over time the conditioner builds up in the fibres and reduces absorbency and softness.’ advises Sarah Smith, Head of Buying & Merchandising, Soak&Sleep.

3. Dry

If you can, put your towels out on the line to dry to give them extra freshness. Driers are also great for adding extra softness. Don’t iron towels as this can make them stiff and scratchy and also make them less absorbent.

The post Shopping edit – 13 of the best bath towels that are soft, fluffy and luxurious appeared first on Ideal Home.

Pick up the best cordless vacuum for your home with our expert guide, complete with reviews of 14 of the very best stick vacuums in the business. Featuring top picks from Dyson, Beko, Shark. Bosch, Miele, Vax, and Halo, this guide will give you the details on all the top cordless models. While they tend to look pretty similar, there is a lot that sets cordless vacuums apart. Power is one big factor, as well as the battery life, weight, and whether or not they’re bagless. Many are turning to cordless vacuum cleaner to replace the best vacuum cleaners in the home, and while not every model in this guide is designed to be your primary vacuum cleaner, they all come Ideal Home approved.

Many of the best cordless vacuum cleaners in our guide come in at under £200, which is about as little as you can expect to pay and still get a decent vacuum for your money. Splash out a little more though, and you can get models with pet attachments, smart LCD controls, extended battery lives, and impressive power. All of the cordless vacuums in our guide are ideal for nipping around the house when you’re in a hurry, and can be lifted up the stairs with no need to unplug and re-plug once you get to the next floor. While most of the best cordless vacuum cleaners in our guide come with bagless designs, we’ve also included some bagged options for those who are sensitive to dust or who simply don’t want to deal with the dirt when emptying the vacuum.

With a great balance between value and high performance, the Shark IZ300UK Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner is our top pick of the best cordless vacuums. We have voted the Dyson V15 Detect as the best cordless vacuum cleaner in 2021 if money is no object. The Vax ONEPWR Blade 4 is our favourite budget vacuum cleaner.

Black Friday cordless vacuum deals: what to expect

Keen shoppers will know that Black Friday is just around the corner, and with some amazing Black Friday cordless vacuum deals to be hard, it’s no wonder you’re researching the right model for you. Shark cordless vacuum deals deliver every year, so we’ll be keeping you posted if any amazing discounts appear. And while Dyson cordless vacuum deals are slightly less common, they can save you a decent wedge of money when they do drop, so we’re keeping our eyes peeled!

Best cordless vacuum cleaners 2021

1. Shark IZ300UK Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner

Best cordless vacuum overall

Bagged or bagless? Bagless
Dust tank capacity: 0.7 litres
Weight: 4.58 kg
Reasons to buy:
• Double up on batteries
• Shift from carpet to hard floors with ease
• Power designed for deep-cleaning
Reasons to avoid:
• It won’t stand upright

The Shark IZ300UK Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner is a new drop from Shark, and it really blew us away when we put it to the test. First off, the PowerFins function means that rubber fins reach deep into carpets to pick up dust, crumbs, and scary amounts of deep-rooted pet hair with each and every pass. This is particularly good on carpet, but if you want to toggle to use on hard floors, you can use the smart display panel to switch over to a different floor type. That requires no switching out attachments, and there’s no need to even bend over.

We loved how easy it is to store this vacuum. It has a hinge in the middle which, with the press of a button, bends the stick forward to fold it in on itself securely. It will stand unsupported when packed away, but you can’t leave it standing up unsupported when you’re midway through using.

The control panel at the top of the Shark IZ300UK Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner shows power levels and allows you to switch from Eco mode to regular and max power. It’s advertised to have 60 minutes of battery life, but that’s on Eco mode. On the regular setting we found that it lasted just over half an hour, which was still plenty impressive.

You can buy the Shark IZ300UKT for an added pet attachment, or the IZ320UK for two batteries. For all the bells and whistles, try the IZ320UKT. It has a pet attachment and two batteries, but other than that it’s the same vacuum as the IZ300UK.

Read our full Shark IZ300UK Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner review

2. Beko Powerclean VRT94929VI Cordless Vacuum Cleaner

Best cordless vacuum for battery life

Bagged or bagless? Bagless
Dust tank capacity: 0.8Ltrs
Weight: 2.9kg
Reasons to buy:
• Decent tool selection
• Pivots to reach under furniture
• One of the most powerful vacuums we’ve tested
Reasons to avoid:
• Switching out brush rolls is fiddly

The Beko Powerclean has a similar design to some of the best Shark vacuum cleaners, featuring an elbow feature that can bend down to reach under furniture without making you reach so far. It’s immensely powerful, too. There are three strength modes, but we found that we hardly needed to use the stronger settings because the lower mode was more than capable of tackling most messes.

With the Beko Powerclean, you get a good range of attachments, including the crevice tool, carpet and hard floor brushes, mini motorised brush head, flexible extension, and dusting tool. Switching out the tools is easy enough, but you need to twist a little screw attachment to remove the brush rolls and switch between hard floor and carpet. This takes a minute or so, but we also experienced that both carpet and hard floor attachments were versatile enough to do a good sweep of the entire home without switching.

The vacuum has a stand included, with a groove to hold the vacuum handle and charge it when not in use. Charging takes three hours, and the battery life is about 45 minutes. Controls work with a thumb trigger, and above this are the plus and minus buttons you’ll need to adjust strength.

From the LED headlights to the incredibly strong suction the Beko Powerclean VRT94929VI Cordless Vacuum Cleaner seriously wowed us. Unfortunately, it can be tricky to find it in stock. 

Ideal Home’s rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Read our full Beko Powerclean VRT94929VI Cordless Vacuum Cleaner review

3. Vax ONEPWR Blade 4

Best cordless vacuum on a budget

Bagged or bagless? Bagless
Dust tank capacity: 0.6L
Weight: 3.1kg
Reasons to buy:
• Comfortable to use
• Impressive on high and low power modes
• Removable battery for east charging
Reasons to avoid:
• Small bin capacity

This stick-style cordless vacuum cleaner has a slight design difference to most of the vacuums in our guide: the cyclone cylinder sits sideways. But the thing that really stands out is its comfy grip. It’s perfectly shaped and has a soft touch. It feels nice enough in the hand that its 3.1kg weight doesn’t feel too heavy.

Buttons are under your thumb and responsive. One turns it on and off, another cycles between the two power settings (it remembers which one you were on last time) and the third turns on the floorhead’s powered brush and headlights.

It boasts triple filtration and runtime is quoted as 45 minutes but it will be much less on high power, using the floorhead. Its vacuuming was impressive on both power settings.

Tools are impressive too. It comes with a crevice nozzle and dusting brush, both of which are well designed. But at the time of writing it also came with a free Cordless ProKit 2 accessory pack.

This gives you an extendible, flexible crevice nozzle for tricky gaps, an upholstery tool, a stiff brush for tough dirt and a stretch hose so you can use the tools without the weight of the cleaner in your hand. The toolkit comes with a fabric storage bag too, but it would have been great if this could clip to the Vax.

The battery comes off and docks in a charger. And the Vax comes with a wall mount, so you can hang it up when not in use. Meanwhile, the 0.6-litre capacity dust canister isn’t large but it comes off easily and then is straightforward to empty.

We were really impressed with the Vax’s comfort, array of tools and cleaning performance for a mid-priced machine.

Ideal Home’s rating 5 out of 5 stars

4. Dyson V15 Detect

Best high-tech Dyson vacuum

Image credit: Dyson

Bagged or bagless? Bagless
Dust tank capacity: 1.75Ltrs
Weight: 3.1kg
Reasons to buy:
• Amazing laser tech
• Display shows realtime cleaning stats
• Large dust tank
• Powerful attachments
Reasons to avoid:
• Trigger controls

The Dyson V15 Detect is Dyson’s latest entry into the cordless vacuum game, and while it’s a pricey one, it’s fair to say it wowed us in testing. For a start, the laser soft roller is a genius creation that illuminates dust and dirt that maybe be otherwise invisible, making for satisfying efficiency in picking up every last speck from your floor.

We also enjoyed the display, which shows a bar chart of the particles you’re picking up as you clean, and has information on the different sizes of each piece. We’ve got no idea how it figures that out, but it’s pretty cool.

Empyting is easy thanks to the ejector, and the motorised hard brush for carpets is also ace for getting deep into the fibres of your floors and picking up pet hair. Our one gripe is the trigger controls, because you need to press it down continuously when you clean. It’s not difficult whatsoever, but won’t be to everyone’s liking.

Ideal Home’s rating: 5 out of 5 stars

5. Shark ICZ300UKT Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Upright Vacuum Cleaner

Best cordless vacuum for the power of a corded model

Bagged or bagless? Bagless
Dust tank capacity: 0.6Ltrs
Weight: 6.2kg
Reasons to buy:
• Seriously high power
• Liftaway design for cleaning cars or stairs
• Capable of tackling the whole home
Reasons to avoid:
• Heavy design

We know it looks like many of Shark’s upright vacuum cleaners, but the Shark ICZ300UKT Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Upright Vacuum Cleaner is completely cordless, with all the power we’re used to seeing on corded alternatives. It’s got a front-facing dustbin that’s connected to the filter and battery, and you can lift this away to remove the cleaning unit from the stick and carry the vacuum up the stairs or out to the car.

For a cordless vacuum, the power is astounding. It was brilliant on pet hair, and while it’s definitely one of the heaviest options on the market, it’s up to heavy-duty work and could rival a corded vacuum in cleaning up the whole home. We found the control panel easy to toggle, and even the eco power mode, which is the lowest of the three settings, was plenty on tiled floors.

The brush head is a little clunky and it definitely lacks the nimble motions of stick vacuums, but if you want a cordless vacuum cleaner to stay on top of a busy home with different floor types, you’ll love how easily you can switch between hard and soft floors with the touch of a button.

Read our full Shark ICZ300UKT Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Upright Vacuum Cleaner review

Ideal Home’s rating: 4 out of 5 stars

6. Dyson V11 Absolute

Best cordless vacuum for power

Bagged or bagless? Bagless
Dust tank capacity: 0.7ltrs
Weight: 2.97kg
Reasons to buy:
• Impressive runtime
• Very powerful
• Easy to empty
Reasons to avoid:
• A bit hefty

The Dyson V11 Absolute promises twice the suction (at the cleaner head) of any cordless vacuum cleaner. But it also costs twice as much as competitors. So is it worth the money?

We found that the 60-minute battery life holds true as advertised. Not only did it pick up the dirt we could see, it managed to catch a lot of invisible dust from carpets and even hard floors. We love the look, which is as high-quality as you would expect from an expensive Dyson vac. It doesn’t take the number one spot because it’s undeniably expensive compared to some other five-star options.

Attachments include a fluffy hard floor roller and four smaller accessories. The fluffy roller did well on wooden floors, but what we loved was the high torque floorhead which cuts back on power when working on hard floors and automatically increases it on carpets. You can monitor this with the bright display, which also shows how many minutes are left in your current mode. Not quite done? Just switch to a lower setting to make the most of your vacuum life.

Capacity is higher than ever and it’s easy to empty. But the run time and power controls are the stars of the show. If money’s no object, buy the V11: you won’t be disappointed.

Ideal Home’s rating 5 out of 5 stars

7. Roidmi RS60

Best cordless vacuum cleaner and mop combo

Bagged or bagless? Bagless
Dust tank capacity: 0.55 litres
Weight: 6.6kg
Reasons to buy:
• Quiet use
• Smart LCD display
• Mop attachment
Reasons to avoid:
• Heavy and not the cheapest

A mop and cordless vacuum rolled into one, the Roidmi RS60 has a high-quality, weighty feel that isn’t burdensome, but does feel like it’s designed to last. Other attachments include a mattress cleaner, soft roller, and crevice tool. There’s even a pet brush, which is designed to literally suck up the hair from your pet as you brush it. A smart idea, if you can get your cat or dog to cooperate.

It has a medium-sized dustbin of 0.55 litres, which does require regular emptying, but is easy to eject once you’ve removed the stick attachment. One of the most impressive things was the battery life, which lasted over an hour in testing, making it more than adequate for large homes.

The LCD display shows which of the three power modes you’ve opted for, and when you’re done cleaning, it even displays the amount of calories burned. The on button is lower down than the button that you use to switch modes, which we did find a little fiddly, but it’s useful if you switch between different power modes on a regular basis. While it’s not cheap, it’s a quality pick.

Ideal Home’s rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Read our full Roidmi RS60 review

8. Dyson V11 Outsize

Best cordless vacuum cleaner for large homes

Bagged or bagless? Bagless
Dust tank capacity: 1.7ltrs
Weight: 3.5kg
Reasons to buy:
• Powerful suction
• Easy to manoever
• Large dust tank and floorhead
Reasons to avoid:
• Not great on rugs

The Dyson V11 Outsize has re-engineered the Absolute to include a 150% larger bin, 25% bigger cleaner head, with up to 60 minutes of runtime. It also offers 20% more suction compared to the V10, which was a popular model just a couple of years ago.

Our reviewer was impressed from the start since the vac arrived in packaging made from recyclable cardboard, and how easy it was to assemble. It also already arrives with 20% of it’s 60-minute battery life so if you just can’t wait to take the V11 Outsize for a walk around the home, then this allows you to do just that. We found that this battery life – when fully charged – was more than suffice for whipping around a 2-bed terraced home. You also have the ability to adjust the cleaning modes which can make a difference to the battery life, and noise level.

It performed exceptionally well on large rugs and hard flooring (with the soft roller head attached). The suction is really good and the larger floorhead helps to cover more ground, quickly. Turning to a smaller rug with a 60cm dia, however, the cordless vac either wanted to move it around or just grind to a halt.

Using with the attachments such as the mini motorized tool and combination tool were useful around the home, across all levels, but there are 11 tools in total to opt for to give you yet more freedom to clean. There is no way to store these attachments on board the stick vacuum cleaner, however, so finding some suitable cupboard space for this would be useful. And lifting up the vac to use as a handheld is slightly heavier than previous models because of the enlarged dust tank although it’s not too uncomfortable.

Ideal Home’s rating: 5 out of 5 stars

9. Bissell ICON 25V

Best designed cordless vacuum cleaner

Bagged or bagless? Bagless
Dust tank capacity: 0.4ltrs
Weight: 3.2kg
Reasons to buy:
• Impressive design details
• Versatile attachments
• Easy to mount on the dock
Reasons to avoid:
• Tricky to empty the bin

The Bissell ICON 25V really impressed us. It performs really well and the design includes impressive attention to detail.

Bright headlights on the floorhead illuminate cleaning. Run time is up to 50 minutes but it will be much less on high power. There are three power levels and the medium one is fine most of the time, but the vac doesn’t remember your last setting, it always starts at top whack, which reduces battery life.

The floorhead claims to beat the problem of hair tangles and we certainly didn’t manage to get it badly tangled. It’s also smaller than the Shark Anti Hair Wrap IZ251UKT floorhead. The 0.4 litre bin isn’t the easiest to empty but it’s ok.

Weighing in at 3.2kg, the design is a top-heavy stick that converts to handheld. It comes with just one tool, a crevice nozzle that converts to a brush. That’s great: you only really need those two tools. Though ironically the designers have given you space to store multiple tools at the charging dock.

We were even bowled over by tiny design details. For example, built into the inside of the dock is a little spirit level, to make it very easy to mount the dock level. Another one: the tip of the crevice tool lights up when it’s in use. We could go on. It’s a mid-priced cleaner but the performance and design combine to impress.

Ideal Home’s rating: 4 out of 5 stars

10. Miele Triflex HX1 Cat&Dog

Best cordless vacuum cleaner for pet hair

Bagged or bagless? Bagless
Dust tank capacity: 0.5ltrs
Weight: 3.6kg
Reasons to buy:
• Sleek and modern design
• Very versatile
• Easy to convert
Reasons to avoid:
• Not the best battery life

Miele’s first cordless claims to be powerful enough to be your only vacuum cleaner. It’s also supremely convertible: you can rearrange the pieces to convert from an upright cleaner (bottom-heavy, perfect when you’re just vacuuming floors, stands up by itself) to a stick cleaner (top-heavy, very manoeuvrable) to a handheld.

It comes with three tools: crevice nozzle, dusting brush, flat upholstery tool. We weren’t convinced that you need the pet turbo brush unless your furniture is plagued with pet hair. But a second battery might be worthwhile.

The Miele Triflex HX1 Cat&Dog is easy to use, well designed and impressively powerful on floors and more. It really offers the cleaning power you’d expect from a corded cleaner. But the ‘up to 60 minutes’ run time is 34 minutes if you’re using the floorhead (which you probably are) and just 17 minutes at top power. Fortunately, the lower power setting is good enough and 34 minutes is long enough for a couple of rooms.

You wouldn’t be able to vacuum a whole house thoroughly on one charge. You’d need a second battery or to clean little and often. Its 0.5-litre capacity is on the small side too. You’ll need to empty the dirt canister regularly, but this is easy and isn’t messy.

The Miele Triflex HX1 gives Dysons a run for their money. We missed the Dyson V11 Absolute’s charging dock and fluffy hard floor roller, but the Miele’s convertibility and sheer cleaning power won us over. If you don’t mind the price, the HX1 is a great buy. If you want the best vacuum cleaner for pet hair, we’ve also got another dedicated guide.

Ideal Home’s rating 4 out of 5 stars

11. Dyson Micro 1.5kg

Best cordless vacuum cleaner for small homes

Image credit: Dyson

Bagged or bagless? Bagless
Dust tank capacity: 0.1Ltr
Weight: 1.5kg
Reasons to buy:
• Lightweight
• Glides across hard floors
• Impressive power
Reasons to avoid:
• Not for carpets

The Dyson Micro 1.5kg is part of a new fleet of cordless vacuum cleaners from Dyson. It’s the lightest and smallest cordless vacuum in this guide, and with an entry-level price when compared to other Dyson models. The vacuum is very powerful, and we were impressed with the way hair didn’t get stuck around the roller brush.

Attachments include a soft roller cleaner head, mini motorised tool, and combination tool. While there is no roller for carpets, the mini motorised tool worked well on rugs and car upholstery in testing. We found that the battery life was just shy of half an hour, which is a way off Dyson’s 50 minute promise, but because the vacuum glides so effortlessly across floors, it made quick work of kitchen floors and hallway dirt and dust.

While it’s probably not a top pick for large homes thanks to the small size of the dustbin, the Dyson Micro is well suited to flats and would also be a great pick for those who have an upright or canister vacuums for their heavy duty cleans, but want something for those midweek sweeps that can sit pretty when not in use.

Ideal Home’s rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Read our full Dyson Micro 1.5kg review

12. Vax Blade 32V

Best cordless vacuum cleaner for affordable power

Bagged or bagless? Bagless
Dust tank capacity: 0.6Ltrs
Weight: 3kg
Reasons to buy:
• Great for quick cleans and small homes
• Reminds us of the Dyson, at a much lower price
• The trigger doesn’t need to be held down
Reasons to avoid:
• No charging wall bracket included

The Vax Blade 32V’s cyclonic stick design is reminiscent of Dyson handhelds, but the chamber is horizontal. Tip it to one side and press a button to empty. Twist the other side to remove the washable filter.

Handling is similar to the Dyson V11 Absolute in terms of size, feel and excellent manoeuvrability. But it comes with just one big brush head and two detail tools (a brush and a crevice tool). Fewer tools then, less to store, but we miss the Dyson V11 Absolute’s soft head for hard floors.

The trigger is under your thumb and you just press it once, you don’t have to hold it down. Lights indicate charge and there are two extra buttons: one turns boost mode off (the default is on, which increases suction but halves battery life), the other makes the brush bar spin (the default is off).

Cleaning is impressive. It could replace the main vacuum cleaner in a small home and is superb for stairs and quick clean-ups.

Again it’s too top-heavy to stand up on its own. It comes with a very simple wall bracket that doesn’t include the charger – you’ll have to plug it in each time.

Ideal Home’s rating: 4 out of 5 stars

13. Shark Anti Hair Wrap IZ251UKT

Best workhorse cordless vacuum

Bagged or bagless? Bagless
Dust tank capacity: 0.4Ltrs
Weight: 4.1kg
Reasons to buy:
• Great for tangle-free cleaning
• Easy storage
• Plenty of attachments
Reasons to avoid:
• Lacking in maneuverability

The Shark Anti Hair Wrap IZ251UKT is big and heavy (4.1kg) enough that you might forget it’s cordless. So although it’s a top-heavy stick design, you won’t be waving it around. But you’ll also forget because the cleaning power is impressive. Its multi-stage powered floorhead whips up dust and hairs brilliantly and boasts ok headlights.

Battery life is up to 40 minutes and we tested the pet version that comes with two batteries, so you can double it. It also comes with a host of accessories, but that isn’t necessarily a good thing: where are you supposed to store them? There’s a crevice nozzle, brush, upholstery tool, an adjustable thin wand that’s good for getting behind radiators and under furniture, and because it’s the pet model a small motorised turbo brush too.

The bulky floorhead does a great job of cleaning: the combination of powered brushes seems to lift everything. They’re also designed not to get tangled with long hairs and our test bore this out. There are two power settings under your thumb, one for hard floors and one for carpets. But you can also pull a trigger with your index finger for a temporary power boost.

Just as impressive was storage: push a button halfway down the tube and the whole vac folds in half so you can stow it away in a cupboard.

It makes a good handheld vac too, and the dust canister is easy to empty once you remove the tube to convert it. But with the tube, we found the machine too heavy for it to feel easy in the hand for cobwebs.

In all, with two batteries and powerful cleaning, it makes a good replacement for a corded upright cleaner. You don’t have to plug it in but it’s not really lighter or more manoeuvrable than a corded model.

Ideal Home’s rating: 4 out of 5 stars

14. Halo Capsule Vacuum

Best lightweight cordless vacuum cleaner

Bagged or bagless? Bagged
Dust tank capacity: 1.6Ltrs
Weight: 2.6kg
Reasons to buy:
• Very lightweight
• Generous tank size
• Ideal dustbin for those who want a bagged vacuum
Reasons to avoid:
• Fiddly to control

This new contender has an unusual design, with a lightweight (2.6kg) carbon fibre body and curvaceous styling. The handle is unusually positioned at the top too.

It’s a stick-style cleaner with a powered floorhead (no headlights) and two tools: a crevice nozzle and a dusting brush. They push on to the cleaner with the tube for cobwebs and awkward corners, or straight onto the body for use as a handheld vac.

It’s a bagged cleaner with a decent capacity of 1.6 litres. It comes with 53 compostable paper bags, enough to last years. The run time is up to 60 minutes, but will be much less on high power, using the floorhead.

The controls are good. A power button under your thumb turns it on and it always starts at the middle one of the three power settings. You press the other yellow button to cycle between them. This works well as you rarely need the top setting and the low setting is a bit weedy.

The thin blue button in between turns the powered brushes of the floorhead on. Every time you turn the vac on, you have to push this again. That’s a bit annoying.

Also annoying is the way the floorhead easily clicks to lock at 90 degrees… this top-heavy cleaner can’t stand up by itself, so what’s the point? It’s annoying when it happens mid-cleaning.

But the floorhead cleans well, with and without the brushes spinning. And we love the fact that the Halo Capsule is lightweight. Even the charger is petite. It leaves us wishing that the tube was in two pieces, so that the whole cleaner could pack down into a small kitchen cupboard: that would be novel.

Ideal Home’s rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Everything you need to know about buying a cordless cleaner

What are the different types of cordless vacuum?

• Stick vacuum cleaners are handhelds that you add a wand to, to extend the reach – then add a brush head to clean floors or a smaller tool for cobwebs and other hard-to-reach spots. They’re fast, manoeuvrable and good for getting under furniture. But the weight is all in your hand, which can be tiring after a while. They often can’t stand up by themselves if you want to pause to move something.
• 2-in-1 upright vacuum cleaners look more like traditional upright vacuum cleaners. The weight is fairly low down, but the middle section pops out and doubles as a handheld cleaner for small stuff. Often the upright’s handle also pops off and doubles as a wand, giving the handheld extra reach for high-up stuff like cobwebs.

How much should I spend on a cordless vacuum?

Image credit: Vax

Budget around £150 for a good-quality cordless with decent cleaning power. But you can spend more than three times as much on premium models. More money can buy you powerful suction, longer battery life or better tools.

Some of the best cordless vacuums we tested came in at the £250 mark. If you can afford it though, it’s worth spending the extra money. More power and longer battery lives will pay off in the long-run, and the convenience of a cordless vacuum won’t be outweighed by limited power.

What other key questions do I need to ask about cordless vacuums?

Bagged vs bagless? 

It’s a tricky choice. On the one hand, bagless vacuums reduce the environmental impact and the expense of buying vacuum bags, only to throw them away. However, removing dirt from a bagless vacuum isn’t without its challenges. Hair can get wrapped around the filter and you’ll likely let off a bit of a dust cloud. Of course, brands like Dyson are constantly developing solutions to this. The new Dyson range has ejector technology that makes emptying the dustbin completely hands-free. For this tech though, you will have to pay.

Charging your cordless vacuum

It can take anywhere from three to six hours to charge a cordless vacuum in-between uses. If you plan on using it as your main vacuum cleaner, you need to opt for one with the battery life to make it through your home before you have to recharge, or you’ll have to go back later for different rooms.

Some cordless vacuums come with replaceable batteries, meaning you can switch out for a new, fully-charged battery if the one you’re using dies. We did text every vacuum in this guide for battery life, the most successful being the Dyson V11 Absolute with a mighty 60 minutes.

The post Best cordless vacuum cleaners 2021: our top 14, reviewed appeared first on Ideal Home.

Putri and Ben Mackereth are serial renovators. They moved from New Zealand to the UK nearly 12 years ago and starting out with a small flat renovation in Clapham, South London.

Ben has a building firm (www.macbuildingsolutions.co.uk) and Putri an interior design consultancy (www.maehousedesign.com). Their combined skills have seen this dream team complete 11 renovations of their own and over a hundred for clients. This is their first self-build together, and what a dream real home it is.

House before

Photography: Chris Snook/FuturePLC

Ben began trawling online portals looking for the perfect plot and found a dated house in Streatham, South London, in the summer of 2019, on approximately 700m2 of land. They demolished the house in February 2020, just before the pandemic hit.

‘We were lucky that the construction industry was still able to operate, otherwise we would have been left with an empty site,’ says Ben.

New house: Exterior

Photography: Chris Snook/FuturePLC

The build itself was relatively straightforward and quick. Securing planning permission, however, was one of the biggest challenges for the couple. ‘It took a pre-application meeting, three planning applications and numerous Variation of Conditions (VOC’s) to get to the design we were happy with.’

Not only was a self-build new to them, but they were hoping to build in a Conservation area. Their architect David Bell from AtelierDB explained that it would be difficult to get planning permission for their contemporary vision and suggested they incorporate architectural forms and characteristics from within the conservation area.  ‘The tile hanging at first floor level and the gable roof were examples of this and really helped us create a house which was sympathetic to the surrounding area,’ says Putri.

Open plan living area

Photography Chris Snook/Future PLC

 Open-plan living and impressive design features were top of their list of must haves. ‘We wanted a polished concrete floor throughout the ground floor; it’s a very Antipodean look, but after doing some research we found out they can be problematic; they can stain and crack and are very difficult to patch in when something goes wrong. So, we opted for large Terrazzo style porcelain tiles and used throughout the ground floor to unify the spaces.’

Photography Chris Snook/Future PLC

‘The ground floor was designed to make the most of the southerly aspect and capture the sunshine all day. We really liked the look of metal doors, however wanted these to open right up to connect the indoor and outdoor spaces. After much searching we found a company that could create exactly what we had in mind.’

The outdoor BBQ is where Ben spends most of his time. ‘We both loved the existing rustic brick wall, so decided to retain but added cedar cladding at the top to tidy it up and create some privacy with our neighbours. For the decking, we chose a composite product called Millboard which looks just like timber but without the upkeep and issues of rotting and warping.’

Seating area

Photography Chris Snook/Future PLC

With a new build, its essential to incorporate eco-efficiency measures where possible. In addition to double glazing and EcoTherm insulation for thermal efficiency, an air source heat pump was installed so no gas is required at the property.

This powers the wet underfloor heating throughout the entire house. They also had to pass an air pressure test to ensure the house was well sealed; minimising any heat loss.

Kitchen

Photography Chris Snook/Future PLC

‘The kitchen really is the heart of the home. I spend a lot of time here and the open plan allows me to keep an eye on the kids. It also makes a great space for entertaining,’ says Putri.

‘I really liked the idea of having a walk-in pantry to keep everything hidden away, but unfortunately the space didn’t allow for it. Instead, we opted for a kitchen design with fold away doors which allowed us to create a larder cupboard with the same functionality. Opened right up it gives easy access to everything but when not in use it can be closed right up.’

Kitchen seating

Photography Chris Snook/Future PLC

A tan leather sofa makes a stylish yet practical place for the children to hang out while the couple prepare meals. ‘Building your dream family home is a lot of fun and creating a space that you know will make your family life easier is very rewarding.’

‘Not only does our house work well for our young kids now, it can be easily adapted as the kids grow older to work well in the future.’

Main bedroom

Photography Chris Snook/Future PLC

‘Sometimes starting from a blank canvas is easier than refurbishing, and self-building allowed us to make our family home exactly how we wanted it,‘ says Ben. ‘We added a coffered ceiling complete with LED strip lighting as a point of difference in our main bedroom suite. The soft lighting works well in the bedroom and gives the impression of increased ceiling height.’

Bathroom ensuite

Photography Chris Snook/Future PLC

With three young children the couple don’t get away as much as they used to and they wanted to create a luxury hotel room feel with an open plan en-suite complete with free standing bath, as a space to unwind after a busy day.

Photography Chris Snook/Future PLC

Deep green ceramic wall tiles, laid vertically rather than horizontally, add a modern twist that makes the brass towel radiator and bathroom fittings really ping.

The post From Wreak to Wow! Step inside this fabulous self-built, eco family home appeared first on Ideal Home.

Look beyond the interior for this year’s decorations. Christmas window decorating ideas are set to be more popular than ever this year, as homeowners look for ways to add maximum impact to seasonal decorating.

While wreaths on doors and lights illuminating front porches gain a lot of attention, window decorations can add even more wow factor to any Christmas ideas. From on-trend chalk painting and stickers to festive bunting, sprucing up your windows for Christmas will make your home look and feel cosy and inviting from the outside in.

Christmas window decorating ideas

Our windows are our homes connection with the outside world, which has never been more needed than in recent years.  Pinterest reported a 50 per cent increase in searches for ‘Christmas window decorations’ last year, set to be even higher this year as the trend really takes off.

1. Welcome Christmas characters with stickers

Image credit: Stickers4walls.co.uk

Welcome the most popular Christmas characters into your home with these reusable stickers. The Christmas gnome, or Christmas gonk as they are also called, is a must-have for festive decorating right now – as they become the most favoured character in recent years.

Ideal to delight children and adults alike, this set of Scandinavian Gnome stickers are made from soft PVC static cling vinyl. The easy to peel and apply stickers are just the tonic to dress windows without making a mess by leaving any residue. They are reposition-able and reusable, so they can be used year after year.

Buy now: Reusable Gnome Trio Window Decorations, £36.99, Sticker4walls.co.uk

2. Set the scene with large silhouettes on doors

Image credit: Future/ Jo Henderson

As the trend for sliding or opening French doors on the back of home extensions soars, there’s all the more window to decorate. Embrace this blank canvas of glass as a way to set the scene with an array of sticks depicting a seasonal winter wonderland story.

Advice for using window stickers. Wash your chosen window first to remove any dirt and grease. With the backing paper still in place play around with compositions by laying your stickers out on a flat surface. Once you’re happy with the design remove the backing paper and smooth onto the window. Use a credit card or squeegee to remove any bubbles.

3. Illuminate windows with twinkling lights

Image credit: Lights4Fun/ Oliver Perrott

Who doesn’t love a set of twinkling fairy lights, whatever the season! Lights hanging in the windows offers a beautiful way to welcome warmth to your decorating scheme – for both inside and out. This delicate light display by Lights4fun is specially designed to frame the window perfectly to cascade floating star lights down the window pane.

Buy now: Osby Star Christmas Window Light, £32.99, Light4fun.co.uk

4. Send season’s greetings

Image credit: Cox & Cox

Keep it simple but to the point with a window sticker which offers the message to wish all a ‘Merry Christmas’. Window stickers are ideal for an easy way to add decoration, without leaving a mess or residue on windows – like snow spray can.

Stickers make it far easier to get a perfect finish, and in no time at all.

Buy now: Merry Christmas Window Sticker, £6.50, Cox & Cox

5. Hang homemade garlands inside the window frame

Image credit: Future

Make your own decorative garlands to hang inside window frames to add a decorative touch – whether you choose colour, foliage or sparkle, make your garlands fit with the scheme that suits your home.

Tie light weight decorations and sprigs of real foliage to a thin wire to secure to the top and bottom of wooden window frames with a small drawing pin. If you have UPCV windows use a sticky tape that can be easily peeled off, to avoid marking the frames.

6. Frame the front door with window decorations

Image credit: Future/ Dominic Blackmore

Set the scene at the front door by decorating the window panes either side. Simple snowflake stickers or stencilled snow spray patterns are ideal to add a magical touch to the overall look of your outdoor Christmas decor ideas.

7. Create a blanket of stars

Image credit: Lights4fun.co.uk

Make your windows shine bright with a curtain of lit up stars. Ideal for upstairs and downstairs windows these charming stars add a warm white sparkle to your home. The simple light up star curtain has discreet white hooks that sit at the top of each of the 5 strings of stars, making it super easy to hang in any window.

For indoor use only each string features 8 stars and measure 1m in length, the stars measure 6cm in diameter – with approximately 10cm between each star. The design entirely covers the window with a soft glow when illuminated. Mains powered.

Buy now: 40 Warm White LED Star Curtain Lights, £19.99, lights4fun.co.uk

8. Decorate with snowflakes

Image credit: Future/ David Brittain

You can buy simple stickers, designed specifically for the job – meaning they shouldn’t leave a sticky residue behind once taken down. From snowflakes to forest scenes there’s a captivating sticker to do the job for your window display. Try Etsy or Hobbycraft for stylish seasonal designs.

9. Cascade glowing fairy lights

Image credit: Future/ Jon Day

Fairy lights never fail to do the job of creating ambience. Suspend strings of simple fairy lights by windows to benefit from the effect both inside and out. They can help to act as outdoor lights to do your bit for the street, without having to hang them out in the cold. From indoor they help to enhance the view, meaning whatever the whether your home will feel festive and cosy.

10. String up seasonal bunting

Image credit: Ginger Ray

If you’re a big fan of a paired back decor then Christmas decorations might feel overwhelming. But fear not because they can be spectacular and subtle in equal measure. A simple string of bunting is enough to welcome a seasonal touch of added style, without adding colour and bling. Placing the bunting infant of a window goes a long way to extend Christmas cheer to the world beyond.

Traditional hessian bunting is perfect in a cosy country cottage or paired with neutral interiors and an elegantly-styled Christmas tree. Adding an adorable dog into the mix is never a bad idea either.

11. Cut out paper silhouettes

Image credit: Future/ Brent Darby

Like childhood crafts, make your own simple but stylish paper cutouts to adorn the windows. Stick with simple White Tack, so the paper cutouts are easy to remove and stuck ‘magically’, unobviously to the eye.

12. Fill window sills with colour

Image credit: Future/ Rachel Whiting

Create a curated festive display on the window sill, that can be enjoyed both inside and out. From coloured tealight votives to mini decorated trees, set the scene with colour that will cast a warm glow.

13. Get creative with cacti

Image credit: Future/ Catherine Gratwicke

As the plant of the year, it’s only right that some form of succulent play a pressing role in festive decorating this year. This playful display sees mini cacti arrangements suspended on wires with a window frame, to float above the festive floral arrangements on the window sill. These simple plants are perfect, because they won’t require watering in the time they are up over Christmas.

14. Make a garland of crackers

Image credit: Future/ Emma Lee

This idea is a little crackers perhaps…but doesn’t it look fabulous! Simply string together two sets of crackers, tying a thread around each send of one cracker to the next. Hang the handmade creation across the window as your would a garland. Using shiny metallic crackers is a good way to catch the light and get them  noticed from the outside too.

To save waste you could simply take these down on the big day to use around the table.

15. Invest in a festive blind

Image credit: 247 Blinds

Looking for a more inclusive way to dress your windows this Christmas? Invest in a festive blind to create the perfect cosy scene for Christmas festivities.

‘A seasonal patterned print with subtle hints of Christmas is perfect if you’re looking to add a low maintenance festive touch to your window’ explains Jason Peterkin, director at 247 Blinds. ‘Opt for a pattern that won’t look out of place throughout the whole winter period to create an ideal backdrop for your window display.’

Buy now: Mistletoe Berries Roller Blind, from £16.37, 247 Blinds

16. Stage festive accessories at the window

Image credit: Future/ Brent Darby

It’s amazing how far a simple decoration in the window can go to lift your Christmas living room decorating idea. Because it’s to be enjoyed both inside and out, it’s a great way to get more from your seasonal decorations.

Whether a reindeer placed on the window frame or a willow heart or star shaped decoration hanging from the window catch, it’s enough to signify that Christmas has arrived in your home.

How do you dress windows for Christmas?

Dressing windows for Christmas has become the latest decorating trend to captivate the nation, from reusable stickers offering season’s greetings to curtains of twinkling lights – windows are where it’s at for festive decorating.

Pinterest reported a 50 per cent increase in searches for ‘Christmas window decorations’. With an increase in searches specifically for ‘Christmas window painting’ up three times that of last year. While painting windows is an effective method to add decoration it can prove messy and time consuming – stickers are the easy alternative.

If painting or spraying with snow take care not to damage the surrounding walls. If hanging decorative trimmings first, consider how you’re going to do so. Seasonal decor will be taken down after a month or so and the last thing you want to do is make any permanent damage to your windows.

How do you hang ornaments on windows?

On how to hang ornaments on windows Adam Pawson, Head of Digital at Safestyle, offers his advice: ‘Clear self-adhesive hooks work well and can be removed without damage. For best results, clean and dry the window first, this will remove any unwanted residue and ensure the hooks stick properly.’

The post Christmas window decorating ideas to inspire your home this season appeared first on Ideal Home.