Reasons to be cheerful #271: a warm, sunny bank holiday weekend. Here at the Filter, we need no excuse to kick off our shoes, grab a cold drink (and some SPF) and head outside.

To help you make the most of the long weekend, we’ve rounded up some of our favourite things. Whether it’s tools to spruce up your outdoor space, tipples to sip in the garden, a fake tan to jump-start your summer skin or fashion for warmer weather, summer starts here.

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Fogarty Cool Sleep 10.5-tog duvet, double

This is the perfect time to switch to a lighter duvet. Jane Hoskyn named the Fogarty Cool Sleep the best option for those who overheat at night in her roundup of the best duvets. It has a “sprinkling of special ‘phase change’ material designed to prevent overheating”, she says.

100% linen duvet cover

100% linen pillow cases

When it comes to breathable bedding, “linen has the edge”, says Sally Newall in her guide to buying bedding. “It’s stronger and more breathable” than cotton and also hypoallergenic. “These qualities make it good for hot sleepers,” says Newall, and ideal for the hotter months. Interior designer Eva Sonaike recommends Piglet in Bed’s 100% linen bedding in our guide to the best bedding brands.

Rose, carnation and alstroemeria bouquet

Roses, carnations and alstroemerias all come into season in late spring through to autumn, so why not treat yourself to a bunch of flowers that has all three? This bouquet from Bloom & Wild is particularly beautiful, and comes in letterbox-friendly packaging. Zoë Phillimore rated Bloom & Wild as the best letterbox flowers in her test of the best flower delivery services.

Lékué ice cube box

Whether you’re planning to have friends over or just want some ice for your weekend G&T, this ice box is far more aesthetically pleasing than your usual tray. “The abstract-shaped cubes are sharp and stylish, and were small enough to fit in my daughter’s water bottle this heatwave summer,” says Filter editor, Hannah Booth, in our first anniversary piece, where we recommended our fave Filter-approved products.

Travel

Tripp Holiday 8 cabin suitcase

Rated the best budget buy in Pete Wise’s review of the best cabin bags, this suitcase is the perfect size for a weekend getaway. It comes in several bright, summer-appropriate colours, and it aced Pete’s suitcase assault course test.

Trtl travel pillow

If you’re planning to go away and want to catch some winks during the journey, then a travel pillow will help you get comfy enough to drift off. This Trtl travel pillow was deemed the best for providing side support in Pete Wise’s test of the best travel pillows.

Blackout eye mask

Now that midsummer is almost here, a blackout eye mask can be a godsend. Jane Hoskyn tried out popular sleep aids, and said, “I woke up in joyous disbelief at the nine (yes, nine!) hours of shut-eye I’d achieved” while testing this mask. It’s also handy for helping you get some sleep on a long journey or for taking on holiday, where you may fall victim to a cheap blind that lets in the light.

Inflatable travel bed

“When travelling anywhere with our small children – who are too big for a travel cot but too small for a single bed with no rails – we take an inflatable bed,” says Rose Stokes in her guide to everything you need for travelling with kids. This one “packs up small and inflates in less than a minute with its built-in pump, plus it comes in prints that kids are bound to love”.

Belkin BoostCharge power bank

Make sure you never run out of juice while out and about with a power bank. This Belkin option can charge multiple phones at once, and is even capable of charging a laptop at a respectable speed. It earned top spot in Pete Wise’s test of the best portable chargers.

Ocean Bottle reusable tumbler

If you want to take a hot – or cold – drink for the journey, but don’t want to compromise on taste, then this is the travel mug for you. “This cup provided a brilliantly pure coffee-drinking experience,” says Pete Wise, who rated this the best for taste when he put the best travel mugs to the test.

Drinks

La Gioiosa rosé sparkling can, 20cl

It’s rosé weather. This Italian sparkling wine is “dry, fruity and floral, with plenty of prosecco-esque flavours: apples and light berries abound”, wrote Joanne Gould in her roundup of the best tinned drinks. “It’s perfect for an aperitif or for enjoying with charcuterie, and at a fairly relaxed 10.5%, it’s very quaffable.”

East London Liquor Co gin

Looking for a new tipple for the bank holiday? Rated best all-round in Gould’s roundup of the best gins, she says it’s “a London dry, but with more of all the flavours you expect: more sharp lemony citrus, more piney juniper, more cardamom and angelica root spice”. Pop it in a G&T or a negroni and sip it in the sun.

Del Maguey Mezcal Vida

Tequila is the new gin, however. Gould rated this mezcal, which “has bags of tropical fruit flavours and notes of ginger and cinnamon that give it a lingering fiery finish”, highly. She tested 40 different tequilas and mezcals and awarded this one the title of best smoky mezcal. She recommends mixing it with fresh pineapple juice.

Hip Pop strawberry & pineapple kombucha, 12 x 330ml

If you don’t drink alcohol, or perhaps would rather not spend the weekend with a sore head, Gould loves this fruity kombucha. “[It] brings all the positives of fermented fizz – live cultures, real fruit, low calorie – but none of the nasties,” she says in her roundup of the best tinned drinks.

Firebrand Brewing Co Shorebreak hazy pale ale, 0.5%

Or if beer is more your thing, this hazy pale ale also gets Gould’s seal of approval. “When summer finally arrives, you’ll be hard pressed to find a better drink to enjoy on the beach than this Cornish IPA,” she says.

Garden

ProCook outdoor pizza oven

If you can’t fire up a pizza oven on a bank holiday weekend, frankly, when can you? Find the right one for you with Rachel Ogden’s guide to the best pizza ovens on the market. She rated this the best budget option, thanks to it being “affordable, easily controllable and relatively simple to store as a result of its fold-up legs, it gets all the basics right”.

Spear & Jackson bypass secateurs

Good weather plus a long weekend can mean only one thing: it’s time to get gardening. Make quick work of all the tasks on your list with a trusty pair of secateurs. Matt Collins, head gardener at the London Garden Museum, pruned and cut with 19 different models to find the best secateurs out there. This pair was his best budget pick, and our readers’ favourite.

Einhell GC-EM 1600/37 lawnmower

Mowing less frequently is one way to create a more eco-friendly lawn. But as No Mow May draws to a close, find the best lawnmower for you by checking Andy Shaw’s test of the big hitters. This Einhell model was rated the best budget pick.

Kärcher K 2 Classic pressure washer

Now that you’re likely to be spending more time outside, get that patio spick and span and clean off your garden furniture. This Kärcher pressure washer is Andy Shaw’s best budget option from his guide to the best pressure washers. “Considering the low price, you’re still getting a surprisingly effective cleaner,” he says, and its compact size makes it well-suited for those who just need it for the occasional clean.

Hori hori garden knife

A great all-rounder tool, Niwaki’s hori hori knife is a favourite among gardening pros. It can be used for weeding, planting and all manner of small gardening tasks.

Outdoors/exercise

Mountain Warehouse folding chair

Whether you’re heading off camping or want somewhere comfy to sit for a picnic in the park, a folding chair will come in handy. Sian Lewis put some of the best camping chairs to the test, and she rated this one the best budget option.

Kids’ balance bike

Get the kids outside with a balance bike that will help build their confidence on a two-wheeler before trying a proper bike. “My son has been using this one from Decathlon, which is reasonably light, has a step-through design, is small enough to use indoors or out and won’t leave you bankrupt,” says Paddy Maddison in his guide to everything you need to cycle with kids.

Aerobie Superdisc

You just can’t beat a (what we’re calling for legal reasons) flying disc. This one is particularly easy to master, plus it’s affordable, portable and will provide hours of fun (and exercise) in the sun. It’s also perfect entertainment for camping.

La Sportiva TX5 men’s walking boots

If you need some dependable hiking boots, look no further than Paddy Maddison’s favourite pair from his roundup of the best men’s walking boots. “A durable, comfortable and aesthetically pleasing pair of boots that can handle anything from light hikes to multiday treks,” he says.

Lowa women’s Innovo GTX mid boots

Sian Lewis’s guide to the best women’s hiking boots left her impressed with the Lowa Innovo GTX boots, awarding them the top spot. “These sturdy-looking boots are surprisingly lightweight, and are warm enough to feel comfortable through British winters, but just about breathable enough to use in summer,” she says.

Babolat Counter Origin padel racket

If you haven’t heard of padel, then we can only assume you’ve been living under a rock. “According to the Lawn Tennis Association, only 15,000 British players picked up a padel racket in 2019 … but by the end of 2024, that figure was more than 400,000,” says Tim Danton in his guide to the best padel rackets. If you’re keen to give it a go, this Babolat racket was his favourite.

Owala FreeSip water bottle

Owala’s lightweight, leakproof and triple-insulated FreeSip water bottle is the perfect companion for your next workout. A favourite among gen Z, it comes in a range of aesthetically pleasing colourways, and triumphed in Zoë Phillimore’s test of the best water bottles.

HayMax allergen barrier balm

To help those who can’t come into contact with pollen without getting a runny nose and itchy eyes, Jane Hoskyn tried out popular hay fever remedies to find the ones that really work. She found that this balm, made of beeswax and seed oil, can act as a pollen barrier to prevent symptoms when applied to the nose.

Beauty

Beauty of Joseon relief sun rice + probiotics SPF50+

Protect your skin and keep it feeling hydrated with beauty writer Sarah Matthews’ go-to SPF. “This has a gorgeous silky texture that glides over skin and sinks in fast. It’s lightweight, doesn’t pill under makeup and, since it’s a chemical sunscreen, it doesn’t leave a white cast,” she says in her guide to the best face moisturisers.

Essential Parfums discovery set

Essential Parfums’ “aim is to democratise creative perfumery”, says Sali Hughes, who recently spotlighted the brand for its beautiful scents at a fair price. This discovery set comes with four 10ml scents, so you can try before you fork out for a 100ml. They’d also be ideal for taking on holiday. Or if you want even more options, they also do an affordable set of 11 2ml samples.

Vichy Capital Soleil hydrating SPF50

Protecting yourself from the sun’s harmful rays doesn’t need to be a chore. Find a sun cream you love so much you’ll be excited to top it up. Sali Hughes’ extensive guide to the best sunscreens will help you find the right one for you. She says this Vichy one is an “extremely easy, comfortable SPF spray with an attractive (and subtle) golden tone. Everyone I offer it to loves it”.

St Tropez self tan body serum

Or you could get instant, safe summer skin. “St Tropez’s feather-light serum blends niacinamide with a collagen-enhancing complex to feel super hydrating, and gives a beautiful, natural-looking finish,” says Danielle Wilkins in her test of the best fake tans. She rated this one the best option for mature skin.

CeraVe intensive moisturising lotion

Winter may be harsher on our skin, but we’re more likely to expose it to the masses during summer. Avoid visibly dry knees and keep your skin looking hydrated with this intensive moisturising lotion. It was Sarah Matthews’ favourite in her test of the best body moisturisers.

Fashion

Jigsaw mulberry stripe dress

A dress that can be worn out for nice dinners, but wouldn’t look out of place for more casual affairs. Jess Cartner-Morley highlighted this dress for its “vertical stripes, luxe thick cotton and a chic knotted shoulder detailing” in her May fashion edit.

Nobody’s Child capri pants

“Capri pants are the Saint-Tropez bombshell throwback your summer wardrobe needs,” says Cartner-Morley in her bumper guide to women’s summer wardrobe updates.

Leather medium cross-body bag

“Leather bags for under £100 are hard to come by on the high street, but John Lewis has come up trumps with this chic shoulder bag,” says Melanie Wilkinson in her guide to the best spring wardrobe updates.

Boden high-cut flat shoe

Flats that would pair well with a skirt or dress up a pair of jeans, Cartner-Morley says these may be her best buy of the year so far in her May fashion edit. They’re “as comfortable as slippers, but properly smart”, she says.

Forét posy washed cap

Caps aren’t just a versatile accessory; they provide protection from the sun. “Always look for six panels (five often looks too structured on the front) and a curved peak,” says Peter Bevan in his 51 spring wardrobe updates. “Forét has a great lineup, but this cap’s floral embroidery feels the best choice for the season.”

Boxy poplin shirt

“Cropped, boxy T-shirts have been around for a couple of seasons, and now shirts are being given the chop,” says Bevan. He recommends this shirt from Weekday to achieve the look in his roundup of men’s spring wardrobe updates.

Levi’s 502 taper jeans

A good pair of blue jeans is perfect year-round attire. “Oversize dressing has been the cool-guy MO in recent years, but the slim fit is back on the up,” says Bevan. He suggests going for jeans that look as if they fit properly, rather than skinny jeans, just like this tapered pair from Levi’s.

Uniqlo ribbed vest

Channel Michael B Jordan in Sinners with a ribbed vest, perfect for warm days. “Uniqlo’s are my favourite,” says Bevan.

Cotton-blend half-zip jumper

Temperatures can drop in the evenings, so don’t pack away your jumpers just yet. This half-zip knit is an extra layer that doesn’t feel like overkill. “The ribbed construction feels premium, while the dropped shoulders keep it intentionally relaxed – without forgoing timelessness,” says Bevan in his guide on how to wear a quarter-zip.