August bank holiday is summer’s Boxing Day: the fun’s over, you’ve got no money left, and it’s probably raining. (As someone whose birthday falls at the fuzzy end of August, I can confirm that it always, always rains.) And, just as on Boxing Day, the shops erupt in discount fever.
Retailers aren’t cutting prices to soothe our post-holiday blues. They’ve got a whole season’s stock to shift, and need to free up space for autumn/winter pieces and (sorry) Christmas. There’s also a solid chance that they need to encourage online spending, because when the sky turns grey the high-street looks as inviting as wet socks.
Here we round up the best bank holiday reductions on products our testers love, including autumn essentials such as dehumidifiers, duvets and women’s walking boots. As ever when scouring for deals, we’ve used price-checking tools such as PriceRunner and Idealo to check price histories, compare retailers and ensure that all these deals are the real … deal.
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The best August bank holiday deals on the products we love
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The best home deals
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The plastic-free sponges
Seep Sponge scourers none-selected- :
Seep sponge scourers, pack of 12, £28.50 (was £36)
£28.50 at Seep £28.50 at AmazonOne of the easiest kitchen plastic detox swaps you can make is to ditch your two-tone sponges for a compostable alternative. Seep’s dishwasher-safe sponges, made from loofah and wood pulp cellulose, have been recommended many times in the Filter, including in Hannah Rochell’s 12 sustainable cleaning subscriptions and Juliet Kinsman’s 13 ways to make your bathroom more sustainable. This deal gives you 25% off a whole year’s stash (12 sponges).
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The heated airer to dry your clothes fast
Minky SureDri heat pod drying system none-selected- :
Minky SureDri heat pod drying system
£27 at ArgosOf all the heated clothes airers I’ve tested, Minky’s “pod” is one of the most effective – and noisiest, and cumbersome to set up. But it really works, and it doesn’t take up much storage space because you use it with your existing clothes horse. Load your clothes horse with washing, cover it (cover included, or use a sheet), and use the Minky pod to blast hot air into it for speedy drying results. Its Argos sale price of £27 makes it a genuine bargain.
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The best budget coffee maker
De’Longhi Stilosa EC230 none-selected
De’Longhi Stilosa EC230, £89 (was £105)
£89 at Argos £89 at AO“No, it’s not a typo: the Stilosa EC230 really is that affordable,” wrote our caffeine guru Sasha Muller in his guide to the best coffee machines, and that’s when it cost over £100. Argos has now dropped the price to £89 for the bank holiday weekend. “It would be a false economy if it didn’t deliver the espresso-based goods,” wrote Sasha, and reassures us that it very much does. “The water tank feels cheap, and there’s no option to fit a water filter,” but at this price we’re not complaining.
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The bargain mattress topper for a softer sleep
Silentnight Airmax 1000 topper, double none-selected
Silentnight Airmax 1000 topper, double, £30.67 (was £45.99)
£30.67 at Argos £38 at Silentnight“Looks perturbingly like a puffa jacket or bouncy castle,” I said of this Silentnight bargain in best mattress toppers, but stay with me here: it really works, adding airy softness and comfort to a bed that feels too hard. Unlike most mattress toppers, it washes perfectly happily in the machine and costs well under £50, even when Argos isn’t cutting prices.
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The best duvet we’ve tested
Panda The Cloud bamboo duvet, 10.5-tog double none-selected
Panda the Cloud bamboo duvet, 10.5-tog double, £116.96 (was £129.95)
£116.96 at Panda £129.95 at BootsPanda’s gloriously breathable, huggable duvet made this insomniac actually look forward to going to bed when I tested the best duvets last winter, and the thought of giving it up made me almost dread summer. Happily, there’s also a 4.5-tog summer version, which is similarly discounted (down from £114.95 to £103.46 for a double). The 10.5-tog duvet will be just what you need, though, as the nights grow chilly.
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The dehumidifier that helps dry your laundry
VonHaus Smart dehumidifier 20l none-selected- :
VonHaus smart dehumidifier 20l, £149.99 (was £169.99)
£149.99 at VonHaus £129.99 at Amazon“A great all-rounder for the price,” wrote Caramel Quin when she chose this versatile machine as her top budget pick when testing the best dehumidifiers. Amazon has the best deal at the time of writing, but stocks are limited there (“8% claimed” within hours of the deal launching) and you may prefer to buy from VonHaus anyway. The dehumidifier has a laundry mode, quiet sleep mode and auto shut-off option, but sadly no Hepa air filter.
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The best mattress we’ve tested
Otty Original Hybrid mattress, double none-selected- :
- £540 with code FILTER10 at Otty Otty £540
Otty Original Hybrid, double, £540 (was £599.99)
£540 with code FILTER10 at OttyAfter almost five years of reviewing mattresses and well over 50 years of sleeping on them, I still haven’t found one that beats the Otty Original Hybrid for comfort and value for money. Otty’s bank holiday discounting isn’t as generous as some rivals’, but 10% off makes this mattress an even better buy, bringing even its heroic emperor size (200 x 200cm) down to £742.50. Just remember to use the code (FILTER10).
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The breathable wool mattress
Millbrook Wool Luxury 4000 pocket sprung mattress, double none-selected
Millbrook Wool Luxury 4000 pocket sprung mattress, double, £638 (was £759)
£638 at Mattress Online £640 at B&QNot quite the whopping price cut suggested by the crossed-out RRP, because the double size of this mattress has been available for £759 from a few stores over recent weeks, but £638 is still a welcome reduction and excellent value for this high-quality sprung mattress. Its comfort layer of sustainable UK-sourced wool made it feel much more cosy and breathable than many other mattresses I’ve tested.
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The “bargain workhorse” dehumidifier
ProBreeze Dehumidifier with max extraction 20l none-selected
ProBreeze dehumidifier with max extraction 20l, £149.99 (was £189.99)
£149.99 at ProBreezeYou’re not seeing double. This is, indeed, the second laundry-drying dehumidifier reduced to £149.99 that we’ve featured here. Both worth recommending, because it’ll soon be raining like the blazes and your poor laundry won’t have a chance of drying without electrical help. The powerful ProBreeze is “a bargain for such a workhorse”, wrote Caramel Quin in best dehumidifiers, although it uses more electricity than the VonHaus. For £10 extra, you can get a version with smart app control (down to £159.99 from £199.99).
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The best video doorbell
Ring Battery Video Doorbell Pro none-selected
Ring Battery Video Doorbell Pro, £149.99 (was £219.99)
£149.99 at Argos £149.99 at AmazonAndy Shaw spent 18 months testing video doorbells, including top products from brands including Blink, Google Nest and Eufy, but none could match this battery model from Ring. Video and sound quality, night vision, fast alerts and “a host of useful features” saw it “leapfrogging its rivals”, although it’s a shame that you need a subscription to get the best out of it. Argos slashes a splendid £70 off in its bank holiday sale.
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The best mattress for couples
Simba Hybrid Pro mattress none-selected- :
Simba Hybrid Pro mattress, double, £909.30 (was £1,299)
£909.30 at SimbaSimba’s plush mattress will normally set you back £1,299 for a double, which you may deem value for money if its exceptional motion isolation allows you to sleep in peace next to a restless partner. For me, it’s too expensive – so I thoroughly approve of this 30%-off bank holiday deal, which applies site-wide. That means you can also snap up the Simba Hybrid topper, my favourite mattress topper, for £296.65 for a double, down from £349.
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The best luxury duvet
Woolroom Deluxe Washable 3-in-1 duvet, double none-selected- :
Woolroom Deluxe Washable 3-in-1 duvet, double, £299.99 (was £399.99)
£299.99 at WoolroomIt’s still pricey for a duvet, but this is no ordinary duvet. Woolroom’s magnificent creation is three duvets in one: a summer duvet, a spring/autumn duvet, and poppers that fasten the two together to create a toasty winter duvet. Its natural, sustainable fibres excel at temperature control, and you can even wash it in the machine. It takes a while to dry, though, so a heated airer or three – or the bargain dehumidifier above – may help.
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The best fashion deals
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The statement trousers for autumn
Boden Kensington wide-leg trousers none-selected
Boden Kensington wide-leg trousers, £57.12 (was £119)
£57.12 with code 3V6V at Boden“September is January for fashion people,” wrote Jess Cartner-Morley this time last year. I’m not in the fashion loop like Jess, more the fashion black hole, but I’m going to hazard that “an airy trouser that doesn’t hug your legs should be the linchpin of your autumn wardrobe” this year too. Make a splash with these red statement trousers from Boden, now less than half price in the bank holiday sale.
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The slippers you can wear with socks
Regatta Solace lightweight slippers none-selected
Regatta Solace lightweight insulated slippers, £18.90 (was £30)
£18.90 with code OUTDOORS10 at DebenhamsIt won't have escaped your attention that your toes have started getting cold again. Cosy them up with our forever-favourite slippers, the perfect example of “a mule slipper you can wear at the same time as your chunkiest sock,” in the words of Ellie Violet Bramley in our guide to the best slippers. They’re down to £21, but you get an extra 10% off if you copy the code OUTDOORS10 in the promo box at checkout – the catch being that you can only have them in grey, because the lovely chocolate colour has sold out.
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The best-looking brolly in the street
Oswin Hyde Joseph handcrafted umbrella none-selected
Oswin Hyde Joseph handcrafted umbrella, £49 (was £75)
£49 at Debenhams“A remarkable buy” was Pete Wise's verdict on this ravishing brolly, which kept him dry for most of the time when testing the best umbrellas in driving rain, except when it inverted in the (exceptionally strong) wind. It's available in six attractive colours including red and olive, all with a handcrafted wooden J-handle and all reduced to £49 – as seems to happen every time Debenhams has a sale (it fell to the same price on Black Friday last year).
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The best period swimwear
Modibodi High-waist period bikini brief none-selected
Modibodi high-waist period bikini brief, £28.80 (was £39.99)
£28.80 at ModibodiModibodi’s headline price cut on these fantastic period bikini bottoms is £8 off, but you get an extra 10% discount after adding them to your basket. Perhaps it makes you more likely to buy? Marketing tactics aside, these briefs will “give you confidence on the beach and in the water, even on heavy days” and are made from recycled nylon and elastane, qualifying them for Hannah Rochell’s guide to reduced-plastic swimwear.
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The loungewear upgrade
Uniqlo Sweat wide trousers none-selected
Uniqlo sweat wide trousers, £29.90 (was £34.90)
£29.90 at UniqloLess a statement trouser, more a trouser you never want to take off, these loose-fit unisex trews from Uniqlo are among our favourite ways to get cosy. They’re “made from your usual sweatpants material, but with a more fashionable wide-leg cut than typical joggers,” wrote Lily Smith, who noted that they’re ideal for wearing indoors and out. “You’ll thank us if you need to do an emergency snack run.”
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The classic slingback flats
Boden High-cut flat point shoes none-selected
Boden high-cut flat point shoes, £66.64 (was £119)
£66.64 with code 3V6V at Boden“As comfortable as slippers, but properly smart,” wrote Jess Cartner-Morley in her May style essentials, adding: “these may have been my best buy of the year so far,” when they cost £119. They’re now a positively ecstatic buy – although you’ll have to be a size 37 (UK size 4 or 4.5), the only size left at the time of writing. Leopard print and red editions are also discounted (and selling similarly fast), to £72.24 and £82.56 respectively.
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The sandals you can wear anywhere
Teva Mid-form sandals none-selected
Teva mid-form sandals, £44.99 (was £60)
£44.99 at Schuh“Comfortable enough for long days exploring, but smart enough to wear for dinner,” as written by Charlotte Gornall in her guide to the perfect women’s holiday capsule wardrobe, is not a description that would normally have me thinking of sandals. But the classic silhouette and subtle platform of these black strappy Tevas make them genuinely fit to wear anywhere. Ready for this year’s Indian summer.
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The best fitness, outdoor and travel deals
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Our favourite women’s walking boots
Lowa Women’s Renegade Evo GTX none-selected- :
Lowa Women’s Renegade Evo GTX, £148.89 (was £219.95)
£148.89 at Cotswold OutdoorThese boots are made for walking and walking and walking. Featured in our guide to the best camping essentials and winter essentials, Lowa Renegades also got a mention in best women’s walking boots, where Sian Lewis said she’d worn hers “for years” before switching to the more expensive Lowa Innovo (£189.95). The narrow edition of the Renegade is reduced even further, to £128.89.
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The best budget women’s walking boots
Regatta Lady Holcombe III none-selected- :
Regatta Lady Holcombe III, £30-£70 (was £100)
From £30 at Debenhams“Pleasingly comfortable, feeling much like trainers when you pop them on,” said Sian Lewis in best women’s walking boots, and they’re easy on your wallet, too. Even at full price they were Sian’s pick for best budget boots, and now the navy edition is a steal at £30, albeit in size 3 only. Other colours are down to £70. Not the warmest or grippiest boots for tough winter walks, but “good value for hiking boots that are waterproof enough to withstand rainfall.”
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The treadmill that won’t hog (much) space
JTX SlimLine treadmill none-selected- :
JTX SlimLine treadmill, £479 (was £599)
£479 at JTXKeep up your training when it’s too dreck to venture out, using this “compact, lightweight and affordable” folding treadmill that Leon Poultney chose as the best budget option in his guide to the best treadmills. It’s now an even better buy with £120 off. Its cousin, the JTX Strider-X8, which Leon named best compact option in best cross-trainers, gets a more modest discount of £50, from £499 to £449.
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The packing cubes that shrink your luggage
Antler Stripe packing cubes, pack of four none-selected- :
Antler Stripe packing cubes, pack of four, £44 (was £55)
Green, £44 at Antler Coral, £44 at John LewisCompression packing cubes, like vacuum storage bags, are frankly delicious to use. It’s not quite as dramatic as shrinking your big coats into plastic for winter, but these zipped bags make “a meaningful difference” to the space your clothes take up in your luggage, wrote Pete Wise in his guide to the best packing cubes. He loved the “brilliant compression” of Antler’s chic striped bags, which also come in block colours at a slightly cheaper £40.
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The best running shoes for men and women
Saucony Endorphin Azura none-selected- :
- Men's, £87.89 at Cotswold Outdoor Cotswold Outdoor £87.89
- Women's, £97.89 at Runners Need Runners Need £97.89
Saucony Endorphin Azura, from £87.89 (was £139.95)
Men's, £87.89 at Cotswold Outdoor Women's, £97.89 at Runners NeedSaucony’s “high-energy, well-cushioned, nicely balanced, non-plated training shoes” are excellent all-rounders that "feel instantly at home and natural on the foot," wrote Kieran Alger in his guide to the best running shoes, crowning them his top choice overall. They're a good price, too, so a discount feels generous, although (inevitably) the best colours don't get the best price cuts.
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The best beauty and personal care deals
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The sustainable electric toothbrush
Suri Pro 2.0 electric toothbrush none-selected
Suri Pro 2.0 electric toothbrush, £89.25 (was £105)
£89.25 at Suri £89.25 at John Lewis“Does this sustainable brush live up to the hype?” asked Alan Martin in his Suri Pro 2.0 review, and it mostly does; it’s just a little under-powered for those who like a really thorough beating from their electric toothbrush. The newer, value option (the Suri Core 1.0, £65) was the best sustainable brush in Alan’s roundup of the best electric toothbrushes, and the Pro 2.0 boasts a similarly eco-friendly aluminium body and plant-based brush heads that Suri will recycle for free.
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The best budget hair dryer
BaByliss Hydro-Fusion none-selected- :
BaByliss Hydro-Fusion, £40 (was £60)
£40 at Lookfantastic £40 at AmazonA fraction of the cost of the Hersheons but given almost as much praise by Sarah Matthews in best hair dryers, this ionic dryer left Sarah's hair “bouncy and shiny, with a frizz-free finish that lasted multiple days”. Its 26.4m/s maximum wind speed “rivals some of the pricier options” but it runs more quietly than most. A fine choice if you're after a no-frills dryer that won't blow a hole in your bank account.
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The best value LED face mask
Silk’n LED face mask 100 none-selected- :
Silk’n LED face mask 100, £99 (was £160)
£99 at Lookfantastic £88.73 at AmazonYour favourite of all the products tested by Sarah Matthews for her guide to the best LED face masks, this comfortable silicone mask lacks the premium features of its more expensive counterparts (no timer or near-infrared, for instance), but is a good choice for “light-touch anti-ageing, and for soothing, acne-busting blue light treatments.” Lookfantastic’s deal undercuts other retailers (including Amazon) by £46 or more at the time of writing, but others may follow, so we’ll keep you posted.
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The cult Korean SPF
Beauty of Joseon Relief sun rice + probiotics SPF50+, 100ml none-selected- :
Beauty of Joseon relief sun rice + probiotics SPF50+, 100ml, £11.63 (was £15.50)
£11.63 at Lookfantastic £11.59 at AmazonI bought this light, silky cream after reading Sarah Matthews’ best face moisturisers, and it feels so gorgeous that I can’t get my head around it being SPF50+ – but SPF50+ it is. Just a shame I forked out just before its price dropped for the bank holiday sale. “It’s too lightweight to work as a stand-alone moisturiser for dry skin,” said Sarah, but “it can be layered over other moisturisers to provide lightweight protection”.
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The best body moisturiser for mature skin
Charlotte Tilbury Magic body cream none-selected- :
Charlotte Tilbury Magic body cream, £39.20 (was £49)
£39.20 at Cult BeautyWith peptides that calm inflammation, support hydration and promote skin barrier health, this “gorgeous, lightweight formula” was a hit in Sarah Matthews' best body moisturisers roundup. People like me who have crepey, post-menopausal skin may find it particularly beneficial, thanks to the humectants and oils that add a smoothing emollient layer, but it’s a great all-rounder for soothing dryness after being outdoors.
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The LED mask to cool tired eyes
Shark CryoGlow none-selected
Shark CryoGlow, £254.99 (was £299)
£254.99 at John Lewis £269.99 at SharkNinjaShark’s venture into beauty products is a hit with our beauty writer Sarah Matthews. This is the only one of Sarah’s 12 best LED face masks to offer built-in undereye cooling alongside targeted light therapy for anti-ageing and acne repair. “The blemish mode did a brilliant job of calming spots and redness with sustained use,” she wrote, while noting that because it’s made of plastic it’s “noticeably heavier than its silicone competitors”.
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The best oscillating toothbrush
Oral-B iO3 none-selected
Oral-B iO3 toothbrush, £65 (avg £94)
£65 at BootsThe best circular-motion brush in Alan Martin’s roundup of the best electric toothbrushes, the Oral-B iO3 has an RRP of £160 and an average Amazon price of £93.95, so this is a genuinely decent deal from Boots. “While it has fewer modes than the higher-numbered iOs, it delivers the same dentist-fresh-feeling performance,” wrote Alan, whose only criticism was the priciness of the brand’s own replacement heads (£15 for two).
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The lash-lengthening Armani mascara
Giorgio Armani Vertigo Lift mascara, 10ml none-selected- :
Giorgio Armani Vertigo Lift mascara, 10ml, £21.75 (was £29)
£21.75 at Lookfantastic £23.20 at John Lewis“Perks up the look of my tired eyes every time I use it,” wrote Sabine Wiesel in her guide to the best mascaras, naming it “best mascara for length” and hailing its budge- and smudge-free formula that never left her with panda eyes. You have to work the formula quickly before it dries, she said, but the results are “eye-awakening”.
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The best hair dryer we’ve tested
Hershesons The Great hair dryer none-selected
Hershesons the Great hair dryer, £235 (was £295)
£235 at Hershesons £235 at AmazonIt takes some confidence to call your hair dryer “the Great”, but Sarah Matthews reckons it’s justified, saying it “perfects the basics and irons out any common niggles”. It was her top overall pick in best hair dryers, not least thanks to a brilliant heat-proof mat that automatically switches off the dryer when you lie it down. It’s very expensive, though – and it still is, albeit a few hairs’ breadths less so.
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Our favourite rabbit vibrator
Je Joue Hera Flex none-selected- :
Je Joue Hera Flex, £89.10 (was £99)
£89.10 at Je Joue“As flexible as a yoga master” declared Alix Fox about this “quality, thoughtfully re-engineered rabbit reboot” in her guide to the best vibrators. “The squishiness of the Hera Flex won’t suit folks who prefer firmer pressure on their hotspots,” admitted Alix, but it’s versatile enough to suit many different anatomical configurations. A tenner off makes this purchase even more pleasurable.
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