As someone who works from home most of the time, I think I’ve nailed how to keep warm in winter without turning the radiators up with these few simple buys
Ever since Covid and lockdown, I’ve mainly worked from home. While this certainly has its perks (no commuting costs, cheap lunches, the ability to do laundry whenever I need to), at this time of year I’m really missing the comfort of a warm office that I don’t have to pay the heating bill for. While I have resorted to turning my home’s central heating on for a few hours every day, I can’t afford to keep my radiators running hot all day, so I’ve found a few clever buys to keep me warm and comfortable instead.
Of course, you’ll find no shortage of cheap or free hacks online to stay warm at home, from the obvious (wear more layers of clothing) to the ingenious (add tin foil down the back of your radiator to trap heat). However, if you’re looking to buy something that I think is genuinely an excellent investment to your comfort this winter, here are three brilliant products that keep me warm and toasty at home all day long.
READ MORE: ‘These are the baby essentials I’m buying in Black Friday sales as a new mum-to-be’
READ MORE: ‘I’m a fragrance expert and these are the best autumn candles for creating a cosy home’
Thermal leggings
Comfortable and easy to move around it, leggings have been my daily staple almost every working day for the last five years, but they’re not typically the warmest item of clothing. However, I’ve recently discovered fleece-lined leggings and they’re a game-changer, delivering the same level of comfort while also keeping you warm.
Currently pregnant, I’m living in Lovall’s Maternity Winter Everyday Leggings, now £29.70 down from £33, but for those not with child there are also some great options available at M&S (£22), Uniqlo (£14.90) and TU Clothing (£12).
Portable heater
OK so this one is a big expense initially, but it’s a godsend in my house. It’s the new Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool HP1 Purifying fan heater, a three-in-one machine priced at £549.99 that purifies the air in your home of pollution and allergens, and can also heat up or cool down a room.
It heats the whole room up in minutes, and uses smart sensors to automatically switch off one it reaches the target temperature. It’s so easy to control, either via the app or the remote, and you can not only adjust the temperature but also the fan speed and the machine’s oscillation, and well as set it onto a quieter ‘sleep’ mode. I also briefly tested out its cooling powers in summer, and find these to be equally as effective.
You can read my full review here.
Oodie
These oversized hooded wearable blankets might not be everyone’s cup of tea but, love them or hate them, they certainly do keep you warm. I’ve put a number of different brands’ ones to the test and found that Oodie’s came out on on top.
What I liked most was perhaps the obvious: just how incredibly soft, snuggly and warm Oodies are – at their 6XL size they really do feel like wearing a fleecy blanket. Oodies also feel high quality compared to some of the others I tried on; not sweaty or static. They wash well (although do fill up the whole washing machine!) and, unlike some, can even be tumble dried. you might just want to whip it off to reveal something slightly smarter before an important Zoom meetings…
And now’s the time to buy Oodies as there’s currently a huge early Black Friday sale on the website, with savings of up to 60%.
