The unsexy Christmas gifts flying off shelves – and how to get a hold of them
If anything sums up the current mood in Britain, it’s Lakeland’s Christmas homeware bestseller – a heated clothes airer. Practical and energy efficient, heated airers have been selling out all autumn, despite the mid-range versions costing around £100. “People are looking to spend wisely, and while a heated airer isn’t glamorous, it’s life-changing – it dries clothes overnight and costs pennies to run compared to a tumble dryer,” says Wendy Miranda, a buyer at Lakeland. “It’s never going to get abandoned at the back of a cupboard – you’ll use it on damp days in summer.”
Air fryers – particularly those by Ninja – are another homeware product that suppliers are struggling to keep in stock; the Ninja Foodi Dual Zone Digital Air Fryer (£148.98) is Amazon’s most wished for homeware product for Christmas. While air fryers have been around for well over 15 years now, it’s only in relatively recent years that they have hit the mainstream – and they are continually being updated with new, must-have features.
Also selling out are electric blankets and heated faux-fur throws. They’re luxurious enough to give as a present yet will also help cut down energy bills, Miranda explains.
“Everything” pans by companies such as Ninja and Our Place that can be used to fry, sear, braise or boil are another homeware trend inspired by TikTok cooking videos, as well as television shows such as Bake Off and Master Chef. “People are cooking things you used to get only in a restaurant – they’ve become more adventurous,” says Miranda. These pans save on cooking time and washing up, and thanks to their attractive colours they can be brought to the table, she adds.
At the time of writing, all these products are currently available at either Lakeland, John Lewis or Boots, but often with a “low stock” warning. It’s rare that a product is out of stock for more than a couple of weeks, Miranda says – at Lakeland it’s usually only a couple of days – but if you can’t track down the heated airer or air fryer you want, she suggests looking to other reputable brands. It might also be wise to look at the next model up; it often pays to go for added features. “Bear in mind that these are investment pieces,” she adds. “With homewares, you always get what you pay for.”
Each year there is one unexpected homeware bestseller, however, that catches buyers by surprise, usually thanks to the item going viral on Instagram or TikTok. Last year a toasted sandwich maker called a Crimpet, which costs about £15 and crimps shut the edges of sandwiches ready for the toaster, grill or air fryer, was Lakeland’s surprise Christmas sell-out. “We’ve sold machines like that for years as pasty makers, but thanks to TikTok they’ve been reborn,” Miranda says. “It’s a great product but I’d never have expected it to be so successful.”
At Amazon, the Christmas homeware bestseller is the Guinness Nitrosurge, an ultrasonic Guinness pouring device. Miranda, meanwhile, has her money on an Ooni pizza oven; they’re a versatile gift as they can be used for cooking steaks and casseroles, too, she says. That, and a Belgian waffle maker: “Waffles used to be a sweet treat but now savoury waffles are trending on TikTok – they’re a sexy brunch item.”
This year’s hot homeware products
Ninja Foodi Dual Zone Digital Air Fryer
£148.98, amazon.co.uk
The joy of this particular air fryer is that you can be cooking potatoes in one section and chicken in the other. According to Miranda, it’s more technical than previous models, ensuring it appeals to air-fryer converts looking to upgrade. Pricewise it’s at a sweet spot – you don’t need to pay more than £300 for an air fryer, she says. “There are so many plus sides to a good air fryer: no warm-up time, the cooking time is halved and the end result is much healthier.”
Dry:Soon 3 Tier Heated Clothes Airer
£129.99 [down from £199.99], lakeland.co.uk
Dry:Soon aluminium heated airers dry clothes gently overnight, allowing them to last longer without shrinking or fading, Miranda says. “I’m not surprised these have become the homeware hero of the cost of living crisis – they’re inexpensive to run and they dry your clothes flat. I’ve had one since 2008 and I don’t know how I coped beforehand.” They’re available in a variety of sizes but this standard version is the most popular, taking two loads of washing and costing around 9p an hour to run.
Silentnight Multi-Zone Double Electric Blanket
£72.89, Amazon.co.uk
Electric blankets have made a comeback since the cost of living crisis began – this luxurious version, which is about to sell out, has nine heat settings yet costs less than 1p a night to run (a 2000w electric heater, in comparison, would cost 49p per hour to run). If you miss it, there are still good stock levels of Silentnight’s entry-level model, priced at £25 and currently Amazon’s third most popular homeware product.
Staysnug Red Tartan Heated Throw
£49.99 [down from £99.99], lakeland.co.uk
A heated blanket for duvet days and sedentary hours sitting at one’s desk is less indulgent than you might think, according to Miranda, as you’re less tempted to turn up the heating. “Anyone would enjoy being cocooned under one of these, and they look stylish,” she says. This tartan throw is about to sell out on Lakeland, as is the faux-fur version, although the similar Dreamland Hygge faux husky throw is showing good stock on Amazon (£79.99) and Boots (£79.99).
Ooni Karu 12 Multi-Fuel Pizza Oven
£299, johnlewis.co.uk
Pizza ovens have, somewhat unexpectedly, become year-round bestsellers, according to Miranda. “It’s part of the trend for having restaurant-quality food at home,” she explains. “People will cook outside even when it’s cold.” The Ooni takes just 60 seconds to heat up with either charcoal, wood or gas and is light enough to move around. It’s currently out of stock at Lakeland but available at John Lewis.
