Best deals in the May sales revealed by Which? – Which? News

Are you after a new laptop, TV or fridge freezer? We’ve found decent discounts on tech, home electricals and kitchen appliances for April.

This deals round-up only features products we’ve rigorously tested in our labs – we never recommend ‘deals’ on duds.

Our tests are objective and reflect how things are used in real life, so you can trust the accuracy of our reviews: read them before you buy.

Get our expert tips for making smarter consumer choices. Sign up for our free Weekly Scoop newsletter.

Best broadband deal

NOW Full Fibre 100

• £25 per month
• Average speed 100Mb/s
• Includes £20 gift card

This is a particularly attractive fibre broadband deal given the 100Mbps average speed.

Now Broadband implements ad-hoc price increases, in July products increased by £3.50 (social tariffs were excluded from the price rise). 

Read our NOW Broadband review to see how it fares in our survey.

Check our full round-up of this month’s best broadband deals, or enter your postcode below to check deals in your area.

Best mattress deal

Dormeo Octasmart Essentials Aerocell foam

We like: Decent breathability

We don’t like: Could be easier to move about

Dormeo is a popular mattress brand and its Spring Sale has brought down the price of its Octasmart Essentials Aerocell foam mattress down to the £200-mark. The manufacturer offers free delivery, a 60-night trial and 18-year warranty.

This mattress has been designed for people who prefer a firmer foam mattress that you won’t sink into too much and it will spring back quickly after being compressed..

We found that it offers average warmth and plenty of breathability. But you’ll need to read our full review to find out about its durability and support levels.

To see what kind of sleepers this mattress will suit best, check out our full Dormeo Octasmart Essentials Aerocell foam review.

You can buy this as a double mattress for £199 direct from Dormeo.

See our pick of the best mattresses we’ve tested.

Best washing machine deal

LG F4Y711WBTA1

• Freestanding
• 11kg cottons capacity
• White

We like: Efficient water usage

We don’t like: The controls can be fiddly

This LG washing machine’s large 11kg capacity makes it especially well-suited to larger households.

Its list of features is pretty extensive, such as LG’s ezDispense technology that holds up to 35 doses of detergent and releases the appropriate amount with each wash.

There’s also an Allergy Care cycle that’s aimed at reducing dust mite allergens and an automatic sensor in the machine that will run the optimal wash pattern based on the weight and softness of your clothes.

Read our full LG F4Y711WBTA1 review to find out more.

For more offers, see our best washing machine deals.

Best vacuum cleaner deal

Numatic Henry Quick Pet

• Bagged cordless vacuum
• 1-litre dust capacity
• Weight 3.3kg

We like: It’s simple to empty

We don’t like: The poor performance on minimum power

The pet variant of the first cordless handstick offering from Numatic. The standard Henry Quick comes in three colours: red (Henry Quick), pink (Hetty Quick) and graphite.

This is a bagged vacuum, so the dust pods will need to be regularly replaced. Pods are often less messy than a dust container when it comes to emptying, so this might be a good option if you suffer from dust-related allergies.

As is often the case with cordless vacs, it has a detachable handheld unit for flexibility during cleaning. The floor nozzle is an electro brush, but this model also comes with a combi tool that doubles up as an upholstery nozzle and a furniture brush.

Read the full Numatic Henry Quick Pet review to see the full results of our in-depth testing.

See more vacuum deals in our round-up of the best vacuum cleaner deals.

Best fridge freezer deal

Samsung RB34C600EBN

• Freestanding
• Frost-free freezer
• Black

We like: It’s very quiet

We don’t like: The fridge is a bit awkward to clean

With its power cool and power freeze settings, the Samsung RB34C600EBN fridge freezer is able to quickly reduce the temperature of a big shop. In addition to four shelves, there’s an excellent veg drawer that supplies the appropriate humidity to keep salad and fruit fresh for as long as possible.

It’s generally easy to use, but we did find that the fridge section takes a bit of an effort to clean all the nooks and crevices.

So should you buy this Samsung fridge freezer?

Read our full Samsung RB34C600EBN review to see if this is the model for you.

See our guide to all the best fridge freezer deals.

Best air fryer deal

Cosori CAF-L501

• Basket type
• One cooking zone
• 1.2kg capacity

We like: The eight cooking programs, reheat and keep warm functions

We don’t like: It doesn’t have a viewing window

This basket model from Cosori weighs around 4.5kg and has a 1.2kg capacity, which is generous for a single air fryer.

Besides its eight cooking modes, it also has an adjustable thermostat, a timer and an audio signal that indicates the end of a cycle. The digital touch display allows you to control the programs and includes a time and temperature display, program status indicator and warning display.

It measures 31 x 27 x 38cm (HxWxD) and comes with a two-year warranty.

Read our full Cosori CAF-L501 review to see how well it air fries food.

See our pick of the best air fryer deals.

Best TV deal

Samsung QE55Q80CATXXU

• 55-inch 4K TV
• QLED display
• Supports HDR10, HLG HDR and HDR10+ formats supported

We like: Fantastic detail and colours in 4K

We don’t like: Smart menu is full of ads

Samsung’s QLED TVs used to be top of the range, but Neo QLEDs and OLEDs now take the top spots. This means QLED TVs like this Samsung have really come down in price.

This one has an impressive 4K screen, sharp SD and HD modes, good depth of sound and a decent range of gaming features and voice controls.

Read our expert Samsung QE55Q80CATXXU review to find out if this TV is right for you

See our guide to all the best TV deals.

Best mobile phone deal

Samsung Galaxy A34 5G

• 6.6-inch OLED screen with 2,340 x 1,080 resolution
• Three rear cameras
• Three rear cameras and 4K video recording

We like: It has five years of security support from launch

We don’t like: The weaker front camera

The Samsung Galaxy A34 5G sits in the middle of Samsung’s A-series from 2023. Now it has been out for a year, its already reasonable price has been reduced.

It’s well-equipped with a high-resolution screen, premium processor and large battery.

The camera setup has optical image stabilisation and an ultrawide camera to expand the lens’ field of view.

The best prices we’ve found are below. Or check contract deals on the A34, and read our Samsung Galaxy A34 5G review for the full scoop.

For more Android offers, see our best mobile phone and Sim-only deals. For Apple phones, see our best Apple iPhone deals.

Best laptop deal

HP ENVY x360 13-bf0003na

• Intel Core i5 processor
• 8GB Ram
• 512GB SSD

We like: The flexible design

We don’t like: The webcam was mediocre our tests

This laptop has a 13-inch screen that can be flipped around to be used like a large tablet. It weighs 1.39kg, which is about average for a 2-in-1, 13-inch laptop. This means it’s light enough to be carried around in a bag all day without causing much bother. It isn’t huge, but there are enough ports to keep most people happy.

But none of that guarantees a long battery life or a keyboard and trackpad that are smooth to use. That’s where our expert lab testing comes in…

See our full HP ENVY x360 13-bf0003na review to see if it’s right for you.

Best MacBook deal

Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (2020)

• Apple M1 processor
• 8GB Ram 
• 256GB storage

We like: It’s thin and light

We don’t like: There aren’t many ports

The MacBook Air is thinner, lighter and cheaper than the MacBook Pro, but it also has a smaller battery and no cooling fan to keep the processor performing at its best when working full pelt on intensive tasks.

The thing that really stands out is just how portable this 13-inch 2020 MacBook Air is, weighing in at less than 1.3kg.

Specifications-wise, there’s an Apple M1 processor on board, 8GB of Ram and 256GB of SSD storage, meaning it should be fast enough for most day-to-day tasks. And the 2,560×1,600 screen is the same pin-sharp resolution as the 2020 MacBook Pro.

Read our Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (2020) review for the results of our in-depth lab testing.

Find a laptop at the right price in our round-up of the best laptop deals.

Best tablet deal

Apple iPad 2022 64GB Wifi

• 10.9-inch screen
• A14 processor and 4GB of Ram
• 2,360 x 1,640-pixel display

We like: The screen is great

We don’t like: Bass sounds can get lost

This 2022 version of the iPad has a 10.9-inch, 1,640 x 2,360-pixel display screen – which is better than HD. The version we tested has a 64GB hard disk, but there’s a 256GB model available too. You can’t expand the memory in any way, so make sure you buy one that’s got enough for your needs. 

The iPad has 4GB of Ram and the A14 Bionic Chip – this is the same chip that powers the iPhone 12 range. But how did it measure up against the opposition in our lab tests?

Read our expert Apple iPad 2022 64GB Wifi review for the full picture

To browse other offers on tablets, see our best iPad and tablet deals.

May sale shopping tips 

Check the Which? website 

As well as telling you which products are best and which are lacking, we’ve also put together a list of the best and worst shops. 

We’ve quizzed thousands of Which? members on their experiences of shopping in some of the country’s best-known stores and websites, as well as with lesser-known brands. 

After crunching the numbers, we can reveal which retailers score highly for product quality, range and value for money. To see the retailers that impressed in our latest shopping survey, head to our extensive guide on the best and worst shops.

Watch out for sneaky tricks

Some retailers use underhand tactics to pressure you into making a purchase. 

These include anchor pricing (when products are on sale more often than they aren’t), pressure selling (‘30 people are viewing this right now!’) and dubious claims about the ‘before’ price of a product. 

If you’re unsure how good a deal is, use a tool such as PriceRunner to compare prices across retailers. 

Research customer reviews

It’s always a good idea to read reviews before you buy a product, but not all reviews are trustworthy. 

Some sellers incentivise people to post fake positive reviews to drown out genuine negative ones. If you’re in any doubt, check our expert guide on how to spot a fake review. 

Returning goods

Whether you bought a product in-store or online, you still have rights under the Consumer Contract Regulations. 

The regulations give you a 14-day window to return a non-faulty product, which begins on the day you receive your goods. Many retailers will give you longer than this, but it’s always best to check before you buy. 

We’ve put together advice in our online returns guide on the additional rights you have when shopping online.