‘I don’t know how I cooked without it!’: 15 everyday items that make your life a teeny bit better

Sometimes a product changes your life – or, more likely, just makes your day 10% better.

Whether it’s something small-but-mighty (a gadget that helps you open a jar without swearing, tweezers that get every hair) or a more expensive item that has proved its worth over the years (a much-loved designer dress, a garden mulch-maker), we asked you to tell us about the buys that have made your life just a little bit better.

And no, none of you has any commercial links to these – we always check.

Sleep savers and gym buddies

Reader Janet wishes she’d known about linen sheets from Piglet in Bed before she hit menopause: “All those sweaty nights tossing and turning could have been avoided,” she says. “They are soft, comfortable and, being a natural fabric, keep you cool on hot nights and cosy in the winter.” She also loves her mattress protector and pillows from Woolroom – “expensive but worth the money”.

“I bought a Lanvin dress from its summer 2009 collection,” says Carolyn Richardson. “It’s never out of fashion and takes me everywhere as it’s unfussy, classic and beautifully tailored.”

Stuart Hatcher recommends three life-changing items: “I bought this garlic press and haven’t looked back – no need for time-consuming chopping,” he says. The second is a pair of wrist wraps for weightlifting. “They cost virtually nothing by comparison with other exercise kit and are so effective.” Finally, this tiny pump earns him “envious looks at festivals when I effortlessly get my inflatable mattress ready”, he says.

Martin Millmore has also found an indispensable garlic press. “It minces unpeeled garlic, swipes the garlic off with its plastic blade, and auto-ejects the skin. Best of all, no garlic smell on your hands. It’s life-changing (slightly).”

“My George at Asda changing robe (now out of stock) has proved indispensable for city breaks and dog walks,” Diana Lovelock told us. “It is wind- and waterproof, insulated, and my old-lady phone case fits in the inside pocket. I bought it for a trip to New York, and I felt invincible! The dog is [also] happy because we can go out whatever the weather.”

For readers Lindsay and Lyn, the search for the perfect pair of tweezers is over: “I am the happy owner of a £15 blue mini slant pair by Tweezerman,” says Lindsay. “Excellent value for money and quality. I highly recommend.” Lyn says Vitry’s stainless steel slant-end tweezers are “perfect for removing everything from unwanted hair to splinters”.

Frances recommends her Vitry cosmetic pencil sharpener: “For decades I’ve been using regular pencil sharpeners for my brow, lip and eye pencils – usually found in my children’s discarded school pencil cases – which left them blunt and pulverised. Now I don’t have to experience the torment of scraping badly sharpened pencils across my skin.”

Kitchen heroes and garden helpers

Ann swears by her Danish dough whisk: “It is so much stronger and easier to use than a wooden spoon, allows me to make no-knead dough with ease and is excellent at whisking. It also makes my cheese sauces lump-free.”

For speedy breakfasts, Amanda Nieurzyla-John loves her egg cooker: “I use it five to six days a week for all my egg cookery. It can do six hard-, soft-, or medium-boiled eggs, or two poached. It takes the guesswork out of cooking while you concentrate on the rest of the meal. I don’t know how I have cooked all these years without it.” We found a similar Salter egg cooker that can boil up to six eggs or poach two at a time, and it costs less than £20.

If you always struggle to open jars? Get a jar key, says Jennie: “No more RSI. Every home should have one.”

And finally, for gardeners, one anonymous reader recommended investing in a shredder to help clear up the mess made by clipping and pruning: “It’s a must-have for generating mulch for flower beds, disposal of branches and hedges.”

This week’s picks

• Is tech the secret to a more analogue life? How gadgets, apps and tips could actually reduce your screen time

• Jess Cartner-Morley’s October style essentials: glam jeans, an irresistible coat and my shoes of the year

• The best dehumidifiers: 14 favourites to beat damp and cut bills, tested

• ‘It could get an orgasm out of a cabbage’: the best vibrators, tested

• ‘A hefty umami punch’: the best (and worst) supermarket light soy sauce, tasted and rated

• Time to ditch the iron? I spent six months testing the best clothes steamers – here are my favourites

• The perfect everyday coffee machine: De’Longhi Magnifica Start review

• ‘I’m in my early 50s. Where do I shop?’: The Guardian’s fashion stylist answered your questions

Editor’s pick

Walking – or trekking – poles aren’t just for serious mountain-goers. Whoever you are, they can reduce strain on knees and hips, improve balance, and help spread effort across your upper body. They’re especially handy on rocky descents. As autumn kicks in and we head for the hills, our outdoor expert, Sian Lewis, put 10 models to the test. She hiked at least 10 miles with each across a mix of trails, inclines and surfaces, including mountain tracks in the Lake District and more relaxed rambles on the Cotswold Way.

Hannah Booth
Editor, the Filter

In case you missed it …

It’s the season of mist, colour and … damp. A dehumidifier can tackle condensation and musty smells – and it is also great at drying clothes for a fraction of the cost of a tumble dryer, something to bear in mind as we bid farewell to the washing line for a while. Caramel Quin tested 14 models and rated them on aspects from how well they did the job to how much energy they used.

Get involved

How old are you and what would you like for Christmas? Whether it’s a Legami pencil case, theatre tickets or a new coffee machine, we want to hear about the one thing you’d love to unwrap this year, whatever your age – from gen alpha to baby boomer. Let us know your age and gift choice (and the reason you want it so much) by emailing us at thefilter@theguardian.com.