Best Summer Sales on Pillows, Duvets, and More Sleep Essentials

The Utopia Bedding duvet insert is perfect if you don’t want to spend a ton of a new comforter. I personally have one that I’ve been using for the last three years and I find it to be lightweight and perfect for warmer nights. And with a duvet cover, it gets cozy and warm. CR’s reviewer pointed out that it’s not as fluffy as other duvets (it is on the thinner side). The material is synthetic, so it doesn’t allow for airflow those made with natural fibers like cotton can provide.

This duvet is made of a micro-barrier fabric meant to minimize dust and prevent bedbugs, making it CR’s pick for those with sensitive skin. Our reviewer found it very warm and with some weight to it, which may be exactly what you’re looking for. But if you toss and turn, the added weight could feel restrictive, and if you sleep warm, it may be a bit much, especially during summer. But if you prefer a warm, cozy night’s sleep and tend to stay still overnight, it could be worth a look.

It’s no surprise that this duvet, 20 percent off now, was the top pick for luxury comforters, because Brooklinen also makes sheets that excel in CR’s tests (and are also on sale—see below). CR tried the down comforter, but Brooklinen also carries a down alternative option, and both are available in lightweight and ultrawarm variants. For those looking for a true down comforter that delivers on quality, warmth, and breathability, the Brooklinen is worth the splurge.

This duvet is so comfortable that our reviewer was able to use it without a duvet cover, thanks to its smooth, silky feel and fluffiness. It’s also made of recycled materials and is uniformly stuffed in layers rather than the stitched-box design of most duvets, which is meant to prevent clumping and shedding.

Worth noting: It has been as low as $140 at Amazon in recent weeks. The price may dip down again during Amazon Prime Day, which is expected to be held next month (though the dates have yet to be announced).

This all-season duvet is lightweight and breathable, making it a great choice for anyone who sleeps hot. And because it’s a down alternative made of microfiber, which is thinner and not as closely woven as polyester fibers, it’s more breathable than those with a fill made from polyester, a common material for down alternative duvets. Plus, if you’re not satisfied, Quince offers a 365-day return window.

The Clean Design duvet may be great if you’re sensitive to allergens. The brand claims the fabric is tightly woven to minimize dust and prevent things like bed bugs. Our reviewer reported that the comforter was warm and had some weight. This could be great for some but might not be ideal for those who toss and turn in their sleep.

All sizes of this duvet are discounted at Macy’s right now. Just use the code FRIEND to get the sale price.

The Coop Home Goods Premium Adjustable Loft Pillow is made of shredded memory foam and excels in our tests for support, no matter your size or sleep position. The Coop also keeps its shape well, showing little to no change in height or fluffiness in our resilience tests. Each pillow comes with extra foam, so you can adjust the filling to your liking. The only area where this pillow falls a bit short is in breathability—it sleeps slightly warm.

The Tuft & Needle Original Foam Pillow is made of polyurethane foam and comes with a micro-polyamide and polyester cover. Despite this composition, testers found that the pillow excels in breathability. It is a great choice for side sleepers, but less ideal for back sleepers, according to our lab tests. Expect its firmness, height, and support to remain consistent with use.

Made of two layers of gel memory foam, Tempur-Pedic’s Tempur-Cloud Breeze Dual Cooling Pillow is the most expensive pillow we’ve tested. It was also about $25 cheaper recently, so the price may dip again for Prime Day next month if you’d rather wait. It’s top-notch when it comes to side-sleeper support, but only middling for back-sleeper support. In our resilience test, this pillow successfully maintained its shape. Despite having “breeze” in its name, the pillow doesn’t allow for much airflow, so you may get sweaty sleeping on it. Only the cover is machine-washable.

Side and back sleepers will find the GhostBed pillow quite dreamy. It’s made of shredded memory foam pieces with a polyester fiber cover and can be customized to your level of support by removing some of the shredded foam pieces and polyester gel fibers. Our tests found that sleepers of all sizes and positions can get some degree of improved support by removing various amounts of filling. This adjustable pillow, which comes in a pack of two, earns just middling marks in our resilience test but aces our breathability test. This price is marketed as 50 percent off, but we haven’t seen these pillows sell for more (or less) than this recently.

This pair of microfiber pillows offers very good support for side sleepers but earns just middling scores in our back support tests. And resilience is just so-so. But if you sleep a bit warm, you can find comfort in knowing that these pillows have maximum breathability.

​​Brushed microfiber isn’t as breathable as cotton, but for those who don’t find synthetic fibers to be a hang-up, this Mellanni sheet set is a top-notch pick. It offers a softer feel than most cotton options and is pretty resistant to wrinkling, and you can expect a great fit even after a year of laundering. You can also expect to have this set in rotation for a while, because it does pretty well in our strength test. The one area where these bedsheets miss the mark a bit is in our fit test. Though the packaging claims “deep pockets,” this set is best suited for mattresses with a depth of 10 inches or less.

Prices will vary depending on size and color.

This Brooklinen set, available for 20 percent off, will fit a mattress up to 14 inches thick. Our testers note that these sheets don’t shrink as much as some other cotton sheets we tested. They earn above-average scores for both fit and shrinkage, which means though they do tend to get smaller during washes, they don’t deform all that much over time. Luxe Core sheets are on the softer side, based on our sensory test. Labels along each side that read “short side” and “long side” make clear which way to make the bed.

You’re going to experience quite a bit of wrinkling with the Hotel Collection Egyptian cotton sheets, but if you don’t mind pulling out the steamer to get your sheets smooth, you have a winner with this set. It provides a great fit for mattresses up to 10 inches thick, and it can withstand quite a bit of stretching and pulling. Plus, it aced our shrinkage test—just one of five cotton sheets in our ratings to do so. Use the code FRIEND at checkout to get the discount.

The portable Blue Pure 211i Max is at a good price right now, but we’ve seen it as low as $245, so it might be worth waiting to see if the price falls again during Prime Day next month. It features an indicator light to alert you when you need to change or clean the filter. It also has a dirt sensor and four speeds. On its higher setting, it’s terrific at removing dust, pollen, and smoke, but expect a bit of noise. Try it on low and you’ll have more quiet while still experiencing top-notch results. This model is designed for use in a large space of 350 to 650 square feet and costs about $109 a year to maintain—just more than half that of the Pure 211+. It also weighs just 17 pounds, making it easy to move around. CR members found Blueair air purifiers highly reliable and were quite satisfied with their purchase.

The kid sister to the 211i Max, Blueair’s 411i Max has a similar design, but for a smaller space—CR recommends a midsized or smaller room. The portable air purifier is primarily filter-based and has three speeds, a filter indicator, and a dirt sensor. On its higher speed it delivers pretty average results, and as with many air purifiers, it’s less effective on its lower speed. The model is easy to use and has a relatively low annual operating cost. Blueair came out on top for predicted reliability and owner satisfaction during CR’s first member survey.

The Levoit PlasmaPro 600S is a solid performer all-around, clearing the air of dust, pollen, and smoke at both higher and lower settings with great results. It’s noisy while running at a high speed, but it’s relatively quiet at low speeds, making it ideal for an office or bedroom. And you don’t have to worry about keeping track of filter changes: An indicator light alerts you when it’s time. This machine also has a dust sensor and a programmable timer.

Tempur-Pedic’s 3-inch memory foam cushion allows you to add Tempur’s unique, slow-sink design to any mattress. There’s a much firmer initial feel that slowly softens to a medium and contours to the body over the course of 30 seconds. It also allows you to move around freely, unlike some of the other memory foam toppers we tested. Our lab data found that the topper wasn’t particularly enveloping, so it didn’t trap a lot of heat. The Tempur Supreme comes with a removable polyester cover and can be flipped over after removing and replacing its cover. Tempur-Pedic doesn’t offer a trial period, so before you buy, try a mattress in a store to get a sense of what the topper might feel like. The product is backed by a 10-year warranty.

Our lab tests found that this Casper topper doesn’t allow users to sink in as deeply as you would with others. The dual-layer cushion combines a layer of softer foam over a firmer base-layer foam. At 20 pounds and 3 inches thick, this mattress topper isn’t easy to move around, but its machine-washable zip-off cover (made of polyester, cotton, rayon, and spandex) is easy to clean. But this topper can’t be flipped. Casper offers a 30-night risk-free trial, and its toppers are backed by a five-year limited warranty.

A solid value pick, this 3-inch topper made of memory foam over high-density foam from BedStory offers a luxe feel, thanks in part to its removable quilted cover. Lab tests found that its two-layer, gel-infused-foam design registers warmer. A tester’s assessment was that it offers a resilient surface with a medium-soft to medium feel. Highlights include an inner encasement as well as a machine-washable cover that zips down halfway. A nonslip design on the bottom of the cover gives it an extra bit of stabilization, as do its corner straps. BedStory offers 30-day returns and a 10-year warranty on all mattresses and toppers.

This Tuft & Needle mattress topper, just $7 more than its lowest price, earned excellent scores for both support and convenience in our lab tests. The flippable topper consists of a 2-inch-thick slice of adaptive foam wrapped in a removable polyester cover. This model doesn’t have corner straps, though, so it might shift a bit on your mattress. The Tuft & Needle topper comes with a three-year limited warranty, and there’s a 30-day return policy.

This small plug-and-play sound machine from Magicteam is sized just right—like a deck of cards if cards were square. And it’s back down to the best price we’ve seen. It delivers good sound quality and variety, packing in 20 sounds, including nature sounds and even a freight train. The controls, just five buttons, are intuitive to use, although one evaluator said they were quite small and a bit difficult to see in low light. And it has a timer in case you don’t want it playing all night.

The Jall Wake Up Light Sunrise Alarm Clock came out on top in our evaluations from an ease-of-use standpoint. It has two independent alarms (so you can set them for different times depending on your routine), seven alarm tones (including “wind bells” and birds chirping), an FM radio, and a fall-asleep mode that simulates a sunset (though no white noise option). It was relatively easy to set up and use. According to the manufacturer, it emits a maximum light intensity of 240 lux. Tapping the snooze button will temporarily shut off both the light and the sound. (The advantage: You’re more likely to fall back asleep in the dark. The disadvantage? You’re more likely to fall back asleep in the dark.)

The La Crosse Soluna Light Alarm Clock features five light settings, including one that pulses for guided breathing exercises. In all, the clock has 20 color settings. But when it comes to functionality, it falls a bit short. It has just one alarm sound (“melody”), one light alarm, and no FM radio nor white noise function. Worse, it’s challenging to set up. However, the display does show temperature and humidity—two contributors to sleep quality and something none of the other clocks offer. For those who prefer to will themselves awake, this clock helpfully leaves the light on when you press snooze, shutting off only the sound.

Want to cuddle up in your bath towel? Get the Brooklinen Super-Plush (sold in a pair), available at a 20 percent discount. These guys are huge: At a whopping, superheavy 820 grams per square meter, and being 53 inches long and 28 inches wide, the Brooklinen towel is what you want to wrap yourself in when the temps are below freezing and the thought of stepping out of a steaming warm shower onto ice-cold tile floors chills your heart. These towels were the most absorbent in our evaluation, but they also took the longest to dry.

The Lands’ End Supima Cotton bath rug is small, fluffy, and made from high-quality American-grown cotton. It’s a comfortable mat and superabsorbent too.

It “did not have water seep through, even after pressing down on the wet area with 10 pounds of force,” says José Amézquita, who tested the rug in CR’s labs. Because it’s highly absorbent cotton, though, it took some time to dry, so you’ll probably want to hang this on the edge of your bath or a towel rack after use. 

Use the code TRENDS for the discount.