12 Products Our Editors Tested—and Loved—This Year
We tested a lot of products in 2022 in service to you, dear reader, to find the comfiest reading chairs and the chicest sofas for our annual Seat Week, the most cooling quilts, the best of all kinds of mattresses during Sleep Week, and so much more. We worked hard finding only the best of the best, but worry not—it was no small sacrifice for any of us. After all, it introduced us to pieces that we treasure just as much as we hope you will. Here are just a few of the Clever team’s favorite products that they tested this year.
Who says you’re too old for kid’s toys and chairs? Digital design editor Zoë Sessums definitely doesn’t, especially after testing this bean-bag-esque chair by Floyd for Seat Week. Described as a “true chair for plopping,” the Squishy chair is especially large and made of post-consumer foam offcuts.
One of the only cons our tester Erika Owen found with the Quince European linen sheet set was that it didn’t come with a duvet cover for her to also bundle herself up in. She raved about the set’s “lived-in, wrinkled look,” its durability, and its uncanny ability to always stay cool, despite the varying temperatures in Erika’s apartment.
Digital design editor Sydney Gore stated this sofa by Sarah Ellison is her “perfect match.” After spending seven years and two apartments with the same West Elm loveseat, embarking on a hunt to find a new couch, and then spending a year wishfully thinking about this “dynamic showstopper,” Sydney finally got to bring her own Muse home. If her review on the sofa is anything to go by, she hasn’t looked back.
This year we decided to give our duvets and comforters a break during the summer in lieu of some cooling coverlets and quilts. One of our favorites was the West Elm Dobby Ladder Stripe coverlet, which contributor Elise Portale stated “couldn’t have come at a better time” for her. “It’s got the perfect sort of weight for that ‘covered’ feeling, but it’s so light and cool, it’s like a dream (even when I’m awake),” Elise exclaimed.
If you’re looking for a cozy reading chair with a classic silhouette and touch of originality, look no further than the slipcovered-look of Sixpenny’s Neva chair. After doing in-depth research to find the right fabric, reviewer Elaheh Nozari was not disappointed in the slightest by the chair, calling it high-quality and very comfortable.
In the mood to upgrade your bed frame to something with more of a Scandi vibe? Well that’s exactly what drew senior commerce editor Rachel Fletcher to this wood frame from Zinus. She called it “sturdy as a rock” and commended its sleek look, emphasizing that it’s a quality bed frame that you just can’t beat.
While our Sleep Week package was dominated by the best products for, well, sleeping, we also took some time to test a few different air purifiers. One of our editor pick favorites was this My Happi purifier, which reviewer Elise Portale said is easy to use, simple to maintain, doesn’t take up too much space, and will greatly improve your (air) quality of life.
Considering the amount of foot traffic your floors see, washable rugs are arguably one of the greatest inventions since sliced bread. Senior commerce editor Rachel Fletcher especially loved this diamond-patterned rug that “exceeded” her expectations with its high quality, low pile, and chenille-polyester-combined-with-jute composition that’s super easy to wipe clean.
It all started the way most things these days do: with a TikTok. A video of someone sitting crisscross-applesauce in an oddly shaped desk chair, and suddenly Elise was enamored. And lucky for her, the Pipersong Meditation office chair lived up to all of the hype. If you’re looking for your new WFH chair, look no further.
Sydney prefers working at her dining table over working at a desk when she’s at home. And whenever she’s positioned at her dining table, you can be sure she’s sitting in one of these MR chairs with a leather sling seat. Sydney’s pair are an authentic vintage set she got from from Carefully Curated, but you can get your own from Knoll.
We’ve recommended the Nectar mattress during our annual Sleep Week for side sleepers. We’ve subtly slid it your way during Prime Day (and second Prime Day) and throughout Cyber Week, urging you to take advantage of all the best deals. So yeah—naturally it was going to make our list of top products for the year. I mean, it wasn’t called one of the “most comfortable mattresses” that features editor Nick Mafi has ever slept on for no reason.
While we found lots of furniture pieces to love and invest in this year, we can’t forget about cookware essentials on our editor pick list. Especially cookware that looks cute. Commerce editor Audrey Lee took the cast-iron version of the Always Pan by Instagram-popular brand Our Place for a spin on her stove and found she most appreciated the piece’s thoughtful design. “In my opinion, it’s the perfect size and its aesthetically pleasing look makes it a piece you’ll be proud to leave out for everyone to see,” Audrey said in her review.
