What Strategist Readers Are Buying: Bluetooth Speakers, Plant Misters, and Baby Pianos

The most bought item this month is a plant mister we first featured in this recommended-by-experts story. As interior plant designer and founder of Leaf and June Lisa Muñoz explains, it’s “typically something you’d see in salons,” but it’s her favourite mister for plants. “It’s small and lightweight, even when full of water, and it creates a gentle, steady mist,” she says. She adds that misting is also helpful for removing dust from larger plant leaves.

This mould spray has made several appearances in our end-of-month roundups (it was at No. 8 in February). Writer Rachel England picked it up after trying almost every other black-mould product on the market. “It started working within a matter of minutes, and when I checked on its progress 15 minutes later, my jaw hit the floor,” she said.

The Bordy is a Strategist UK staple (we even have two in our London office) — and the water-retaining bird has been selling highly ever since the Guardian’s Coco Khan first told us about how it saved her plants from dying.

We wrote about this foaming cleanser by CeraVe in our roundup of the best face washes for oily skin, where it was deemed the best overall by a number of our experts. Dr Michelle Park, of Washington Square Dermatology, says it’s a gentle product that’s suitable for all skin types.

Sarah Breen, co-author of Once, Twice, Three Times an Aisling (Michael Joseph), wrote about this hand cream that she grabbed on a whim during a pre-isolation food shop, and it’s made its debut on our most bought products this month. “I look for three things in a hand cream: Is it easily absorbed (I can’t bear waiting ages for it to soak in or, worse, slimy residue), does it smell acceptable, and will it provide instant relief to my itchy or painful patches?” She says the Garnier body repair hand cream has been essential during these extreme handwashing times. “The major plus for me, though, is the price.” [Editor’s note: this item is currently out of stock].

Another debut this month is this water gel moisturiser from Neutrogena. It featured in our roundup of the best moisturisers for dry skin (according to dermatologists). It contains hyaluronic acid and glycerin, which help lock in moisture while still feeling airy and lightweight.

This charming guitar featured in our best gifts for 1-year-olds, which was compiled by speaking to nine parenting and child-care experts. Good Play Guide founder Amanda Gummer said musical instruments such as this help little ones develop good hand-eye coordination.

Every day at the Strategist, we scour the internet for the best deals — and though it’s no longer on sale, this Bluetooth speaker by Anker was described as “as good as Bose” by reviewers. An overwhelming number of reviewers focus on the sound quality, the 24-hour play time of the speaker, and the battery life. One reviewer says that he’s used it most days for the past month, for several hours a day, and has yet to recharge the speaker.

The Skip Hop guitar wasn’t the only 1-year-old-appropriate musical instrument readers bought this month. This attractive wooden piano is touch-responsive with just one button — for the volume, thankfully.