We’ve seen some big discounts on tech and electricals, plus kitchen and home appliances, in the April sales. So if you’re after a new laptop, television or fridge freezer, now could be a good time to buy.
Our experts track prices throughout the year – not just when the sales are on. This means we’re able to cut through the retailers’ spin and only bring you the deals we consider to be genuinely good value.
All of the deals we’ve included in our April round-up are products that have made the journey to the Which? test lab. As our lab tests are objective and reflect how you would use these products in real life, you can trust our reviews are accurate.
Even though all of the deals listed here show products that scored well in our tests, the best way to see if a product is right for you is to check in with our expert reviews before you buy.
Ease the squeeze on your household bills with our latest cost of living advice and tips.
Best mobile phone deal
Samsung Galaxy S21 5G – £579
- We liked: Multipurpose cameras
- We didn’t like: No micro-SD card slot
Samsung’s standard flagship phone from 2021 has some impressive specifications. It comes with a 6.2-inch OLED screen with a high 2300 x 1080 pixel-resolution and 120Hz refresh rate for ultra-smooth browsing and video content. The cameras are the real talking point of this phone with lots of settings to try out.
Now the S22 series has come out, prices are falling. It was £769, but can now be had for £579.
Check out our Samsung Galaxy S21 5G review for the full test results or buy it now for £579 at Appliances Direct.
Browse all of our mobile phone reviews or, for more offers, see our round-up of the best 2022 mobile phone deals.
Best TV deal
LG 50UP77006LB – £399
- We liked: HDR is used well, clear dialogue
- We didn’t like: Awkward menus
Finding a 50-inch TV for less than £400 from a major brand isn’t common. This model is a more basic set from LG’s range, but it still comes with voice control and the same accessibility features as more expensive LG TVs. This includes greyscale to improve clarity for viewers who are colour blind, and a high-contrast mode to emphasise text on menus.
Recently selling for £450 or more, it’s now available for £399.
Check if it’s right for you by reading our LG 50UP77006lb review or buy it now for £399 at John Lewis with a five-year guarantee.
See our TV reviews to find out which models have performed the best in our tough lab tests. If you’re looking for a bargain, our product experts have even more TV deals for 2022 for you.
Best tablet deal
Apple iPad Pro (2021) – £954
- We liked: Responsive touchscreen
- We didn’t like: No headphone jack
This is the 2021 version of the iPad Pro and it has a 12.9-inch screen – the biggest screen you can get. It’s powered by a mighty M1 processor and there’s 8GB of Ram backing it up. The model we tested has 128GB of storage, but you can buy versions with 256GB, 512GB, 1TB or 2TB at higher prices.
The cheapest we found for the 128GB version was £954 – this is around £120 less than its typical price.
Read our Apple iPad Pro (2021) review to see if it’s what you need or buy it now from Currys.
Check our tablet reviews to see which models we recommend. For more offers on Android and iOS tablets, see the best tablet deals for 2022.
Best headphone deal
Apple AirPods (2021) – £159
- We liked: Comfortable, easy to use
- We didn’t like: Can be hard to maintain phone call conversations in noisy places
This latest version of the Apple Airpods are typically priced at around £170, but the best price we found this month is £159.
Find out if they’re right for you in our Apple AirPods review or buy them for £159 at John Lewis, AO and Amazon.
Discover top-rated headphones with our headphones reviews. Looking for more deals? See our best headphones deals for 2022.
Best laptop deal
Samsung Galaxy Book 15-inch – £499
- We liked: Quick performance
- We didn’t like: Keyboard is cramped
Because of its large screen size, this could be a good one to consider if you need a machine you can take on the go, but primarily use at home. It supports WiFi 6 which can offer brilliant speeds if you have a router that supports it.
It’s currently on offer for £499, about £200 off the typical price.
Read our Samsung Galaxy Book 15 inch review to see how it fared in our test lab or buy it now with a three-year guarantee for £499 at Laptops Direct.
Our laptop reviews uncover the best laptops for every budget. Alternatively, see our guide on the best laptop deals for 2022 for bargains on budget laptops, Ultrabooks and MacBooks.
Best washing machine deal
Hotpoint NSWM963CWUK – £347
- We liked: Effective rinse
- We didn’t like: Programs are lengthy, higher than average water and electricity consumption
This is a freestanding washing machine with a maximum capacity of 9kg on the cotton wash, and 4.5kg on the synthetics program. Notable programs include an anti-allergy setting, a steam hygiene option, an anti-stain wash and a rapid program that promises to clean a full load in just 45 minutes.
It’s currently available with a 20% reduction on its typical price of £430.
Read our full Hotpoint NSWM963CWUK review to find out if it’s the right model for you or buy it now for £347 at Hughes.
Find out which are the top-rated models in our washing machines reviews. For more offers, see the best washing machine deals for 2022.
Best fridge freezer deal
LG GBB72MCUFN freestanding fridge freezer – £829
- We liked: Built-in wi-fi, frost-free
- We didn’t like: Traps dirt in some areas
This tall, freestanding fridge freezer has a striking matt-black finish that could help it take centre stage in your kitchen. It also has built-in wi-fi and it’s frost-free.
Typically selling for nearly £1,000, it’s currently on offer for £829.
Read our full LG GBB72MCUFN review to see if it’s worth taking advantage of this deal or buy it now for £829 from Currys and Appliance City.
Find all the best models in our fridge freezer reviews. For more price reductions, see the best fridge freezer deals for 2022.
Best vacuum cleaner deal
Shark ICZ160UK – £220
- We liked: Very easy to use
- We didn’t like: Struggles on lower power settings
The ICZ160UK is a cordless upright vacuum cleaner. You can either leave the unit on the stick and use it as an upright vacuum, or you can detach it for use like a cylinder. This gives you greater stick manoeuvrability when cleaning areas such as sofas and stairs, and when reaching up to ceiling corners.
It usually costs £299, but it’s currently available for £220.
Read our Shark ICZ160UK review to get our full verdict, or buy it now for £220 from Amazon.
Find a vacuum that doesn’t suck with our vacuum cleaner reviews. For more vacuum deals, go to the best Shark vacuum deals and the best Dyson vacuum deals.
Best mattress deal
Emma The Original mattress – £349.50
- We liked: Can be used on most bed bases, not overly warm, 200-night trial, doesn’t need to be turned
- We didn’t like: Could be easier to move
The Emma Original is the most popular mattress on the Which? website and it’s often on offer – it’s currently on sale with 50% off. This is a good deal, so if your heart is set on this mattress, now could be the time to buy. But If you don’t have spare cash right now, don’t panic, as this is not the first time it’s been on offer with 50% off recently. Based on our experience, there’ll be another deal, so there’s no need to rush.
We’ve recently retested the latest version of the Emma Original. It has a 18.5cm foam core, with an additional 3cm layer of memory foam and a 2cm layer of ordinary foam. The differences we’ve identified have affected how supportive it is.
Read our full review of the latest Emma Original mattress or buy the double mattress for £349.50 direct from Emma.
Find all the best models in our mattress reviews. For more price reductions, see the best mattress deals for 2022.
April sales shopping tips
Check the Which? website
As well as finding you the best deals this April, 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 which retailers impressed in our latest shopping survey, head over 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 out 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 is always best to check before you buy.
We’ve put together advice on the additional rights you have when shopping online in our online returns guide.
source https://www.which.co.uk/news/2022/04/best-deals-in-the-april-sales-revealed-by-which-2/