Top Picks in Laundry, Cleaning, and Home for 2024

Of the 18 mattresses we recently evaluated (bringing the total in our mattress ratings to more than 300), seven scored high enough to earn CR’s recommendation. The batch included models from popular brands like Tempur-Pedic, as well as the newest offerings from Casper, which overhauled its product line earlier this year. And while one of those brands earned a spot as a Top Pick, our top-rated innerspring mattress remains unchallenged. Also on this short list: a versatile option that could be just the right fit for couples. For even more options, see the best mattresses from our tests, which we update throughout the year.

While no other pillow could unseat our No. 1 pick this year, we saw many decent new options at a variety of prices. In the lab, we assess each pillow’s support, how breathable the material is, and its resilience, or ability to hold its shape. Then we look at how well each one supports the head and neck of both side and back sleepers of various sizes. For even more options, see our roundup of the best pillows from our tests.

We’ve consistently found that spending top dollar on sheets doesn’t necessarily get you a better set. And you probably know this, but it bears repeating: A higher thread count doesn’t necessarily get you better quality, either. We evaluate fit, shrinkage, wrinkling, and more in the lab. See three of the best cotton sets below. We also have a more comprehensive breakdown of all the best cotton and synthetic sheets.

For this year’s Top Picks, we selected a handful of full-sized options, along with three battery stick vacs, a popular category in which we’ve seen reliability improve and suction continue to get stronger. Plus, below, you’ll find The Better Deal for robotic vacuums. For more options across all these, plus handheld vacuums and corded stick vacs, see our roundup of the best vacuums of the year, which we update frequently with new findings.

While there are still plenty of corded options (and you can see them in our look at the best stick vacs across the board), the top cordless options now outperform their plug-in counterparts. And with the improvements in stick-vac performance, we’ve ratcheted up our tests for them. For example, we’ve made our pet hair tests more challenging, and we now embed dirt in the carpeting instead of scattering it on the surface as we used to do. Here are three battery-powered standouts.

LG continues to dominate our ratings of washing machines, thanks to the brand’s high predicted reliability, based on our member surveys. This year we published our first reviews of all-in-one washer/dryers, which we found have some significant pros and cons. For options from a variety of brands across all washer types see the best washers from our test, which we update throughout the year. Here are the Top Picks in front- and top-load washers, as well as our top-rated all-in-one machine.

It’s tough to pick a great clothes dryer out of a lineup. They all pretty much look the same, but it’s the stuff you can’t see—how quickly and thoroughly they dry your clothes, and how much energy they use to do so—that matters. Our tests reveal that behind those mundane dryer doors lie significant differences in how different models perform. Here are our top-rated electric, gas, and compact options. For more of the 150-plus dryers currently in our ratings, see the best dryers of the year.

Out, Darn Spots!
Shark StainStriker PX201, $140
This portable Shark carpet cleaner is ideal for handling wine spills, coffee stains, and pet messes as they arise. It’s compact and lightweight, and has a long hose, so it’s easy to maneuver. It’s not meant to clean your whole carpet, though: Use a top-rated full-sized model like the Bissell ProHeat 2x Revolution Pet Pro Plus 3588F instead.

Dreamy Mattress
Earthfoam Organic Medium, $1,000
While it didn’t land a spot on the list above, the Earthfoam latex mattress is a back sleeper’s dream. The mattress-in-a-box offers the best support you can find for this position, no matter your size. It gets a 7 for firmness on our scale of 1 to 10, making it one of the firmer options in our ratings. It’s also one of the most stable.

Innovative AC Design
Midea U-Shaped MAW08V1QWT, $400
What a great idea: The U-shaped Midea has a slot for your window sash so that you can open your window when the unit isn’t running. It’s a top performer to boot.