Your exclusive access:
Welcome! This section of the article is accessible only to our valued members.
On this page:
CHOICE expert Adrian Lini in our labs.
Stick vacuums
Great for cleaning those tricky spots on stairs or in the car, or for hoovering up all the debris from your child's (or pet's) dinner, a good stick vac can make housework suck a little less.
Our testers have assessed plenty of stick vacuum models in our NATA-accredited labs over the years, with our latest review covering 48 current models.
CHOICE experts give each one a score based on key factors such as cleaning performance (for hard floors, carpets, corners and more), ease of use, quick cleaning ability and pet hair removal.
There are definitely a few they gave the flick for being mediocre, so make sure you read up on which models we recommend and why.
Pick of the sticks: The Dyson Gen5detect Absolute is the highest scoring stick vacuum from our tests.
The best stick vacs from our tests:
TVs
The end of financial year (EOFY) sales can provide a more affordable opportunity to update that 10-year-old plasma TV that is eating up half of your electricity bill, or your old LCD TV that isn't quite as smart as you'd like.
You may think that EOFY sale products are mostly old stock that has been around for a year or more.
If you were hoping to snag a bit discount on a very recently released TV you'll be disappointed, but CHOICE TV expert Denis Gallagher says the good news is that there'll be some great discounts on 2023 models in the EOFY sales.
Buying an older model doesn't always mean missing out: they're often quite similar to new models
While new TV models for 2024 were announced back in February, some of them may not hit the shelves until as late as July.
Buying an older model doesn't always mean missing out: they're often quite similar to new models, give or take a few features or upgrades.
Have a think about which features you absolutely need and which you're happy to do without – you could make some big savings on slightly older or more simple models.
Denis shares his tips, tricks and advice here: How to buy a bargain TV in the EOFY sales.
And the award for best picture goes to... the the 64-inch Sony XR65A80L.
The best TVs from our tests:
Mattresses
Since you'll be spending a third of your time on it, a mattress is one purchase you really want to get right.
Choose poorly and your decision will keep you awake at night; buy well and you'll (hopefully) sleep like a baby.
Our latest mattress review covers 44 popular products, ranging in price from just $365 all the way up to $4199. Our detailed test data will show you which ones are the most comfortable, which are most likely to stay comfortable over the years, and which are the best for ensuring a peaceful night's sleep for your partner even if you're tossing and turning.
The good news is that eight products recommended by our experts cost less than $1000, with three of these priced at $500 and under.
These are the products to buy if you want sweet dreams.
Sweet dreams are made of this: the Dusk & Dawn Essential MK2 mattress topped our tests.
The best mattresses from our tests
Don't forget: these are just the top six scorers, but a full 18 mattresses are recommended by our experts, so check our mattress review to see the full list.
Air fryers
Our kitchen expert Fiona Mair has put plenty of air fryers through their paces in our test kitchen, so she's got a good idea of what you should keep in mind when shopping for an air fryer in the EOFY sales.
Firstly, she advises looking for models that have digital time and temperature features for better accuracy and models with auto programs. These are usually more expensive than the dial types.
She also notes that larger capacity air fryers can be pricey, so make sure you're buying a model that has the capacity you need for your household. Smaller capacity air fryers can be relatively cheap but may cost you more over time with continuous batch cooking.
Smart lid, smart performance: The Ninja Foodi SmartLid.
The best air fryers from our tests
Note: the Ninja Foodi and Instant Pot products are multi-cookers. This score is an assessment of their air fryer function only.
To see how they perform on other cooking tasks, check our multi-cookers review.
Coffee machines
We know coffee lovers are a passionate bunch, which is why our home espresso machine tests are judged by coffee industry veterans and our in-house experts.
In their quest for the perfect cuppa, they assess key criteria including taste, temperature consistency, milk frothing, ease of use and cleaning.
Here are the pod, semi-automatic and manual machines that make the best brews. If you want a machine that does everything for you at the press of a button, check our automatic coffee machines review.
King of the capsule machines: Lavazza Desea LM950.
The best pod machines from our tests
Breville's The Barista Express impressed our experts.
The best semi-automatic coffee machines from our tests
The Profitec Pro lives up to its name, delivering professional-quality coffee.
The best manual coffee machines from our tests:
Washing machines
Facing a mountain of endless laundry and need a machine you can count on?
Our lab experts put washers through rigorous testing, assessing them on key factors including dirt removal, rinse performance, gentleness, energy and water use and more.
CHOICE head of research and testing Matthew Steen recommends buying the base model if you're trying to save money on a new appliance.
"Often washers, dishwashers and dryers have 'families' of models and they can all be essentially the same, with some models having additional features, programs or colours that are given different model numbers," he says.
"Buying the base model gets you the product that matters. You may lose out on some features but you'll still likely get the same quality of performance and lifetime as the fancy expensive version of the same model."
Here are the ones to watch if you want to clean up in the sales.
This Bosch cleaned up in our testing.
The best washing machines from our tests:
Dishwashers
Life's too short for hand-washing dirty dishes, especially when you're entertaining a crowd.
If you're looking for a new dishwasher, you should know our experts meticulously test every unit for cleaning performance (with identically stained crockery), drying, energy efficiency, water use and program times so you can choose the best.
If you're trying to save money, it's best to stick to the basics
According to our experts, paying more for high-tech features is only worth it if you're actually going to use them, or if they genuinely affect the performance of the product.
If you're trying to save money, it's best to stick to the basics. Decide on the features that are your 'must haves' and the ones that are nice but possibly not worth paying more for.
Often, previous models that have been superseded by the latest version will be available at a discounted price – and they may be almost identical, give or take a few features or upgrades.
This Miele tied for first place with another Miele in our dishwasher tests.
The best dishwashers from our tests
We test fridges for food freshness, temperature stability and much more in our certified lab.
Fridges
We've seen some dodgy fridges in our time, and often they're the ones you'll find heavily discounted in sales.
CHOICE fridge experts have reviewed 81 of the latest models on the market in our lab tests, giving scores for things such as temperature stability and evenness, ability to keep food fresh, running costs and more.
Here are the hottest fridges from our tests. These are just the top two performers in each size category; check the full review to find the best fridge for your needs.
XL size and XL performance: the LG GF-B530BL.
Best extra large (525+L) fridges:
Best large (451–525L) fridges:
The LG GB-455WL froze out the competition in the medium fridge category.
Best medium (381–450L) fridges:
Best small (300–380L) fridges:
Best extra small (under 300L) fridge:
Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.
