8 best hot water bottles for keeping you warm during cold winter nights

Proving you don’t need to spend a fortune on a hot water bottle, this one from Argos was an instant hit. The chunky knit design means it looks more high-end than the price tag suggests, making it a nice stylish addition to your living room or bedroom. Looks aside, it gave off an instant hit of heat and it remained nice and toasty for five to six hours.

While you may be wary of the cream cover getting dirty, fear not, because it can be chucked into the washing machine – and we found it easy to remove the cover from the bottle to do so. For £10, this is a winter warmer you won’t regret investing in.

Searching for a sumptuously soft hot water bottle? Look no further than The White Company’s faux-fur design. The cosy cover is removable and machine-washable, thanks to the concealed zip, which helps to keep it looking neat. But what we love most is the fact it’s made from recycled plastic bottles, which you wouldn’t know from touching it.

As for the warmth, the heat from the rubbed bottle permeated through nicely, and it stayed at a nice temperature for a number of hours. Depending on your preference, it’s available in four different neutral shades, including mink, dove and white, all of which look as luxurious as the water bottle feels.

Sometimes only a long hot water bottle will do, and this fluffy teddy design from Dunelm is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. The shape lends itself well to wrapping around your neck or lower back, which is particularly beneficial for relieving any aches and pains – although we did find it was important not to overfill it, otherwise it became quite difficult to hold into the desired position. This would score even higher if it had straps to tie it into position. The cover is machine washable, so you can keep it looking as good as new, winter after winter.

OK, we know this is an oxymoron, but if you’re searching for an electric “hot water bottle”, Beurer has delivered. The heat pad has been designed so it is reminiscent of the real deal, but, of course, you plug it in, rather than fill it with water. Owing to its size, it’s a nice thing to have on your lap while working, or even as an alternative to an electric blanket. What it lacks in cuddliness it more than makes up for in heat – with three different temperature settings, it warms up quickly and automatically switches off after 90 minutes. It’s also a firm favourite among our pets, as you can see, our dog was a huge fan – and has been known to lie on it for hours on end – so if you opt for this one, a word of warning, you might need to fight your four-legged friends to use it.

Sustainable period brand Wuka is a firm favourite here at IndyBest – in particular its period pants, but now its wearable hot water bottle might just have taken the crown. The hands-free hot water bottle design ties snugly around the waist, to help ease period aches and pains, as well as providing warmth. The soft fleece cover feels cosy against the skin, and it has a pocket that can warm up cold hands, or indeed hold your mobile phone.

When it comes to extra-long hot water bottles, Yuyu is the purveyor. It was the first brand to create the design that we know and love today. Founder Richard wanted to make a warming option that was not only longer and bigger but also more practical than the traditional size – and that’s exactly what he did.

Despite being 81cm in length, it requires the same amount of hot water as the traditional sizes, so you only need to boil the kettle once. Better still, the covers are well thought out and luxurious. During testing, the wearable design lent itself particularly well on the days when we didn’t want to turn the heating on but required some extra warmth. We were particularly impressed with how long it stayed hot. While it is a slightly more expensive option, we’ve barely parted ways with ours since it arrived, and consider it a complete game changer – so you certainly won’t regret investing in it.

When it comes to something different to your traditional hot water bottle, Catherine Colebrook’s designs are a firm favourite. While there’s the option of plain linen and gingham covers, it’s the Liberty print that is a total standout. The floral pattern adds a pop of colour to brighten up a dark winter’s evening and there is also the option to get it personalised with initials, making it a lovely gift. The perfect home accessory.