NBC Select Bed & Bath Awards 2023: Shop winners as seen on TODAY
We tried over 200 products and picked our favorite robes, pillows, bath mats and more.
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Award: Best Blackout Curtain | Type: Value
“My apartment gets a lot of sunlight, so I was amazed at how well these worked,” says Select social media commerce editor Sadhana Daruvuri. Besides the light over the curtain rod, these blackout curtains blocked the light coming into her apartment, even during the sunniest days. Despite the hot weather, the curtains also made her room feel cooler and even muffled some of the city street noise. These blackout curtains are machine washable and fit Daruvuri’s 60 inches by 80 inches window perfectly, she says. You can shop the pair of curtains in three sizes and five different colors including gold, gray and ivory.
Award: Best Pillow | Type: Down Alternative
With two layers — an inner core with shorter fibers and an outer layer with clump-resisting, softer fibers — the Original Casper Pillow is a pillow-in-a-pillow and also NBC Select editorial director Lauren Swanson’s absolute favorite.
The pillow keeps cool air flowing through its breathable percale weave and 100% cotton cover to ensure that you stay cool throughout the night, according to the brand. Both of these layers are machine washable and dryable, and it is also suited for any type of sleeper — side, back or stomach. If you feel it starting to lose its fluffiness, the pillow can be returned to its original puffiness with a simple fluff, according to the brand.
Award: Best Towel
Select associate updates editor Zoe Malin says, “Even as the towel absorbed water, it stayed soft, didn’t get very heavy and didn’t stretch out when it was wet.” Despite being the softest towel she tried, Select managing editor Leah Ginsberg says Threshold’s Signature Spa Bath Towel dried surprisingly quickly also given its medium thickness yet lightweight feel. The towel comes in several colors like white, light gray, light blue and light mauve in addition to three sizes: bath towel (56 inches by 30 inches), bath sheet (65 inches by 33 inches) and hand towel (30 inches by 16 inches).
“I’m usually wary about using plush towels like this because of the chance of linting, but the brand says these are low-lint and they truly are,” says Malin. After getting a little mascara on the white towel, Malin says it came right off in the wash. These towels are benzoyl peroxide resistant, meaning that skin care products like mascara won’t lead to staining, according to Target.
Award: Best Bath Mat | Type: Fabric
Select editorial projects manager Rebecca Rodriguez says that stepping onto this fabric bath mat option felt like sliding into slippers. “This rug felt comfortable to stand on for long stretches of time while doing my hair and makeup in the mornings,” says NBC Select associate editor Nishka Dhawan. Due to its tufted texture and looped ribs, it may shed a bit according to both Rodriguez and Dhawan, but it is still easily machine washable and dryable.
The bath mat comes in eight different colors like green tea, blush, mocha and sea and in four different sizes: 17 inches by 24 inches, 21 inches by 34 inches, 24 inches by 40 inches, and 30 inches by 50 inches — all to accommodate the size and aesthetic of your bathroom.
Award: Best Shower Liner
NBC Select manager of editorial operations Shari Uyehara found this waterproof shower curtain odor-resistant and highly water-resistant. Additionally, it was easy to install because of its grommets and lightweight feel, according to Uyehara. The liner comes with twelve shower rings and also has three magnets at the bottom to keep it from moving and from water spilling out onto the bathroom floor, according to the brand. It comes in seven different colors including both a checkered and stone pattern and is semi-opaque, allowing for plenty of privacy while you shower, says Bostofy.
To find our winners, our editors and staff tried hundreds of bed and bath items. Products underwent a five-week trial period before being selected as our favorite in their respective category.
When we look at any products, especially bed and bath items, we look at them comprehensively. To be our favorite in a category requires fulfilling a multitude of our readers’ needs. We want to provide products that perform well, but we also want to share ones that allow our readers to upgrade their lives. Among other things, we specifically looked at price, fabric quality, absorbency and effectiveness.
When a product carries the Select badge, you can trust that our team of editors as shopping experts vetted the item thoroughly. We are journalists, first and foremost, which means we will always do our research and reporting.
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