The 5 Best Purchases Our Editors Made In April

With the buzz of spring in the air, it’s no surprise we’re dreaming of sparkling homes and far-away places. From a viral sponge for all your spring cleaning needs to travel essentials for your next getaway, here’s what our team recommends this month.

Scrub Daddy Scrub Mommy Dual-Sided Sponge, $13

“I'll admit it: I thought the Scrub Mommy craze on TikTok was ridiculous...until I bought one. The Scrub Mommy—the more versatile version of the iconic Scrub Daddy—is a dual-sided sponge that's great for cleaning the kitchen and bathroom. The textured side can scrub off dirt and grime with ease (it gets tougher under cold water and softer under warm water), while the spongier side cleans and shines. Using these has saved me a lot of time cleaning pans with burnt-on food or stubborn corners in my bathtub. And honestly, she looks cute in my sink.” —Erica Lenti, deputy features editor

Baggu Cloud Carry-On Bag, $99

“I have my carry-on packing routine all figured out. The problem? It doesn't leave any space for souvenirs, impromptu shopping and extra snacks, all of which I consider essentials. After struggling to zip-up my suitcase one too many times, I splurged on the Baggu Cloud Carry-On. It's by far the best travel item I’ve ever purchased.

It’s made of lightweight, sturdy nylon, has two front pockets, a trolley sleeve and it packs up neatly into a small pouch. When the bag is in use, the storage pouch can be snapped into place inside to serve as an extra compartment. I’ve put it to the test on my last couple of trips with my laptop, e-reader, reusable water bottle, heating pad, several pouches filled with makeup, liquids and various chargers, a change of clothes...and there was still plenty of space left. Plus, the padded handles were comfortable on my shoulder when I decided to check my suitcase and had to carry it through the airport.

I keep it in my carry-on to use as needed when there’s overflow, and it makes the perfect personal item as it fits nicely under an airplane seat.” —Andréanne Dion, senior style and beauty editor

EcoHub Clear Travel Toiletry Bag, $10 for two

“I’ve been lucky to have some travel lined up this year. I just came back from a visit to Florida, and after a week of living out of a suitcase it became apparent that I needed to reform my entire packing system. To that end, I recently bought these packing cubes previously recommended by my colleague Erica, as well as this clear travel pouch for my toiletries. It’s made from sturdier plastic and features a stronger seal than the ratty resealable bag I was using, and it sailed through security just fine on its first journey.” —Maureen Halushak, editor-in-chief

Midland ER310 Emergency Solar Hand-Crank Radio, $116

“I just finished Broken Places by Frances Peck, which is about the aftermath of a (fictional) earthquake in Vancouver. It’s both propulsive and terrifying, and made me think about my own state-of-emergency readiness (even if I live in less seismically active Toronto). Enter this handy radio, which can be charged with a hand crank in the event of a power outage, gets the weather band, can charge other devices via USB and serves as a flashlight. The supersonic whistle and the light that flashes SOS in Morse code may be overkill, but you never know. I feel better having it in my basement, just in case.” —Gillian Grace, deputy editor, digital

Ikea Tesammans Multi-Colour Throw, $35

“This bold throw has brought a welcome pop of colour into my home this month. Plus, it looks even better in person than it does on the website! The serotonin-boosting creation is part of Ikea’s latest designer collab with Dutch designers Daniera ter Haar and Christoph Brach of Raw Color Studio. As someone who works with images and colours daily, I appreciate the consistency across the various items in the collection—seriously, achieving this level of colour-matching couldn’t have been easy.” —Aimee Nishitoba, deputy art director