Shoppers could save HUNDREDS of pounds buying cheaper dupes for more expensive products that cost around double the price or more.
The Sun has trawled through review sites and thousands of customer reviews to uncover the best value home and tech products.
We checked reviews from experts and customers and compared core features for the dupe and its expensive rival.
We picked items that either the experts highlighted for their value for money, or that scored at least 4 out of 5 from a solid number of customer reviews (more than 30) or both.
Of course, this is just a snapshot look at products and as always you should do your own research before purchasing.
Prices were correct at the time of publication but as they change regularly you will need to compare before you buy.
When you compare prices, use the full model number of the product you want to buy to ensure you’re getting prices for the same model from different sites.
Some models have a different price in a different colour, for example.
And don’t forget to check what manufacturer’s warranty comes with it – especially for a big ticket item like an oven.
We picked six products below:
Ikea Vestmarka firm mattress
- £139 from Ikea
- Saving: £230.75
Consumer group Which? recently revealed that the Ikea Vestmarka mattress is very popular among its members.
At £139 for a double, this firm, open-coil sprung mattress is a fraction of the price of many rivals.
But it can hold its own against competitors like the pocket-sprung Silentnight Studio Eco mattress, which is currently £369.75 at Mattressman.
You’ll typically pay over £300 for a great double mattress, but the Vestmarka is less than half that, for a great night’s sleep.
Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 9 fitness tracker
- £34, Amazon
- Saving £50
The Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 9 fitness tracker is a recent model from a brand that offers cheap alternatives to high-end names, but gets high praise from the experts.
After the Smart Band 9 launched last summer, tech review site TechRadar hailed it “a hit”, giving it 4 out of 5 stars and saying it “dramatically undercuts some big-name rivals such as Fitbit”.
Another expert review awarded it 90% and called it “unbeatable value”.
While the Smart Band 9 is fairly basic, it covers the main functions – built-in heart rate monitor, sleep tracking, step counting, and calorie counting. You can take it for a swim, and there’s a touchscreen and removable strap. The tracker can connect to iOS (Apple) and Android phones.
This is pretty similar to the Fitbit Inspire 3, which, like the Smart Band 9, doesn’t have a built-in GPS. But the Fitbit Inspire 3 will set you back £84 at Amazon, Argos or Currys – more than double the cost of its rival.
Vax Gator Cordless Handheld vac
- £40, Argos
- Saving: £88
Some handheld vacs conk out after a few minutes when the battery needs another charge.
But this one gives you 15 minutes of run time, and comes with a special crevice tool to reach into corners and suck up the crumbs down the back of the sofa.
The downside is it takes 12 hours to recharge for the next round.
The Gator has 1,500+ reviews on Argos, where customers gave it 4.3 out of 5 and 87% recommend it. One recent reviewer called it a “little gem”.
So the battle is on – Gator vs Shark. The Shark WandVac WV270 UK cordless handheld is a bestseller on the John Lewis website where it costs £128 and gets 4.4 out of 5 from customer reviews.
It comes with a handy charging dock, which the Gator doesn’t have.
The Shark’s reviews on Argos are pretty similar to the Gator’s, with customers giving it 4.4 out of 5, and 87% recommending it. And it has the same running time of 15 minutes but recharges faster than the Gator – in just 3.5 hours.
So if you don’t mind a longer recharge time and the lack of a charging dock, this Gator will give the Shark a run for your money.
Aldi Almat Biological Washing Powder 2kg/40 Washes
- £3.85, Aldi, (£1.93/kg, 10p per wash)
- Saving: 11p per wash vs Ariel
The box of this Aldi powder proudly displays an endorsement from the Good Housekeeping Institute, so it’s stood up to some tough testing.
Almat bio is competing with bio powders from the likes of Ariel and Persil.
At Tesco, a 2.1kg box of Persil Biological Laundry Washing Powder gives you 42 washes for £7, so around 17p per wash.
And if you splashed out on a mega pack 3kg/50 washes box of Ariel, it would cost you £10.50 at Tesco. That’s 21p a wash, so more than double Almat, per wash.
Gino D’Acampo Fast Boil Kettle
- £16.94, Asda
- Saving: £16.06
This kettle is normally £27 but even at that price, it’s good value for money. At £10 less, it’s a steal.
With its sleek looks, fast boiling time and soft-touch finish, this kettle will add style to your countertop and comes in black, green, grey and glass.
On the Asda site, customers give this model the thumbs-up. There are different reviews for the different colour versions, ranging from 4 to 4.6 out of 5.
The product measures up well to the Breville High Gloss Kettle, which comes in grey and cream – reviewers on the Breville site give it 4.7 out of 5. We found it for £33 on Amazon and £39.98 at B&Q.
Asda’s kettle and this Breville both offer 3kW of power, and on both, the water gauge is under the handle, so a little awkward to see, but that’s the price of having a minimalist look.
They both boil fast and hold 1.7 litres. But only one of them is currently less than £20.
Beko AeroPerfect single oven
Last year, Beko scooped the Which? Best Value Appliance Brand of the Year award after a range of its models did well in Which? tests.
Over on the Beko site, it proudly displays that at least one AeroPerfect oven was awarded Best Buy status in built-in oven tests in 2023.
The cheapest we could find in that range is the AeroPerfect RecycledNet BBXIF22100S which is available at Currys.
Hundreds of reviewers on currys.co.uk gave it a score, totalling 4.5 out of 5, with one recent reviewer calling it “amazing value for money”.
This 60cm built-in single fan oven’s AeroPerfect technology ensures a consistent air flow, meaning you get evenly baked cakes and pastry.
It can grill, roast and bake and Beko offers a 10-year parts guarantee. This oven can’t clean itself, though, which some ovens can.
If you don’t mind doing without a programmable touch display, this Beko oven will hold its own against the Zanussi FanCook ZOHCX3X2 electric oven, which is £369 at Currys.
Just over 200 reviewers gave their verdict on this model on the Currys site, totalling 4.4 out of 5 – a similar score to its much cheaper rival.
How to save on your supermarket shop
THERE are plenty of ways to save on your grocery shop.
You can look out for yellow or red stickers on products, which show when they’ve been reduced.
If the food is fresh, you’ll have to eat it quickly or freeze it for another time.
Making a list should also save you money, as you’ll be less likely to make any rash purchases when you get to the supermarket.
Going own brand can be one easy way to save hundreds of pounds a year on your food bills too.
This means ditching “finest” or “luxury” products and instead going for “own” or value” type of lines.
Plenty of supermarkets run wonky veg and fruit schemes where you can get cheap prices if they’re misshapen or imperfect.
For example, Lidl runs its Waste Not scheme, offering boxes of 5kg of fruit and vegetables for just £1.50.
If you’re on a low income and a parent, you may be able to get up to £442 a year in Healthy Start vouchers to use at the supermarket too.
Plus, many councils offer supermarket vouchers as part of the Household Support Fund.
