Best: Overall

Rating: 10/10

A sumptuously soft cover makes this hot water bottle a cosy delight to snuggle up with when the cold weather or an ache appears. So thick and velvety is the faux fur that we began comparing the feel of it to the sensation of stroking a baby bunny or kitten. The soothing effect is the same, with the added benefit of hours of warmth and no pet wriggling to escape your neediness. It looks excellent too, adding luxury to a bedroom or sofa, and the high quality is evident. We like that it comes in different shades, namely dove grey, mink, natural and almond.

Concealed within the cover is a natural rubber bottle, which is filled at the top by unscrewing the stopper. We especially like that the cover of this hot water bottle is machine washable to keep it fresh, and the bottle is easily removed thanks to a concealed zip at the bottom of the cover.

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Best: Wearable hot water bottle

Rating: 10/10

Anyone who’s ever slept on a silk pillowcase or bedding will know how wonderfully soothing and gentle on the skin the textile can be. This hot water bottle is no different. The thick 22 momme silk cover is magnificently smooth and looks beautiful in the tempest grey hue. Besides the exceptional quality, we’ve rated this hot water bottle so highly because we love that it’s wearable, thanks to the thick strap, which makes it ideal for use both when lying down and walking around. And inside is an 81cm long yuyu bottle, which is made from biodegradable, grade A rubber, offers six hours of heat and is worthy enough for use by royals and Team GB Olympians.

We also love the personal touches – from the exquisitely wrapped box to the handwritten letter – you get with this small, family business. The care and attention to detail are impressive, and this hot water bottle would be a seriously thoughtful gift that anyone would be thrilled to receive.

Best: Knitted hot water bottle

Rating: 8.5/10

For the Scandi home, Loaf’s hot water bottle is the perfect fit. The hottie is a charming, knitted number made from a fibre blend with 15 per cent alpaca and 15 per cent virgin wool. It features a rib stitch on one side and a jersey knit with a contrast trim opening on the reverse, making it incredibly easy to remove the cover from the PVC bottle inside. There’s also a roll neck design to conceal the opening of the bottle and a colour trim. It’s straightforward to use, and the knit cover warms up quickly to provide bundles of comfort. The hottie comes in six colours – oatmeal, pale pink, grey, teal, ochre and rusted pink – for plenty of choice.

Best: For kids

Rating: 9/10

Although hot water bottles are perfectly safe when used correctly, handing one to a child can feel somewhat perturbing. Warmies, however, remove any fear of scolding water escaping onto delicate skin because these cute plush toys are filled with heatable natural grains and dried French lavender, which adds a soothing, relaxing scent. Just pop the cuddly toy in the microwave for 90 seconds to give it a warm centre, just like a hot water bottle.

Our four-year-old tester at once fell in love with the adorable orangutan and enjoyed snuggling up to it even when it wasn’t heated. With a bit of a shake after removing it from the microwave, it provided even heat that remained for about an hour. During the summer, the proud owners of this cute orangutan will still be able to cuddle it because it can be put into the freezer to cool them down too.

Best: Cotton hot water bottle

Rating: 8/10

Feel every inch the lord of the manor with this hot water bottle from the UK parliament shop. The cover is a crisp white cotton with a waffle effect and the House of Lords logo embroidered in gold. The inner of the cover is fleecy to retain the heat, and it uses a natural rubber bottle, which is easy to fill by removing it from the large flap on the back of the cover and unscrewing the stopper. The cotton cover means this hot water bottle is not quite as snuggly as one with a faux fur or fleece outer, but it is still soft and will keep you warm for hours.

Best: Budget buy

Rating: 7.5/10

Available in three vibrant shades – purple, teal and magenta – this is a bargain buy of a hot water bottle that adds warmth and a pop of colour to your life. The cover is a soft ribbed fleece, but it is pretty thin, which means the soothing heat of the natural rubber bottle inner comes through brilliantly. It also means, however, that you can feel the contours of the rubber bottle through the cover, not a terrible thing to happen, but it does make it slightly lumpy. But if you’re on a budget and want to feel the benefits of a hot water bottle, you can’t really go wrong.

Best: Eco hot water bottle

Rating: 9.5/10

This German-made hot water bottle came to the rescue when one of our tester was hit by a bout of sudden and severe stomach ache. We quickly filled up the rigid, odourless inner bottle, which is free from rubber and made from 90 per cent recyclable, renewable materials, and popped it into its smart jacket for rapid relief.

The cover is made from a stylish and smooth black softshell material and features a contrasting diagonal red zip, which makes removing the inner bottle easy. Cavities in the neck of the inner bottle are the perfect size for fingertips and meant we were able to hold it safely and securely when we filled it with hot water, and it features a specially designed safety cap. We also like that the cover is machine washable at 30C to keep it clean and fresh.

This colourway is proving popular so is unfortunately out of stock. But the good news is that the orange cover is still available for the same price (£27.99, Hotwaterbottleshop.co.uk) and a green option can be found at Amazon (£23, Amazon.co.uk).

Best: Plush hot water bottle

Rating: 8/10

The meltingly soft faux fur cover makes this hot water bottle a dream to nestle into. It’s brand new from the sleep experts at Soak and Sleep, and a brilliant option for those looking for a furry hot water bottle who aren’t prepared to spend quite as much as The White Company’s will set you back. The inner bottle is made from natural rubber and can be easily removed for refilling through a zip at the bottom of the cover. It also retains its heat for several hours. We love that there’s a little fabric hook at the top for hanging on a bed knob until it’s time for slumber. This is a great value, quality buy.