The best tea cosy is a handy little household item that offers a very worthwhile purpose - keeping your pot of tea warm for longer, giving you more opportunity once the kettle has boiled to enjoy a piping hot cup of your favourite beverage. While we'd recommend all teapot users invest a small amount in a tea cosy for daily use, they also make great gifts for the tea lovers and foodies in your life.
Depending on their design, teapot covers can be placed around or over your pot to retain heat. There are hundreds of cosies for you to choose from, from traditional floral choices that would help make an afternoon tea table look more elegant, to contemporary thermal options made from modern fabrics.
Best tea cosies at a glance:
• Best traditional: Portmeirion Home and Gifts Botanic Garden tea cosy - View on Amazon UK
• Best contemporary: Cooksmart British-designed Purity tea cosy - View on Amazon UK
• Best knitted: Pachamama handknitted medium wool tea cosy - View on Amazon UK
We've considered design and functionality with our pick of the best tea cosies currently available, but if you're a Billy Connolly fan, you may want to also factor in wearability, as the comedian once famously said: "Never trust a man who, when left alone in a room with a tea cosy, doesn't try it on…"
Best tea cosy for a hotter pot
Best traditional style tea cosy
This charming tea cosy comes from the gifts range of the infamous Welsh pottery Portmeirion and matches one of its most popular designs - the Botanic Garden range of china. As the name would suggest, the pattern is botanically inspired, created in the 70s from images found in antique gardening books. This elegant cosy will warm your tea with its pre-shrunk high-quality cotton to ensure the design stays fresh. This measures 36cm by 27cm so will fit your average tea pot comfortably.
Customer review: "I love the design of my new tea cosy. It keeps the tea nice and hot."
Pros
- Beautiful botanical design
- Can be washed at 40 degrees
Cons
- Iron on reverse only
Best contemporary style tea cosy
AmazonAt the opposite end of the design spectrum is Cooksmart's tea cosy which coordinates with the brand's Purity range. These grey-themed housewares offer clean and modern looks, ideal to compliment a contemporary kitchen design scheme. The cosy features delicate daisies on a geometric background and offers the slogan, "live simply, bloom wildly." Designed in England, this is made of high quality, durable, and thick fabric that will help protect your teapot as it warms it.
Customer review: "Really sturdy cosy made with strong fabric. Really happy with purchase."
Pros
- Matching items available
- 100% cotton
Cons
- Only available in grey
Best knitted tea cosy
AmazonColourful and creative, if you're a fan of handmade crafts, this Pachamama teapot cover could well be the one for you. It's responsibly handmade in Nepal using traditional knitting methods by a brand that's a member of The British Association for Fair Trade Shops and Suppliers. We love the stripy, textured design, and the cheerful pom-pom on top. This cosy's handy design fits over your tea pot so you can still pour your tea while it's in place.
Customer review: "Love it, nice bright colours and of good quality. Fits my teapot perfectly and keeps the tea nice and hot."
Pros
- Handknitted
- Fair Trade
Cons
- Not suitable for larger pots
Best vintage-style tea cosy
AmazonFans of retro-themed style and fabrics might like this tea cosy's classic, vintage look and design. This cotton cosy has a handy, built-in corkboard base to protect your home's surfaces from heat damage. The ribbon closure helps you to gather the cosy around your teapot and secure it in place so as to retain the heat for as long as possible. We like this dated floral design but this is also available in three other fabrics; a cherry-themed option, an autumnal choice, and a vibrant strawberry design.
Customer review: "Well made and pretty."
Pros
- Available in four fabrics
- Ribbon detail
Cons
- Could be too fussy for some
Best thermal tea cosy
AmazonThis no-nonsense Muldale cosy should appeal to anyone who considers themselves a serious tea drinker and wants a robust solution to ensure their pot stays warmer for longer without the ribbons and frills. This is sized to fit teapots with up to a six-cup capacity and boasts thermal-level insulation. This is thanks to the extra-thick interior wadding and tough linen cotton outer. This cosy comes in four plain colours; a bold mustard yellow, a vibrant red, a classic black, and a handsome Oxford navy blue.
Customer review: "I've been using it every day for three months and it's just amazing. It's nice and big for my biggest teapot. It keeps tea warm for more than an hour."
Pros
- Extra-thick interior
- Linen finish
Cons
- Higher cost than others
Best novelty tea cosy
AmazonThis whimsical design would make a cute gift choice for the dog-lover in your life, or for you if you're partial to a touch of dog-themed design adding some canine charm to your home. This is generously sized, so can easily fit a full-size teapot within it. This has polyester padding to help with heat retention and a cotton outer. We like the paw-themed tartan fabric, the embroidery and applique detail, and the super-sweet, spotty neckerchief which matches the material of the lining.
Customer review: "A really good tea cosy. Large enough for a good-sized tea pot. High quality materials and fun design. Great product!"
Pros
- Applique detail
- Makes a great gift
Cons
- Hand wash only
Best personalised tea cosy
Etsy www.etsy.com
We're big fans of any personalisable gifts you can add a heart-warming custom touch to and this charming tea cosy is just that. Featuring an applique teapot on the front as standard, you can then choose to fit words of 19 characters (including spaces and punctuation) above the teapot, and words of up to 14 characters below. This is handmade by a clever crafter in the UK using heavy-weight cotton linen and is fully padded and lined to keep the teapot warm.
Customer review: "Outstanding quality of finish - it's beautiful. Very neatly stitched and simply flawless."
Pros
- Unique design
- Customisable
Cons
- Sponge clean only
What to consider when shopping for a tea cosy...
Tea cosies aren't particularly complex products, but it's worth considering a few factors when you're picking one out:
Material: Look for tea cosies made of a material that is both attractive and practical, such as cotton, linen, or wool. It's also worth considering if you need the cosy to be machine-washable.
Insulation: Choose a tea cosy that can maintain heat and keep your beverage warm for longer periods of time. Thermal-level cosies will offer the most heat retention.
Size: Make sure the tea cosy fits snugly around your favourite teapot to ensure effective insulation. Most tea cosy product descriptions will make it clear what capacity teapot they can cover.
Style: Look for a tea cosy that matches your aesthetic preferences, such as classic designs or modern patterns. Do you want the cosy to work with your kitchen's decor or coordinate with your living spaces?
Amy-Mae Turner is a Commerce Content Writer for Modern Gardens, Yours, Take A Break Pets, and A Modern Kitchen. When she's not pottering in the garden or mucking around in the kitchen, she can be found having doggy cuddles with her two beloved cockapoochis.