5 useful essentials for flu season

1. Traditional Medicinals Throat Coat ($20 for six)

Professional singers swear by Throat Coat tea. It contains slippery-elm bark (which forms a soothing film over sore throats) as well as licorice root and marshmallow root. Cinnamon and orange peel add flavor. Buy it at Amazon.

2. Sferra Pettra Throw ($220)

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You can find showier throws to cuddle under, but it's hard to beat the cozy feel of this roomy Portuguese lamb's wool blanket. Available in six homey earth tones, it's perfect for napping on the sofa and dresses up any room. Buy it at Amazon.

3. Vicks Warm Mist Humidifier ($47)

Tired of sucking on cough drops? Though cool-air humidifiers are generally a smarter choice, only a warm-air humidifier can diffuse a liquid cough suppressant like Vicks VapoSteam, and this machine is sturdier than its rivals. Buy it at Amazon.

4. Kleenex Soothing Lotion Tissues ($31 for 18)

These lotion-infused Kleenex tissues won't chafe your nose and upper lip nearly as much as regular tissues. They contain aloe and vitamin E, and they strike "a great balance between feel and strength." Buy it at Amazon.

5. Physio Logic Fever-Bugz ($7 for eight)

Make a child's sick day more bearable with these wearable stickers, which monitor temperature for up to 48 hours. Because the reading appears on the sticker, you can even track a fever while the little patient keeps sleeping. Buy it at Amazon.

Editor's note: Every week The Week's editors survey product reviews and articles in websites, newspapers, and magazines, to find cool and useful new items we think you'll like. We're now making it easier to purchase these selections through affiliate partnerships with certain retailers. The Week may get a share of the revenue from these purchases.