"The Best Thing" was also pressed as a 7" jukebox single in Italy, where it was paired with the B-side track "A Nanny in Manhattan", performed by the American band Lilys.

[7] The record label had hoped that Ivy would receive considerable radio airplay, in light of musical trends during the same time period when Apartment Life was scheduled to be released.

[5] A pop song,[10] it features "rippling atmospherics" and a "punk-ish guitar", with a user from Sputnikmusic commenting that it may have been influenced by the American band Pixies.

[12] Durand "stretch[es] out each syllable" while singing in a style that is reminiscent of the German musician Nico during the lyrics: "She's driving fast / She took the family car / She's getting high / She's never slipped so far".

[1] Vickie Gilmer and Ira Robbins from Trouser Press described the song as an "engaging opener" and lauded it and album track "I've Got a Feeling" for being catchy.

Club claimed that the rest of Apartment Life does not match the quality of "The Best Thing", but also stated that the entire album "never slips too far" because the end product includes "impeccably tasteful performances".