I still love hanging out on my deck in the fall, even as the weather gets chilly. It’s a different feeling than summer, but a gentler one, with long chats into the night with friends in the warmth of a heater. In preparation for all the autumn festivities, we’ve tested grills, coolers, outdoor projectors and audio equipment, as well as kept tabs on various outdoor lighting and other great gadgets for your outdoor space.
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You can (and should) go down the rabbit hole on other outdoor tech, particularly grilling accessories and outdoor security cameras. Still, this list is all about entertaining in an outdoor space. If you spend your warmer days — or cooler ones if you have a good fire pit — with your friends and family, have a large enough backyard space and want to make the most of it, then any or all of these great tech choices are for you.
Pizza ovens are an outdoor cooking sensation. Smaller than your average grill, this propane-powered pizza preparer is simple to use and can evenly cook pizza, and other dough-based deliciousness at a rapid pace.
The hot stone in the center of the oven is heavy and needs a good amount of preheating before you put your pizza on, but once it’s ready, a homemade pie takes about six minutes to cook to perfection. The stone rotates so there’s no need to take the food out to move it or worry that it will be undercooked on one side.
The liftable lid is the other feature that really sets the Halo Versa apart from most pizza ovens. Once the food is cooked you tilt the lid up, giving you far more access and making it easy to get the food out without dropping it (something I’ve occasionally done on a normal oven).
Living in Virginia means I get cool winters and very hot summers. My backyard is set just right so no wind ever reaches it, making summer days stifling and in need of a breeze. The Shark FlexBreeze has been a godsend since it arrived because it offers wire-free cooling directly to me and my family. The battery charges quickly and lasts for hours, or it can be plugged in for continuous power if you aren’t using the mister. Oh, by the way, it also has a mister which is fantastic if you don’t mind being moist. For one more party trick, the Shark can pull apart into a shorter table fan, making it truly versatile.
This Cuisinart heater stands out from the options thanks to the adjustable arm that reaches out and away from the base and can rotate 360 degrees around it. This means the heater can be positioned in the middle when you and your group sit around a table, keeping everyone warm.
According to Cuisinart, the propane heater is rated at 38,200 BTUs, and the dome on top has a more downward curve than most, which helps push heat toward you. In testing, the heater consistently dropped in temperature as I moved away, only losing an average of about 4.5 degrees from the initial temperature increase of 12.73 degrees average at 1 foot.
This is easily the most extravagant thing on this list, but if you spend hours in your backyard like we do, having a TV designed to last is well worth it. This entry from Sylvox is water resistant against rain and splashing from the pool, can work in freezing temperatures as well as hot weather and is smart too.
The Google TV integration makes the entire TV very snappy and you get all of your favorite apps to play with. The volume is decent, though nothing to write home about, but the screen is incredibly bright. Even on the brightest day, I was able to watch Miraculous Ladybug with my daughter without any issues.
Smokeless fire pits are all the rage, and for good reasons, but there is so much more that you can do with these automatic ambiance creators. Aside from being excellent for making wood-fired pizza, there are a lot of accessories make fire pits all-around good grilling machines.
I love Breeo fire pits for the variety of styles offered, like the wonderfully bougie Luxeve, but what really makes these fire pits stand out is the durability and construction of them. Made from heavy gauge stainless steel (unless you go with the corten steel option for that natural patina look) and meticulously welded, Breeo fire pits are built to last.
So it stands to reason that the accessories for these fire pits would be great, too. The Outpost Grill accessory comes with a steel post, a cooking grate large enough to cover the entire fire pit opening, and a ground stake if you want to cook over a traditional campfire. When attached to your fire pit, you can easily adjust the height of the grate over the flames and swing it out of the way if you need to remove it from heat. The Outpost makes cooking everything from hot dogs to steaks over the fire a cinch. The Breeo flat top griddle is another accessory that makes cooking things like breakfast, loose veggies, and more so easy.
While many Bluetooth speakers suffer from poor bass reproduction, the HD-Force from Treblab sounds deep and rich at any volume. The battery will last the length of any outdoor gathering, and the flashing lights on top add a party atmosphere in the evenings.
The HD-Force also has an IPX6 water rating meaning it can survive an extended blast of high-pressure water or splashing. You won’t want to drop it in the pool, but it can handle all the splashing or sprinklers you could want.
With a heavy-duty acrylic “bulb” cover, these lights are not only more durable than most, but the shape of the acrylic refracts the light in multiple directions for a beautiful look, from warm glows to vibrant colors. It has Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Matter all in the mix for controlling these lights.
The lights get very bright and can be dimmed to the perfect level for any occasion. In addition to choosing any of the 16 million colors supported by these lights, you can also choose from preset themes to get the perfect ambiance for your patio.
A hammock is a wonderful way to relax outdoors. But you either need two trees near each other that are strong enough to hold you and your hammock up or some stand to attach your hammock to. Trees aren’t always exactly where you want them to be, and not all stands are easy to set up or durable enough to withstand being moved around. The Anymaka Portable Hammock Stand solves all of that.
The stand itself is extremely well-made and extremely easy to set up. Anymaka advertises that it takes three seconds to have it up and ready. I have to say that after a few tries, maybe it can be done in three seconds, but realistically, it will be a full five seconds to be set and adjusted. Attaching the hammock and cup holder takes an additional twenty seconds, and if you decide to put up the sunshade, you’re looking at another fifteen seconds. I was able to go from unpacking to napping in under a minute.
Not only is the process quick and easy, but the Anymaka hammock and stand are rated to withstand up to 550 lbs, so they’re durable, too. Carrying the entire pack with you isn’t going to ruin the relaxation you just experienced. After spending a whole two minutes taking the setup down, when packed into the carrying case, you’re looking at just over 26 pounds to haul with you for your next adventure.
Update: The River Pro has been replaced with the River 3, but the 3 is as good, if not better, than the River Pro.
Having a solar generator with you when you go places is great. I recently took my family to the local lake, and by setting up the Ecoflow River and its solar panel, I could keep all our devices charged and even help out some of our lakeside neighbors. I could also power the pump for all the inflatables on the beach!
The power station is helpful even at home, where I have outlets near. I have it set up at the other end of the yard with lights and seats for people to escape the noise and keep their phones charged.
If you want a TV for your outdoor space but either don’t want to spend the money on an outdoor TV or you already have a non-outdoor-rated television you want to use, then the Storm Shell is perfect. This enclosure has size options for TVs ranging from 32 to 75 inches. The durable plastic shell is mounted to the wall and comes with all the necessary hardware for a typical installation.
The Storm Shell also includes a power strip, cooling fan, articulating TV mount and locking clips for the front cover to keep your TV secure. Once inside, your TV is completely protected from the elements. This won’t add to the television’s temperature resistance, so keep that in mind for your location. Pricing ranges from $350 for the smallest base model to $1,000 for the Pro variant.
