Article updated on September 5, 2024 at 10:00 AM PDT
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James Bricknell Senior Editor
James has been writing about technology for years but has loved it since the early 90s. While his main areas of expertise are maker tools -- 3D printers, vinyl cutters, paper printers, and laser cutters -- he also loves to play board games and tabletop RPGs.
Expertise 3D printers, maker tools such as Cricut style vinyl cutters and laser cutters, and traditional paper printers Credentials
- 6 years working professionally in the 3D printing space / 4 years testing consumer electronics for large websites.
Chris Wedel Home Tech Editor
Chris Wedel is a fan of all things tech and gadgets. Living in rural Kansas with his wife and two young boys makes finding ways to stay online tricky — not to mention making my homestead smarter. However, by utilizing his years of experience in the tech and mobile communications industries, success is assured. When not conquering the outdoors and testing new gadgets, Chris enjoys cruising a gravel road in his UTV with some good tunes, camping, and hanging out with his family.
Expertise Smart home devices, outdoors gadgets, smartphones, wearables, kid's tech, and some dabbling in 3D printing Credentials
- Covered the mobile and smart home tech space for the past five years for multiple large publications.
While the summer heat may be borderline unbearable, there are plenty of products that can not only make your backyard tolerable, but enjoyable during the blazing summer months. In preparation for all the 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. These are some of the best outdoor tech devices for 2024.
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 6 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).
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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 large solar light has an elegant design that can be screwed into your deck near a pool or walkway to give a beautiful glow all night long. Or you can do what I've done and use it in place of a real flame fire pit. The soft, warm light gives that same ambiance a fire pit does without adding degrees of heat to the surrounding area.
My family and I love to hang out in the yard during the summer, but the temperatures are in the mid-80s, much too hot for a real flame. The Skye from Mod Lighting is an excellent compromise.
Most propane patio heaters have two issues: They are ugly, and they heat from the top. The East Oak patio heater has this cool fire effect running through the center that looks excellent and helps heat you and your friends. A normal heater rains heat down on your tall friend's head, but this one radiates it out so you can all enjoy the 48,000 BTU it gives off, enough to heat a 15-foot diameter space.
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.
For the last two years, we've rounded up coolers across the price spectrum, from $10 disposable models to $300 coolers made of rotomolded plastic. The Igloo MaxCold isn't the most amazing performer, but it's in the top five, above coolers that cost more than $200. If you want to splurge, Cabela's, Orca and Yeti all have rotomolded designs that will keep their contents colder for longer, but the small gap between those models and this $100-ish Igloo MaxCold make it hard to justify spending more.
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.
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.
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.
Outdoor lighting can be very boring, but it doesn't have to be. These smart lights from Govee are designed to be staked into the grass along pathways, and they work great to highlight your path in assorted colors. I used them a little differently, though.
Using command strips I attached them around the rail on my balcony. Now, because they are controlled by your phone and can dance to the music, I have an awesome light show when I have friends over to party.
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.