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I still love hanging out on my deck in the fall, even when it’s cold. It is a different feeling than summer, but softer, with long talks until late into the night with friends in the heat of a heater. In preparation for all the fall festivities, we’ve tried grillsrefrigerators, outdoor projectors and audio equipment, as well as tracking various outdoor lighting and other great gadgets for your outdoor space.
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You can (and should) go down the rabbit hole with other outdoor technologies, particularly grilling accessories and exterior security cameras. Still, this list is about entertaining in an outdoor space. If you spend the warmer days (or the colder ones if you have a good campfire) with your friends and family, have a big enough backyard space, and want to make the most of it, then any or all of these great tech options are for you.
Pizza ovens are an outdoor kitchen sensation. Smaller than your average grill, this propane-powered pizza maker is easy to use and can evenly cook pizza and other dough-based delicacies at a fast pace.
The hot stone in the center of the oven is heavy and needs a good amount of preheating before putting the pizza in, but once it’s ready, a homemade pie takes about six minutes to cook to perfection. The stone rotates, so you don’t have to remove the food to move it or worry about it being undercooked on one side.
The lift-up 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, which gives you much more access and makes it easier to remove the food without it falling out (something I’ve done occasionally in a regular oven).
Living in Virginia means having cool winters and very hot summers. My backyard is set up so the wind never comes, making summer days sweltering and in need of a breeze. The Shark FlexBreeze has been a blessing since it arrived because it offers cordless cooling directly to me and my family. The battery charges quickly and lasts for hours, or can be plugged in for continuous power if you’re not using the mister. Oh, by the way, it also has a mister which is fantastic if you don’t mind being wet. For one more party trick, the Shark can detach and become a shorter table fan, making it truly versatile.
This Cuisinart warmer stands out from the options thanks to the adjustable arm that extends in and out of the base and can rotate 360 degrees around it. This means the heater can be placed 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 temperature dropped steadily as I moved further away, losing only an average of about 4.5 degrees from the initial temperature rise 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, it’s worth it to have a TV that’s built to last. This entry from Sylvox is waterproof against rain and pool splashes, can operate in both sub-zero temperatures and hot climates, and is smart too.
The Google TV integration makes the entire TV very snappy and you can play with all your favorite apps. The volume is decent, although 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 problems.
Smokeless fire pits are all the rage, and for good reason, but there’s so much more you can do with these automatic mood creators. In addition to being great for making wood-fired pizza, there are many accessories that make stoves good grilling machines.
I love Breeo stoves for the variety of styles they offer, such as the wonderful bougie LuxeveBut what really makes these stoves stand out is their durability and construction. Made of heavy gauge stainless steel (unless you choose 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 stoves are fantastic 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 above the flames and move it out of the way if you need to remove it from the heat. The Outpost makes cooking everything from sausages to steaks over the fire a breeze. He Breeo flat iron It’s another accessory that makes cooking things like breakfast, loose vegetables, and more a breeze.
While many Bluetooth speakers have poor bass reproduction, Treblab’s HD-Force sounds deep and rich at any volume. The battery will last the duration of any outdoor gathering and the flashing lights on top add a party atmosphere at night.
The HD-Force also has an IPX6 water rating, meaning it can survive a prolonged blast of high-pressure water or splashes. You don’t want it to drop into the pool, but it can withstand all the splashes or sprinklers you could want.
Featuring a heavy-duty acrylic “bulb” cover, these lights are not only more durable than most, but the shape of the acrylic refracts 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 to control these lights.
The lights become 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 ambience for your patio.
A hammock is a wonderful way to relax outdoors. But you need two trees close to each other that are strong enough to support you and your hammock or some support to attach your hammock to. Trees aren’t always exactly where you want them to be, and not all supports are easy to install or durable enough to resist movement. The Anymaka Portable Hammock Stand solves all that.
The stand itself is very well made and very easy to assemble. Anymaka announces that it takes three seconds to get it 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 set it up and adjust it. Placing the hammock and cup holder will take you twenty more seconds, and if you decide to place the umbrella, you will be waiting another fifteen seconds. I was able to go from unpacking to taking a nap in less than a minute.
Not only is the process quick and easy, but the Anymaka hammock and stand are rated to hold up to 550 pounds, so they’re durable too. Carrying the entire package with you won’t ruin the relaxation you just experienced. After spending a full two minutes disassembling the setup, when you put it in the carrying case, it weighs just over 26 pounds to take with you on your next adventure.
Update: The River Pro has been replaced by the River 3, but the 3 is just 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 installing the Ecoflow River and its solar panel, I was able to keep all of our devices charged and even help out some of our lakeside neighbors. It could also power the pump for all the inflatables on the beach!
The power station is useful even at home, where I have outlets nearby. I set it up at the far end of the patio with lights and seating for people to escape the noise and keep their phones charged.
If you want a TV for your outdoor space but don’t want to spend money on an outdoor TV or already have a non-outdoor TV that you want to use, then the Storm Shell is perfect. This cabinet has size options for TVs ranging from 32 to 75 inches. The durable plastic housing mounts to the wall and comes with all the hardware needed for a typical installation.
Storm Shell also includes a power strip, cooling fan, articulating TV stand, and front cover locking clips to keep your TV secure. Once inside, your TV will be completely protected from the elements. This will not increase the temperature resistance of the TV, so keep this in mind for your placement. Pricing ranges from $350 for the smallest base model to $1,000 for the Pro variant.
