Top gadgets for summer home parties for 2023

As summer approaches, the excitement of planning and hosting vibrant outdoor parties takes over. Choosing the right electronics can help create a memorable and enjoyable experience. Here’s a list of some essentials that could elevate your summer soirees:

1. Portable Bluetooth Speakers: Music sets the tone for any party, making speakers a must-have. Choose a portable Bluetooth speaker for its flexibility and convenience. These speakers come in a range of sizes and sound capacities, many offering excellent battery life and even waterproof or weather-resistant capabilities – perfect for beach outings or pool parties. Brands like JBL, Bose, and Ultimate Ears have a variety of high-quality options.
2. Projector: If your summer party is set to run into the evening, an outdoor projector can be a fantastic investment. Projectors can be used for movie nights under the stars, sharing a slideshow of memories, or even just creating ambient visuals. Make sure you have a suitable flat surface or screen for projecting.
3. Grill or Electric Smoker: What’s a summer party without some delicious barbecue? An electronic grill or smoker can make cooking more efficient and enjoyable. Some high-tech models even offer Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connectivity, allowing you to monitor your grilling progress remotely.
4. Charging Station: To keep the party going, set up a charging station where your guests can recharge their devices. This can be as simple as having a surge protector with multiple outlets, or you could invest in a charging dock that can accommodate several devices at once.

Remember, while electronics can enhance your party, the most important aspect of any summer gathering is the enjoyment and camaraderie shared between friends and family. So plan well, but don’t forget to take a moment to relax and enjoy the festivities.

Here are some of our favorite suggestions:

Best Outdoor Speakers

Bluetooth or wireless speakers designed for outdoor use can create a lively atmosphere by playing your favorite music or setting the mood with relaxing tunes.

Best speaker for larger yards:
Sony XP500 Portable Bluetooth Speaker – $299

This massive Bluetooth speaker doubles as a karaoke machine and light show. You can plug your microphone right into the unit to sing along with streaming music and it also has two USB charging ports that let you get some juice out of the 20-hour battery. Ambient lights add a little color to the party and the massive speakers and bass response will make your audio sound great.

Best speaker for smaller spaces:

Sonos Move – $399

The Sonos Move is a great, powerful indoor-outdoor speaker that supports Sonos’ excellent whole-home audio experience. It also supports Alexa and Sonos’ own voice control system and lasts for hours on a single charge. We suggest Sonos for whole home audio anyway so this is a great way to ease into the experience.

The Best Portable Projector

Anker NEBULA Mars II Pro – $549

A portable projector allows you to host outdoor movie nights. Set up a white sheet or projection screen, connect the projector to your laptop or media player, and enjoy movies, sports events, or even karaoke nights under the stars.

The Anker NEBULA Mars II Pro is a great, lower-cost outdoor projector that supports Wi-Fi streaming and Bluetooth and can play for three hours on a charge. One of the best and most powerful projectors out there, the Mars II has a compact, standalone design and is great for summer movie nights.

Best BBQ Grill

Masterbuilt Gravity Series 800 – $799

A high-quality barbecue grill or smoker is a must-have for summer entertaining. Whether you prefer traditional charcoal grills or the convenience of gas grills, these gadgets help you prepare delicious meals and keep your guests satisfied.

We recommend investing in a grill/smoker like the popular Traeger series. That said, we cannot recommend the Traeger series at this point because it is too expensive and pellets are difficult to source. Luckily a number of competitors have sprung up with better offerings.

One model we particularly like is the Masterbuilt Gravity Series 800. This grill includes a griddle, a grill, and a smoker and uses up to 16 lbs of briquettes or 10 lbs of lump charcoal to cook. The grill includes a griddle and cooking attachment and a digital temperature system ensures that your grill will stay hot. The best thing? It can hit temperatures of up to 700 degrees Fahrenheit, plenty for even the quickest cooks.

Best outdoor pizza oven

Bertello Outdoor Pizza Oven – $489

If you love pizza, an outdoor pizza oven can take your entertaining to the next level. These ovens heat up quickly and allow you to create crispy, restaurant-quality pizzas in your backyard.

Our recommendation is the Bertello Outdoor Pizza Oven. This oven can run on propane gas or charcoal and is small enough not to take up too much space on your porch. For $489.99 you get a complete kit including a pizza paddle, thermometer, propane control system, and cover.

Best cooler

Costway Car Refrigerator, 55-Quart Dual-zone Electric Cooler – $289

Keep your drinks cold and easily accessible with a dedicated outdoor beverage cooler. These coolers are designed to withstand outdoor conditions and can hold a large quantity of beverages.

We recommend the Costway Car Refrigerator, 55-Quart Dual-zone Electric Cooler for $289. This super cool cooler will chill your food and beers for hours thanks to a built-in low-power refrigerator system and a super-solid design that reduces heat loss. Why use a regular old cooler when you can use something that actively cools your goodies?

Best outdoor battery

Anker Powerbank – $169

This super cool power bank from Anker features an adjustable light on top that allows you to illuminate the picnic table or outdoor tent and even send an SOS. An onboard screen displays the battery remaining and the time to fully charge. You can also connect a solar array to the batter for truly eco-friendly and off-the-grid use. It has two USB and two USB-C slots for your charging pleasure.