20 Hot Gadgets For A Cool Summer

Summer 2018

Maybe you've begun to see the signs of summer all around you. But what you may not be seeing are the gadgets you'll need to make the most of the warm months ahead. To help aid in your preparations--and possibly turn a good summer outing into a great one--we've assembled a list of some of the top gadgets for hitting the beach, hiking, grilling, camping and more in 2018.

What follows are 20 gadgets we've come across for making your summer the coolest.

Lifeproof Aquaphonics AQ9

This highly portable Bluetooth speaker from Lifeproof is also waterproof, making it an ideal companion for beach trips. It's submersible as deep as 3.3 feet for up to a half hour, and as an added bonus, the speaker actually floats. Other capabilities include pairing with up to eight devices, battery life of up to 16 hours, drop protection and a built-in carabiner for attaching to your backpack.

The Lifeproof Aquaphonics AQ9 is priced at $49.99 on Best Buy's website.

Coolest Cooler

This retro-looking cooler does a lot more than chilling beers and hamburgers--it's more like a summer getaway in a box. Features of the Coolest Cooler include an ice-crushing blender, a splash-proof Bluetooth speaker, a USB-charging port, a built-in bottle opener and a cutting board. The cooler also comes with a corkscrew, a knife and four plates--and the company says the cooler is insulated enough to keep ice frozen for up to five days. While the Coolest Cooler is still in pre-order phase, shipping begins June 25--leaving time for use during your July outings.

The Coolest Cooler with blender is priced at $399.99.

Weber iGrill 3

Weber's tagline for the latest version of its connected meat thermometer, the iGrill 3, is "take the guesswork out of grilling." Translation: you can succeed at grill duty even if you're not standing over the grill for the whole party. The iGrill 3 thermometer connects to an app on your smartphone, enabling you to monitor the progress on up to four cuts of meat. Once the meat is ready to serve, you'll get an alert on your device (both iOS and Android are supported).

The Weber iGrill 3 is priced at $87.50 on Amazon.

CampStove 2

Going on a camping trip doesn't need to mean going off the grid. This portable camping stove not only cooks meals and boils water, it keeps your devices charged up, as well. The heat of the fire in the stove generates three watts of electricity, which can be used to charge devices or the integrated 2,600mAh battery. Recent upgrades include a 50-percent boost in power and the addition of an LED dashboard for better controlling fan speeds, fire strength and battery level.

The BioLite CampStove 2 is priced at $129.95 on Amazon.

Eceen Solar Hiking Backpack

There's no need to wait for the campfire to charge up your devices, though. On your hike to the campsite, you can keep your devices charged with this solar panel-containing backpack. The Eceen Solar Hiking Backpack offers seven watts of power for charging devices, and has a variety of pockets including for storing a laptop or tablet. The backpack is also lightweight at 3.5 pounds and made from water-resistant fabric.

The Eceen Solar Hiking Backpack is priced at $89.99 on Amazon.

Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Edition

Car rides to your summer destination aren't usually the fun part, especially when you have kids. Amazon is looking to make the trip more bearable with the Fire HD 8 Kids Edition, an 8-inch tablet featuring a "kid-proof" case and up to 12 hours of battery life for even the longest rides. The tablet also includes 32 GB of storage with up to 256 GB of expandable storage for downloading your child's favorite movies and programs.

The Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Edition is priced at $129.99.

HP Envy x2

But what about an on-the-road tablet for adults? HP's Envy x2 may be the answer thanks to its ability to stay connected at all times over LTE, just like a smartphone. The cellular connectivity is enabled by the use of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor--which also offers advantages around extending battery life, with the tablet capable of getting up to 22 hours on a charge. In short: the 12.3-inch Windows tablet could be a game changer for road trips this summer.

The HP Envy x2 is priced at $999.99.

iOttie Easy One Touch 4 Car Mount

If you've been putting off getting a smartphone mount for your vehicle, consider your upcoming summer road trip the perfect excuse. This mount from iOttie offers easier locking and releasing of a smartphone, and also attaches conveniently to your dashboard or windshield using a suction cup. Additionally, the mount's "telescopic arm" lets you easily move your device for optimal viewing angles.

The iOttie Easy One Touch 4 Car Mount is priced at $24.95 on Amazon.

Bose SoundSport In-Ear Headphones

This could be the summer that you get your workout routine back on track. First, though, you need to get your headphones situation figured out. With the SoundSport In-Ear Headphones, users not only get Bose's much-respected audio quality, but the headphones' tips will also conform to a user's ear shape to stay in place. Additionally, the headphones are made from weather- and sweat-resistant materials for jogs and other workouts.

The Bose SoundSport In-Ear Headphones are priced at $99 on Amazon.

Under Armour HOVR Sonic Running Shoe

For starters, this is a nice running shoe--the HOVR Sonic features advanced cushioning for reducing impact and "maintaining energy return" to runners, according to Under Armour. But the reason the HOVR Sonic makes this list is that this is "connected" running shoe, with sensors that track and analyze a variety of running metrics with the help of the MapMyRun app.

The Under Armour HOVR Sonic is available in both men's and women's versions, and priced at $110.

Thermos Connected Water Bottle

Live it up this summer, but don't forget to hydrate. For those of us in need of some help with that, there's the Thermos connected water bottle. The 24-ounce bottle includes a "smart" lid that measures your intake of liquids and feeds the data to the Thermos Smart Lid app. The app also calculates a suggested hydration goal for you and shows your progress toward meeting the goal.

The Thermos Hydration Bottle with Connected Smart Lid is priced at $48 on Amazon.

Apple Watch Series 3

Apple fans who love to get outdoors will find the third generation of the Apple Watch to be the most useful yet: Series 3 goes beyond its predecessors with the addition of cellular connectivity. That means the smartwatch won't need proximity to an iPhone any longer, including for uses such as making phone calls and using Siri. Plus, along with being "swim-proof" like the previous generation, the Apple Watch Series 3 case is not any larger than the second-gen model.

The Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS + Cellular) is priced at $399.

Fitbit Ionic

The first true smartwatch from Fitbit, the Fitbit Ionic runs Fitbit OS, an operating system based in part on Fitbit's Pebble acquisition. The smartwatch continues Fitbit's emphasis on health and fitness with capabilities such as GPS, heart-rate tracking, guided workouts and sleep tracking. The Ionic also offers smartwatch features including apps, music, notifications and payments. In addition, the Fitbit Ionic promises up to five days worth of battery life on a charge.

The Fitbit Ionic is priced at $299.95.

Lumos Smart Bike Helmet

It's bicycling season, but that doesn't mean drivers will be paying any more attention to the road (or to you). The Lumos Smart Bike Helmet can help get their attention, however, with built-in LED lights on both the front and back (which can be set to flashing). A wireless handlebar remote, meanwhile, allows you to signal on the helmet when you're making a turn. And a motion sensor detects when you're slowing down, and turns the helmet light to red as an indicator to others on the road.

The Lumos Smart Bike Helmet is priced at $179.99.

Samsung Galaxy S8 Active

Samsung's latest athletics- and outdoors-oriented smartphone is the Galaxy S8 Active (no S9 Active just yet). The 5.8-inch phone rates highly on durability with a shatter-resistant screen and metallic frame, as well as having strong water and dust resistance. The phone also features an "Activity Zone" on the Bixby home screen with easy access to tools such as a compass, stopwatch and flashlight.

The Samsung Galaxy S8 Active is priced at $849.99.

OXO Good Grips Cold Brew Coffee Maker

Cold brew fans, it's probably about time you invest in making your own this summer rather than paying $4 per cup at the coffee shop. OXO Good Grips Cold Brew Coffee Maker could be a very good return-on-investment with its competitive price, simple brewing process and close attention to flavor extraction. The coffee maker has capacity for four cups, or 32 ounces, per brew.

The OXO Good Grips Cold Brew Coffee Maker is priced at $49.95 on Amazon.

NutriBullet Pro Blender

Maybe fresh smoothies are more your thing. If so, the NutriBullet Pro is a great blender option (and relatively affordable, too) with its 900-watt motor for pulverizing fruits, vegetables and seeds. The NutriBullet Pro can blend up to 32 ounces, which should be more than enough to satisfy your summer smoothie craving.

The NutriBullet Pro is priced at $79 on Amazon.

Sennheiser HD 4.50 Headphones

This summer, you should be able to enjoy a nap in your hammock without hearing your neighbor's barking dog. Throwing on some noise-canceling headphones is probably the smart solution. Among the top noise-canceling headphone options out there is Sennheiser's HD 4.50, which has the added feature of connecting wirelessly over Bluetooth. The headphones are also significantly less expensive than competing options from Bose.

The Sennheiser HD 4.50 Headphones are priced at $179.95.

Kindle Paperwhite

Getting in your beach reading doesn't need to mean lugging around a lot of books this summer. If you think you may be ready to switch to e-books, Amazon's Kindle Paperwhite is an e-reader offering a paper-like reading experience. The 6-inch Kindle includes a glare-free display--ideal for your outdoor reading ambitions--with twice the resolution of the previous model. The e-reader also features strong battery life, so you typically won't have to worry about charging up for weeks at a time.

The Kindle Paperwhite is priced at $119.99.

GoPro HERO

GoPro remains the go-to for easily capturing summer's greatest moments. Now, GoPro is offering an entry-level model for its HERO series, dubbed simply the HERO. The camera includes water resistance to depths of 30 feet, HD video, video stabilization and 10-megapixel photos. The HERO also includes voice control features, as well as a 2-inch touch display.

The GoPro HERO is priced at $199.99.