Polygon Picks: accessories and games for the outdoors

Polygon Picks

The Polygon Picks badge is awarded to each of these special products, as we believe they can better our readers’ lives. Through a mix of research and testing of the market’s wide array of offerings, we’ve singled out these Picks as being exemplary and worthy of your consideration. These are the things we like and we hope you will, too.

Nintendo Switch OLED, $350

This upgraded version of the standard Switch features more internal storage, better audio, an improved kickstand, and best of all, a larger and more vibrant OLED display. Thanks to its slim profile, robust battery life, and vast library of exclusive titles, the Nintendo Switch OLED is the best option for handheld gaming.

Amazon

Nintendo

GameStop

Kubb, $55

A lawn game that’s ideal for anyone who’s played one too many games of cornhole, Kubb is an eccentric cross between cricket and lawn bowling. While it’s a bit difficult to explain out of context, if chucking wood around your backyard sounds like a good time, you should definitely give Kubb a try at your next outdoor gathering.

Amazon

Steam Deck OLED, $550

The upgraded version of Valve’s handheld is equipped with a more efficient battery and an HDR OLED display, yet it somehow manages to be lighter than the original Steam Deck. Not quite as affordable or lightweight as the Nintendo Switch OLED, the Steam Deck OLED is a fantastic way to play many Steam PC games like Elden Ring or Armored Core 6 in the great outdoors.

Steam

SolarPuff Lantern, $35

Keep your party going well into the twilight hours with the SolarPuff Lantern. These collapsible, waterproof, solar-powered lanterns charge during the day, giving you up to 12 hours of RGB lighting. Each cube weighs a little under 3 pounds and packs down to a compact 4-inch square, allowing you to tote a bunch of these to your preferred camping spot without weighing you down too much.

Amazon

Tellstones: The Kings Gambit, $30

Tellstones: The King’s Gambit is a quick and simple game of bluffing, memory, and a bit of luck. Each round of Tellstones plays out like a double-sided shell game where players challenge each other to shuffle, hide, and call out the icons on each of the game’s seven stones. Thanks to its light ruleset and limited set of components that shouldn’t easily blow away in the wind, Tellstones is an excellent choice for playing outdoors.

Riot Games

Wise Owl Portable Hammock, $33

Sometimes, the trick to being more productive starts and ends with hammocks. If you’ve got a couple of trees fewer than 18 feet apart, you can set up the Wise Owl portable hammock in minutes for some prime outdoor lounging. Each nylon hammock is available in a variety of colors and can hold up to 400 pounds of weight.

Amazon

Anker 737 Power Bank, $105

If you’re going somewhere that won’t have a power outlet to charge your devices, a high-capacity power bank is essential. The Anker 737 isn’t the cheapest option out there, but it’s one of the coolest. This 24,000 mAh power bank features an output of 140 W, which is more than sufficient to charge handheld devices and most laptops, ensuring you’ll never be without juice when you need it most.

Amazon

GCI Camping Chair, $60

Next time you get invited to a picnic, maybe just bring this chair instead of awkwardly changing position every five minutes. The GCI camping chair is a slim, lightweight model with straps to carry it on your back. It also has a foldout table with a cup holder, so you wont have to worry about finding a level surface for your drink.

GCI Outdoors

UE Megaboom 3, $200

The UE Megaboom 3 is the Bluetooth speaker that powered my engagement party. This simple waterproof speaker can float in water and supply tunes for up to 20 hours without recharging. Playback and volume are controlled through a trio of almost comically large buttons, and the Megaboom 3 can pair up with other UE-branded speakers for louder sound.

Amazon

Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, $380

The Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses are basically the gold standard for intelligent eyewear. While far from perfect, these relatively innocuous shades are available in a few styles and allow you to take pictures, capture video, make calls, listen to music, and do even more using voice commands. Their utility and price won’t appeal to everyone, but if you’re looking for a pair of shades that do some cool stuff without making you look like a total dork, the Meta smart glasses are currently your best option.

Meta

Anker Nebula Capsule, $300

The Anker Nebula Capsule projector is the most convenient way to stage a TV show or movie viewing outdoors. Not much larger than a soda can, the Anker Nebula Capsule features a built-in speaker and can run for up to three hours at full brightness without having to recharge. Content is accessible through a variety of apps available via the Capsule’s built-in Android OS, and it can also be hooked up to external HDMI sources, like a Roku Streaming Stick or a gaming console.

Amazon

Walmart

Smokeless Fire Pit, $140

Being outdoors turns a lot of us into pyromaniacs, sometimes out of necessity. If you are tempted to start a small fire outdoors to cook, at least be safe about it. This smokeless fire pit provides you with a convenient place to roast weenies or marshmallows and generally burn stuff without the risk of unintentionally setting fire to nature.

Amazon

Alpha Industries Jacket, $180

Everyone loves spring because it’s not too hot and not too cold — all you need is a light jacket. If you need a cool one for yourself, we can recommend virtually any of the bomber jacket options from Alpha Industries. These durable and stylish flight jackets are great for layering in springtime or fall weather and are machine washable.

Alpha Industries

Chillbo Shwaggins Inflatable Chair, $60

Good chair, great name. If you don’t have a couple of trees handy for a hammock, we’d reccomend bringing along an inflatable chair from Chillbo. These durable, waterproof nylon bags gulp down air and clip shut, quickly transforming into a portable chair fit for one (or two, if you want to get cozy with someone).

Amazon

Analogue Pocket, $220

The Analogue Pocket is the record player of gaming handhelds. It’s the definitive way to play your old cartridges for the Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, and more. This handheld is equipped with a vivid LCD screen, a rechargeable battery, remappable controls, and the ability to save your games at any point, all of which your adolescent self could only dream of.

Analogue

Twelve South Airfly Duo, $45

For all of the bells and whistles featured in fancy Bluetooth earbuds and headphones, there still isn’t a convinient way to share audio with someone nearby. If you need an easy way to privately share another audio source with another person, your best bet is something like the Twelve South Airfly Duo. This dongle is compatible with any device with an 3.5mm audio jack and can stream audio to two sets of Bluetooth headphones simultaneously.

Amazon

Kiriko Bandanas, $45

Bandanas deserve better than paisley. If you’re looking for a sharp springtime accessory, look no further than Kiriko’s classic collection of bandanas. These cotton bandanas come in an impressive collection of different prints and patterns that are sure to turn heads while keeping yours cool.

Kiriko