Best garden tech 2023: top outdoor gadgets for an easier life

Dec 16, 2023

From robot lawn mowers and speakers, to hot tubs, solar panels, and more

We’ve rounded up the best garden techto help make your life in the sun that little bit easier. Hate mowing the lawn? Get a robot lawn mower to do it for you. Want to sink into the warming embrace of an LED-lit hot tub? Go right ahead. Here's the best outdoor tech around.

Hell, you can even bask in the glow of a giant overhead heating lamp when the sun sets, as dulcet tones from Café del Mar are gently beamed out of a waterproof speaker. All this, and more, can be found below. Because sometimes, you deserve to relax too.

No list of the best garden tech would be complete without a robot. And the EcoFlow Blade is, simply put, one of the best, most advanced robot lawn mowers ever made. Resembling a futuristic Martian ATV, it's rammed with all manner of impressively clever tech and sensors. All of which helps it navigate your lawn without the need for any pesky, time-consuming guide wires. That's right. This is one of the very few robot lawn mowers that don't need you to faff around with laying down wiring in advance. Huzzah!

A floating blade ensures consistent (adjustable) cuts on even bumpy terrain. Then, a wider cutting width and height ensure it slices and dices faster than the competition. Its IPX5 water resistance, combined with the optional sweeping attachment for collecting debris like leaves and twigs, makes it one of the best, most practical options around. Oh, and it charges itself too. What's not to love?

JBL's mighty Boombox 3 packs in more than enough oomph to start and maintain even the most capacious of garden parties. There's a generous 30W power rating and oodles of thumping bass, courtesy of a new subwoofer.

Its 24-hour battery means it’ll last long after guests have left and/or passed out amidst the gnomes. Plus a formidable IP67 water and dustproof rating should handle downpours and spilt cocktails with ease.

At 6.7kg, it's a little on the hefty side, but all that power has to come from somewhere. The built-in handle makes for easy transportation. Plus you can rest easy in the knowledge that its tank-like build will last for years to come.

Want to level up your outdoor ambience without messing around with cables or electricians? Philips’ handy, portable, and rechargeable indoor/outdoor Go table lamp is the answer.

Featuring a delightfully minimalist IP54 splashproof design, the Hue Go blends form and function together seamlessly. The rubberised grip is available in a range of different colours.

With a battery life of 48 hours and all the hues of, er, Hue, available at the touch of a button, it's made even better by a sleek charging base.

A patio heater might not be your first thought when it comes to the best garden tech, but this ain't no ordinary bit of utilitarian kit.

Yes, it does resemble a traditionally stylish indoor overhanging lamp complete with shade. But Kettler's swanky electric patio heater is the perfect solution for those if you don't want to mess around with gas canister replacements.

With enough power to heat a group of people directly from above, it’ll come in very useful on chillier nights. And, of course, it’ll resemble a sculptural work of art in the process.

Read more: Culinary smarts: the best smart kitchen tech

This is the second time in this article we’re going to mention the avoidance of messing around with cables or electricians. We’ve got nothing against them,, but if we can avoid the disruption of having cable channels dug up, then we will. And that's before you get to the cost.

Enter Jackery's do-it-all Wonder Battery. Or, to give it its proper name, the Solar Generator 1500 Pro + SolarSaga 200W. The former refers to a gargantuan 1512Wh-capacity portable battery. It boasts an 1800W output, three-pin sockets, USB ports (including dual 100W Type-C capability and Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0), and much more.

For context, all that power is enough to run a TV for 17.5 hours, a microwave for 70 minutes, or charge an iPhone 13 63 times. Phew. This particular bundle comes complete with a solar panel capable of up to 1400W solar power input to keep things topped up. The unit itself takes a mere two hours to charge directly from the wall.

From lamps and speakers, to phones and more, it can charge it all. The garden no longer needs to be cut off from the rest of civilisation, And it's obviously great for camping or festivals too.

A router might seem like an odd inclusion in a list of the best garden tech in 2023. Or best outdoor gadgets, if you will. But let us explain.

This particular model is a Wi-Fi 6 affair, complete with a 5G SIM slot for instant, fuss-free internet connectivity. Pop this into your garden office (or in a room closest to the garden, if you prefer). You’ll be able to enjoy blistering speeds without ever having to worry about reeling out metres and metres of Ethernet or power cables again.

Supporting Alexa and Google Home for added convenience, this could be the ultimate solution to your home/garden connectivity woes.

The days of grotty hot tubs are over. Today's modern offerings are a cinch to set up, with plenty of advanced features to help you relax, while ensuring consistently clean and filtered water in the process.

Take this Santorini model from Lay-Z-Spa. It's inflatable, for a start, making setting things up easy as pressing a single button. Despite this, it's durable and built to last, and comes complete with built-in inflatable seating and head pillows for additional comfort.

A total of 10 HydroJet outlets should be more than enough bubbles for a full body massage. Plus colour-changing LED lights will effortlessly help see the mood.

A rapid heating system gets the water to a soothing 40-degrees in no time. And Freeze Shield tech prevents any icy shenanigans in winter. Turn the heat off, and you can even use it as a way to cool off on those hot summer days.

If you want to keep a watchful eye on your outdoor domain while you’re out and about, then you’ll want a decent outdoor home security cam setup you can rely on.

Enter the S330 kit from eufyCam. Featuring two solar-powered waterproof outdoor cameras, they only need two hours of daily direct sunlight to keep them charged.

Standout features include a crisp 4K resolution, Bionic Mind AI smarts to differentiate between family and strangers, and, mercifully, a local storage option in the form of the HomeBase 3, which lets you create up to 16TB of expandable storage on a portable hard drive. In other words, no monthly subscriptions for cloud storage services. Result.

With no electricity, LEDs, or wires in sight, this food prep station emblazoned with world-renowned chef Heston Blumenthal's moniker, might be seen as a bit of a stretch in an article about the best garden tech in 2023.

Then again, everything else in this list is designed to make your outdoor life that little bit easier, and if you’re a passionate garden cook — with all manner of pizza ovens, barbeques, and smokers dotted around your lawn or patio — then this prep station will be an absolute godsend.

Not only does it offer extra wheelable worktop space, but it's packed with useful features including a built-in bin, roll holder, ingredient compartments, internal cupboard space, and more.

Made from premium stainless steel and food-safe, weather-resistant acacia wood, it's a luxurious accessory for culinary connoisseurs that want to elevate their food prep game.