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Mar 26, 2024

26 Things You Need For A “Staycation”

We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed collects a share of sales and/or other compensation

We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed collects a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.

All the fun of a vacation without the hassle of travel.

BuzzFeed Staff

It's also got a bench and cup holders!

Promising review: "I have had this pool for about two weeks now and I LOVE IT!!! Was simple to set up, I got a little electric pump and it took about 10 minutes to inflate, then about half an hour to fill with water. Pay attention to making sure you set it up on level ground or it will be lopsided. I live in South Carolina so it is already hot and humid, and I use it about every afternoon. It is probably good for two adults, maybe one adult and a couple of kids. The built-in seat and headrest are really quite comfy and relaxing. I will definitely buy this same pool again if it springs a leak and can't be fixed, if I could give it a 10 stars I would. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!!!" —kathryn j.

Get it from Amazon for $51.99.

Promising review: "This floaty is huge! It’s big enough for an adult to lie on and not even touch the water. It doesn’t have a hole in the middle so it’s super comfortable. My friend's 5-year-old daughter loved it too! I’ve had it for over a month now, used several times with no issues at all." —Kelsey

Get it from Amazon for $33.99.

Promising review: "A wonderful gag and very useful. Cans of soda or beer fit in wonderfully — bottles work after you drink about half of the content, or they will tip over. We're debating how to personalize these so each person knows which one holds their particular drink." —JJ Hall

Get a pack of three from Amazon for $8.93 (available in 15 other styles).

Promising review: "The surface is large, but it can be rolled up and stored away in two minutes! The holes are slightly elevated (to create the holes) but negligible; unlike the one I had a long time ago that returned the ball. I like the shape of the mat (looks way more natural than a rectangular long strip) and the surface is soft and comfortable, yet it feels durable. I have no doubt I can make things more challenging by elevating certain areas underneath if I so desired. The 'sand trap' is also an excellent inclusion as it stops the golf balls from escaping the mat and keeping me from chasing down golf balls. Hopefully it can interest my kids to get off the electronics for a few minutes now and then, and if so, it will deserve an extra star. —Oniomaniac

Get it from Amazon for $35.09.

Promising review: "I love Coleman products!!! It's like affordability and quality had a child, and named it Coleman. Sure, there may be better/fancier tents, but this second home of mine has gone through the desert heat (Joshua Tree, Grand Canyon, Zion), snow (June Lake, California), perfect weather (Yosemite, Mammoth Lakes), rain, and it has held up beautifully since 2016. I bought the 6-person tent, and it held true. I love this tent, and I will keep using it until it is no longer usable, a lot of awesome memories with this tent." —Nunya B.

Get it from Amazon for $55.04+ (available in three colors and four sizes).

My colleague Heather Braga is a big fan of her Kindle! Here's her review:

"It's the thinnest and lightest Kindle Amazon has released to date! And — as is made abundantly clear by the photo above — it's 100% waterproof. I'm typically a hardcover girl through and through, but I recently gave the Kindle a whirl. It's very convenient to be able to slip it into any bag without it taking up much real estate and the transition between pages is very smooth."

If you're looking to save a bit of $$$ and don't mind buying an older version, check out our 2018 Kindle Paperwhite review.

Get it from Amazon for $139.99+ (available in three colors and two storage sizes).

I initially joined Book of the Month two years ago because I wanted to read People We Meet on Vacation and my local library had a waitlist. I thought I'd sign up for one month and cancel my subscription right after, but I am here to say that was not the case. I'm obsessed with my BOTM subscription and can't recommend it enough.

At the start of each month, they add five new books to the app. These books span all sorts of genres, include reads from new authors and returning favorites, and some even have a theme (aka: spooky reads for October, holiday reads in December). You can choose up to three books per month. All three of your selections can be from that month's book picks or you can pick a book or two from that month's selections and choose add-on books — I've been doing this lately as I'm working on creating my own little ~home library bookshelf~. If you don't like any of their monthly selections that is A-OK! Simply skip that month and a credit will be applied towards future months.

It's such a fun thing to treat myself to each month and makes for a perfect gift (both to yourself and to loved ones). Happy reading!

Sign up for Book of the Month for $17.99/month!

Promising review: "We just received our Tiki firepit and I was immediately impressed with the quality of the craftsmanship. We have been looking for a firepit for our patio and this one is perfect! The black exterior and copper colored lining is gorgeous and I love that it can use pellets or wood logs. It is a nice size and there was nearly no assembly. The low smoke design and ash pan for easy cleanup was an unexpected bonus. This definitely exceeded our expectations." —Shari Bitterman

Get it from Amazon for $395+ (available in two sizes and with accessories).

It holds up to 772 pounds!

Promising review: "Love the hammock. Very easy to put up, and I love the mesh. I'm planning on using it all summer. It's a little tight for my boyfriend and me. You need to be comfortable with the person you're sharing with LOL. But definitely worth the price." —Shelsea Rivera

Get it from Amazon for $27.99 (available in black or green).

Promising review: "Affordable and reliable. Perfect for our backyard. We prefer charcoal to gas, and we've cooked about everything under the sun on this bad boy. Easy to assemble. Easy to clean. Exactly what we wanted." —Marci Manley

Get it from Amazon for $139+ (available with or without a cover).

Comes with the following spices: Savory Texas, Sweet Kansas City, Spicy Carolina, Tangy Memphis.

Promising review: "Got these for my brother who loves barbecuing, especially making wings! He got the gift on time and loved it." —KAYLA

Get them from Uncommon Goods $34.

Recommended to allow the salt plank 24 hours to cool before reheating it!

Promising review: "My dad loved this! He grills all the time so I wanted to get him something unusual that he could use. I gave him a pack of steaks with it and he said they turned out awesome." —JORDAN R.

Get it from Uncommon Goods for $30.

Promising review: "Very durable with big, good sound. Once it's charged it lasts all day. I've had it running for five hours or more on one charge. I brought this speaker to the river all summer and laid it on the ground (rocks, wet dirt) with no problems." —dean

Get it from Amazon for $89.95 (available in 14 styles).

In case you're unfamiliar with the game, each person takes turns sliding a disc through the top of the board, and whoever gets four in a row of their color (blue or red) first, wins!

Promising review: "Best purchase! We bought it for the kids but my husband and I stayed up until 1 a.m. playing!! It was a hit at our party! Great quality. Yes, you can hit the bar and release the discs, but it hasn't happened to us and wouldn't be a big deal if it did! Totally worth it! So glad we got it!!" —Rechel B

Get it from Amazon for $68.99+ (available in two sizes).

My brother and I grew up playing this game a lot at the camp we used to work at as teenagers and during quarantine in 2020, decided it would be a good idea to get this so the whole fam could play when it was nice outside. It's a huge hit in my family, especially because my brother and I are VERY competitive which makes the game that much more exciting!

Promising review: "This is a ridiculously fun and easy lawn game. It's got the strategy of horseshoes with the fun of a team activity. The rules are simple, the equipment is made to last — if you are looking for a semi-active game to bring to the beach, family barbecue, or even company picnic, this is it!" —J. Caldwell

Get it from Amazon for $39.97 (a carry bag and a travel version are also available).

Some of the recipes you'll find include cheeseburger spring rolls, fresh fruit waffle sandwiches, and of course, the famous turkey legs.

Promising review: "Beautiful hardcover cookbook with so many yummy Disney recipes from the parks! There is lots of Disney foodie history in it, plus recipes that look easy to follow with high-quality ingredients. There are fun maps of each of the parks inside where the food is located from, which makes it fun. As an avid Disney fan I have never seen a cookbook like this." —Nicole

Get it from Amazon for $11.99.

Promising review: "I purchased these to cover the side of my house. Installation was easy and I left them outside for two days to charge. The light coverage was about what I expected from them and does the job well. The motion sensitivity covers all the side and lights turn on. It has rained about three times and still work great and hoping they last for a long time." —J. Argueta

Get a set of four from Amazon for $29.99.

Promising review: "This was purchased to watch movies outside in the summer. The quality is excellent and for the price you can’t go wrong! I would totally recommend this projector to anyone. It’s easy to use and the remote is functional. The speakers are actually very good when it comes to volume!" —Practical and Efficient Mom

Get it from Amazon for $89.99.

The screen is 120-inches and made of an anti-crease material. It also comes with brackets and ropes for mounting purposes.

Promising review: "This screen is perfect for our use. We bought it for outdoor movie nights whether being on the garage door, in the backyard, camping, or inside the garage. It’s very easy to install with no wrinkles and shows a great picture. I’ve attached pictures that show how well I can still see the picture despite being surrounded by 7,000 Christmas lights in close vicinity." —Hallie H

Get it from Amazon for $24.99.

Promising review: "Really looks nice and elegant. Easy to assemble and disassemble and store in the bag provided. Can secure to deck with screws, or to grass with the stakes provided. Mosquito net provides an additional level of bug and leaf security." —Tom G

Get it from Amazon for $169.95+ (available in seven colors).

All the parts are dishwasher-safe!

Promising reviews: "I saw one of these in action at a friend's house like five years ago and thought it was just a made up memory, because making ice cream out of solely frozen fruit seems wild. But when I saw a TikTok about it I immediately went to Amazon and bought it. Literally this was the BEST decision of my life. I cannot believe still how amazing this thing is! It makes the creamiest, best tasting fruit ice cream ever. It’s easy to take apart and clean, and super easy to use." —DMCKAY

Get it from Amazon for $39.98+ (available in six colors).

You'll need rock salt and ice cream mix to make the ice cream!

Promising review: "This was such a fun purchase. I saw it on TikTok and thought it would be a great gift for my nieces and nephew, and it was. We adults ended up having a blast passing the ball and shaking it up with the kids as well. One drawback is that the portion to make the ice cream is kinda small so would not recommend for a large family (or maybe get multiple!). But otherwise, it’s a fun present, fairly easy to clean, and the instructions are easy to follow. Oh, and the ice cream was DELICIOUS!" —Marina Affo

Get it from Amazon for $49.99.

Promising review: "I'm not a small person, and I wasn't sure how it would hold me, but this chair is wonderful. I have used it all over! I took it camping, I took it to the beach, and I even sometimes blow it up and use it in my living room while watching TV. The hardest part is getting out of it gracefully!" —Limoncello

Ge it from Amazon for $41.98 (available in 16 styles).

Promising review: "I have these lights hanging outside over my patio. They are very bright but not overly bright like spotlights and are perfect for lighting up the backyard for parties. We keep them up all year long during rainstorms, hot weather, and snowstorms, and they still work like the day I bought them. Highly recommend!" —Joseph

Get it from Amazon for $17.95+ (available in four lengths and eight styles).

Promising review: "I'll have to give this blender an extra star for the cool factor. We love to have friends over and make frozen drinks. We enjoy watching friends' reactions as the blender automatically shaves the ice, then rotates to the next pitcher, and blends the various drinks. I was also impressed with the blender's looks and construction. No cheap plastic here. It's beautiful and heavy-duty. Well worth the price. It looks great on our counter." —Gerald E. Paradise Jr.

Get it from Amazon for $474.45.

Just freeze the inner core for eight hours or more before enjoying your drinks! Recommended to hand wash with warm water!

Promising review: "I LOVE this product. It makes awesome slushies, is easy to clean, and a great product for the hot Florida summers. During the summer I use it nearly every day. I've used it with coffee and cream, juice, peach sweet tea, and soda. I haven't found anything that doesn't work with this product! I've tried just about every slushy maker out there, and this is absolutely the best one!" —Thesillybanana

Get it from Amazon for $22.99+ (available in 10 colors and packs of two).

Reviews in this post have been edited for length and clarity.