Summer is just around the corner and it’s warming up to be a good one (knock on wood)! Whether you’ll be living at the beach, jet setting across the globe, hitting a summer festival, or hosting a series of BBQs, these essential tech gadgets will help to get you through. From keeping cool to staying entertained, this list has it all covered. Summer is coming for everyone so these gadgets will also make great gift ideas for your friends and family! This Summer Survival Kit has something for everyone - let’s dive in and take a look at 10 essential gadgets you need this summer.
1. Xiaomi Rechargeable Mini Fan
Is it just me or does summer get hotter and hotter every year (last year's wet summer aside)? If you want to beat the summer heat, you’ll need a mini portable fan that can follow you wherever you go. Let's talk about the Xiaomi Rechargeable Mini Fan, one cool gadget that might just become your new summer-sidekick. This compact little guy is perfect to place on your desk or use handheld, perfect to keep you cool whether you're lounging at home or out exploring.
It comes with four wind speeds so you can choose the best one for your comfort. It offers a wide 90-degrees of ventilation with horizontal automatic oscillation. With a weight of 0.67kg, it’s light enough to hold with your hand, but sturdy enough so it doesn’t topple over when sitting at your desk. A 4,000mAh battery gives it an ultra-long battery life of up to 18.5 hours! A USB-C charging interface lets you charge it back up with a power bank or power socket.
Alternative: Zimi Flexible USB Fan
If you want something smaller, the Zimi Flexible USB Fan is the perfect little gadget for your Summer Survival Kit. This mini fan is super portable and lightweight, perfect for taking on the go. Simply connect it to your power bank (or USB port on any device such as your laptop, car charger, desktop, and more) to use!
2. Xiaomi 10,000mAh Fast Charging Power Bank
Speaking of power banks, that’s next on our list! Whether you’re out in the backyard, sitting on an airplane, or camping at a festival, a power bank will certainly come in handy. In addition to powering up your portable fan, they will keep your mobile phone, tablet, laptop, eReader, and all sorts of devices powered up! Of course, this will ultimately depend on the model you buy. While there are many higher capacity models you can buy, for those just heading out for a a day or two, the Xiaomi 10,000mAh Fast Charging Power Bank will be sufficient.
This Mi 10,000mAh Power Bank offers awesome value and is capable of charging up your smartphone 2-3 times over. It can charge three devices simultaneously and features one USB Type-C port and two USB-A ports. It also has a 22.5W MAX input capacity and offers two-way fast charging via the Type-C port. If you want something that’ll take you and your devices farther without a power source, check out our Top Power Banks article for more recommendations.
3. Transcend DrivePro 10 DashCam
It’s not uncommon to see more incidents on the road in summer so it certainly pays to have a dash cam. It’s bad enough to find yourself in an accident, it’s even worse if the person at fault refuses to take responsibility. Luckily, dash cams capture everything. The Transcend DrivePro 10 is a great entry-level option that offers excellent value. With a compact and minimalist design, it takes up hardly any space and can sit nicely out of sight behind your rearview mirror.
Although this dash cam is small, that doesn’t mean it sacrifices on power and performance. It sports a STARVIS high-sensitivity image sensor to capture clear images, even in low light; a 140-degree wide angle lens; up to 2K QHD 1440p video resolution at 60fps; Wi-Fi connectivity; and emergency recording for optimum protection. Additionally, a built-in Li-polymer battery ensures it receives uninterrupted power, even when your car is off. If you want some extra peace of mind this summer, a dash cam is the way.
4. UE BOOM 3 Portable Bluetooth Speaker
Summer needs a soundtrack so whether you’re chilling at the beach or throwing a pool party, a waterproof portable bluetooth speaker is a must-have. The UE BOOM 3 is made to handle the thrills and spills of life and summer having passed over 25 seriously tough durability tests. With an IP67 rating, it’s made to get wet and is completely waterproof as well as dustproof. In fact, it can be fully submerged for up to 30 minutes. Plus, it floats too!
The UE BOOM 3 delivers 360-degree balanced sound that suits every genre! It lets you conveniently play, pause, and skip tracks directly on the speaker - this is ideal for when you’re splashing about. It will stay powered and pump tunes for up to 15 hours on a single charge. When it’s time to charge, this can be done so via a microUSB cable.
5. Uniden’s UH45-4 UHF-CB Radios
If you’re going to be hiking or hitting a festival this summer, walkie talkies can be a godsend for you and your crew. When you’re out in the wilderness or in an area with heavy network congestion, getting in touch with the rest of your party can be impossible at times. If you want to avoid the possibility of finding yourself lost and alone, pick up a set of Uniden’s UH45-4 UHF-CB Walkie Talkies.
The UH45-4 features Uniden’s smallest UHF walkie talkies and comes with four ultra-compact radios in Lime, Orange, Blue, and Purple. It has a range of up to 3 km+ and with its range extender capability, the unit can achieve even further range under certain conditions. It has an operating time of up to 20 hours and can easily be recharged via a microUSB cable. This mini compact size makes it perfect to take with you anywhere!
6. Kindle Paperwhite eReader
When you’re going on a holiday, luggage space is limited so lugging around a bag of books is not very practical. Don’t worry bookworms, there’s a solution! With an eReader like the Kindle Paperwhite, you can carry hundreds and even thousands of books with you, all while taking up less space than a single book. At just 6.8inches tall and 208g, it’s ultra compact and lightweight too so you can even slip it into your day bag!
The 300ppi glare-free display reads like real paper, even in bright sunlight! This means it’s equally ideal for those who like to spend their summers reading by the pool or at the beach. Additionally, you can adjust the shade and brightness of the display to suit various reading conditions. The Kindle paperwhite will last up to 10 weeks on a single charge. It can easily be re-charged via a USB-C cable or Qi wireless charger.
7. Petkit Eversweet Pet Water Bottle
This one is for all you pet owners out there! When taking your furry friend out for walks on a scorching hot day, there are some extra precautions you need to take. Making sure they are hydrated is one of them and luckily, Petkit has designed something that makes it easy and convenient. The award-winning Eversweet Pet Water Bottle is an ingenious portable solution to keep your dog hydrated on the go.
Designed with convenience and functionality in mind, Eversweet ensures your dog has access to clean and fresh water, no matter where you are. It even has a built-in filtration system to remove impurities, chemicals, and odours. To use it, simply press the button to release water into the built-in bowl, allowing your dog to drink from it. Releasing the button stops the water flow and turning it to the right will lock it.
8. Smart Bluetooth Trackers
Keep tabs on your items this summer with a smart bluetooth tracker. Simply attach one to your belongings, whether that’s your keys, handbag, or other valuable items, and track it via your phone. Bluetooth trackers link up with a large network of devices and pings the tracker off of nearby devices on that network, providing you with a greater chance of finding lost items even if you’re far away from home. Of course, this is limited to the size of the network.
Apple’s AirTag and Momax’s PinTag use Apple’s FindMy network, which consists of billions of devices worldwide; the Samsung Galaxy SmartTags uses the SmartThings Find (available for Galaxy devices only); and Tile uses their own network. While you may think Tile’s network must be miniscule, with over 35 million Tile trackers sold worldwide, it’s bigger than you’d think. Check out our Top Bluetooth Trackers here.
9. Fenix CL26R Camping Lantern
If you love camping and the outdoors, the Fenix CL26R Camping Lantern will be a great addition to your summer kit. This high-performance rechargeable camping lantern will light the way when the sun goes down. It has a maximum brightness of 400 lumens and provides multi-directional lighting. With a 25-meter wide-range beam diameter, it’ll light up your entire area. Additionally, it has a dual mode design with 6 white output levels and 2 red output levels.
The CL26R is also perfect for those who like to brave the outdoors in winter too. It has an excellent cold-resistant design and has IP66 rated protection. It's super durable and can withstand 1.2 tonnes of cars roller over it! It has a super long runtime of up to 400 hours! Its power comes from one 18650 Li-on battery or two CR123A lithium batteries and is rechargeable using a microUSB charging cable.
10. FujiFilm Instax Mini 12
One of the most important things to keep in mind this summer, or even now in fact, is to drop into the present moment and take it all in. The present moment is all we’ll ever have and we’re never going to get each passing moment back. So immerse yourself in every experience and appreciate the company that’s around you, and perhaps, take some snapshots to capture the memory forever. The Fujifilm instax Mini 12 Instant Camera is perfect for this.
With the Instax Mini 12, you can take cute polaroid photos that print instantly. With shutter speed, flash brightness, and other settings that automatically adjust to ambient light, you’ll always get bright photos that captures the memory with ease. It’s super simple to use as well. Just twist the lens to turn on, twist again for close-up mode, and press the button to snap! It even has a selfie mirror so you can line up selfies perfectly too.
With these 10 tech gadgets in your kit, you’re well-equipped to make the most out of your summer antics. So, get out there, soak up every moment, and let these gadgets make this sunny season one to remember!
