Finding the best large planters used to mean choosing between thin plastic that cracks after one hard winter and heavy ceramic that costs more than the plant going inside it. I spent the past few months testing ten of the most popular oversized pots on my own patio, deck, and living room to see which … Read more
We spent three seasons testing more than 40 pieces of statuary through a Midwest winter and a string of 100-degree summer days to find the 10 best garden statues you can buy right now. The winners range from a 63-inch metal rooster that stops traffic to a palm-sized solar elephant that glows until midnight. Along … Read more
Transforming your outdoor space after dark is one of the most rewarding home improvements you can make. Whether you want to illuminate a winding garden path, highlight architectural features, or add security lighting around your property, the best landscape lighting can completely change how you experience your yard at night. I have spent months testing … Read more
Searching for the best outdoor storage benches usually means fixing two problems at once: not enough seating and nowhere to hide the cushions. We compared 10 of the most popular patio storage bench models to find which ones actually keep water out, hold adult weight, and survive a full season of sun. A good storage … Read more
After testing fire tables for the past three years, I can tell you that the best fire tables completely transform how you use your outdoor space. We pulled together our eight top picks for after evaluating real-world heat output, build quality, and tank storage across every major price point. Fire tables used to be a … Read more
After three months of testing, burning through several cords of firewood, and gathering our team on a frosty patio more times than we can count, we are ready to help you find the best chimineas for . A chiminea is a freestanding outdoor fireplace with a chimney stack that pulls smoke upward and away from … Read more
NASA figured out decades ago that astronauts lying with their knees level with their hearts showed almost no spinal compression in Skylab X-ray studies. Furniture makers copied that neutral body posture, and the zero gravity chair was born. Our team spent three months testing 8 of the best zero gravity chairs on patios, at campsites, … Read more
Shade is easy. Shade that survives a gusty afternoon, sets up before your guests arrive, and does not turn into a sail halfway through a farmers market? That is the part nobody tells you about. We spent this past spring and summer running eight of the most popular gazebo tents through backyard barbecues, two rainy … Read more
Finding the best portable soccer nets means you can turn any park, backyard, or beach into a pitch in minutes. Our team tested 12 of the most popular options after weeks of coaching sessions, backyard drills, and weekend pickup games. After measuring every goal for setup time, frame quality, shot resistance, and pack-down size, we … Read more
If you’ve ever watched a lineman’s feet go soft in the second half, you already know the problem. Game shape lives in the legs and hips, and contact drills with the right equipment build that shape faster than anything else on the practice field. I spent the last few months sorting through dozens of options … Read more