I’m a Shopping Writer Who Spends All Summer by the Pool, and Some of My Favorite Picks Are on Sale Ahead of Prime Day

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Grab a Yeti insulated tumbler for just $28.

As the calendar enters June, my family starts spending most of our time outdoors. As long as it's not raining, the grill frequently appears in the backyard, or we pack up the car and head down to the Jersey Shore for a beach trip. And just last week, we finally opened up the pool in the backyard. This is all to say, you don’t need a ton of gear to enjoy sunshine and nature, but there are a few things that will make the experience so much more enjoyable and effortless.

Ahead of Prime Day, Amazon has slashed prices as much as 48% off on a ton of outdoor gear, including an insulated Yeti tumbler, a Brümate can insulator that will keep your beverage cold for hours, and a comfortable lounge chair that is perfect for the backyard. Prices start at $10, so now is a great time to pick up a few backyard essentials, and schedule that pool party with your friends.

Deals on Backyard Essentials

• Yeti Rambler 20-Ounce Tumbler, $28 (originally $35)

• Pacific Pass Zero Gravity Chair, $41 (originally $65)

• BrüMate Slim Can Insulator, $20 (originally $25)

• Calphalon Baking Sheets, Set of Two, $35 (originally $49)

• JBL Portable Speaker, $100 (originally $150)

• Silicone Ice Cube Trays, $16 with coupon (originally $19)

• Titan Deep Freezer Cooler, $54 (originally $63)

• Colorful Flexible Plastic Straws, 300 Pack, $10 (originally $14)

• Rubbermaid 2-Quart Pitcher, $15 (originally $17)

• Blissun 9-Inch Patio Umbrella, $47 with coupon (originally $70)

• Grillart Grill Brush and Scraper, $15 (originally $30)

Yeti Rambler 20-Ounce Tumbler

To buy: $28 (originally $35) at amazon.com

If I know we’re spending the day running around the park or going on a long walk around our neighborhood, I always pop a durable tumbler in the drink caddy of my toddler’s stroller. I love that a tumbler is lightweight, and less bulky than a full-size water bottle. One with a straw is preferable, for easy, spill-free sipping even while you’re on the move, and stainless steel construction is also a must — if you drop it on the sidewalk or the hiking trail, it won’t chip or dent.

Yeti makes some of the most durable outdoor drinkware out there, and this 20-ounce tumbler is 20% off right now, making it one of the best options you can find. The biggest benefit to this tumbler? It features double-vacuum insulation, so even if you’re under the sun for hours, your beverage will stay cold.

Pacific Pass Zero Gravity Chair

To buy: $41 (originally $65) at amazon.com

We use this style of zero gravity chair in the backyard, and I prefer them over an Adirondack chair any day. The stretchy, soft material feels better on your bare skin, and absorbs water, so they are ideal for lounging and drying off right after you get out of the pool. The most appealing aspect of these chairs, however, is the adjustable head and foot rest. Zero gravity chairs recline almost completely horizontal for maximum comfort and relaxation — an important feature for napping in the sun or working on your tan.

BrüMate Slim Can Insulator

To buy: $20 (originally $25) at amazon.com

One thing I never forget to pack when I head to the beach is a can insulator. What’s the point of lugging a cooler down to the water full of drinks and ice if they’re only going to stay cold for a few minutes? A neoprene Koozie just doesn’t cut it — you need one that is made from stainless steel, which maintains temperature better, and protects the can itself from damage if it's dropped.

I typically use a tall, slim insulator because it's the perfect size for cans of hard seltzer. This one from BrüMate is only $19, and it has more than 2,700 five-star reviews. One shopper even wrote that after they left it out in the sun for four hours their drink was  “still as cold  as when they took it out of the fridge.”

Calphalon Baking Sheets, Set of Two

To buy: $32 (originally $49) at amazon.com

You might be wondering what a set of baking sheets is doing on a list of essential outdoor gear, and it’s a fair question. But hear me out: If you’re planning any backyard grilling or cookouts this summer, baking sheets are the perfect serving trays. We’re big hamburgers and hotdog people in my house and so when the whole family (eight adults and three kids) comes over for dinner on a summer evening and we decide to grill, all the finished meat gets piled onto cookie sheets and served on the dining table in the backyard.

I like Calphalon baking sheets in particular because they are so sturdy — a big pile of burgers isn’t going to warp or bend these. And while most baking sheets tend to burn and stain easily, Calphalon’s long-lasting construction has left ours looking relatively unscathed for years.

JBL Portable Speaker

To buy: $95 (originally $150) at amazon.com

A waterproof speaker with a long battery life is a pool party essential. If we’re lounging by the pool or enjoying lunch al fresco, this JBL speaker is always nearby. It’s impervious to splashes from water, and plays 20 hours of music before it needs to be recharged. But what I really love about it is that it’s compact — measuring just 8.7- by 3.7- by 3.7-inches, it’s compact enough to fit on our outdoor dining table without taking up space from plates and drinks. In fact, its size also makes it the ideal speaker for listening to music while you cook. Better yet, it’s 37% off right now, so this a great time to splurge on a speaker that will actually come in handy any time of year.

Silicone Ice Cube Trays

To buy: $16 (originally $19) at amazon.com

Even if you have a stainless steel can insulator for your own drink, there’s a big chance someone else is going to need ice. Someone always needs ice. Because I do a lot of shuttling between the freezer and the backyard to refill cups, I love easy-release ice cube trays. You have to wrestle with rigid plastic ice cube trays to empty them, but with the silicone version the ice cubes (which are much bigger and last much longer) pop right out — so you can get back out to the pool faster.

Titan Deep Freezer Cooler

To buy: $54 (originally $63) at amazon.com

A few weekends each summer, we head down to the Jersey Shore for the weekend, and this Titan cooler always comes to the beach with us. It’s spacious enough to fit sandwiches, chips, and ice, and most importantly tons of canned beverages — up to 30 of them at a time. I particularly appreciate the zipperless, easy-access lid, and the strap which makes it more comfortable to sling over your shoulder and carry down to the water.

Colorful Flexible Plastic Straws, 300 Pack

To buy: $10 (originally $14) at amazon.com

My inner child thinks drinking a beverage with a straw is just so much more fun, especially by the pool. A colorful straw matches the care-free vibes of summer so well that I typically don’t drink out a straw any other time of year. But popping a pink straw into a hard seltzer or glass of ice tea adds a little whimsical touch to your afternoon, and I highly recommend it. This pack comes with 300 multi-colored straws, and it’s only $10 currently.

Rubbermaid 2-Quart Pitcher

To buy: $15 (originally $17) at amazon.com

One thing you will always find in my refrigerator in the summer is this Rubbermaid 2-quart pitcher filled to the brim with black iced tea. This Rubbermaid pitcher isn’t fancy, but that’s what I love about it. I’ve been using it for years, and it’s maintained its integrity surprisingly well, but it's still rugged enough to be used outdoors. I like taking it to the backyard on pool days so I have a constant supply of iced tea on hand because I don’t have to worry about it being knocked over or bleached by the sun. And at just $15, this is a great price for a pitcher you’ll use for many, many summers to come.

Blissun 9-Inch Patio Umbrella

To buy: $47 with coupon (originally $70) at amazon.com

Eating lunch or dinner outside is one of my most treasured summer pastimes, but even I can’t handle non-stop exposure to the sun. So we erected a patio umbrella over our outside dining table and never looked back. Some shade where you just take a quick break from the heat to have a snack or eat a burger before jumping back in the pool is just what you need to make sure your family and friends stay comfortable outside. I like this 9-inch Blissun patio umbrella because it has room enough for six people — that’s a good size pool party right there.

Grillart Grill Brush and Scraper

To buy: $15 (originally $30) at amazon.com

I could wax poetic about the pleasures of summer grilling for pages — fragrant smoke, the charred crunch of a smash burger, the way everyone (in my family at least) seems to loosen up and laugh more when the promise of hot dogs and potato salad is moments away — but I’ll spare you. The point is, so much magic, nostalgia, and delicious food comes out of your grill that you need to protect it like a family heirloom, and a reliable grill brush is the key. Before and after anyone in my family uses the grill, the grates always get scraped off so that stuck-on food, grease, and other debris is cleared away. This process maintains the flavor of your food and the longevity of your grill.

One of the best grill brushes out there is the Grillart grill brush and scraper. Made from durable stainless steel, it speeds up the cleaning process, and it uses both wire brushes and a scraper to remove even the most stubborn stains and debris. And at 48% off right now, it’s a deal any grillmaster worth their salt would never pass up.

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