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6 products under £70 you need for a great garden party
Lars is a bloodhound when it comes to sniffing out bargains, including on major sales events such as Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day. He is also handy at unravelling tech jargon and anything related to gaming.
Hosting a great garden party can be stressful, but we've got some solid recommendations to make sure your guests are entertained, comfortable, well-fed and well-hydrated.
We've rigorously tested all of our picks, and we'd never recommend a bad product. That said, we'd encourage you to read our full reviews before buying.
Discover our top garden party products, plus some great tips on how to impress your guests with your hosting skills.
If you'd rather get out of town over the extended weekend, check out the best holiday deal websites
Garden party ideas we love under £70
Argos Home Table Top Oil Drum Charcoal BBQ
Available from Argos (£45)
- Charcoal barbecue
- Grill dimensions: 36 x 34cm (WxD)
- Recommended fuel: charcoal briquettes
We like: Cheap as chips
We don't like: Very short legs
This Argos own-brand barbecue isn't the most feature-packed grill we've tested, but it comes with all of the essentials, including an ash collector, warming rack and vents.
Its cooking area is smaller than other barbecues, so be prepared to do multiple rounds of cooking if you want to make a lot of food. That said, for less than £50, we think it's worth considering.
How well can it cook? Find out in our Argos Home Table Top Oil Drum Charcoal BBQ review.
Shoreham USB Solar Rope String Light
- 10-metres
- 100 LED bulbs
- White light
We like: The continuous stream of light looks great at night
We don't like: Won't stay lit as long in the winter months
If you're planning to keep your party going even after the sun goes down, you'll want to add some lighting to your outdoor space.
These solar lights are very durable and will last even when left out in the winter. You can charge them using the included solar panel or via USB.
Read our Shoreham USB Solar Rope String Light review to see whether it's one of the best solar lights we've tested.
Wavelength Board Game
- Two to 12 players
- Suitable for ages 14+
- Each game takes around 45 minutes to play
We like: Gets everyone involved and talking
We don't like: Small game pieces could blow away in the wind
After being bombarded by videos of this viral board game, we put it to the test to see if it was really all it was cracked up to be.
To play, participants split into two teams. Each turn, one player becomes the 'Psychic', who draws a category card and sets a dial along a spectrum.
The Psychic then gives a clue to help their team guess the dial position. The teams give their guesses and score points based on how close they got to the 'correct' position.
We loved it in our testing because it sparked lots of conversations and unexpected debates. It's sure to be a hit at your next garden party.
Compare it with our other favourites in the best board games.
Dawsons Living Waterproof Premium Garden Event Shelter
- 3 x 3 metres
- No side panels
- Comes with ropes and pegs
We like: Large gazebo with a small price tag
We don't like: Side covers are not available
While the sunny weather is lovely, shade is extremely important to keep your guests cool and comfortable – especially if you've got young children or guests visiting who are sensitive to the sun.
This pop-up gazebo was among the cheapest we tested. It can also fold up into a carry bag for easy storage.
How did it hold up against the wind? Read our Dawsons Living Waterproof Premium Garden Event Shelter review to find out.
Ikea Vappeby (3rd Gen) Speaker
- Large portable Bluetooth speaker
- Weight: 1.75kg
- Bluetooth and 3.5mm line connections only
We like: Can connect to multiple devices
We don't like: No water resistance
Good backing music is essential for any party, but you'll want to make sure your speaker can get loud enough. This large Ikea Bluetooth speaker does the job, and it can be connected to multiple devices if guests want to put on one of their playlists.
It has a handy carry handle, and you can pay around £20 more for a rechargeable battery, so it doesn't need to be plugged into the mains.
It doesn't have any water resistance, so if it starts to drizzle you'll want to move this speaker (and your guests) inside quickly.
Read our Ikea Vappeby (3rd Gen) review.
Koolatron Ultra Kool Ice Chest
- Outer dimensions: 42 x 37 x 30cm (HxWxD)
- Inner dimensions: 34 x 31.5 x 21.5cm (HxWxD)
- Weight: 3kg
We like: Built-in cupholders on the lid
We don't like: Part of the handle isn't rounded
When you're serving drinks outdoors, keeping them cold is a must. Instead of your guests taking several trips back inside to the fridge, keep your drinks chilled in a cool box.
This one can hold up to 25 litres, which we found is enough to hold around 36 330ml cans. It's also lightweight, so if you want to take it on a picnic or out camping, it won't weigh you down too much.
How does it hold up in the heat? Take a look at our Koolatron Ultra Kool Ice Chest review.
4 essential tips for throwing a great garden party
1) Cook up a feast
Lighting up a barbecue is the classic choice, but if you're looking to switch it up, consider one of the best pizza ovens – they can cook a lot more than pizzas. Need a dessert? A freeze-first ice cream maker can be a budget-friendly way to create your own flavours.
It's not just gadgets – great food starts with great ingredients. Read our guides to the best supermarket food and drink, find out which sourdough loaves wowed our testers, the smoked salmon to buy for blinis and which salt and vinegar crisps were tastiest. We've looked into whether Heinz is the king of ketchups, or if you're better off ditching the Beanz for Branston.
Plus, we put 12 bottles to the test to find the best extra virgin olive oil and see if paying for a more expensive bottle yields better-tasting oil for dipping, roasting and drizzling.
All of our taste tests are conducted by a large panel of experts and everyday consumers to help you buy the best for your next garden party.
What should you buy to cook on this summer? We've compared pizza ovens and barbecues to help you decide.
2) Get good drinks
Read our reviews not only to get the best, but also to save money on beverages. We've taste-tested for the best proseccos, alcohol-free beer, supermarket champagne, and figured out which red wines and white wines are worth buying.
Another option is making slushies or frozen cocktails. We've pitted the popular Ninja Slushi against similar machines to see which is the best frozen drinks maker. They aren't cheap, but they can be a fun way to add some variety to your drinks.
Be sure to keep your drinks cold, too. A cool box or bag is a great choice, but read our advice on how to buy the best ice maker to see if that's the better choice for you.
Skip the hangover: these are our favourite alcohol-free drinks.
3) Activities go a long way
While the whole point of a get-together is to socialise, activities like games can add another layer of entertainment.
If you've got children attending, it's also a great way to keep them entertained.
Consider adding some kid-friendly activities like lawn or board games.
Read our reviews of the best board games for great family-friendly choices, or check out our garden game tests.
4) Add ambience and amenities
Solar lights and a pop-up gazebo are a good start – adding shade can help your guests stay cool in hot weather, and adding light is essential if you're planning to keep the party going past sundown.
You could also consider getting a fire pit to roast some marshmallows and keep your guests cosy after the temperature drops at night. You can even make your own from pavers or out of an old washing machine drum.
We'd also recommend making sure you've got enough seating for your guests. While a picnic is nice, having them sit on the ground isn't always ideal. You can read our advice on how to buy the best garden furniture to help you save money and decide what's best for your garden.
Our 9 affordable garden decor DIY hacks will help you to avoid spending a fortune on upgrading your garden
