Top Picks in Outdoor Living and Yard Care for 2021
By Consumer Reports
Easier upkeep and more enjoyable outside hangout time: What’s not to like about those goals? The great lawn care, grilling, and entertaining gear our pros have selected here will help you make the most of every aspect of your outdoor experience.
More of CR’s Top Picks
• Top Picks in Bed, Bath, and Laundry
• Top Picks in Cooking and Cleanup
• Top Picks in Health
• Top Picks in Tech
What's New & Cool
Wireless and Bluetooth Speaker
JBL Boombox 2
A reimagining of the classic boom boxes of the 1980s, this JBL wireless speaker retains all the fun—volume galore and loads of bass—and adds a rechargeable battery and Bluetooth connectivity.
Generator
Ryobi RYi4022X
This capable midsized model costs far less than the competition. It offers a high output and clean, reliable power. It’s designed to produce less carbon monoxide, and it features an essential safety shutoff.
Smart Sprinkler Controller
Orbit B-Hyve 57950
Smart sprinkler controllers, like this top-rated Orbit model, make it a cinch to get a green lawn and save water. How? They use rainfall data to make sure they never overwater.
We Love: Top-Notch Tools
Best Budget Gas Grill
Even Embers GAS8560AS
A terrific grill that outperforms models costing five times as much, the Even Embers heats quickly and evenly to a broad range of temperatures, making it adept at everything from burgers to brisket.
Best Charcoal Grill
Dyna-Glo DGN576DNC-D
The Dyna-Glo DGN576DNC-D Barrel has Excellent overall performance. This model had very good performance in our evenness tests at high and low tempertures, which measures heating evenness over the grill’s surface using thermocouples. The Dyna-Glo alsol had very good performance in our indirect-cooking test, which gauges how well grills slow-cook foods when the food isn’t placed directly over the charcoal.
Top Pick Exterior Paint
Behr Marquee Exterior (Home Depot)
Our accelerated exterior paint weathering tests simulate the effects of sun, rain, wind, and snow on a vertical wall. But Behr Marquee still looked great after the equivalent of nine years’ exposure.
Long-Lasting Solid Wood Stain
Top-Rated Gas Self-Propelled Mower
Honda HRX217HZA
We know the Honda HRX217K6HZA mower is pricey. But it’s arguably worth it: Mulching and bagging earn Excellent ratings, reliability is second to none, and the rear-wheel drive helps manage uneven terrain.
Budget Battery-Powered Mower
Ryobi RY401140US
The Ryobi RY401140US scored Excelllent in side discharging, handling, mulching, evenness, and runtime and Very Good at bagging and charge time.
Winning Combo: Yardwork Helpers
Keeping your property looking neat and tidy isn’t always simple, but using this one-stop-shopping lineup of tools is. That’s because Ego lawn tools use an interchangeable 56-volt battery that powers the company’s entire collection of outdoor power tools, including the stellar chainsaw, string trimmer, and leaf blower here.
Chainsaw
Ego CS1804
The Ego CS1804 scored Excellent in ease of use and handling. This 18-inch, 56V, battery-powered chainsaw weighs 15 lbs. It has a chain brake, a tool-less bar adjuster, and a 5 year saw, 3 year battery warranty.
String Trimmer
Ego ST1502SA
The Ego ST1502SA string trimmer cut down tall grass and weeds aggressively, edged quickly, and trimmed cleanly in a single pass. This model is easy to handle and control and quieter than most trimmers.
Leaf Blower
Ego LB5302
The Ego LB5302 leaf blower moved leaves and other debris especially quickly, removed embedded material, such as leaf particles, from grass quickly, and was easy to handle and control.
The Worst List
Battery Push Mower
Sun Joe MJ401C-X, $190
Overall Score: 40
Battery String Trimmer
Black+Decker LST201, $80
Overall Score: 42
Wireless Speaker
Billboard BB742, $30
Overall Score: 29
These three models had the lowest Overall Score in their category at the time of publication.
Editor’s Note: This article also appeared in the December 2021 issue of Consumer Reports magazine.
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Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. CR does not endorse products or services, and does not accept advertising. Copyright © 2022, Consumer Reports, Inc.
