
The Verge's favorite summer gear for 2025
Two years ago, we published a list of our favorite summer gear — and it's time to do it again!
Things can get a little tense out there in the world, so sometimes you have to pause and take a breath. We're looking forward to taking some time for ourselves by hiking, biking, or hanging out and listening to our favorite tunes, maybe accompanied by some soft-serve ice cream to cool things down. We've asked our staff about the gadgets they plan to use this summer to help get away and have fun. Here's what some of them recommend.
There's nothing that brings a smile to my family's faces faster than soft-serve ice cream. It's definitely something we bond over, although usually it's when we're on the way back from the beach or as an after-dinner treat while on vacation. So, when I got a chance to try the new Ninja Swirl Creami at home, I jumped on it.
An ice-cream maker and soft-serve dispenser in one, the Ninja makes ice cream on one side and then dollops it out in soft-serve form on the other. Unlike my previous attempts at making homemade frozen treats from scratch with my KitchenAid stand mixer, the Ninja makes this super easy to do. (You still need to be patient as it has to freeze for 24 hours.)
But the real bonus — and what made this a big hit in my house — is that you can stick store-bought ice cream into it and turn it into soft-serve in seconds; no waiting required, just endless sundae bowls and swirl cones on tap for summer hangouts. The only downside (other than price) is that we only got two decent-sized soft-serve cones out of each 16-oz pint container. Luckily, it comes with two containers, which helped keep the ice cream flowing.
I've also enjoyed creating unusual frozen delights in the Ninja. Inspired by a very active Reddit forum, we tried frozen tomato soup (really yummy), fresh watermelon mixed with condensed milk (ah-ma-zing), and my son's morning protein smoothies in frozen form — the perfect way to prep him for a day of lifeguarding at the local pool. – Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, smart home reviewer
Solar Buddies sunscreen applicator
$12
$12 at Solar Buddies $16 at Amazon
As a pasty redhead from a large ginger family, I relish every opportunity to nag about the importance of wearing sunscreen — especially when the summer heat is pounding and everyone starts getting their fleshy bits out. If you're someone who avoids applying the stuff because it makes your hands feel gross, then allow me to remove that excuse for you: sunscreen applicators are a convenient and mess-free solution that can help you protect your skin without itching to wipe your greasy hands on clothes or sandy towels.
They're great for applying sunscreen to your kids, too. The Solar Buddies version I use has a big handle, spongy applicator, and a roller dispenser that ensures even small hands have a good grip and don't look like they've dunked themselves in frosting. You just have to fill them with your sunscreen of choice, giving some added flexibility around the brand and SPF (but please, please consider sticking with a factor of 50 plus).
Because the applicator screws tightly closed, it can also help prevent any explosions from occurring in your bag compared to the usual squeeze bottles. Nobody likes a sunscreen sandwich. — Jess Weatherbed, news writer
CamelBak Hydrobak hydration pack
$6017% off
$50
$50 at Amazon $65 at CamelBak
If you're itching to get out on a bike ride even when it's 85-plus degrees, you don't want to be stuck without an adequate supply of water. I only have room for one drink holder on my bike, so I've found that it's just far more convenient to carry water on my back with the aptly named CamelBak Hydrobak hydration pack. It's a lightweight backpack that holds up to 1.5 liters of water, which it says is enough for a two-hour bike ride.
The backpack also comes with a handy straw that you just lift up and drink from, preventing you from having to stop and drink from your water bottle (unless you're coordinated enough to take a sip while riding, which I am not). It also keeps your water relatively cool even when the sun is beating down your back.
Aside from storing water, there's a zipper pocket where you can store car keys, your ID, and other small items. It's not just ideal for biking, either. Many people use the CamelBak Hydrobak on long hikes, runs, and even for music festivals. — Emma Roth, news writer
Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4
$10016% off
$84
$84 at Amazon $101 at Best Buy
I try to bring a Bluetooth speaker everywhere with me when the weather's good. A pool party, a park day, a golf outing, a hang on the back patio — it's all better with music! There are obviously lots of good speakers out there, but for me the UE Wonderboom 4 is the perfect one. It's only $100, it's small but loud enough to work just about anywhere, its battery lasts all day and then some, it's waterproof, and it floats. (All the colors look nice, by the way, but… get the blue one.) There are fancier speakers with more features, and the $200 Megaboom does sound a lot better, but I keep a Wonderboom in my trunk, and it has made me the party hero more times than I can count. — David Pierce, editor-at-large
The summer months mean more family walks, hikes, and time outdoors, and one of my favorite ways of exercising in the process is rucking. You don't need a fancy GoRuck to go rucking; just throw as much weight as you want to carry into any sturdy backpack that feels good on you. But, while the Ruckers may be a little over-the-top on their 'tacticool' looks for some folks, they are incredibly well made and nicely designed for weighted walks or even crossfit-style workouts. — Antonio G. Di Benedetto, reviewer
Ever since I got scolded at urgent care (turns out the mysterious shooting pain in the back of my head was due to dehydration), this 40-oz flask has rarely left my side. It was a gift from a friend who works outside under the Los Angeles sun all year long, so trust her experience. This hefty bottle fits perfectly into my life — although not in any of the gym equipment cup holders, due to its generous girth (holder-friendly shapes are also available). I am to consume roughly two of these bottles' worth of water daily, particularly when it gets hot in the summertime. Aside from being a sturdy receptacle, it really is a thermos, so it keeps my water cold for hours. — Marina Galperina, senior tech editor
Leki Legend Black Carbon Walking Pole
$120
$120 at Amazon $120 at REI
For years, a close friend and I would go birding together, and one of our favorite late spring treks was to Hawk Mountain in Pennsylvania to observe the yearly raptor migration. Unfortunately, my friend never had strong ankles, and as the years passed, the trek up and down the mountain became more difficult. After she had one bad slip, I went to a local REI store and bought her a lightweight walking pole. She loved it. It came with a rubber tip for flat surfaces like sidewalks and a pointed tip for muddy or rocky terrain. It was lightweight and adjustable, and it had a comfortable grip. It could be quickly compressed and stored in her bag or the trunk of her car, and then expanded and used for hiking or just strolling. It was, she once told me, the most useful birthday gift I ever gave her.
The walking pole I bought her is no longer available, but Leki's Legend Black Carbon one is pretty close. — Barbara Krasnoff, reviews editor
Matador Pocket Blanket
$30
$31 at Amazon $30 at Matador
I never thought I'd marvel at the design and engineering of a blanket until I tried this one from Matador. Made from a waterproof and surprisingly durable fabric given how thin it is, the Pocket Blanket is large enough to accommodate up to four adults when unfurled but folds up into its own built-in storage bag that's about the size of a deck of cards. Refolding the Pocket Blanket is easy, thanks to a subtle printed pattern showing where all the fold lines should be, and it can be secured to the ground using either built-in metal corner stakes or small pockets that can be filled and weighed down with sand. We rarely leave the house without at least one slipped into a bag, and keep extras in the glove boxes of our cars. — Andrew Liszewski, senior reporter
Thermacell E55 Rechargeable Mosquito Repeller
$30
$31 at Amazon $30 at Thermacell
My biggest deterrent to spending some time outside are bugs, mosquitos specifically. I wish they'd bug off. They have me looking like I'm doing interpretive dancing to avoid being poked. Thankfully, a gadget that I got last year has made it so that I don't need to be (as) protective of my exposed skin.
Thermacell makes rechargeable and refillable mosquito repellers. I got the E-Series model, which creates a safe zone where you likely won't be bitten. It lasts a little over five hours per charge, meaning I get more than one use out of it before needing to charge it again. Just be sure not to use it in an environment where there isn't proper ventilation; Thermacell notes that its ingredients shouldn't be a concern for people or pets, but I don't want too much insecticide around my loved ones — or my food. — Cameron Faulkner, commerce editor

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Miley Cyrus Says She ‘Owned a Lot' of Mom Tish's Pain Throughout Marriage to Billy Ray
Miley Cyrus is opening up about where she stands with her parents, exes Billy Ray and Tish Cyrus, following years of estrangement and alleged drama. 'As I've gotten older, I'm respecting my parents as individuals instead of as parents — because my mom's really loved my dad for her whole life, and I think being married to someone in the music industry and not being a part of it is obviously really hard,' Miley, 32, said on the Saturday, May 31, episode of 'The Interview' podcast from The New York Times. 'I think I took on some of my mom's hurt as my own because it hurt her more than it hurt me as an adult, and so I owned a lot of her pain.' Billy Ray, 63, and Tish, 58, were married from 1993 to 2022, during which they welcomed Miley and her siblings Braison, 30, and Noah, 25. (Billy Ray also adopted Tish's two eldest children from a previous relationship, Brandi and Trace, and is father to son Christopher, whom he shares with Kristin Luckey.) In the years since the 'Achy Breaky Heart' singer and Tish divorced, the family fractured with Miley, in particular, staying closer to her mom. In her Times profile, Miley confirmed that she is no longer estranged from Billy Ray. Miley Cyrus Addresses Relationships With Mom Tish and Dad Billy Ray After Feud Speculation 'I think timing is everything,' Miley said, adding that she is glad both of her parents have moved on. 'Now that my mom is so in love with my stepdad [Dominic Purcell], who I completely adore, and now that my dad, I see him finding happiness, too — I can love them both as individuals instead of as a parental pairing. I'm being an adult about it.' She added, 'At first it's hard, because the little kid in you reacts before the adult in you can go, 'Yes, that's your dad, but that's just another person that deserves to be in his bliss and to be happy.' My child self has caught up.' Tish married Purcell, 55, in an intimate 2023 ceremony held at Miley's Malibu, California, mansion. Billy Ray, meanwhile, confirmed two years later that he is dating actress Elizabeth Hurley. 'I just try to be more compassionate to my parents, because I hate that for them,' Miley told The Times, referring to the constant attention surrounding Tish and Billy Ray's respective relationships. 'I mostly hate it for my siblings because they didn't choose that kind of highlight on themselves. But for me, I've gotten so used to it that I'm like, 'If this is the symptom — that sometimes we deal with these embarrassing or difficult public opinions — then that's something I'm willing to take to have the life that we have.'' The Something Beautiful singer is also working on her independence. Miley Cyrus Explains How Dad Billy Ray Cyrus' Relationship to Success Is 'Wildly Different' to Hers 'My mom no longer travels with me, because I'm [nearly] 33 years old, and it was getting ridiculous. I never want to detach from my mom because we're so close,' Miley quipped to the outlet. 'I'll get tears in my eyes even talking about her. But if nature plays its course in the way that it does, I will be an individual without my mom at some point, and that used to completely paralyze me.' According to Miley, she now 'mothers' herself in a way that Tish did when she was growing up. 'I don't have my mom with me the way that I used to,' Miley said. 'And now I just go, 'What was it about her that made everything better?' It was safety because I knew any situation that I didn't feel safe in, my mom would get me out of it or make it better. And so now I just imagine what soothed me about her, and then I do it for myself.' Miley and Dad Billy Ray Cyrus' Ups and Downs Over the Years: From 'Hannah Montana' to Now Overall, Miley has found that her fame — eclipsing Billy Ray's own success — 'added a level of complexity' to her family's dynamics. 'I think it would be hard for anybody with a dream to see somebody else achieving theirs in a way that you see for yourself, but I do think love conquered all,' she said. "He can still find the pride in me. But it would be delusional for any of us to think that that doesn't add a level of complication to our already complicated dynamic.' Miley further noted that she 'got rid' of any lingering guilt or shame during EMDR therapy. 'At times in my life, guilt and shame were a driver for me,' the former Disney Channel star recalled. 'I had a hard time accepting that I could suffer because of how blessed I am. I don't think that's actually played too much of a part between me and my dad, though, because I have to have the faith that, like any dad, he would want this for me.'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Billy Ray Cyrus Gushes Over Daughter Miley Cyrus After Putting Estrangement Behind Them
Billy Ray Cyrus shared his pride for daughter Miley Cyrus one month after she confirmed the pair have put their long-running estrangement behind them. Billy Ray, 63, took to Instagram on Sunday, June 1, to praise Miley, 32, sharing his daughter's Instagram Story of the music video for her new track 'Easy Lover.' The 'Achy Breaky Heart' singer wrote over the clip, 'So proud of you Mile!!!' before tagging her and adding colored heart stickers to the post. The proud father also commented on Miley's earlier Instagram grid promotion of the track, from her new album, Something Beautiful, leaving three blazing heart emojis on his daughter's post and "liking" it. Miley Cyrus Says She 'Owned a Lot' of Mom Tish's Pain Throughout Marriage to Billy Ray The PDA comes after Miley revealed where she currently stands with Billy Ray in a May 10 Instagram Story statement. 'My dad and I have had our challenges over the years,' Miley wrote in the statement. 'Now, in my 30s, family is my priority above all else. I'm at peace knowing bridges have been built and time has done a lot of healing.' Hours prior to Miley's statement, Billy Ray posted a photo of himself with Miley and son Braison, 31, as well as Miley's boyfriend, Maxx Morando. (Cyrus is the father of five children — Miley, Braison, Noah, 25, Brandi, 38, and Trace, 36 — whom he shares with ex-wife Tish Cyrus, as well as Christopher, 33, whom he shares with ex Kristin Luckey.) More recently, Miley expanded on the family's reconnection during an interview for The New York Times' 'The Interview' podcast, released on Saturday, May 31. 'As I've gotten older, I'm respecting my parents as individuals instead of as parents — because my mom's really loved my dad for her whole life, and I think being married to someone in the music industry and not being a part of it is obviously really hard,' she said. 'I think I took on some of my mom's hurt as my own because it hurt her more than it hurt me as an adult, and so I owned a lot of her pain.' Billy Ray Cyrus Celebrates Daughter Miley Cyrus on Her Birthday with Sweet Throwback Pics In the years that followed the divorce of Tish, 58, and Billy Ray, the Cyrus family fractured, with Miley remaining close to her mom and supporting her stepfather, Dominic Purcell. 'I think timing is everything,' Miley said, adding that she is glad both of her parents have both moved on given Billy Ray's budding relationship with Elizabeth Hurley. 'Now that my mom is so in love with my stepdad, who I completely adore, and now that my dad, I see him finding happiness, too — I can love them both as individuals instead of as a parental pairing. I'm being an adult about it.' Miley continued, 'At first it's hard, because the little kid in you reacts before the adult in you can go, 'Yes, that's your dad, but that's just another person that deserves to be in his bliss and to be happy.' My child self has caught up.' Tish and Miley's relationship was put under the microscope after it was reported that Tish allegedly unfollowed Miley on social media. Us Weekly confirmed on May 8 that Tish began following her online that day.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Miley Cyrus Says ‘Half' of Her Family Members ‘Weren't Speaking to Each Other' Until Recently
Miley Cyrus' family is finally mending fences after their years-long feud. The 'Wrecking Ball' singer, 32, opened up about her family's 'dark decade' and their road to healing during her appearance on Monica Lewinsky's 'Reclaiming' podcast on Tuesday, January 10. Miley shared that 'half [of her family members] weren't speaking to each other at one point' following dad Billy Ray Cyrus' split from mom Tish Cyrus in 2022. 'We cleaned all that up. That was a really big part of my year this year, was all of my family, putting all of those lines of communication back together,' she added, explaining that she had 'a lot of loyalty' to Tish, 58, 'the way that families do when parents get divorced.' Tish filed for divorce from Billy Ray in April 2022 after 28 years of marriage. In addition to Miley, the pair share son Braison, 31, and daughter Noah, 25. Billy Ray is also a father to son Cody, 33, from his romance with ex Kristin Luckey, and he adopted Tish's two eldest kids, daughter Brandi, 38, and son Trace, 36, after their wedding in 1993. Miley Cyrus Says She 'Owned a Lot' of Mom Tish's Pain Throughout Marriage to Billy Ray Prior to Tish's 2022 divorce filing, Billy Ray had filed for divorce in October 2010, calling off the proceedings the following year to work on their marriage. The former couple split again when Tish filed for divorce in June 2013, but they reconciled and called off the divorce for a second time the following month. After their divorce, Tish moved on with Dominic Purcell in 2023, and another layer of family drama ensued when a source told Us Weekly that Noah, 25, had been seeing the actor, 55, first. Both Noah and Braison, 31, were notably absent from Tish's wedding to Dominic, but the mom and daughter later reunited and have seemingly put the feud behind them. Miley admitted that, by witnessing her parents' on-off relationship unfold and leaving her family's drama untouched for years, she 'watched what happens when you don't clean things up as they're happening. They really do stack, and then all of a sudden you go, 'Oh my god, it's been 10 years, and this is a mess that I barely even know how to start [with]. This is basically emotional hoarding.'' To help mend her family's differences, Miley said she 'busted through the pile that stacked and just [went], 'I'm here, you're here, let's start by having a good time together, and then as we start bringing some happiness and joy into each other's life, then we'll be in a better place to have these conversations.'' However, when asked if her family went through any counseling, Miley said, 'We're so messy, we didn't even do any of that.' The Grammy winner said that it was 'easier' to raise a 'white flag' and show that she was open and ready to talk. Miley, whose ninth album, Something Beautiful, was released on May 30, teased that she plans to sing about her family's feud in an upcoming album that she's already working on. She revealed that one track, 'Secrets,' will be about wanting Billy Ray 'to feel safe enough to tell [her] the things that were damning and damaging to the family.' Miley Cyrus Addresses Relationships With Mom Tish and Dad Billy Ray After Feud Speculation During the May 31 episode of 'The Interview' podcast from The New York Times, Miley confirmed that she and her dad are no longer estranged and reflected on both of her parents moving on after their divorce. (Billy Ray debuted his romance with Elizabeth Hurley on Easter.) 'I think timing is everything,' Miley said. 'Now that my mom is so in love with my stepdad, who I completely adore, and now that my dad, I see him finding happiness, too — I can love them both as individuals instead of as a parental pairing. I'm being an adult about it.' She continued, 'At first it's hard, because the little kid in you reacts before the adult in you can go, 'Yes, that's your dad, but that's just another person that deserves to be in his bliss and to be happy.' My child self has caught up.'