We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed and its publishing partners may collect a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.
1. Scaredy cats that'll make for some very cute Halloween decorations *and* deter critters like real cats, rodents, birds, rabbits, squirrels, and other pests.
2. A pair of leaf scoops for snatching up the colorful leaves in your yard. Maybe you can even lure the kids into doing the work. Just tell 'em they're Hulk hands.
3. A lighted umbrella that'll tilt (literally) to your whims and give you the right amount of shade and light when/where you want it. Your backyard time just extended by a LOT since the sun started setting earlier.
Note that this includes just the umbrella, not the table!
Promising review: "I normally don’t like buying products like this sight unseen, but I’m very pleased with the look and especially with the solar lighting. We enjoyed a pleasant evening on the deck with just the right amount of ambient light tonight, and we are hopeful that it will prove to be durable." —Dee Williams
Get it from Amazon for $71.99 (available in five color combos).
4. An inflatable hot tub because you deserve to extend your bathing suit use and chill in your backyard like you're at a luxury resort. Maybe you not owning this wasn't a problem until you read this story? (Sorry, not sorry.)
5. A double hammock you totally have permission to use just by yourself while you sip a PSL. After all your regular lawn chairs just aren't comfy enough to sit in for hours on end.
6. An inflatable lounger you can take with you everywhere this fall...including a few steps into your backyard. And to inflate it, you simply run a bit to let the wind catch in it!
Promising review: "I love this thing!!! I ordered one for my son and me for lounging in the backyard or the beach. It was a little tricky to blow up without a lot of wind in the backyard, so I used a fan from a small bouncy house. Once it was filled it was SO comfortable and relaxing! It was even better than I expected it to be. Very easy to roll and secure once filled. The material seems very sturdy and I'm not worried about popping it!" —Princess
Get it from Amazon for $39.98 (available in 16 colors/patterns).
7. A power washer to give you an oh-so-satisfying "after" when it comes to stained and worse-for-wear concrete surfaces. (And the same goes for fences!) Don't let a nasty-looking fence or patio distract you from a relaxing afternoon!
Promising review: "So glad I made this purchase. My flagstone patio looks new again!" —SEAN H. MCNEIL
Get it from Amazon for $149.33 (available in three colors).
8. Some interlocking Teak tiles you don't need tools to install but will LOOK like you paid someone to install. (Feel free to tell neighbors it was a summer project.) Talk about an upgrade!
Promising review: "Living in Hawaii you have to select wise items that are weather-, salt-, and red dirt–proof, etc... In total I ordered 11 boxes to complete my yoga deck. I have a few left over to make steps on the back. Very pleased and happy. May order more for an outdoor shower project!" —Adazzle
Get 10 sq. ft from Amazon for $77.99.
9. A nice-looking shed for easily stashing recycling bins, bikes, a lawnmower, and other hefty tools you have no other place to store.
Promising review: "Good quality. Easy to assemble. Parts are individually bagged and labeled. Holds two 32-gallon round barrels — which is what I wanted it for. Very compact, which was a factor for where i had to put it." —Joe in Brooklyn
Get it from Amazon for $328.98. Also check out a similar shed in several sizes to find the right one to fit your space and needs.
10. A portable grill you'll be able to find room for in your tiny backyard (and even take with you to a tailgate!). Is it even fall if you're not grilling out some?
11. A celestial fire pit that'll look great in the daylight and downright magical when lit at night. (Oh, and it'll be a toasty addition on chilly nights!)
12. A set of s'mores sticks to *safely* reach closer to the fire for you so you can achieve the perfect level of toasted on that marshmallow. It's extremely important!
Promising review: "These roasting sticks will get the job done. They retract easily and will be perfect for light use (roasting marshmallows) with our fire pit. Not extremely sturdy but not flimsy either. The metal points are not sharp which is a good thing if kids are handling them. I like the storage pouch it comes with too." —Sheri J. O
Get a set of five from Amazon for $8.48+ (available in four quantities).
13. And a cute s'mores station you can park nearby so no one has to hunt down the marshmallows when it's time for the best dessert on the planet.
PalletsandPaintbyJN is an Oklahoma City-based Etsy shop that specializes in wood signs and decorations.
Get it from PalletsandPaintbyJN on Etsy for $80.
14. And some chocolate-stuffed marshmallows that'll take an extra step out of making s'mores. Plus they'll perfect your chocolate-marshmallow ratio!
Promising review: "A friend had come across these once when they had gone camping for making smores. I thought that they would be great for our 'camping' that we have done during our lockdowns. They make the smores making experience so much easier. I love how the chocolate gets all warm too.
I have been brave and even tried some of their recipes for other uses for the marshmallows like making hot chocolate for the chocolate/chocolate ones. Super yummy, just make sure to cut them in half and that your milk is very warm before adding them." —MG.
Get two bags (one original, one chocolate-on-chocolate) from Amazon for $14.99.
15. A set of stylish stacking chairs will make sure that everyone has a spot to sit when they stop by!
Get four chairs from The Novogratz for $299.99 (available in four colors).
16. A set of jumbo lawn dice you can keep handy for those lazy afternoons when you wanna do something besides just sit around in your wonderful outdoor rooms.
But what do you do with them? Well, you can use them to play huge versions of your favorite dice games or invent your own! Plus, they come with dry-erase game boards to keep all participants honest ;).
Get them from Amazon for $31.93.
17. A portable projector to make the your annual (first) Hocus Pocus watch feel like an immersive experience.
18. And a projection screen that'll help you feel like you're also running from zombie Billy before you find out he's a friend.
19. A sunshade triangle rather than a canopy you can rig up over the patio or the kids' sandbox to block up to 95% of UV rays and keep things a bit cooler because the calendar says it's fall but sometimes it can feel a bit more like summer.
Promising review: "My pool is awesome when it gets into the hundreds of degrees here in California. We decided to grab a 20x20x20 triangle and holy cow does it do a number on the backyard! Not only does it keep my pool better-shaded, but it also keeps the sun off of my back patio during the hottest part of the day." —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $20.94+ (available in 6 sizes and 14 colors).
20. A rolling indoor/outdoor cart so you can load up all your foods and bevs onto this and turn that multiple-trip task into a one-trip breeze.
Get it from The Novogratz for $119 (available in four colors).
21. Some light-up flowers you can nestle amongst the *real* flowers in your flowerbeds around seating areas for a surprisingly practical, whimsical touch that'll make your backyard look like it's out of a fairytale once the sun sets.
22. Solar lights you can stake along a walkway or pond right where you need 'em. Lighting is key for getting more use out of your outdoor space in the fall. Oh, and they look nice in the daylight too!
Promising review: "Impressed with the size of the cell which provides a larger surface area for charging. The lights are the brightest I've seen for a solar light and the illumination covers a nice range. Placed them along my pond giving the place a classy look." —Percussionist
Get six from Amazon for $49.99.
23. Solar powered, motion sensor-activated lights so you can actually see what your dog's getting into when you let him out at 7:01 p.m.
24. Waterproof globe string lights that'll make a big style impact when hung along your roofline, draped on outdoor structures like a pergola, or just strung up solo so you can enjoy the lights *and* the stars.
Reviewers note that you should remove the bulbs before stringing up the strands and then install the bulbs.
Promising review: "These lights were perfect for my patio, I've recieved plenty of compliments so far. The Edison light bulbs and beautiful and offer the perfect amount of lighting for any occasion...the clips were ideal for my eaves, the overhang of the roof, which made for simple installation...now just need to find a dimmer capable of handling the required wattage and the package will be complete." —Brody Vins
Get a strand from Amazon for $16.98+ (available in three lengths and three colors).
25. An outdoor drink stakes set that'll hold your beer while you tend to the fire pit or check out how those burgers are faring on the grill.
Promising review: "As always, my order was shipped quickly and in perfect condition. I love the bright colors and they are talk and sturdy. They are perfect for bottles, cabs, and cups... Not so good with stemmed wine glasses! No problem: I just ordered silicone stemless wineglasses!" —LaDonna Clark
Get it from Amazon for $31.95+ (available in two quantities). Or get a set made for stemmed wineglasses here.
26. A mosquito repellent gadget to replace your citronella candles that never quite seem to do what you'd like. This creates a 15-foot zone free of those blood-sucking fiends.
Promising review: "Excellent product that does precisely what it says it does. We have a large patio area and use one of these on each side of the patio. We live in South Florida and even in the height of mosquito season, we can spend an evening on the patio with these and not get a single bite. These are excellent!" —Luke W.
Get it from Amazon for $14.99+ (available in 11 colors).
27. A waterproof Bluetooth speaker so you can pump up the jams while you garden or just relax under an umbrella. Plus it has 360-degree sound with a 24-hour charge, and a splash-proof design to help it survive cannonballs and garden hose ambushes. Your phone in a red Solo cup could NEVER deliver like this.
Promising review: "Super easy to set up, charge, pair, and listen. There’s a built-in loop, so I can attach it to my bike for outdoor cycling, a hook in the bathroom for steamy tunes, or my bag for picnics and hikes. Clear sound for listening to both music and spoken word (of course I tested both). Lovely color and sleek overall look with a range of over 30 feet. I can’t wait to bring this to the beach during the NYC summer months. True to product description." —Aminah
Get it from Amazon for $31.99+ (available in eight colors).
28. An outdoor pizza oven you can plop down on a table to turn your backyard into the most popular neighborhood pizzeria.
29. Or a brick pizza oven building kit (with a foam form for easier building) in case you really wanna commit to a pizza oven. This Etsy shop has tons of plans to help you DIY one!
Brickwood Ovens is a Lynden, Washington-based shop that sells downloadable pizza oven plans for less than a buck, along with this form! With this form you can build the base and oven in just three weekends (or less). And it looks great with any color of fire brick.
Get the plans from Brickwood Ovens on Etsy for $189.99.
30. An indoor/outdoor rug built to weather rain can pull together decor or just cover up an ugly surface.
31. A hanging lounge chair your dog will adore too in case your regular chairs are no longer cutting it.
32. A bird feeder made to keep out squirrels thanks to a motorized bar that spins once a squirrel climbs onto it. That way you can admire your feathered friends without any rude interruptions.
33. A cat tent so every single member of your fam can enjoy the beautiful autumnal weather.
34. A ~washable~ door mat in fall colors you can park inside the door from your backyard so your fam can wipe off their dirty shoes before storing them. And it just looks so nice!
Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.