Editor's Letter
Welcome to our 2024 Summer Gear Guide! Below you’ll find dozens of reviews packed with the most impressive gear we tested this past year. Whether it’s hiking, camping, biking, fishing, swimming, running, working out, yoga, or tech, we’ve got it all here鈥攁nd if we don’t, you might find it in our or over on . Want all of this great gear in a glossy, tactile experience? Pick up 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine鈥檚 May/June issue at newsstands or read it digitally with your 国产吃瓜黑料+ subscription.
To make these picks, we enlisted the help of 9 editors, four dozen product category managers, and hundreds of testers who collectively spent months testing 800+ products. Staff from 国产吃瓜黑料, Backpacker, Climbing, Run, Yoga Journal, Pinkbike, and Velo all contributed to the effort. We hope this guide helps make your journey on-trail and off that much easier.
Hiking and Camping
These roomy and sturdy shelters have enough room for the whole gang
Car camping is all about embracing the kind of luxury you can鈥檛 afford on backpacking trips. These sleeping bags fit the bill.
We tried 34 pads at campsites, under the stars, and even on some backpacking trips. These had us sleeping soundly.
Our favorite knives, coffee presses, coolers, and cook sets for outdoor meal prep
Bags, tools, and little extras to make camp feel like your home away from home
Live like royalty miles from pavement with these kitted-out rigs
Maximize family time outdoors with these smart kid picks
Rugged bags designed to go wherever adventure takes you
We put this season鈥檚 portable Bluetooth speakers through their paces indoors and out, on wet days and dry days, on Fridays and Sundays (that鈥檚 our fun day). These seven emerged as our favorites.
Capture your adventures in detail-rich photos with these fully featured cameras
Sony鈥檚 new A7CII is a full-frame powerhouse in a small package
Bikes and E-Bikes
These biking accessories and tools will help you work smarter, not harder, on two wheels
Six Pinkbike writers and editors tested 15 trail bikes last year. These five picks impressed us the most.
There鈥檚 no downhill too technical for these rides
Hit the pavement with these five dynamic picks
We tested eight bikes, and these four came out on top
After testing 21 bike shoes, we hand-picked these road, gravel, and mountain-bike shoes
We biked long and hard on 17 different electric commuter bikes to find out which four are truly the best.
From sweat-wicking shorts to a minimalist shell, here are our favorite products to hit the trails this summer
We tested 18 different bikes to bring you the best road and gravel e-bikes of 2024
These eight beauties can take any surface you throw at them
High-performance lids that prioritize safety, speed, and comfort
These jerseys, pants, and shorts got us through rain, sunshine, wind, and everything in between
Water Sports
We stuck fish from Idaho to Alaska all last fall and summer to bring you our best-tested picks
We tried 22 water shoe styles and chose the best for adventuring in, on, and around the water
At the top of our list: comfortable, stylish suits that seamlessly transition between activities
We surfed, ran, and swam our hearts out in 18 different styles. These were our favorites.
We tested dozens of paddleboards. These five favorites stood out from the crowd.
Our favorite boats for flatwater to Class V rapids
We tested 21 boards and road countless breaks to bring you our top six picks
Running and Fitness
We put over 130 running shoes through thousands of miles of long runs, speed workouts, races, and daily jaunts. These 19 emerged as the best.
Plush, with surprising pep, the updated Nike Vomero is our new go-to training shoe
We tested more than 25 running packs over a wide range of distances, speeds, and terrains. These seven rose to the top.
We tested yoga apparel, mats, and accessories during dozens of hours of diverse practice to find the pieces that will optimize your yoga experience
Six testers spent hundreds of hours working out to find these best-performing sports bras for every type of activity
The Rab Veil 12 comfortably carried everything we needed on runs from neighborhood jogs to 100-mile adventures鈥攁nd let us reach what we wanted without taking the pack off
We tested 20 new products on trails, treadmills, and trains to find the best earbuds and headphones for every listener and budget
A crew of athletes and adventurers put in well over 1,000 miles running, hiking, and biking, plus tracked hundreds of workout hours and daily activities to find the best watch for every athlete
We Loved the Classic Look of These Earbuds from Marshall. Then We Were Wowed by Their Sound Quality.
The Marshall Motif II ANC earbuds made us feel like we were inside a recording studio
We put more than 150 trail shoes through hundreds of miles of rocky singletrack, sandy paths, and muddy forests. These 18 emerged as the best.
Having run in every plated trail shoe made, we find the Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra the first that matches road supershoe performance without sacrificing trail-handling prowess
Over a dozen athletes put 66 sunglasses to the test in a range of outdoor activities. These shades performed the absolute best.
These are the classic, oversized sunnies you鈥檒l wear on the beach, the ski hill, or the road trip
We logged more than 2,500 miles to find the best running shorts for staying cool and feeling fast and stylish
Seven testers tried 48 t-shirts and singlets over nearly 4,000 miles. These came out on top.
Seven testers tried 31 running shorts over nearly 4,000 miles. These came out on top.
We ran over 2,500 miles on roads and trails to find the best running t-shirts and tank tops for staying cool and dry in heat and humidity
Eight testers worked out in 42 tops and 33 shorts for more than 300 hours. These picks came out on top.
Nine testers sweated in more than 50 summer workout shirts, shorts, hats, and accessories. These six came out on top.