5 Must-Have Accessories for a Perfect Park Outing
Including stylish sun protection and your new favourite bluetooth speaker
During Toronto’s summer season, there are certain outdoor activities that entice us to hit the streets: a scenic trip to the island and a neighbourhood street party are perfect examples. But no gathering place holds a flame to Toronto’s beloved parks for sunny days in the city. To help you make the most of your park day, we’ve rounded up five essential accessories for a perfect outing.
Available in bold patterns like Clouds and Strawberry, find it for $99, at Te Koop.
Puffy Picnic Blanket
When it comes to park essentials, one staple is a comfortable picnic blanket. For lounging with friends or sleeping under the sun, look out for BAGGU’s Puffy Picnic Blanket. Best known for their colourful crossbody bags in a crescent shape, the immensely popular San Francisco-based brand is also AAPI woman-owned and carries everything from reusables tote bags and puffy lunch boxes to socks and pop-up tents. Their Puffy Picnic Blanket features a nylon top and a polyester bottom—both made from recycled material—and is easily portable with its accompanying carrying strap.
Available in four sizes (square, wide, and two tiers of rectangle), $48, from Drake General Store. Image courtesy of Puebco.
Recycled Plastic Stripe Bag
To cultivate the perfect park vibe, make sure to carry a sizeable—yet stylish—summer bag. With the Recycled Plastic Stripe Bag by Puebco, you can tote around your sunscreen, sunglasses and other necessities, with room to spare. Made of recycled plastic and aluminum, the Japanese design brand found inspiration for this bag in a Mumbai airport where the Indian fabric was used to craft vibrant airport storage bags.
$450, from Sundays.
Settle In Outdoor Deck Chair
Sure, stretching out on the grass during a summer day in the park is great. But if you feel like (quite literally) elevating your cross-legged park pose, try a folding deck chair. The Settle In Outdoor Deck chair by Sundays offers a solid teak wood frame and waterproof and UV-resistant Sunbrella fabric in a classic, sling silhouette. With a removable headrest and collapsible design, it’s easy to pack up and follow the sun—or the shade, depending on your mood—at a moment’s notice.
$189, at Fatboy Canada.
Miasun Compact Sunshade
Speaking of shade, for an easy alternative to the classic beach umbrella, try the Miasun Compact Sunshade. Designed by Valériane Voirin and Hortense Pontabry for Dutch design brand Fatboy, this functional tent is only 1.2 kg but offers up to 3 metres squared of shade. With three available configurations, it can fold up into a small pouch and be packed away in minutes.
With a sleek, elevated design, you can find this speaker for $170, at Simons.
Portable Ellipse Wooden Speaker
A summer day in the park is not complete without some tunes. Queue up that park essentials playlist with the Portable ellipse wooden speaker from Simons and hit play (at a reasonable volume). Made of hand-sanded beechwood in a compact flat oval shape, this Bluetooth speaker boasts a 10-metre musical range.
