From coolers to power generators, here are the essentials to make your next tailgate a success

Updated Jan 27, 2025 5:58 am ET


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Essentials for Your Next Tailgate
Graphic by Abby Kass; photos Amazon

Tailgating is an American tradition we’re proud to take part in, whether we’re rabid fans of the home team or just enjoying the food and company. To ensure a fantastic tailgating experience every time out, we’ve scoured Amazon to pick out items that can liven up your next stadium get-together, from outdoor speakers to camping chairs, grills, canopies and coolers.

The products on our rundown below are not only great for a tailgate but are also perfect for a camping trip or backyard cookout. Maximize your fun at the next big game by gearing up with these items!

1. You can’t have a tailgate without a food spread, and you can’t have a spread without a folding table, which folds up for easy carrying and storage.

>> Buy the Our Modern Space 6 Feet Foldable Table for $58.50 on Amazon

2. Keep your appliances and devices powered up during your tailgate party with this portable, long-lasting power generator. Plus, it’s great to have on hand at home for power outages.

>> Buy the PowerSmart 2500-Watt Gas Powered Portable Inverter Generator for $389.90 on Amazon

3. We like this camping chair for outdoor fun because it comes with a cup holder and you can rock back and relax in it.

>> Buy the GCI Outdoor Freestyle Rocker Camping Chair for $70 on Amazon

4. This gas burner might be compact, but it cooks up a storm and accommodates up to eight burgers, 12 brats or six steaks.

>> Buy the Char-Broil Portable Convective 1-Burner Stainless Steel Propane Gas Grill for $39.99 on Amazon

5. Go mobile with your drinks and keep them chilled with this cooler, which has wheels and a retractable handle.

>> Buy the Coleman Chiller Series 60qt Wheeled Portable Cooler for $54.98 on Amazon

6. Keep the tunes and the good vibes rolling at your tailgate with this small but mighty water-resistant 80-watt Bluetooth speaker, which can go up to 24 hours on a single charge.

>> Buy the Anker Boom 2 Outdoor Speaker for $19.99 on Amazon

7. A fun game of cornhole is a staple at tailgates — this Wild Sports set comes in a fun Chiefs design and includes 8 bags and a mesh travel case for them.

>> Buy the Wild Sports Cornhole Sets for $209.99 on Amazon

8. With a one-push setup and anchoring sandbags for each corner, this canopy ensures you’ll have a fun tailgate even if the weather doesn’t cooperate.

>> Buy the CROWN SHADES 10×10 Pop Up Canopy for $139.99 on Amazon

9. Who says you can’t have a man-cave outdoors? This tripod stand can handle TVs up to 100 pounds, injecting extra entertainment into the tailgate experience.

>> Buy the TAVR Furniture Tripod TV Stand for 23-75 inch Flat Screen for $65.99 (5% off, with additional $10 coupon) on Amazon

10. Make cleanup easy during and after the festivities with this trash bag holder, which can accommodate 13-gallon bags and larger.

>> Buy the Wakeman Portable Trash Bag Holder for $13.98 on Amazon

11. From a cleaning brush to spatula to skewers, this kit has everything you need to get your grill on.

>> Buy the Cuisinart 13-Piece Wooden Grill Tool Set for $34.99 (13% off) on Amazon

12. Keep the beverages flowing with this cooler, which features a drip-resistant, angled spout for quick and spill-free pouring.

>> Buy the Igloo 5-Gallon Portable Sports Cooler for $39.99 on Amazon

Ho Lin

Ho Lin

Author

Ho Lin is a content writer at McClatchy. He has over two decades of experience in content strategy, creation, and development, ranging from subjects such as anime and manga to military benefits, job search advice and AI evaluation. Ho is based in the San Francisco Bay Area and holds a M.A. in Creative Writing from Johns Hopkins University. Ho also writes both fiction and non-fiction; his books include China Girl and Bond Movies: A Retrospective.

Abby Kass

Abby Kass

Editor McClatchy Commerce

Abby Kass is a Commerce Content Editor at McClatchy covering kids/babies, pets, beauty, and more. With more than seven years experience writing and editing shopping content, Abby has a strong understanding of how important commerce content really is and its important value to readers. She loves browsing online and finding innovative, unique, and just down-right cool products. Before McClatchy, Abby started her career working for Parents Magazine where she fell in love with writing about products. She then spent six years at BuzzFeed falling deeper into the shopping world writing more than 1,500 product roundups and reviews. She sees shopping as a sport and has worked hard at mastering it in order to help make people’s lives easier as they find cool and useful products.