15 must-have things to buy now for your Fourth of July celebration

Fourth of July might look a little different this year—maybe your local parade or festival was cancelled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic—but that doesn't mean you can't still celebrate. Whether you're heading to the beach or the lake or choosing to stay at home in your own backyard, there are plenty of ways to enjoy the holiday weekend that are both fun and safe.

To help you make the most of your Independence Day (and your extra day off work!), we've rounded up 15 things you need for the best Fourth of July celebration. Some highlights? The Yeti koozie everyone is obsessed with, our experts' favorite grill, and even patriotic face masks that will get you in the holiday spirit.

1. An Americana-themed face mask

While many states are slowly starting to reopen, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is still advising people to wear cloth face coverings whenever you're out in public. So if you're heading to a restaurant, park, or other public area this Fourth of July, you'll want to bring a face mask with you. While there are plenty to choose from (our experts put together this list of 55 places to buy face masks online), you can also get in the holiday spirit with an American-themed face mask like this vintage-style pack from Old Navy or this red and white set from Anthropologie.

• Get the Americana Variety Triple-Layer Cloth Face Masks (3-Pack) from Old Navy for $7.50
• Get the Amadi Around-The-Head Reusable Face Masks (2-Pack) from Anthropologie for $24

2. This popular koozie from Yeti

You might know Yeti for its top-of-the-line coolers but the outdoors brand also makes koozies that are equally as good at keeping your drinks icy cold. According to over 6,500 reviewers (!!), the stainless steel Rambler Colster (which uses double vacuum-seal technology for insulation) keeps your beverages nice and frosty for hours without any condensation on the outside. Plus, the Colster is incredibly durable and won't chip or fade easily—perfect for tossing in your beach bag.

Get the Yeti Rambler Colster from Dick's Sporting Goods for $18.74

3. The best grill you can buy

What's Fourth of July without a backyard BBQ?! For that, you'll need burgers, buns, beers, and, most importantly, a grill. Of all the gas grills we've tested here in the Reviewed labs, we like the Weber Spirit E-310 the best. It heats up fast, is big enough to hold up to 18 burgers (necessary when you're feeding a crowd) and cooks food evenly with those perfect sear marks we all want.

Get the Weber Spirit E-310 from Amazon for $529

4. A trendy inflatable pool or sprinkler

In case you missed it, inflatable pools are all the rage this summer with more people staying home (and wanting to make the most of their backyard). Perfect for staying cool on a hot Fourth of July, we've rounded up some of the most popular pools and sprinklers you can still buy, including this "designer" inflatable pool from Funboy and this oversized unicorn sprinkler that everyone is obsessed with.

• Get the Funboy Kiddie Pool from Urban Outfitters for $59
• Get the Sun Squad Unicorn Sprinkler from Target for $50

5. This oversized picnic blanket

Whether you're enjoying a picnic at the park on your day off or posting up to watch the fireworks at night, you'll need a good outdoor blanket to sit on. This waterproof one—which is a massive 5-feet by 5-feet—has hundreds of five-star reviews on Amazon for being both lightweight and durable. Shoppers like that it folds up into a compact pouch for easy carrying and that it's big enough for the whole family to lounge on comfortably.

Get the Bearz Outdoor Beach Blanket for $21.99

6. This easy-to-apply sunscreen stick

The Fourth of July is all fun and games—until you wake up the next morning a painful shade of lobster red. Protect yourself (and the whole fam) with this sunscreen stick from Sun Bum, which has over 1,100 reviews on Amazon. People rave that it's super easy to apply without any mess (just rub it all over) and that it doesn't leave your skin feeling greasy or oily. Bonus: With Vitamin E, it even moisturizes your skin at the same time.

Get the Sun Bum Original Sunscreen Face Stick from Amazon for $9.70

7. Our favorite cooler

The hotter it is outside, the colder your drinks need to be. And for that, you'll want a solid, high-quality cooler. After testing some of the most popular coolers out there (including Yeti!), our experts found the Otterbox Venture 45 to be number one. Not only did it keep drinks cold for up to five days (!!) but it's also leak-proof and easy to tote around—perfect for all your Independence Day activities from boating to beaching to picnicking.

Get the Otterbox Venture 45 from Otterbox for $244.99

8. These colorful skewers for making s'mores

Every good Fourth of July celebration ends with an ooey gooey s'more made over a fire (or the grill!) in the backyard. While you can use regular skewers or even just a stick, you can upgrade your marshmallow roasting with one of these colorful telescoping skewers. They have over 1,400 positive reviews for being strong and durable (i.e. your marshmallow won't fall into the flame) and for extending up to 34 inches so you can stay a safe distance away while making your s'mores.

Get the SUMPRI Marshmallow Roasting Sticks (6-Pack) from Amazon for $26.95

9. This anti-anxiety coat for your dog during the fireworks

You might love fireworks but your pup probably does not. Enter the Thundershirt. With over 11,300 reviews on Amazon, the machine-washable jacket is praised for being incredibly effective at easing your dog's anxiety by applying gentle pressure. You can get it in sizes ranging from small to XXL and one customer says, "It almost instantly calms my dog every time. It's a miracle in a box!!"

Get the Thundershirt Classic Dog Anxiety Jacket from Amazon for $39.95

10. This mold for making delicious burgers

The only thing better than a burger is a burger ooozing with melty cheese (drooling yet?!). Make your own at home with this stuffed burger press, which is made of durable stainless steel. According to over 2,400 reviewers, the Cuisinart press is easy to use and to clean and is very versatile—you can use it to make regular burgers, stuffed burgers, and even sliders.

Get the Cuisinart 3-in-1 Stuffed Burger Press from Amazon for $12.59

11. This top-rated charcoal

If you plan on cooking up some brats and burgers on a charcoal grill this holiday weekend, stocking up on charcoal ahead of time is a must. Here at Reviewed, we recommend Royal Oak Lump Charcoal. When we put it to the test, we liked that it had that delicious sweet and smoky smell that makes charcoal grilling so worth it and that it has a good assortment of chunk sizes (ideal for longer burning times!).

Get Royal Oak Lump Charcoal (15.4 lbs) from Walmart for $18.48

12. These citronella sticks to keep bugs away

Nothing ruins a perfect Fourth of July evening faster than pesky mosquitoes. Keep the bugs at bay with these chemical-free mosquito sticks, which are basically like citronella candles in stick form. Completely chemical-free and made with an essential oil blend, people rave that the sticks smell pleasant and last for hours. I.e. you can sit outside all night watching fireworks and hanging out with the fam and not worry about waking up to bug bites galore.

Get the Murphy's Naturals Mosquito Sticks from Target for $9.99

13. This machine to make your own snow cones

Relive your childhood this holiday weekend with a homemade snow cone courtesy of the Little Snowie machine. It comes with six different flavors (from blue razzleberry to pina colada) and has over 1,400 rave reviews for how fast and easy it is to use (it makes perfectly shaved ice in just seconds!). People also like that you can use any shape ice cubes to make your cone and that it can also be used to whip up delicious frozen drinks like margaritas or daiquiris.

Get the Little Snowie Max Snow Cone Machine from Amazon for $209

14. These festive disposable plates

Disposable plates are always an easy and smart choice for parties, but they're even more necessary this year in light of the coronavirus pandemic (people feel safer eating from disposable plates rather than washable plates that could have lingering germs). For your own festivities, snag a pack of these patriotic star-shaped plates from Ginger Ray. I use Ginger Ray plates, cups, and other tableware for all of my parties—I like that their designs are so chic and that the plates themselves are much thicker and sturdier than cheap paper plates.

• Get the Ginger Ray Rose Gold Star Plates (8-Pack) from Wayfair for $10.99
• Get the Ginger Ray Gold Star Plates (8-Pack) from Ginger Ray for $5.99

15. This brilliant tool for cutting watermelon

If your Fourth of July picnic doesn't have plenty of juicy watermelon, is it even a Fourth of July picnic?! No—which is why this genius chopper will come in handy. Designed specifically for cutting watermelon (and other melons like honeydew or cantaloupe), the stainless steel slicer has over 1,100 reviews thanks to the fact that its quick and easy to use and gives you perfectly even-sized cubes of melon in just minutes (with surprisingly little mess).

Get the Yueshico Stainless Steel Watermelon Slicer from Amazon for $12.27