The Gear That Outside Readers Couldn't Stop Buying in 2025

It’s no secret that Outside readers are gear-obsessed. From over-the-top tents and indestructible coolers to all-mountain skis and the “perfect” travel-ready running shoes, you devoured a year of gear packed with fun, functional, and occasionally very fancy items.

Our editors spend thousands of hours field-testing every piece of kit we recommend, but our reviews are only half the story. The real test happens when that gear hits the trail, the campsite, or the slopes. We’ve always wanted to be a fly on the (metaphorical) tent wall to see which recommendations actually changed your experience outside.

This year, we finally crunched the numbers. By diving into reader data and engagement, we’ve IDed the gear that resonated most with you over the last 12 months. Whether you’re looking to fill a gap in your kit or you just want to see if your favorite purchase made the cut, we’ve gathered our findings for you here. Behold: the most popular gear of 2025, as determined by you—our loyal, gear-obsessed readers.

Did your favorite piece of gear miss the list? Let us know in the comments what you were most excited about this year so we can get it on our testing slate for 2026.

The Budget-Friendly Cooler That Blew Everyone Out of the Water

$40 $30 at REI

Our best cooler title ultimately went to fan-favorite Yeti, but our tester was just as bullish on this budget-friendly cooler from Igloo. “The ECOCOOL Latitude 52-Qt cooler proves that there is still space for a low-tech cooler in a market dominated by $400 beasts that hold onto ice for weeks,” our tester wrote. “For $60, the ECOCOOL did a respectable job of keeping snacks and drinks cold during a 60-degree weekend of camping in Oregon’s Siskiyou Mountains.” If any part of this sounds good to you, we’d check out at REI immediately; the cooler is now discontinued and on super-sale.

The Best Recovery Slides for Your Tired, Aching Feet

$60 at REI

From $48 at Hoka

Apparently, 2025 was a year with a lot of standing and lower-body injuries, judging by the way Outside readers clamored to our round-up of best recovery slides. But it was the Hoka Ora Recovery Slide 3 that readers shopped the most. “The shoe felt truly therapeutic during my sorest steps around the neighborhood,” said our tester. “I was able to walk it out further, giving the lactic acid more time to flush out of my system. Wearing these did make my legs feel better over the course of the day.”

The Comfy AF Joggers That Even the Outside Lab Loved

$118 at Ten Thousand

Sure, it would have been easy to test the softness of joggers just by lounging on a couch all day and doing some light stretching—and yes, we did do that. But we also took to the Outside Lab at CU Denver, where they tested our favorite joggers for durability, stretch, and air permeability. The Ten Thousand Interval Joggers scored highest in the field and in the lab. “In the lab, they received a score of 4 or better on a scale of 5 (1 being worst, 5 being best) for air permeability, stretch, and durability—no other pants graded as high in all three tests, making it easy to award this particular pair the title of best joggers for men overall,” noted our report.

Our Editors’ Choice Winner for All-Mountain Skis

Check availability at evo

The early bird gets the powder, or whatever the saying is. Outside readers flocked to the Stöckli Stormrider 95, our Editors’ Choice winner for Best All-Mountain Skis—so much so that they’re now sold out. “Handcrafted in Switzerland with watchmaker-level precision, the Stormrider 95 delivers the signature Stöckli feel: smooth, stable, and confidence-inspiring,” we wrote in our October review. “Testers called it a ‘sports car on snow’ for how seamlessly it transitions from edge to edge.”

The Do-It-All Duffel That’s a Classic Gear Piece

$169 at Patagonia

$169 at REI

For many Outside readers, the Patagonia Black Hole Duffel is the gearhead version of a beloved teddy bear: worn in, dependable, and an emotional support item during any kind of adventure. But it’s high-quality too, and in fact, we recently named it the best overall piece of travel luggage. “In the rain, water beaded right off the bag, and it proved durable for outdoor adventures,” said one tester after taking the bag on a canoe camping trip in the Adirondacks and a camping trip to Moab, Utah.

A Sports Watch We Loved for Workouts

$900 at REI

$900 at Garmin

The world of workout watches is overwhelming, to say the least. They vary widely in design, battery life, and features—and considering they cost several hundred dollars, Outside readers really want to know what they’re paying for. The Garmin Enduro 3 wasn’t our best overall choice (that went to another Garmin, the fenix 8 Pro AMOLED), but it was our go-to pick for workouts specifically. “The Enduro 3 will track nearly every sport or exercise imaginable—as diverse as wakesurfing and rugby,” wrote our lead tester. It also comes with enough memory space for downloading several hundred songs, which helped one tester stay motivated on long, grueling road runs.

The Subtle, Small Camera Bag Recommended by a Veteran Photog

$60 at Peak Design

Camera geeks (complimentary) flocked to our reviews of the best camera bags, with testing spearheaded by a passionate photographer with two decades of experience putting more than 40 bags to the test across Middle Eastern deserts, mountainous backcountry, and long-distance bike rides. The Peak Design Outdoor Sling bag won his respect for its small, featherweight specs. “I like the Photo Sling for when I’m trying to move fast and follow athletes, either on bike or on foot,” he explained in his review. “I’ve ridden with it and loved how easily I can bring it around from my back to my chest, unzip it, and access the camera, all with only one hand.”

The Fan Favorite Camping Chair We Featured Five Times

$250 $175 at REI

The Big Agnes Big Six Armchair was so beloved that we found a way to write about it no less than five times last year. It was the best overall winner of our portable camping chairs test, and we also recommended it for Father’s Day gifts and fireside lounging. “On top of a killer comfort-to-size ratio, testers appreciated that this relatively packable chair features two luxurious armrests with two solid cupholders…The beauty of this chair is that you can easily take it with you on short outings. One tester’s family slid it into their beach bag and hiked a quarter mile from camp to a secluded rocky beach in Crescent City, California.” Heads up: This one is discontinued, but the remaining units are deeply discounted. Take advantage.

The All-Mountain Snowboard with Plenty of Pop

$700 at evo

Dubbed an “all-mountain jack of all trade” by our lead tester, the Capita Aeronaut snowboard wowed Outside readers with its explosive pop. “It’s a true resort daily driver—directional, little bit of taper, plenty of pop. I could ride this every day,” summed up a longtime snowboard reviewer and former Transworld Snowboarding product editor in our annual snowboards buying guide.