A Highly Subjective List of the 10 Most Beautiful Outdoor Products of the Past Decade

Most of us choose our gear based on use cases. We want things that help us play outside safely and effectively. But on rare occasions, we find gear that’s not only wildly useful but also absolutely gorgeous. The design follows the engineering. Form follows function. In my nearly 10 years of gear testing, I’ve only come across a handful of these pieces, but they’re now all part of my go-to adventure kit.

Beauty, of course, is in the eye of the beholder, so yes, the 10 pieces of gear I’ve listed below are based on my taste and sensibilities. That said, I’ve tested everything from SUPs to guns, which has given me a wide pool to pull from. Plus, everything I’ve listed below is widely coveted. I’m clearly not the only one who finds this gear fun to look at. You’ll no doubt object to something I’ve chosen and wonder how I could omit something else, but, nevertheless, I’ll bravely present my top-10 list for the most beautiful outdoor products of the last decade:

BF Goodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 Tires

A tire is an odd first choice, but in my mind, no product better showcases the intersection of performance and design. Easily one of the most capable tires on the road, the KO2 won’t flat out when climbing over chunky rocks, plows through sand and snow (especially when aired down), and is plenty quiet on paved roads. The side benefit is that your rig also looks badass with KO2s slung on the wheels. The aggressive but not too aggressive tread says, “I like to adventure,” makes everything from a truck to a RAV4 a little taller and beefier, and provides a feeling of invincibility. Some people buy these tires just for looks, which is silly. But if you’re using them for their intended purpose, it’s totally fine to enjoy the aesthetics.

Trek Domane SLR Bike Frame

The internet is full of articles about the “world’s most beautiful bike frames.” And rightly so. Bike frames have long been works of art, and it’s easy to one day imagine someone building a bike museum that would draw visitors from around the world. I’m no expert in bike frame history, but I’ve ridden a lot of road bikes and can confidently say that Trek’s Domane SLR frame sits near the top in terms of design aesthetics. It’s a mass-produced model so it doesn’t have the quirkiness of hand-made frames, but it looks amazing under everyone from a rider in the Tour de France to someone who’s just out for a Sunday adventure. What gives the bike immediate beauty is the slight curvature throughout, the beefiness of the downtube, and the internal routing of all the cables coming off the front. It’s clean, balanced, and also fun to ride.

Smith Lowdown 2 Sunglasses

Every pair of sunglasses with semi-rounded lenses and medium-thick plastic frames owes its design to the original Ray Ban Wayfarers that were launched back in 1952. The Lowdown 2 obviously drew from that stock and then added a modern spin by straightening the lines a touch. They’re not as classy as the Wayfarers but make my list nonetheless because they look good on any face imaginable. I’ve seen folks with small heads, big heads, giant noses, tiny foreheads—and they all look good wearing the Lowdown 2. Something about the size and shape of the lenses ensures that you’ll always be in style.

Apple AirPods Pro Headphones

Some of you are old enough to remember when Bluetooth headsets first launched and people would walk around with giant Star Trek-like gadgets sticking out of their ears and feeling cool about it. We’ve come a long way, and Apple is to thank for that. The AirPods Pro that many of us now use now are so much nicer to look at thanks to their diminutive size, sleek lines, and clean, white color. They’re great for phone calls, and also the best everyday headphones on the market. Incredible noise canceling allows you to use them in crowded areas, and high-quality music output, light and compact design, and in-ear security make them excellent for high-intensity workouts.

Toyota Fifth-Gen 4Runner

I admit that if you bought a fifth-gen 4Runner, slapped a set of KO2s on it, raised it two inches, and put an American flag decal in the rear side window, you’d have the most cliched overland vehicle on the market. Yes, the fifth-gen 4Runner feels overdone. But there’s a reason so many people love this model. First, it’s a Toyota, so it’s indestructible and completely reliable. And second, the fifth-gen design is perfectly proportioned. It’s a nice mix of both square and round lines, and the size of the cab creates a visual balance that’s hard to put into words but very easy to see. Toyota is due for a 4Runner redesign, but I have no doubt that the fifth gen will live on as a popular go-to for decades to come.

Hoka Skyline Float X Sneakers

The first time I saw someone wearing a pair of Hokas at a gear show I laughed out loud. “What the hell are those?” I thought. I was sure this was another flop, like toe shoes. Fast forward to the present and not only has the world adopted Hokas for their comfort—which I find truly unmatched—but they’ve also become a widely sought-after fashion piece. The thick and chunky sole is currently en vogue and they’re on everyone’s feet including movie stars (like Adam Sandler), doctors and nurses, and of course the outdoor community. Those of us who’ve adopted Hokas are essentially saying that we’re so confident in the comfort that we don’t mind the weirdly thick soles. And by being so confident, we’ve become trendsetters, and made what was weird feel stylish and attractive. There are many different Hoka models to choose from, but I think the Skyline Float X strikes a nice balance of being thick but not over the top.

Benchmade Mini Bugout Knife

Some knives look too ominous—like something a serial killer or bad-ass soldier would wield as a deadly weapon in a movie. Other knives look boring and uninspired—like one you’d buy at a gas station somewhere along the interstate. The Mini Bugout, on the other hand, is understated but clearly thought out, creating a clean and engaged elegance. Made from high-quality parts, the Mini Bugout has long been my favorite everyday carry knife because it’s light and small but doesn’t shrink from any job. I use it for everything from opening boxes to cutting rope to sawing steaks, and every time I pull out the knife it elicits comments from friends and strangers alike.

Solid Color Hunting Apparel

I’m a big fan of the solid-color hunting apparel that’s now everywhere thanks to the rise of brands like Sitka, Stone Glacier, First Lite, and Kuiu because it doubles as the best quality and best-looking hiking gear on the market. Hunters are notorious for being hard on their equipment, so those of us who use this gear for hiking benefit from pants, jackets, midlayers, baselayers, socks, hats, and packs that are smartly designed, lightweight, and nearly indestructible. Hunters also like to be understated, for good reason, so this plain-color gear doesn’t shout “I love to be in the woods” like much of the hiking gear now on the market. I have nothing against camo, but I love being able to invest in one set of gear for when I’m on the trail, with or without a rifle.

Tecnica Ski Boots

Many ski boot companies suffer from bad design because they try to be too many things to too many people. They make a beginner boot, a comfy boot, a white boot, a blue boot, etc. What ends up happening is they create a line with zero consistency and zero aesthetic appeal. Tecnica, on the other hand, knows exactly who it caters to—mid-tier and expert skiers—so its line is clean, in conversation with its audience, and a pleasure to look at. Their color choices are also simple, bold, and repeated, allowing the brand to immediately stand out. Oftentimes I’ll scan boots in the lift line and not be able to tell what people are wearing unless I can see the logo. But I can immediately recognize a pair of the newer Tecnica boots by the color, shape, and buckle design. I’ve tested several pairs of Tecnica boots over the past decade and can confidently say that both their inbounds and backcountry designs are some of the best on the market.

DPS Skis

Remember the graphics you thought were so cool on your skis from eight years ago? Chances are those same graphics now make you cringe. The skis, and their top sheet designs, are outdated and you feel silly for ever thinking those skis were cool. This has happened to all of us, but it’s easily avoided by buying DPS skis. Since the company’s inception, DPS has kept its top sheets decidedly simple, mostly going with plain colors. You might call that decision uninspired, but I call it smart. I’d gladly ski my yellow Wailer 112s from many years ago, and people would immediately recognize them as DPS skis. That’s good branding, and good marketing. In terms of performance, DPS skis have always been one of the best for backcountry skiing, and they also deserve engineering kudos for their one-and-done Phantom ski treatment.