With London and other parts of the UK in Tier 2 territory, and restrictions placed on restaurants and pubs in full effect, that outside table has never looked so appealing.
So if you’re meeting friends in an outside space or in your back garden, you’re going to need the necessary gadgets and gizmos to help you brave the chilly night air when a woolly jumper simply won’t cut it.
This way, the only thing that stays cold is your pint.
Read on for the best tech for Tier 2 toastiness…
Ooni Koda
If you’re entertaining outside, a gas-powered oven that heats up to a searing 500C for pizzas, roasting or cast-iron cooking is a great investment for your local lockdown parties. Easy to operate, simple to assemble, the ignition is similar to that on a gas hob and fires up an L-shaped flame when pushed.
Do it right and you’ll be rewarded with restaurant-rivalling pizzas with pillowy dough that’s crispy in all the right places and oozes cheesy goodness.
Doughtossing optional. Warning: it’s harder than it looks.
HottMitt
For winter walks with a pushchair, this battery-powered heated mitten is an excellent solution to cold hands.
It loops on to the handle of a pram or pushchair and gives a five-minute boost of heat at the push of a button. The clear central pocket has a built-in phone holder that lets you see and use your phone on the go, and just so happens to charge it too.
Fully charged, you’ll get enough power for around 20 five-minute bursts of heat or two full charges of most mobiles.
Ember Temperature Travel Mug 2
Spending almost 200 quid on a mug might seem excessive but when you consider that it has liquid-warming superpowers that will put an end to cold coffee tantrums with app assistance, you’ll start to realise that the Ember Temperature Travel Mug 2 is the Tesla of travel mugs.
Just hook it up to your smartphone, while built-in wizardry keeps your drink at your preferred temperature for up to three hours and an LCD display shows the target temperature.
For an extra dose of warmth, filling it with alcohol-flavoured goodness like a hot toddy or Irish coffee is a great shout. You can thank us later.
Ralph Lauren Polo 11 Heated Jacket
Once upon a time, items of clothing with heating elements hiding inside essentially matched the kind of get-up your nan and grandad would put on for a country walk.
This jacket offers a technologically advanced solution to braving colder climates thanks to an impressive integrated appcontrolled heating system you wouldn’t even know was there. It also brings the heat while looking pretty darn stylish too, with a design inspired by jackets worn in outer space by 20th-century astronauts.
The heating components are sewn into the conductive silver lining and hook up to a slim, rechargeable Mophie battery in the inside pocket to keep the wearer warm for up to 11 hours at adjustable temperatures. Smug feeling optional.
Wacaco Minipresso GR
If you’d feel a bit more comfortable making your own coffee while outside with your pals, you can confidently tend to your caffeine craving with assistance from this bulletshaped and pocket-sized accessory.
Once you’ve thrown in your pre-ground coffee of choice, it relies on a few hand-pumps in exchange for an authentic espresso shot wherever you are. Just don’t forget to fill it with hot water first.
Lenz 3.0 Unisex Heatable socks
If not being able to feel your feet following a lengthy stint outside is one of your main concerns, a pair of heated socks is the obvious choice. Synonymous with skiing, slide them on and it’ll feel like your feet never left the house.
That’s thanks to the integrated heating elements that are so tiny your feet won’t even know they’re there, so they won’t cause any discomfort. Just push the button to deliver your heat injection via three separate settings for up to 14 hours.
Your tootsies will thank you later.
£61.04 socks, £159.15 lithium pack 1800 battery, fc-moto.de
Zippo HeatBank 9s Hand Warmer
Life is a lot less fun when you can no longer feel your digits but don’t let frosty fingers put you off socialising until 10pm.
Treat yourself to this pocket-size hand warmer, which promises to keep the sensation in your fingers and/or stop other body parts from going numb for up to nine hours before needing to be connected to a plug socket.
It even has enough power to spare to charge your phone.
Kettler Kalos Plush Floorstanding Electric Patio Heater
Faced with notoriously unstable British weather, having an outdoor heater to keep you company is often the difference between convincing people to sit outside with you or having them choose to remain inside on the sofa.
Unless you get a kick out of not being able to feel your face, a patio heater will guarantee a night outdoors that’s both cosy and comfortable, while prolonging your garden soirée, regardless of the weather.
This one gets extra points for doing it while looking undeniably stylish too.
Ugg Bluetooth earmuffs
Ugg might be better known for its sheepskin-lined ankle boots but the company has taken what has made its footwear so popular and now wants to flank your head with it.
Like little pillows for your ears, these suede and super-soft shearling earmuffs conceal a pair of built-in Bluetooth speakers so you can listen to your pub playlist en route and then use them to stylishly avoid freezing your ears off when it’s time to socialise.
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