July 4th is right around the corner and that means celebrations with friends, family, and fellow Americans. What it also means is that you’ll be either hosting a party or attending one thus needing tech to keep the party going. Because of this, we’ve put together a tech checklist for those celebrating in an effort to provide you with the tools required to ensure your party is one to be remembered.
Products at a Glance
How We Picked
Obviously you’re going to need snacks and drinks but alongside that are a number of devices that will enhance your experience. For choosing the tech required for a solid July 4th celebration we looked at the key areas for what makes for a solid party including music, movie watching equipment, and lighting. Selecting the best product in these areas required intense research due to the number of variations in specs and features but with this list, you should be able to buy with confidence, knowing you’re getting the top selections.
Your tech checklist for July 4th celebrations
All great parties have music involved and with today’s tech, you’re able to blast your music loud and free from any wires thanks to Bluetooth advancements. Featured in our Best Bluetooth speakers under $100, we’ve selected the Anker Soundcore Motion+ here as our best overall Bluetooth speaker for your July 4th celebrations.
The Anker Soundcore Motion+ prioritizes audio performance while also being compact enough that you’d be able to easily fit it on your table, countertop, or pretty much any outside space making it a great choice for those wanting some top-notch sound while not having a cumbersome device.
It similarly has an impressive 12-hour battery life ensuring that your July 4th celebrations can go on all night long without having to worry about your music being cut short due to a poor battery. Moreover, you won’t need to worry about drops, splashes, or even being submerged in shallow water due to IPX7 protection that this Bluetooth speaker is built with which is almost a necessity in July 4th festivities.
While you won’t be too concerned as to the looks of your Bluetooth speaker, the Anker Soundcore Motion+ has a pleasant enough aesthetic design making it one that can be used well after July 4th has passed maybe for more parties or just general use throughout your house. It also conveniently uses the modern and more robust USB-C charging format, so you can use the same charger you use for other USB-C devices to keep this topped up with power.
Overall, the Anker Soundcore Motion+ is a brilliant choice for your July 4th celebrations. It has solid battery life as well as having that IPX7 durability, pretty much guaranteeing that it won’t be breaking. Also, thanks to its impressive sound, you’re able to hear this speaker throughout the house as well as outside extremely clearly. It’s not too pricey either meaning that if you’re solely wanting a Bluetooth speaker for a July 4th party, you won’t be breaking the bank.
If your July 4th celebrations are going to include some movie watching or hosting a watch party for your favorite TV show that’s airing that night, a projector is always a safe bet for you to share that experience with your guests. With the ViewSonic M1+ projector we’ve gone for here, we plucked it from our best portable projector for 2020 as we think that you’re likely going to be either using this outside or even when July 4th has finished, potentially in different rooms in your house.
With its short throw lens the M1+ allows up to a 100” projection from only 8.5 feet away and for those in even smaller spaces, you can benefit from 60 inches with just 5.2 feet needed which allows you to save space, especially if you have a bunch of guests. This isn’t the only great aspect of its projection capabilities detailing a full HD resolution which provides a crystal clear image.
ViewSonic also slotting in an LED lighting solution, you can use this projector for years to come thanks to the 30,000-hour lifespan, which is great for use at multiple parties or if you just fancy watching a bunch of stuff on it now you’ll own a handy little projector
Unfortunately, you’re only going to be getting 300 Lumens out of this portable projector which kind of limits its functionality to a darker room or if you’re going to be watching outside at night. This shouldn’t really impact you too much though as usually, you’ll be watching your media at night anyway.
To maximize portability, the M1+ is tiny with dimensions of 4.1″ x 1.1″ x 4.1″ making it pretty much palm-sized and very easy to situate either in your house or outside in your yard. Moreover, with the inclusion of a battery that can last up to 6 hours, you’re able to watch multiple movies without having to worry about finding an AC outlet mid-view. Further enhancing this portability aspect is the ability to stream multimedia content from your mobile devices via WiFi as well as connecting to your smart TV for direct access to your apps, removing the need for lengthy cables. However, if you do want to hook up your device to this projector, you can make use of the micro SD card, USB-A, and USB-C slots which are always handy, especially if you’re in a location that has no WiFi access.
To conclude, the ViewSonic M1+ Portable Smart Wi-Fi Projector really is one of, if not the best portable projector you can buy for July 4th. It has that full HD resolution coupled with a short-throw lens and an incredible battery life that’ll keep you going for a while. The pros don’t just stop there though, with its tiny form factor and brilliant playback features without the need for additional devices, you can fully take advantage of its portability. The only lackluster feature is that 300 Lumen brightness which is on the lower end but if you’re going to be using it to watch media on the night of July 4th, you won’t encounter any issues.
If you’re looking to illuminate your July 4th party, giving it a little flair, then having a robust lighting setup will definitely do that. You won’t need the most professional lighting for a home party but you’re going to want a device that works well enough in both dusk and night, allowing you to keep your festivities going long into July 5th. The lighting device we’ve opted for here as our best pick is the Ultra-Bright Remote Controlled LED Party Lights by Adkins Professional Lighting and is down to a number of reasons that we’ll get into shortly.
The first plus is the inclusion of red, white, and blue LEDs which as you well know are perfect colors for your celebrations and ones that you surely can take advantage of. The Ultra-Bright Remote Controlled LED Party Lights aren’t limited to just those colors though with a bunch more options that can all be controlled via the included remote. You’re able to change the shade of each color too as well as the ability to brighten or dim the lights, great for different weather conditions.
If you’re running a sound system, you can hook this lighting setup to it with the lights responding to the beat it’s emitting making it not only illuminating your party but also being a great addition to any sound tech you’ve already set up.
All in all, having some form of lighting at your July 4th party is almost a necessity. It’ll definitely lift the mood of your guests and give it more of a club-like feel. Moreover, thanks to it incorporating the sound system functionality, your lights will actually respond to different tracks. On the other hand, if you’re not looking for the club vibe, you can just showcase the American flag colors thanks to the individual red, blue, and white LEDs.