Benable — create shareable lists of things you recommend!
E.g., products you love, local businesses, travel recs - you can add anything to a Benable list!
How I Turned My Backyard Into a Movie Theater Between Two Trees
32
items We kept saying we'd do outdoor movie nights but the setup was always too complicated, too expensive, or looked terrible. After a full summer of trial and error — tangled extension cords, a bedsheet that blew sideways, and one projector that died afte...
Sections
8
Outdoor Projector Screens That Actually Stay Taut
Projectors That Don't Die After One Summer
Outdoor Speakers So You're Not Squinting at Tinny Audio
String Lights and Ambient Lighting for the Vibe
Comfortable Outdoor Seating That Beats Lawn Chairs
Snack and Drink Stations for the Full Experience
Outdoor Projector Screens That Actually Stay Taut
That bedsheet phase lasted exactly one movie night before the wind turned it into a sail. Finding a screen that hangs tight between trees without looking janky took me three tries.
Grab this if you want the option to use it freestanding OR hang it — we started with the stand on the patio and eventually just strung it between the oaks. Folds down small enough to fit behind the couch.
Customer reviews for Projector Screen with Stand Foldable
Toss this in the car for camping trips too. The wrinkles smooth out after about ten minutes hanging, which stressed me out the first time but now I just set it up while we're still grilling.
Customer reviews for Projector Screen
Switch to this if your trees are far apart and you want that ridiculous big-screen feel. My neighbor thought we installed an actual outdoor TV. The material is surprisingly thick for the price.
Mdbebbron 150 inch Projection Screen 16:9 Foldable
Perfect if your yard is smaller — our first screen was way too big and we were sitting six feet from it like the front row of a cinema. This size hits the sweet spot for a 15-foot viewing distance.
Keenstone 120 inch HD Projector Screen
Projectors That Don't Die After One Summer
My first projector was a $60 impulse buy that overheated during Jurassic Park. The fan sounded like a lawnmower and then it just quit. Spent more time researching after that.
Use this if you want to cast straight from your phone without running an HDMI cable across the yard. The Bluetooth pairs with a speaker in about five seconds, and the picture stays sharp even when it's not pitch dark yet.
YABER Mini Projector with 5G WiFi & Bluetooth 5.2
Snag this for a budget option that punches way above its price. It won't replace a home theater setup but for movie nights where the kids are eating popcorn on a blanket, it's more than enough.
TMY Native 1080P Mini Portable Projector
Keep this one on your radar if you want something brighter — we could start movies at 8pm in July when the sun was barely down and still see everything clearly. That extra brightness matters more than resolution outdoors.
VANKYO Leisure 470 HD Mini Projector with Roku Express
For anyone who just wants to try outdoor movies without committing a ton of money first. I lent this to my brother-in-law and he ordered his own within a week.
DBPOWER WiFi Mini Projector, 8000L HD Video
Outdoor Speakers So You're Not Squinting at Tinny Audio
Projector speakers are universally terrible. We watched the first twenty minutes of a movie leaning forward trying to hear dialogue before I accepted we needed real sound out there.
Pair two of these in stereo mode and you've got actual surround-ish sound in the yard. One speaker sits on each side of the screen and honestly the audio setup impresses people more than the picture.
JBL Charge 5 - Portable Waterproof Speaker with Powerbank
Grab this if you want loud without spending JBL money. It survived an entire summer outside including one rainstorm I forgot about. Still going strong on year two.
Oontz Angle 3 ULTRA Bluetooth Speaker 2-Pack
Try this if you want deeper bass — action movies need that low-end rumble or explosions sound like someone crumpling paper. Hangs vertically from a branch with a carabiner, which looks pretty cool.
Sony SRSXB23 EXTRA BASS™ Portable BLUETOOTH®
For the friend who cares about sound quality more than anything else — this thing has surprisingly clear highs and mids. Dialogue-heavy movies actually sound like dialogue instead of mumbling.
Motion+ - Portable Speaker
String Lights and Ambient Lighting for the Vibe
Watching a movie in total backyard darkness felt creepy and someone tripped over a cooler. A little ambient light around the edges makes the whole setup feel intentional instead of improvised.
Drape these between the same trees holding the screen and suddenly your backyard looks like a restaurant patio in Italy. They've been up for eight months through rain, wind, and a snowstorm — still working.
Brightown Outdoor String Lights with Remote, 58 Ft Globe
Wrap these around the drink table so people can find their cups without turning on a flashlight. No outlet needed, which matters when your yard has exactly one exterior plug.
Sylvania Stay-Lit Platinum 100 LED Mini Lights Pure White
Stick these along the walkway from the back door to the seating area. After my dad tripped carrying a bowl of chips in the dark, these became non-negotiable.
hykolity Low Voltage Landscape Lights
Use these to line the perimeter on nights when you want it to feel a little more special — birthday movie nights, anniversary screenings. They give off this warm glow that photographs ridiculously well.
LumaBase Battery Operated LED Luminaria Kit
Comfortable Outdoor Seating That Beats Lawn Chairs
Folding lawn chairs are fine for a barbecue but after ninety minutes of a movie your back is screaming. We went through a few rounds before landing on seating people actually want to sit in.
Swap out those flimsy dollar-store chairs for these — the cup holder fits a full wine glass and the padding actually exists. My father-in-law fell asleep in one, which is the highest compliment he gives.
Ozark Trail Oversized Quad Camping Chair, Blue Cove
Toss two of these on the grass for the kids and they'll fight over who gets to sit in them. Takes about three minutes to inflate and they think it's the coolest thing we own.
Intex Inflatable Pull-Out Sofa, Portable Couch Air Bed
Get this for anyone over six feet — my buddy kept complaining regular chairs made him feel like a giant sitting in kindergarten furniture. Problem solved and he brings his own now.
Coleman® Big-N-Tall Adult Quad Camping Chair, Blue
Throw this on any existing chair and it goes from tolerable to actually comfortable. Bought four of these and suddenly nobody wants to go inside when the credits roll.
Sojoy Gel Comfort 3 in 1 Foldable Seat Cushion for Travel
Snack and Drink Stations for the Full Experience
The first few movie nights had everyone going back inside for drinks and snacks every twenty minutes. Setting up a proper station outside kept everyone planted and the back door closed.
Pop a batch right before showtime and the smell alone gets the neighbors curious. Way better than microwave bags and the kids like watching the kernels pop through the clear top.
Cuisinart CPM-700 EasyPop Popcorn Maker, Red
Keep this loaded with drinks right next to the seating so nobody has to get up. Holds ice for a solid five hours even in summer heat, which covers any movie plus snack time.
Igloo 5 Gallon Heavy-Duty Beverage Cooler, Orange
Wheel this outside with all the snacks organized on different levels — popcorn on top, candy in the middle, drinks on the bottom. Packs away in the garage after and takes up almost no space.
Honey-Can-Do 3-Tier Rolling Craft Cart with Handle, White
Use these as drink cups outside — they don't blow over like plastic cups, they look great in photos, and you can put lids on them to keep bugs out of your lemonade. Reusable forever.
Ball, Glass Mason Jars, 32 oz, Wide Mouth, with Lids
Bug Control So You Actually Enjoy the Movie
Nothing ruins an outdoor movie faster than mosquitoes treating your ankles like a buffet. Learned this lesson the hard way during an August screening that ended early because everyone was itching.
Set two of these up around the seating area and mosquitoes genuinely vanish within about fifteen minutes. No spray, no smell, no sticky skin. Bought one for the patio and immediately ordered a second.
Thermacell Rechargeable Mosquito Repeller E-Series E55
Keep this on the snack table as backup — it covers a decent radius and runs quietly. The refills last about four hours which is exactly one movie plus setup and cleanup.
OFF! Mosquito Repellent Lamp & Caddy
Pour this into any tiki torches you already own and they actually repel bugs instead of just looking decorative. The citronella smell is mild enough that it doesn't compete with popcorn.
TIKI, Torch Fuel, Mosquito Repellent, 64 oz
Bring this outside near the projector — bugs love the projector light and this catches them before they start dive-bombing the screen. Sounds weird but it works and guests always ask about it.
KATCHY Indoor Electric Insect Trap User Manual
Extension Cords and Power Solutions for the Yard
Running power to the middle of a yard exposed every flaw in my planning. One extension cord was too short, another was indoor-only and it rained, and I tripped over all of them.
Get the hundred-footer so you're never doing that awkward daisy-chain thing with three short cords. Bright orange so nobody trips, and rated for outdoor use which matters when dew hits at 10pm.
Customer reviews for Iron Forge Cable Weatherproof 100
Try this if your yard has zero outlets — charge it during the day and it runs a mini projector for a full movie. We take it camping too so it's not a single-use purchase.
Anker 521 Portable Power Station LiFePO4
Plug everything into this and control it from your phone — one tap turns on the projector, speakers, and lights simultaneously. Feels fancy but it's really just lazy, which I'm fine with.
TP-Link KP303 Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Power Strip, 3-Outlets
Snap this over the connection point where two cords meet so moisture doesn't kill your setup. Cost almost nothing and saved me from a potential disaster during an unexpected drizzle last September.
Outdoor Extension Cord Safety Cover