Check out the innovative outdoor kit and boundary-pushing brands that made The Great Outdoors Gear of the Year Awards shortlists for 2020.

Celebrating the latest and greatest developments in the world of outdoor gear, The Great Outdoors Gear of the Year Awards recognises the best products and brands across nine categories. This year we’ve added two additional awards – ‘best brand: sustainability’ and ‘best brand: innovation’ to showcase brands doing exemplary work in these important areas.

The awards are judged by a panel of gear experts, who have picked out their favourite tech, footwear, clothing, camping products and outdoor equipment of 2020, and rewarded the kit and brands that pushed the envelope in terms of innovation or sustainability. The shortlists have now been selected and the results will be announced in November 2020.

Congratulations to all the brands and products who made the shortlists.

There are two parts to The Great Outdoors Awards. This article announces the shortlists for the Gear of the Year Awards, which reward the best and most innovative items of outdoor gear released that year in seven categories and are selected by expert judges. 

The corresponding part, the Reader Awards, are nominated and voted by our readers and the outdoor public at large across 13 categories. Voting has now closed; the winners will be announced soon.

The Great Outdoors Gear of the Year Awards: the complete shortlists

Footwear

Boots, trail shoes, approach shoes, sandals.

Clothing

From waterproof and windproof jackets to socks – and everything in between.

Equipment

Rucksacks, walking poles, winter hardware, accessories, and more.

Camping

Tents, sleeping bags, sleeping mats.

Tech

GPS devices, smartphones, outdoor watches, and other weird-and-wonderful gadgets.

  • Kelty Cache Boxes: Safety boxes for keeping your valuables secure in the great outdoors
  • Petzl IKO Core: An innovative headtorch with a headband like nothing you’ve seen before
  • Vango Radiate DLX Chair: A camping chair with integrated graphene heating element, like your car’s heated seat
  • BioLite HeadLamp 750: An ultralight, sleek headtorch with an impressive 750 lumens
  • Suunto 7: A premium, sporty smartwatch with Wear OS by Google integration
  • Coros Apex Pro: An excellent multi-sports smartwatch with all the features you need

Innovation

New breakthroughs in outdoor gear that make a real difference.

Sustainability

Many brands are becoming more sustainable. This category includes both products and brand initiatives.

Best brand: sustainability

Awarded to gear brands which which have demonstrated an impressive overall commitment to sustainability, environmental protection or conservation.

Best brand: innovation

Awarded to gear brands which which have been innovative in the way they operate, and have helped to push industry practice forward.

Subscribe to The Great Outdoors

The Great Outdoors is the UK’s original hiking magazine. We have been inspiring people to explore wild places for more than 40 years.

Through compelling writing, beautifully illustrated stories and eye-catching content, we seek to convey the joy of adventure, the thrill of mountainous and wild environments, and the wonder of the natural world.

Want to read more from us?