Written by Matthew Pike in Essentials on the 18th May 2016

The month of May means lightweight clothing will soon come as standard, heavy boots have been packed away and after-work beers in the sun are inevitable. June is just around the corner and may well be one of our favourite times of the year, mainly due to the fact that those holidays and city breaks a lot of us booked back in December are finally rolling around. So what will we be packing for our well-deserved breaks, and what items are floating our boat this month? Following on from our April round-up, we’ve compiled a list of our favourite products and releases for the month of May.

Bellroy Phone Wallet 

You can always count of Australia's Bellroy to come up with more ingenuous travel solitons. Back in January it was their Micro Sleeve, and fast forward to May we have their brand new Phone Wallet. At first is doesn't sound like anything new, a case which protects your phone, but as with all of their products, they feature small hacks which make your life a little easier. The Phone Wallet is made from full-grain leather, coming in three colours and can fit up to five cards and some folded notes. But the best bit? The wallet has been designed so it can act as a screen stand, so you can enjoy videos and movies on the go.

Nike Tennis AC flyknit 

Nike are back at it again which a brand new incarnation of their Classic tennis sneaker. For the first time the Tennis Classic AC takes the brand's patented Flyknit technology, using finely weaved, breathable cotton to create the upper of this lightweight performance-inspired everyday sneaker. Coming in limited colourways, with and only a handful of retailers taking this style on, the Nike Tennis Classic AC Flyknit is destined to becoming one of their more sought-after pieces.

Laphroaig Lore single malt 

From the distillery that can claim they once held the coveted best-selling single malt whisky from Islay, they have officially launched their richest drop to date - the Laphroaig Lore Single Malt. The result of the deep, distinct and hearty flavour of Lore is down to the raging process using ex-bourbon casks, as well as first-fill sherry butts, smaller quarter casks and a selection of Laphroaig’s most precious stocks. The nose comes with hints of ash, smokey chocolate drops, vanilla, with a signature malty sweetness and spicy bite.

Eastpak Volker Mono Backpack 

Travel solutions is Eastpak's gig, and their updated Volkar Mono backpack has almost every light travel duty covered. The Volker is a standout piece from their plethora of recent releases, weighing just 840g, with three front box zip pockets, a large interior compartment complete with organiser pockets, a separate compartment to fit a 15" laptop and small zip pouch on the back. Premium leather zip pulls, side compression straps and quilted padded back finish off this travel essential perfectly.

Do Design book by Alan Moore 

A perfect coffee table read for anyone interested in design; be that products, website design, or something as humble as the writing tools on your desk. Alan Moore encourages us to pause and consider the purpose of design, and what makes an item pleasing on the eye, while still having a use. Explore the hows and whys behind everyday design, with contextual examples from Pixar, Apple and Blitz Motorcycles. The Do Design series encourages you to look at your creative process, craft and pride of work, the experience you gain from an item and how to adopted simple chances to your everyday routine.

Alice Made This Silversmith collection 

The Alice Made This folk have been making a decent amount of noise over the last few months, with their refined British-made jewellery and small accessories. Using premium materials and a high level of intricate skill, their new Silversmith collection will go down as one of their strongest to date. Taking a heavy amount of inspiration from timeless Brutalist architecture, while highlighting the industry and history of Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter, the Silversmith collection includes solid silver cufflinks, bracelets in differing sizes and a tie bar. AMT put a lot of thought behind each collection, their research methods are impeccable, so it’s well worth checking out their journal to find out more.

This month we feature Bellroy, Nike Tennis, Laphroaig Lore, Eastpak Volker, Do Design and Alice Made This in May 2016’s Coolest Stuff.