The 36 Beach Essentials Travel Pros Pack Every Single Time
Pack smarter with the beach essentials that solve the biggest summer-day headaches.
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Beyond the absolute necessities, from sunscreens to towels, cute swimsuits, and yummy snacks, there are a few key beach essentials that can make your trip to the shore even more enjoyable and easy-going. A lock box can keep your personal items safe as you swim in the ocean, while a Bluetooth speaker can blast an upbeat playlist as you sit back and relax. Even packing a few entertaining games for the beach can add an extra layer of fun to your trip.
Our top picks
- Viral on TikTok: BOGG BAG Original Large Tote
- Tote Bag: GOTDYA XL Mesh Beach Bag
- Beach tent: Coleman Beach Tent
- Fluffy beach towel: Lands' End Rugby Stripe Beach Towel
I've rounded up the best beach tents, chairs, games, blankets, hats, sunglasses, and more that'll upgrade your day trip or family beach vacation, including some of my personal favorites and top-tested picks from the Good Housekeeping Institute. As someone who lives a short distance from the beach and goes every summer, you're going to want to throw these beach essentials in your bag so that you'll be shore (see what I did there?) to have a fantastic time.
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You've likely seen the Bogg Bag everywhere on TikTok. It's the tote of summer, and now you can get it on Amazon. It's available in so many bright and fun colors, and the washable design featuring built-in holes makes it easy to remove any sand that you accidentally brought back home (my biggest pet peeve!).
You'll need a large bag to hold all your beach essentials. This tote has multiple pockets along the side for smaller items and a large zippered compartment to hold towels, toys and swimsuits. Not only is the mesh fabric more suitable for wet towels, but it also makes the bag lightweight and easy to fold flat to fit inside a suitcase.
If you have a baby or a toddler, a beach tent or canopy provides the perfect escape from the sun for a nap during a long day at the beach. This canopy tent offers tons of shade, has windows for more air flow, and is more stable than an umbrella if you're facing gusts of wind. We also love that this lightweight tent has a UPF 50+ rating to further protect you and your little ones from too much direct sun exposure.
You cannot head to the beach without a towel to lie on and dry off with. Our experts ranked this Lands' End towel as one of the best beach towels for its extra-long size and plush cotton terrycloth fabric. The towel is absorbent, thick, and fluffy.
"It's a towel I would want to wrap up in after a cold swim," said one GH analyst. Choose from four striped options, and you can even personalize it for an extra fee.
The beach is meant to be relaxing but there's nothing relaxing about lugging towels, boogie boards, sand toys and snacks from the car to the sand. This all-terrain wagon can hold up to 150 pounds and features large, treaded wheels designed to roll easily as you make your way toward the ocean. Plus, it collapses down to about 10 inches thick so that it will fit in the trunk of your car.
Swimming in the ocean paired with strong ocean breezes can easily mess up your hair, which will get knotty if you don't brush it out ASAP (I speak from experience). Our Beauty Lab experts named the Wet Brush as one of the best hair brushes for its flexible, soft bristles that gently detangle wet or dry hair. I love using it at the beach after swimming because it unknots my hair with ease without ripping out tons of strands.
Carrying a cooler just got a whole lot easier with this adorable mini backpack. I love that I can fit ice packs, drinks (up to 20 cans!), snacks, lunch, and sunscreen in the bag. Best of all, you can carry this cooler backpack from the car to the shore hands-free. When I bring it to the beach, my fruit and canned cocktails stay ice cold for hours. Even my insulated 32-ounce water bottle fits in the side mesh pocket.
Whether you're into sports or not, '47 makes some of the most iconic baseball caps in the U.S. The Yankees one is my go-to, but you can choose your favorite team from the collection. Not only are these caps comfy, but they'll do a great job shielding your eyes and face from the sun as well as keeping your hair back.
The warmth of the sun may feel nice, but the potential damage UV rays can cause is not nice. Protect your skin with this "beachy" scented sunscreen. In GH Beauty Lab evaluations, it was the most-liked among consumer testers of all the mineral sunscreen lotions, least likely to stain fabrics, and not drying to the skin. Testers also found it easy to apply, and the pump packaging was convenient. Throw this in your beach bag and remember to reapply!
Powder sunscreens are ideal for protecting your hairline, scalp, and face from sunburns. This SPF 30 sunscreen powder is sweat- and water-resistant for up to 80 minutes. You can even dust this over makeup when it's time to reapply for some shine control and extra protection.
Laying on a towel all day is not as comfortable as sitting in a chair, but lugging a beach chair is my worst nightmare. The lightweight Tommy Bahama's backpack chairs are much easier to carry, thanks to comfortable shoulder straps that do not dig into your skin. One of our GH testers appreciated how easy it was to recline back and called this a "top-notch" beach chair.
RELATED: The Best Beach Chairs You Can Buy
It's not a beach day without playing some of your favorite tunes. This waterproof outdoor speaker is waterproof and dustproof to withstand the elements and has 20 hours of claimed battery life, so you won't have to worry about it getting splashed on or dying midday. "It's super rugged, durable, and perfect for listening to music on the beach," said Senior Reviews Writer and Analyst Olivia Lipski.
There's always the conundrum of having to leave your valuables on the beach blanket if you want to take a dip in the ocean. You can feel more secure going if you have this portable lock box that requires a three-digit custom combination code or a key to open it. It can fit a phone, keys, wallet and any other small items. That way, you can surf the waves without worrying about your phone being stolen from your bag.
Take a break from the old-school sand castle toys and let your kids use their creativity to play a sea-themed Top Chef with this cookware play set designed for the sand. Children can sift sand into the mixing bowl, scoop up shells and seawater with measuring cups and mix it all up with a whisk and a spoon to make their very own "beach cake."
Stop squinting in the bright sun and start wearing protective sunglasses. I was always wary of spending too much on sunglasses, but after finally trying a high-quality pair with polarized lenses, I'll never go back to my old ones. These sleek black glasses with a subtle jewel on the earpiece make me feel like a fashion icon, and the reduced glare from the polarized lenses makes reading at the beach on a sunny day much easier.
All that swimming in the surf, walking in the sand, and sweating from the heat calls for extra hydration. I love these GU Energy tablets that are essentially 12 electrolyte drinks in one compact tube. Drop one tablet in a reusable water bottle, and you've got yourself an extra-hydrating, delicious drink for the beach.
The tablets contain 320 milligrams of sodium and 55 milligrams of potassium and come in delicious flavors like lemon lime, orange, strawberry hibiscus, strawberry lemonade, and tri-berry. Each pack comes with four tubes, giving you 48 servings in total.
Nothing beats fresh fruit and veggies at the beach. I use this 10-piece food storage set from Snapware to store cherries, carrots, celery, and pasta salad. These BPA-free plastic, stackable, lock-lid containers easily fit into a cooler bag and come at an amazing price of just over $15.
If you're not a fan of how saltwater burns your eyes, consider wearing goggles when you swim. TYR was always my go-to brand for goggles as a competitive swimmer. While I prefer goggles with mirrored lenses for a pool, this pair with translucent lenses is preferable for the beach. These goggles with UVA/UVB protection for your eyes allow you to see aquatic life underwater and swim without removing your contacts.
Considering all the sand that gets stuck to feet, sandals are a must-have for the beach. This durable pair is available in over 60 colors and is a staple for GH Institute Associate Textiles Lab Director Emma Seymour. "They’re affordable while holding up great to extended use. The Velcro closures make them easy to take on and off," she said.
The polyester upper footbed and rubber outsole are water-resistant, and the hook-and-loop closure secures your feet as you walk up and down the shore or boardwalk. The straps are made of fabric, which isn't the most waterproof material, but they make for great beach sandals as long as you don't fully submerge your feet in the water. If you need footwear for that, instead opt for water shoes.
If boredom strikes at the beach or the ocean is too cold to swim in, this classic beach game will get everyone moving. Kids will have a blast throwing the ball back and forth and catching with the Velcro-backed paddles. Parents and children can play this game together with each set including four paddles and four balls. Online reviewers said the Velcro still works even while wet, so feel free to play in the sand or the water.
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