Nothing says “summer” quite like a beach vacation. As someone who lives within an hour of 2 of the most popular beach destinations in the eastern U.S., I’ve had quite my share of them. But sadly, not every beach day is a good one. Besides potential bad weather, the beach accessories you bring can make or break your day, making it extremely important to come prepared–which is why I did some major investigating this summer to find the best beach essentials on the market for your next trip.
Now, in all honesty, I’ve never been a huge beach person. I have Danish skin and a deathly fear of sharks, so…you can do the math there. But after trying out some of these products over the past few months, I’m rethinking the whole situation. Since I spend so much time on the sand, my beach setup is a huge part of the experience. And, not to brag, but I think I might have found the perfect combination of beach accessories to make beach days easy, portable, and mess-free. If that sounds like what you’re looking for, keep reading to discover all my new favorite beach items!
*Note: This post contains some affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. It’s just an easy way for you to get the products you need while supporting the blog! Please know that I have fully vetted each product I recommend to you for quality and functionality, and all opinions and recommendations are my own. If you have any questions, feel free to send me a message or check out my Privacy Policy page for more details.
In This Post…
Check My YouTube to See These Beach Essentials in Action
A Quick Note on These Beach Essentials
I always want to be fully transparent about how I find and choose products, so here’s a quick breakdown:
The products featured in this post are either a) products I found and bought myself, b) products gifted to me for editorial consideration (with no obligation to include them), or c) products that I own through previous collaborations. None of these products are sponsored, so I am not receiving any money for including them in this post or video. Each product has been fully and repeatedly tested by me personally, and not every product I bought or received was included in this video. I always want to include the best products that I personally use and feel will bring value to you when you travel. Once again, if you have any questions, just send me a message or check out the Privacy Policy page for more information.
And now…let’s dive in!
Top Beach Essentials for 2024
Playamigo-$119
The first beach essential on my list is one that I can no longer live without: the Playamigo! As someone who hates feeling like a pack mule at the beach, I typically shy away from bringing beach chairs or loungers because they’re just one more thing to deal with. (I also never feel like I can tan well in a beach chair.) But the Playamigo solves that problem by combining the function of a beach bag and a backrest into one!
The Playamigo has a sturdy, built-in frame that collapses for easy storage but quickly pops into place whenever you’re ready to hit the beach. It secures with strong Velcro strips to ensure everything stays in place, and it sits right along the seams so you don’t feel it when you’re leaning back. The bag also features a wedge-shaped design, which may seem a bit odd for a beach bag, but it’s the perfect shape for a backrest. You can even flip the bag when you want to lie on your stomach, keeping your face out of the sand and the pressure off your elbows (especially if you’re a reader like me!).
As a final comfort feature, the Playamigo includes a small mat stored in a zipper pocket at the very bottom of the bag. Whenever you’re ready to sit, you can pull out the mat and attach it to the inside of the pocket with Velcro to give yourself a sand-free spot.
But beyond the backrest capabilities, the Playamigo is just a really nice beach bag! It’s super-spacious and has so much organization.
The lid has a bunch of built-in elastic bands that you can use to secure sunscreen, chapstick, toys, etc., plus a removable zipper pouch that’s perfect for small items like your wallet, keys, or sunglasses. The main compartment also has enough space for towels, snacks, books, water, and more. (If you want a full look at how much we stuffed in here, be sure to check out my YouTube video). If that wasn’t enough, it also has two exterior side pockets and a large, flat pocket right in the back.
Since getting this bag, I’ve only gone to the beach once without it because I was absolutely miserable when I left it at home! This is the #1 item that has helped change my mind about being a “beach person,” so I literally cannot recommend it enough!
You can get the Playamigo on Amazon in 3 different colors!
K’Lani Bracelet Hair Ties-$20
For those in search of some practical beach vacation accessories, check out K’Lani’s bracelet hair ties! Not only are these cute, but they actually work! As someone who has fairly thick hair, I can attest to the struggle of finding bracelet hair ties that work, but these are the real deal!
The brand has tons of fun sets that extend beyond the beach, however. Choose from themes like yoga, hiking, mountains, zen, etc. They’re all so stylish, and no one can tell they’re hair ties when they’re on your wrist!
You can get them here on Amazon!
Case-Mate Irridescent Beach Tote + Phone Pouch-$60-$80
This viral Case-Mate beach tote was all over my TikTok for weeks. After it sold out for the 3rd time, I decided that I needed to try it out for this post and see if it was really worth the hype. I’ll admit I was pretty skeptical at first because it was fairly expensive. But now that I’ve tried it for myself, I think it’s money well spent–for the right person.
First of all, this Case-Mate Beach Tote is just plain gorgeous! It has a beautiful iridescent purple sheen and soft purple Jacquard straps that make it very eye-catching.
Beyond that, it’s extremely functional. The bag is 26L, which is a lot bigger than I realized. I packed it for a beach day with two towels, two books, water, a sunhat, sunglasses, sunscreen, chapstick, earbuds, and sand removal mitts…and it wasn’t even close to full! Oh, and did I mention it stands upright on its own with no problem? The only downside is that there’s no interior organization.
In addition, the bag’s material is sand and waterproof, so you never have to worry about a stray wave dousing your bag or sand embedding itself into the fibers and seams. This also makes it so easy to clean because you can quickly dump or wipe out any stray sand or give it a quick rinse, and it’ll be dry in a few minutes.
The last thing I really liked was the included touchscreen phone pouch with a lanyard that clips right to the inside of the bag. It’s large enough to use with most phones, and the touchscreen worked really well! I didn’t even have trouble using facial recognition through the iridescent material. It’s a great way to keep stray water or sand away from your phone and keep it from falling out of your bag. You can also use the tether for keys if that’s more important.
All in all, I loved this bag, and I definitely feel like it is a beach essential. And unlike my Alvin’s Island tote, I can tell this one’s going to last for a lot of years.
You can get it on Amazon or TikTok Shop, and they’ve been running special deals all summer long, so definitely keep an eye out for those!
Turkish Towels-$19
I’ve seen Turkish Towels on the market for a while now, and I couldn’t help but wonder, once again, whether they were actually worth the hype. I ditched the standard beach towel a long time ago for a more convenient microfiber version, so I was curious if a Turkish Towel would outperform what I already had. Here’s what I found out:
First, the Turkish Towels dry incredibly fast. While my microfiber towel does dry quickly, the Turkish Towel dried fast enough that I didn’t think it was working because how could that water have disappeared like that!? Second, it’s more sand-repellent than either a classic or microfiber beach towel. It’s not 100% sand-proof, but a good shake got just about everything off. Third, it is more versatile than either of the other styles. I used my Turkish towel as a blanket when I was cold, a wrap coming back from the beach, and a traditional beach towel.
All in all, I think they’re a good investment if you want something lightweight, slim, and quick-drying. But if you plan to use it beyond the beach (i.e. as a blanket and a towel on a hike or something you keep in your car), I’d definitely say you need one.
I got mine from WetCat, a small business on Amazon. Now that I’ve tested mine, I plan to buy one for my husband, too!
BeachBub Umbrella System-$139
Not-so-fun-fact: over 3,000 people go to the emergency room with injuries from beach umbrellas every year. That’s insane. But if you’ve ever seen a beach umbrella fly away on a windy day, it’s not hard to see how that could happen.
For these reasons, the Consumer Products Safety Commission and the American Society of Testing and Materials recently released new safety standards for umbrellas, which require a weighted base that can withstand strong winds. At the moment, the only umbrella on the market that meets those standards is the BeachBUB.
The BeachBub has a special system to keep it secure, and it comes with everything you need to set it up. On our vacation, we tested it against a “classic” umbrella from the beach house, and it outperformed at every turn.
First, the BeachBUB sets up in approximately 4 minutes. It includes a special tool that digs a hole precisely to the pole dimensions at the center of the included sandbag base. Once the pole is secure, you attach 2 corners of the base to the pole and begin to fill it with sand using the included shovel. Once it’s full, you just close the final base flap and attach the umbrella to the pole. (For a detailed look at the setup, check out my YouTube video!)
Second, it stayed firm even with crazy winds. The beach house umbrella was sagging and swaying, but the BeachBub didn’t budge because it’s built to exceed the wind resistance standard (30 mph) by 160%!
Third, it was super easy to carry! The whole system only weighs a few pounds (without the sand), and it comes in a convenient carry case that includes a side pocket for the extra tools.
Fourth, it comes with a towel hook so you can securely hang up your towel to dry between dips in the ocean! Love!
The last thing I especially appreciate is that it comes with a 10-year frame warranty and a 3-year protection plan. Everything about it speaks to high quality and exceeding the standard, and I am thoroughly impressed with the brand in design and function!
Get your BeachBUB system on Amazon!
KZ Gear Floating Sunglasses-$40
If you’ve ever been smacked in the face by a wave and realized that your sunglasses disappeared, you’ll appreciate these floating sunglasses from KZ Gear. This brand has a number of great styles, all designed to stay afloat when they hit the water. I also appreciate the plastic frames that don’t get too hot when you’re in the sun.
These are great beyond the beachfront as well and make a good choice for pool days, lake trips, water sports, and more.
Check out their Amazon selection here!
Sand-Free Beach Mat-$10
Beach mats aren’t exactly new in town, but I see few enough people using them to think they still deserve a mention!
I bring my beach mat every time I go to the beach because it’s portable, lightweight, and stakes out a large patch of sand so I can breathe! I absolutely hate feeling crowded on the beach, and my beach mat ensures that people can only get so close, haha. In addition, I love having a large, sand-free area where I can dry off, lay out, eat snacks, or read, and a sand mat provides all that.
Most beach mats come in a small pouch (ours is about 8″ long) and include a set of stakes to keep them in place. It can be a bit tricky to set up on a windy day because the mat acts like a parachute, but if you have two people, you can have it set up within a minute. And once they’re down, they don’t budge–especially if you get one with under-pockets that you can fill with sand for extra weight!
These literally cost as little as $10, but they can add so much value to your beach day!
Wet Bag-$12
I don’t know how I haven’t heard of these before, but wet bags are my new secret weapon for stinky swimsuits! If you’re also new to the concept of wet bags, these are going to make such a huge difference in the way your suitcase smells post-vacay.
Basically, a wet bag is a special pouch that (from what I can tell) was designed for parents of small children to store soiled clothing after unfortunate incidents. The bags keep yucky smells and liquids inside and away from everything else until you can deal with what’s inside.
Previously, our solution to wet and smelly swimsuits was to double-bag them in grocery bags…but that doesn’t always work. We’ve had more than one suitcase suffer from smelly swimsuit syndrome, and it is never pleasant–especially if it happens in the middle of a vacation.
This past beach vacation, I opted for a wet bag from Bumkins, and it was large enough to hold two of my swimsuits and Daniel’s trunks easily. When we put them in, they were mostly dry, but they definitely smelled beachy. When we got home, our suitcase and other clothes were unaffected by any unfortunate smells or dampness! So, you better believe this will be coming along on all beach-related trips in the future!
You can get these on Amazon for around $12 each!
Elakai Outdoor Cornhole Set-$150
If you like to play group games on the beach, you need to take a look at Elakai Outdoor! I have their portable cornhole set, and it’s more like a work of art!
This is a brand I did a collaboration with earlier this year, and I was actually shocked by how beautiful and high-quality this set was. They paid attention to every little detail, from the tiny metal brand plaque to the strong magnets that keep the board’s legs in place between games. Even the cornhole bags are gorgeous, with mountain designs on them! And don’t get me started on the Rocky Mountain National Park scene painted onto each board.
Elakai Outdoor offers tons of portable games, from giant checkers and bocce to croquet, social pong, lawn bowling, and more! Each game comes with a travel-friendly case that’s both convenient and of equally high quality. They’re so easy to take to the beach, on a hike, etc.
They are fairly high priced, but if you want to invest in a high-quality set that will last you for years, this is the brand to go to. You can take a look at their full collection on their website!
Sand Remover Mitt-$9
In case you didn’t know, baby powder, corn starch, and talcum powder do a fantastic job of getting rid of sand. This is my go-to hack for cleaning up before I get in the car because I really don’t like showering off right before I sit in my vehicle. The only downside is that just dumping baby powder on your skin can get pretty messy.
Enter sand remover mitts! These nifty mitts hold baby powder inside a pouch, which you can rub all over to remove sand. They are more effective the more you use them and the more they get infused with baby powder. But after the first couple of times, I could definitely see a difference.
The only thing to watch out for is that you don’t get baby powder on anything else in your beach bag, so I recommend keeping your mitts in a little pouch in between uses.
I got this 2-pack on Amazon for $9!
Closing Thoughts on These Beach Essentials!
I had such a fun time testing out all of these products, and I can genuinely see how they made a difference in my level of enjoyment. Some of them are on the pricier side of things (at least, in my opinion), but the quality and functionality of each one more than make up for it. These aren’t just one-time beach accessories–they’re investments in better beach vacations for years ahead. I know I’m extremely excited to keep using them, especially when they’re all so portable!
What do you think? Have you tried any of these products, or would you like to? Do you have any alternatives that are comparable or you think work better? Let me know in the comments below! The point of this article is to help everyone have better beach trips. So if you have a great product, please don’t gatekeep it–tell us all about it in the comment section! 🙂
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Thanks for reading this far, and I hope you’ll be back again soon for the next adventure. Until then, happy travels!
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