What to Bring to the Beach: The Essential List

Going to the beach is one of my all-time favorite summer activities. That said, I often still struggle with what to bring to the beach.

Do I need an extra-large cooler? Or the 5 odd umbrellas we have? (Inevitably, one of them is always broken!) And how many beach towels do we throw in the bag?

This year, we finally elevated our beach style and invested in some quality, (but not necessarily expensive) essentials to ensure we have a great time at the beach.

Now that we’ve done a few test runs with all of these new beach toys, I want to share our favorites with you and let me tell you, there are some game-changers on this list!

Related – Thinking of going to the beach in the NYC area? Check out this post: Visiting the Beach in the Rockaways, NYC, During COVID-19

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What To Bring to the Beach:

The number one essential for us at the beach is shade.

The problem? Fly away umbrellas!

I can’t tell you how many times we’ve had our umbrella fly out of the sand and cartwheel down the beach, hitting everything in its path. (Not embarrassing at all, right? LOL!)

Has this happened to you?

We knew there had to be a better option than just bringing our flimsy umbrellas to the beach and hoping for the best.

I’ve discovered two items that have solved our problems when it comes to the shade game.

First – and for those who really want to go all out – is a beach shade canopy. It’s not cheap but this canopy is the best thing I’ve ever used at the beach for consistent shade.

Our friend, who is originally from Jamaica, introduced us to this. (And Jamaicans know a thing or two about going to the beach!) As soon as we saw him set up his canopy on the beach, we were sold and we bought one that night on Amazon.

We can’t believe we didn’t start using this canopy sooner.  We feel like professional beachgoers now!

The second – much cheaper item – is a simple one. It’s a beach umbrella sand anchor.

For $25 on Amazon, you can get a pack of two. Once you get these anchors, you can say good-bye to blow away umbrellas.

And the best part? You can use these anchors with the umbrellas you have! Just twist the crank into the sand until it’s secure, and then you insert your umbrella into the anchor.

This next item on the list is something my husband and I initially argued about. I did not think an inflatable pillow was a necessity the beach, but I admit, I was wrong.

(Hear that, honey? I’m admitting I was wrong!)

The pillow is an awesome thing to have at the beach, plus it makes it much easier to read when you’re laying down on your towel.

Related: Looking for some good books? Check out 9 Life-Changing Books I Can’t Live Without. 

This Turkish beach towel is my favorite and this hat protects me from the sun.

 

 

 

We purchased a beach mat this year. It has pockets at each corner to add sand to keep it weighted down. How genius is that?!

Why wouldn’t you want to have a picnic at the beach with this small, portable, bamboo picnic table? Now we feel classy and like we are 100% adulting when we go to the beach because #goals!

Last but not least is sunblock. I’ve been using Super Goop for a couple of years now and it is my go-to sunblock for the beach and daily use.

But by far, my favorite beach purchase this year is this Corkcicle canteen which keeps my rosé wine chilled all day long.

If you’re feeling extra fancy, you can get the Corkcicle stemless and portable wine glasses that go with the canteen.

Are You Ready to Head to the Beach?

I hope you found this list of what to bring to the beach helpful!

Did I leave anything off the list?

What are your go-to, beach essentials? (And for that matter, what are your favorite beaches?)

Please leave a comment below. I’m just getting started with all of our beach paraphernalia, and I can’t wait to hear what beach must-haves you recommend!