Top 20 Beach Bag Essentials
If you’re working on a Florida packing list, it can be tricky to know what essentials you will need for a vacation at the beach.
If you’re heading to the beach this summer, ensure these 20 essential items are in your beach bag!
From sunscreen to sandals, here are our top picks for what to take to the beach this season.
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What to Pack in Your Beach Bag
Here is a quick beach packing list to help you get started with your beach trip planning!
- sunscreen
- sunglasses
- beach towel
- water bottle
- SPF lip balm
- baby wipes
- bug spray
- beach blanket
- swimsuit cover-up
- baseball cap or sunhat
- waterproof phone case for your phone and wallet
- change of clothes, and a plastic bag for a wet bathing suit
- first aid kit (especially if you’re bringing kids!)
The Ultimate List of Beach Bag Essentials
When planning your summer beach vacation, it’s important to think about what you’ll need to pack in order to get the most out of your time on the beach.
With these beach bag essentials, we hope you will feel better prepared for your next family beach vacation!
1) The Perfect Beach Bag
A beach bag is the first thing you’ll need to store all your items! The perfect beach bag is typically a large beach tote, making it easy to keep the essentials all in one place.
It’s big enough to hold a beach towel, plus a few extras like sunscreen and sunglasses.
- First, make sure your tote bag is big enough to hold a beach towel or two as well as a few extras like sunscreen and sunglasses.
- Second, make sure the bag is lightweight and easy to carry.
- Finally, choose a bag that has plenty of room for all of your goodies, and make sure it has a comfortable strap so you can wear it as a shoulder bag or backpack.
Whether you’re looking for a stylish or budget-friendly option, we’ve covered you. Here are a few other beach totes to consider too, in various styles and price points.
- Easy to organize with 8 exterior & 5 interior pockets
- Washable
- Zipper closure
- Water resistant
- Various colors
- Free waterproof phone case
- Interior waterproof lining
2) Beach Towels
These Turkish towels are made of 100% genuine cotton and are extremely soft, absorbent, and warm. The hems are professionally double-stitched for increased durability and long-life satisfaction for the user.
Turkish cotton is also really safe for the skin and very comfortable. They’ll last for many summers to come!
3) Stainless Steel Water Bottle
Staying hydrated while at the beach is essential. Make it easy with a reusable water bottle like this stainless steel water bottle. It comes with a hook, making it easy to attach to your beach bag or backpack.
Staying hydrated while at the beach is essential. Make it easy with a reusable water bottle like this stainless steel water bottle. It comes with a hook, making it easy to attach to your beach bag or backpack.
4) Sunglasses
Keep your eyes away from direct sunlight. The right sunglasses will also prevent you from squinting your eyes. Nobody wants to develop fine lines around the eyes from a day at the beach!
These sunglasses are made with a classic oversized round frame, and crafted from scratch-resistant UV400 protection lenses that enhance clarity and contrast.
5) Face & Body Sunscreen
Sun protection is essential, especially when you’ll be exposed for several hours on those sunny days! This All Good Mineral Sun Care Set takes care of it all: ears, nose, face, and lips.
It’s all especially important that you wear it, even the lip balm, because your lips can get sunburnt like the rest of your skin! The sunscreen butter is water-resistant too.
All Good SPF 30 Sport Sunscreen Lotion provides broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection and is water-resistant, leaving you safe in the knowledge that you’re well protected from harmful rays
6) SPF Lip Balm
We can’t stress enough how important it is to protect your lips from sunburn. That’s why you need a lip balm with SPF in your beach bag. Make sure to apply this every few hours when out in the sun.
All Good SPF 15 Lip Balm is an all-natural solution to protecting and nourishing your lips! Our 3-pack of the most popular flavors: Original, Coconut, and Spearmint, is the perfect way to experience the special blends of extra virgin olive oil, beeswax, and herbal infusion.
7) Portable Phone Charger
Most phones can stay charged all day, but having a portable charger is good to keep in your car at the very least.
If you plan on being at the beach all day long, portable chargers give you peace of mind when you’re not worrying about your cell phone losing all its battery charge.
The powerful capacity of 12000mAh can provide more than 4 solid charges for iPhones or Galaxy S8s, making it the perfect choice when you’re travelling long distances. Compatible with the new iPhone 13/12 series, you would never have to worry about your battery life again.
8) Bluetooth Portable Speaker
Keep your group entertained with some music on the go! This portable speaker can connect to any smartphone with Bluetooth. It’s also water and shock-resistant, perfect for beach days.
9) Water Shoes
Water shoes are really helpful when walking to and from the beach. Hot sand is real, and it can burn your feet.
Plus, walking around in the sand while wearing flip-flops can be uncomfortable. Water shoes are much more comfortable and easy to clean off when the day is over.
10) Sand Proof Beach Blanket
Beach blankets are easier to carry to the beach than beach chairs. The fabric in this beach blanket allows you to relax and avoid skin irritations. It is also easy to clean and can brush off the sand without effort!
The beach blanket is made of water-repellent, sand-resistant fabrics, which means it will not need to be dried after use on the beach.
Sunlit's Sand Proof Beach Blanket is the perfect choice for your next day at the beach. Not only does it boast an eye-catching design, but it's made of a silky cool soft fabric that won't irritate your skin, and is easily cleaned off with a brush when you're done.
11) Baby Wipes
Baby wipes are helpful because they make washing your face and hands easy. Keep your hands clean before you eat a snack or meal.
And if you sweat during the day, you can also use these wipes on your face to clean up.
Sunlit's Sand Proof Beach Blanket is the perfect choice for your next day at the beach. Not only does it boast an eye-catching design, but it's made of a silky cool soft fabric that won't irritate your skin, and is easily cleaned off with a brush when you're done.
12) Hairbrush
It’s easy for your hair to get tangled throughout the day, and it’s especially annoying when it’s covered in sand. It’s nice to have a hairbrush for detangling and removing sand from your hair.
This brush has a flexible cushion base with ball-tipped wire bristles and is perfect for all hair types and lengths. Its unique design helps gently detangle and style hair without snagging or pulling, making it ideal for stress-free brushing with beautiful results.
13) Sun Hat or Baseball Cap
The face and scalp are most likely to get sunburnt, so give them extra protection with a sun hat. Straw hats are very fitting for the beach and look great with swimwear.
But you can also wear a baseball cap if that’s more comfortable!
Crafted with a high-quality paper straw, this beach hat provides UV UPF sun protection with its full-brimmed design. It keeps the sun out of your face and wicks sweat away from your forehead to ensure you stay cool and comfortable throughout the day.
Lightweight yet durable due to the thicker cotton fabric, this hat is strong enough for everyday use. Whether you’re hitting the gym or hanging out at the beach, this cap will keep you looking fresh and comfortable all day.
14) Swimsuit Cover Up
Whether you’re going for a walk on the beach or spending time in the pool, a swimsuit cover up is nice to have!
If you plan on eating out or shopping at the stores near the beach, it’s great to have a cute cover up to wear over your swimsuit. It will provide you with some sun protection in a fashionable way.
15) Waterproof Phone Case
You may want to pack a waterproof case for your smartphone and wallet, just in case! The phone pouch has a double air padding design that makes it float and protects your phone from damage if it accidentally falls off.
This waterproof camera is perfect for recording amazing videos while snorkeling and swimming underwater.
Perfect for your next beach vacation, this spacious design allows you to bring along all of your essential items without worry. Measuring 8.5 inches by 5.8 inches, the bag is extra deluxe and spacious and can easily fit all large smartphones below 7 inches as well as cash, credit cards, wallets, and car keys.
16) Cooler
The portability and durability of the Maelstrom Icy Hollow Soft Sided Cooler is unparalleled – it weighs an astonishingly light 1.98 lbs yet can hold up to 30 cans!
This cooler bag is perfect for outdoor activities such as camping, hiking, picnicking or even a barbecue party.
You name it, and this versatile accessory has got you covered with its sizable capacity which easily fits food, fruits, beer meat, or seafood!
This extra-large yet lightweight cooler weighs only 1.98 lbs and can hold up to 30 cans of your favorite drinks or food items, allowing you to pack a lot of necessary supplies for any activity easily.
17) Snacks
Bring some food and drinks with you to the beach. Pack them in some food storage containers like Tupperware that are easy to take with you and keep your snacks from spoiling. This will also help you avoid buying expensive snacks while at the beach.
SkinnyPop is made with only the Finest ingredients—GMO-Free, Gluten free, nut free and made without artificial ingredients or preservatives; it's also a good source of fiber. Plus, each bag contains only 100 calories.
Enjoy these great-tasting bars as a meal replacement or even as breakfast on the go - they will keep you energized throughout the day! With their 100% real whole food ingredients such as organic brown rice protein and organic pumpkin seed protein, these bars make an excellent nutritious snack.
Each bite-size cookie is packed with certified organic ingredients and sustainably sourced organic cocoa, so you can feel good about your snacking choices. Plus, these delicious cookies contain no artificial flavors, synthetic colors or high-fructose corn syrup.
18) Electrolyte Drinks
Replenish your body with enough water when you’re out in the heat. Don’t forget to bring plenty of H2O on your hikes and hydrate often!
I’m a big fan of Body Armor sports drinks; they provide an extra kick that helps prevent dehydration by adding electrolyte mix packets into my backpack’s emergency zip lock bag.
Taking precautionary measures can help reduce symptoms of insufficient hydration levels – be smart, stay safe, and drink up!
Stay hydrated and refreshed with BODYARMOR LYTE Low-Calorie Sports Drink Beverage! This drink has all the electrolytes and minerals you need to keep energized throughout the day, but without the sugar.
19) Food Storage Containers
If you want to maximize your time (and your budget) while at the beach, packing your own food is an absolute must. Food storage containers are a great way to store snacks in your beach bag, and keep the sand away.
These food containers come with two compartments so you can easily separate fruits and vegetables and other healthy snacks.
Designed with airtight snap lock lids that come with silicone seals, your meal prep food will stay fresh for much longer than traditional food storage containers. These lids are easy to use and will stop leaking, and won’t break or slowly stop working over time.
20) A Good Book
Reading on the beach is a great way to relax and unwind from your stresses. A good book or eReader can provide hours of pleasure while you watch the waves roll in. There’s nothing quite like it!
Bottom Line
These are just a few of our beach bag essentials that we suggest for your next beach adventure! You can also add in other items to make it more personal, such as a beach hat, snacks, or even a frisbee. But whatever you decide to pack in your beach bag, make sure you have all the essentials so you can enjoy your summer beach day to the fullest! Happy packing and happy beach days!
