Must-Have Family Beach Accessories Worth Schlepping

A Bogg Bag is perfect for holding all of the family beach accessories, but also comes in handy at the pool, on road trips, at sporting events, or anywhere else that requires a load of stuff. The bags are made from a durable and sturdy material that is easy to rinse off, and the design allows it to sit upright without tipping. The original size is big enough to fit everything from sand toys to beach towels, and includes smaller interior pouches that keep small stuff like phones and cash separate and dry.

Bumkins wet dry bags are versatile, waterproof pouches with two compartments to keep wet items separate from dry. These machine-washable bags are some of the best beach essentials for families, perfect for stashing soggy swimsuits, sandy towels, or even dirty clothes, ensuring the rest of your bag stays clean and dry.

Shila said:  These are handy accessories for a pool day or while at summer camp, too!

The ingenious design of these foldable buckets means they'll take up less space in your beach bag (and your garage).

Kristy Pepping said:  My daughter and I were looking for beach buckets we could pack for an upcoming vacation. We came across these cool beach pails. The interesting part is they are collapsible and fold completely flat! So they are perfect to stick in a suitcase or in an already overloaded pool bag.

The Chillbo Schwaggins inflatable couch is a lightweight, portable lounger that can be easily inflated by simply scooping air into it, no pump needed. It's excellent for a teen bedroom, or family trips to the beach, festival or campground. It provides comfortable, versatile seating for multiple people or a spacious spot for one.

Vanessa M. said:  The Chillbo Shwaggins Inflatable Couch is perfect for a teen's bedroom or hangout and comes in a variety of fun colors and prints. It also floats on water so it makes a great pool accessory! Teens can bring it camping, to festivals, backyard bbq's, or just keep it in their room as a place to chill with friends.

The full coverage of Coolibar swimwear means you won't have to apply as much sunblock, especially helpful when the kids are spending the day in the water at the beach and lots of reapplication is necessary.

Amy S. said:  I tried one of these suits for my two year old last summer on a recommendation. This summer, it still looks brand new (and it still fits!). Coolibar makes high quality UV protective clothing, and the fabric is really comfortable. I appreciate their full coverage styles—my five year old wears the full bodysuit; and my three year old years the hooded full bodysuit. Nobody complains about how little sunblock we need to put on! (They make great stuff for grown ups too.)

Microfiber towels are must haves for the beach. They're more absorbent, dry quickly, pack down very small, and sand can be shaken right off.

A sandproof beach blanket is one of the must-have beach day essentials for parents, so the family has a home base for eating and resting. This one packs down tiny so it won't take up too much room in your beach bag, and won't fly away when everyone is down at the water.

Beth Wood said:  We take this every time we go to the beach. It is super lightweight, rolls up easily into its own carry pouch, comes with 4 plastic stakes and corner sand pockets to hold it down securely in the sand and is heat resistant so it doesn't hurt to walk or sit on it after it's been in the sun. It shakes out very easily to avoid sand getting everywhere!

The beachBub beach umbrella is a robust and wind-resistant option designed for superior stability, utilizing a unique fillable sand base that anchors it securely even in strong gusts. This family beach essential provides reliable, long-lasting shade and peace of mind, ensuring that children are protected from the sun without parents worrying about a runaway umbrella.

Shila said:  My family did a lot of research on this 9-lb beach umbrella before purchasing not one, but two of them! I'd definitely recommend this product as good beach gear to have for frequent use. It features durable footing in the sand, withstands strong winds, is easy to transport (e.g., in the car, over the shoulder) and offers easy assembly. To assemble, by the way, requires no tools except its provided sand gopher shovel to dig down a small hole. Its unique design uses the weight of a sand bag (that you fill) to firmly hold the pole in.

This portable safe comes in very handy while at the beach for holding valuables while you're off playing or in the water. Use its steel cable to wrap it around something much larger, like your beach chair, to discourage someone from taking the entire thing.

These waterproof pouches wrap around your waist to help keep valuables close at all times. These are nice family beach accessories (including for use IN the water), and also offer convenience for a day at the pool or a waterpark to hold your cell phone, money, and tickets too.

This portable table is a handy beach essential for families to keep food and drinks up and out of the sand, and will also come in handy for outdoor concerts, picnics and more. The height is right for sitting on the ground or using beach chairs.

Shila said:  Our family uses this knee-high table for picnics, concerts, and every time we are at the beach for the day, too. It's so easy to assemble with the legs screwing in (no tools needed), and the tabletop rolls out flat. Everything folds back in the carrying bag after the day is done.

Beach chairs quickly take up a lot of room for families, and if your kids insist on their own, these lightweight mats have a convenient shoulder strap for easy transport and stack and store flat when not in use.

Shila said:  I personally prefer to sit on a chair while at the beach, but I'd also recommend these 4-pound mats for smaller children to lounge and lay around on. I like when kids have their own space to stretch out and take some time for themselves in between play. I also appreciate how these sturdy, yet lightweight mats stack and store flat while not in use. A convenient shoulder strap allows for easy transport while carrying this beach gear around to your favorite spot.

These stackable cup holders are good beach accessories to keep drinks off the sandy ground. They have spikes that dig in, so they're less likely to get knocked over. Parents might enjoy the built-in bottle openers underneath, too!

This budget-friendly mesh beach bag tote is big enough to accommodate all of your family's sandy beach gear and toys, and excess sand can be shaken out or hosed off right in the bag.

Shila said:  This may not be the fanciest bag to tote around, but it does the trick for me and my family to keeping all of our sand toys for kids in one place. I try not to encourage kids beach toys or pool accessories to mix with our overall, regular beach bag (which generally carries non-waterproof and/or personal items like a good beach book, snacks, or sunscreen), so having separation between sandy and non-sandy gear is essential to keeping things clean! I also like how this over-the-shoulder toy bag is made from mesh, so any extra sand eventually filters out.

A soft cooler is generally easier to manage for a family day at the beach, and YETI coolers will keep your food and drinks cold far longer than you need. Backpack coolers are a must for keeping your hands free to manage kids and all of the other beach gear. The price is high, but maybe dad would like this for Father's Day?