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Jul 15, 2023

National Beach Day 2023: Products for the perfect beach day

11 essentials for the perfect beach day Updated August 30, 2023 Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed's editors. Purchases made through the links below may earn us and our publishing

11 essentials for the perfect beach day

Updated August 30, 2023

Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed's editors. Purchases made through the links below may earn us and our publishing partners a commission. Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.

Amid heatwaves that have cooked the country throughout the summer, a trip to your local ocean or lakefront to beat the heat sounds like a great idea. What better time to go than on National Beach Day? That’s right. Today, August 30th, is National Beach Day. While it’s tempting to rush out of the door to take your dip in the water as soon as possible, you’ll need to make sure you have a few things before you leave.

Do you have your sunglasses? How about a beach towel? Going to the beach requires a lot more preparation than a stroll in the park. We’re here to walk you through everything you need in your beach bag so that you can make the most of your time having fun in the sun.

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National Beach Day takes place annually on August 30th. This year, it takes place on a Wednesday.

As the name implies, National Beach Day is all about heading to the beach to bask in the sun, hit some waves, and play in the sand.

While the shore is great for lounging in the sun, make sure you hit the waves in a stylish swimsuit.

Arguably the most important element of going to the beach: make sure you have a bathing suit. While you could take a swim in your jeans, we don't recommend it. Even if you already have swimwear in your closet, you might need a different size than before, your old suit might not be in the best shape or perhaps you just want to try out a new design. Whether you're looking for swimming trunks or a swimsuit, stores such as Amazon offer a variety of stylish and comfortable options to choose from. Don’t forget your bathing suit coverup, too.

This microfiber beach towel is super absorbent and can dry you off 70% faster than a regular cotton towel would.

Whether you plan to spend most of your time swimming or lounging on the sand, a beach towel is going to be essential for your trip. Ideally, a beach towel can both keep off sand and quickly dry swimmers. Unfortunately, many beach towels only do one of these tasks adequately. PackTowl's beach towel, however, absorbs four times its weight in water and effectively sheds sand.

In need of some serious R and R? Consider bringing this 5-position reclining beach chair with you to do just that.

Laying or sitting on a towel isn't for everyone. If you're looking to sit back and relax a few more inches off the ground (and sand), then you should bring a beach chair to your next shoreline excursion. The Tommy Bahama Beach chair features five reclining positions, as well as several areas to store your belongings. Whether you’re winding down your beach day or just getting started, it comes with convenient backpack-like straps that make it easy to transport.

Stay shaded underneath a sturdy portable beach umbrella like this one that comes in over 10 different colors and patterns.

Going to the beach doesn't have to end with you getting absolutely baked by the sun. An umbrella is a good way to get some shade while still enjoying the beach. Beach umbrellas are known to blow away in the wind, so consider getting this 4.9-star rated Oniva portable umbrella, which reviewers claim is lightweight, easy to carry, and sets up easily in the sand.

If your beach day also doubles as a family outing, make sure to get a tent large enough to keep each member covered—this one offers UPF50+ protection.

Thanks to their larger size, beach tents provide even more shade than umbrellas and protect from more angles of exposure to the sun. The Sun Ninja Beach Tent is one of the best, with built-in UPF protection that keeps harmful rays of the sun at bay. Its versatility lends itself to many outings and Reviewed executive home editor Leigh Harrington agrees, recommending this tent for fun days in the sun. 

Hawaiian Tropic’s sunscreen is perfectly balanced so it remains moisturizing while not feeling heavy or greasy on your skin.

Sunscreen provides great protection against harmful sun rays and should be applied anywhere your skin is exposed to sunlight (yes, including your scalp). If you’re going to a coastal beach, we recommend using a mineral sunscreen, as they don’t contain chemicals that harm coral reefs. Our favorite is Hawaiian Tropic’s Mineral Skin Nourishing Milk SPF 50 Sunscreen because it smells great and doesn’t leave a white cast when applied.

No beach day is complete without sun, sand and a few snacks! Make your food remains preserved with the RTIC Ultra-Light cooler.

Why not make the beach an all-day affair by bringing food to grill and beverages to drink? Storing them in a cooler will keep your lunch and drinks refrigerated until they're ready to be consumed. We found the RTIC Ultra-Light to be the cooler with the greatest value. This cooler is lightweight and features good insulation.

Brita guarantees you 24 hours of chilled water—no matter how high the beach temps reach.

It's important to stay hydrated all the time, but particularly when you're at the beach and baking in the sun. While there's ample water at a beach, we highly advise against drinking seawater. Instead, we recommend buying a reusable water bottle such as the one offered by Brita. Its stainless steel keeps water cool for up to 24 hours and the powerful filter keeps funky odors at bay.

Bring your favorite tunes on the go with you with the Sonos Roam which has an outstanding battery life so you get 10 hours of uninterrupted play time.

Part of the fun of going to the beach is the entertainment like reading a good book or blasting music. Pack a Bluetooth speaker so that you and your friends can listen to your favorite songs—just be mindful of others that are nearby who might also be trying to listen to tunes. We recommend the Sonos Roam because it’s waterproof and provides excellent sound quality.

If you prefer to read on the beach, we recommend getting a Kindle which gives you access to thousands of titles at your fingertips. We love the Kindle Paperwhite for its large, crisp display that automatically adjusts its brightness, making it the perfect reading device to use under the sun.

Since paperback books aren’t exactly waterproof, you can keep your favorite reads dry on the Kindle Paperwhite instead.

Real fun in the sun is achievable with the help of a few simple games or toys.

People of all ages deserve to have fun in the sun.  Thankfully, there are many toys that you can bring to the beach to keep your child happy. Few things say "beach" louder than a colorful beach ball and thanks to Big Mo's Toys, you can get a 12-pack of colorful and durable beach balls that can be enjoyed by kids of all ages (which you may end up needing in that quantity since beach balls tend to disappear quickly).

You can also buy a bucket and shovel set, which is perfect for sand adventures like building sandcastles.

Create Instragram-worthy sand castles with the help of just a shovel and pail.

This water and sand proof beach bag even comes with a built-in compartment for wet swimwear when your beach day is done.

Last but certainly not least, you're going to need a beach bag to hold your many belongings. Head of Audience Rachel Moskowitz loves this beach bag by Bluboon saying it's large enough to hold all her belongings and waterproof to keep them safe. It has many convenient pockets, including a wet compartment to hold used bathing suits and towels so they won't contaminate the rest of your things.

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