19 Greatest Beach Bag Must-Haves You Need ON YOUR VACATION

This post is all about Beach Bag Must-Haves

If you will be traveling somewhere hot soon, you may be thinking about the items that you should pack for the beach, specifically for your beach bag. A lot of the times when packing, we are so overwhelmed with so much to do before a vacation, we forget the small things that can make a huge difference when traveling.

In this post, I will be helping you pack your beach bag! That way it is one less thing for you to have to stress over. I have created 5 categories to make this process more organized and easy for you to follow. The categories are; entertainment, essentials, products, beach bags and beach bag emergency kit.

I will also be recommending some items and products that I absolutely can’t live without when packing my own beach bag! I will give you a small description of the item, tell you why it works so well for me and I will also link the item to make it easy for you to purchase if you’d like to.

So let’s write a list of you beach bag must-haves and get your vacation started!

Some of the links provided may be affiliate links, which means that by clicking on them, I could earn a very small percentage of the purchase at no extra cost to you. Please read my full disclaimer here.

Beach Bag Must-Haves

Beach Bags

Choosing the perfect beach bag is probably the most difficult choice when packing for your beach vacation. Are you looking for something super trendy and fashionable? Or are you looking for something a little more convenient.

Depending on what type of vacation you are going on, that is the decision that you should make when it comes to choosing your beach bag. For example, if you’re a mom that is traveling with your small kids, selecting a durable and large bag would be a great choice because you would need something super durable that fits a lot. And if anything spills in the bag, it can easily be washed off with some water. If you are travelling as a single girl, and only worrying about yourself, then going with a trendy beach bag would be the ultimate choice.

Down below, you will see two beach bags that are perfect for those two scenarios. In my opinion, the bag from the brand ‘Boggs” is really expensive so I have found a dupe on Amazon. It looks just like it and does exactly what the other bag does. The Paris Milano bag is an exact dupe for the viral Prada beach bag. Which is super expensive and not everyone can afford a designer bag. This one from Amazon is really similar and really cute to take to the beach without breaking the bank.

Prada Dupe Beach Bag

Bogg Dupe Beach Bag

Products

This is my favourite section when it comes to packing for my beach vacation. I absolutely love products. Specifically when going on vacation. It is so important to protect your skin from the sun especially when you will be swimming and maybe playing some sports on the beach we sometimes don’t realize that the sun is burning our skin.

There are tons of products out there that are amazing when it comes to protecting our skin. Down below I will share with you my absolute favourite products I use not only when on vacation, but I also use them when I am at home or out and about to help protect my skin from the sun. These products can mostly be found at the drugstore, so they won’t break the bank.

La Roche Posay Anthelios Mineral 50

The Anthelios Tinted Sunscreen from the brand La Roche Posay is my holy Grail product when it comes to a tinted moisturizer that also protects your skin from the sun. I use this specific product on my face every single day. Whether I am staying at home, leaving my house or on vacation, this product is always on my face.

In my opinion, it is the perfect product to protect your skin from the sun that also gives you coverage like a foundation. After I discovered this product, I stopped using foundation. I personally find that this is enough coverage for me, especially when it comes to every day use.

Sun Bum Sunscreen Spray 50 / Body Oil and Face Stick

The whole Sun Bum collection in my opinion are great products when sitting out in the sun.

The spray is a really nice sunscreen to have with you on the go whether you’re on the beach or even just walking around when it’s sunny. I like it because of the convenience spray. It is super easy to reapply whether it’s for you or for your kids. I love that this product is not greasy on my skin and I really enjoy the smell.

The tanning oil is not for everyone but if you are looking for a product to accelerate your tanning experience with spf then this is the perfect product for you.

Lastly, the Sun Bum face stick is an incredible product because of its convenience. If you have kids, this is really great to take with you because the application is flawless. Within an a few seconds, you can reapply sunscreen to your children’s face. It is also great if you are looking for something for yourself that is easy to reapply when you are constantly swimming or laying out in the sun.

Sun Bum Daily Body Sunscreen and Sun Bum Lip Balm 30

These are two other products from the brand Sun Bum, that I really enjoy. The Sun Bum lip balm specifically in the scent coconut is my favourite lip protector. I carry it everywhere with me when on vacation or in the summertime. There is nothing worse than burning your lips or getting sun sores from being in the sun for so long. So constantly reapplying this product really protects your lips from getting burnt.

The second product that I love is the daily body from Sun Bum. I really like applying this product right before I leave the house. It smells incredible and it does not feel like sunscreen at all.

Entertainment

When visiting the beach, you definitely need some form of entertainment. Whether you’re someone who likes sports or someone who simply likes lying on the beach and listening to music or reading a book, you definitely need to find a way to keep yourself entertained.

Sometimes our beach sessions could last hours so it may get a little boring. Finding something that will keep you entertained but at the same time relaxed is the ultimate beach day goal.

In my opinion, you should definitely add one of these below to your beach bag must-haves list.

Amazon Kindle

There is nothing quite like finding the perfect beach read for your beach day. But bringing the physical book can be tricky. You can get sand and water on it and the pages are hard to stay open. Bringing your Kindle is the best way to elevate your reading experience especially on the beach.

A Kindle not only gives you access to any book that you would like to read for a better price, but it is also really convenient especially on vacation. Bringing a Kindle on the beach with you is just an amazing experience. You’re not worried about ruining your book so you can just throw this in your beach bag effortessly. Once you start reading on a Kindle, you will never be able to go back to physical books.

Waterproof UNO Cards

If you are vacationing with some friends or family, then you should really consider purchasing these Uno splash, waterproof clear cards. You can play Uno with your friends and family without worrying about ruining the cards or getting them wet. They’re completely waterproof so you can throw them on the sand or even play on a floaty when in the water.

JBL speaker

Bringing a speaker with you on a beach day is a must. Music completely sets the vibes wherever you are but specifically when you’re on the beach. I really love the JBL Bluetooth speaker because anyone can connect to it, it’s completely wireless and you would be so surprised as to how loud this small device is. And the fact that it’s so small it makes it easy and convenient and just throw in your beach bag.

If you are going to be on the beach for hours, then you will definitely be using your phone quite often. Bringing a charger with you is essential. I love this iwalk device because it is so small and you don’t have to pack any wires with you. This portable charger is good for one full charge so all you have to do is charge it before you leave the house throw it in your beach bag.

Essentials

When it comes to beach bag essentials, we sometimes forget what is actually essential. Sometimes we pack the most random things yet forget the things that we actually need. So in this next section, I will be giving you all my favourite recommendations for items that are absolutely essential when packing your beach bag.

Roll-up Sun Hat

The older we get the more important it is to protect our face from the sun to prevent premature aging. So not only is it essential to wear sunscreen, but it is also important to wear a hat. A lot of the times bringing a hat to the beach can be such an inconvenience because I had it does not fit into your bag. That is why I love this specific hat so much. This hat protects your whole face from the sun but when it’s time to put it away, it easily rolls up and conveniently fits perfectly into your beach bag. This is personally one of my beach bag must-haves.

Beach Towel

I don’t think this item needs much explanation. Bringing a beach towel to the beach is essential. I personally love neutral tones. That is why I absolutely adore this specific beach towel.

Waterproof Phone Case

You may ask why this item is in the essentials category but in my opinion, it is something that is much needed in today’s world. We tend to take our phones everywhere we go. And at times, we may want to take our phones into the water or near the water. Especially if you were somebody who works remotely and cannot miss a phone call.

This waterproof phone case is really convenient because it protects your phone from water and sand while staying super close to you. You can hang this around your neck while you are swimming, while you’re taking a walk or even while going down a waterslide.

Sunglasses

Sunglasses in my opinion are also an essential item when spending the day at the beach. But in general, I do find that sunglasses can be really overpriced. These sunglasses that I’ve linked down below are really good quality, super trendy and they are super affordable.

Flushable Travel Wipes

Flushable, travel wipes are usually an item we don’t really think of bringing with us to the beach. I personally love to carry these when travelling whether it’s on the beach or anywhere else, especially when you have children. They are really small, they come in a pack of 30 and they can easily fit into a small pocket in your beach bag. It is an item that you think you don’t need but when you do have them, you’re really happy you packed them!

Water Bottle

There is no need to explain why you need a water bottle when going to the beach. We tend to get thirsty and drink a lot of water while outdoors so this is a really good alternative to packing lots of plastic water bottles. Not only are they heavy to carry but it is a lot less plastic that we could be using.

Waterproof Pouch

This waterproof pouch is great for times when you just want to take a few of your personal important items with you like your wallet or cell phone. Sometimes we want to take a long walk on the beach, but we don’t want to leave our valuables behind in fear of getting them stolen or misplaced. Bringing a waterproof pouch would be a great idea. That way your valuables are protected from sand and water while conveniently staying close to you.

Beach Bag Emergency Kit

What exactly is a beach bag emergency kit and why do we need one?

A beach bag emergency kit is a smaller bag within your beach bag full of small things that would be really useful when travelling to a beach. There are so many small items that we may need while going to the beach, but they usually get lost and unorganized in our large beach bag. A beach emergency kit is a place where you can keep all these small items.

Here is a list of all small but useful items to add to your beach bag must-haves list.

I have also included a photo of a beach emergency kick kit that I have packed myself when going to the beach. I have linked this specific bag because is the perfect size to add all these items in.

• Tampons
• Band Aids
• Lip Balm
• Hair ties
• Hair Clip
• Eye Drops
• Medication like Advil etc
• Travel Tissue Paper
• Mosquito repellent bracelet

Conclusion

I hope this post of beach bag must-haves was helpful to you. Travelling in general is such a stressful time especially if you’re travelling with small children. Having someone help breakdown all these small items to pack that we sometimes don’t think of can be really helpful.

Remember to not overpack, because carrying too many things will just be frustrating to you. Instead, think of all the things that you may need and try to purchase the travel sizes of them that way everything fits into your beach bag easier

What will you be packing in your beach bag for your next vacation? Let me know in the comments below!