Top Essential Beach Gear Items To Never Forget On Next Family Trip
There is nothing as fun, or as relaxing, as a great beach trip with your family. Whether you are heading to a tropical beach, or a local beach vacation, a day of sun and sand is sure to bring plenty of fun and great memories. However, as most families know, there are a few essentials you need in order to make the most out of your beach trip and to make sure that everyone is safe and comfortable on their outing.
Different families are going to have different needs when it comes to their beach trip. This is why we have curated a list of some of the top essentials out there that may need to be on your pre-vacation shopping list. In addition to finding accessories that will help improve your experience at the beach.
In addition to curating a list of family-friendly and beach-friendly products—our list also contains safe, natural and eco-friendly products that you can actually feel good about using on a regular basis. Take a look at our top choices below.
1. Sonrei
Mineral SPF 60 Vegan Friendly Sunscreen
Type of Beach Essential | Sunscreen Lotion
Benefits | Fragrance Free, 60 SPF, Travel Sized, Plant Based, Vegan Cruelty Free, Dye-Free
Price | $72
No beach vacation is complete without plenty of sunscreen. The right sunscreen will not only keep you safe from painful burns while you are out soaking up the sun, but sunscreen will help prevent serious skin damage as well. While there are plenty of different sunscreens out there, Sonrei has a number of different unique benefits that the whole family will love. This natural, mineral-based sunscreen isn’t made with harsh chemicals or irritants.
Instead you get a formula that offers 60 SPF in a vegan and reef-friendly formula. This means that this product is completely octinoxate and oxybenzone-free. This broad-spectrum product offers both UVA and UVB protection so you always stay safe when you are on your beach vacation. Plus, this zinc-based sunscreen has a matte finish that won’t give you that greasy or shiny finish when you wear this product.
SHOP SONREI
2. 100% Pure
Yerba Mate Continuous Spray Sunscreen Beach Must Have Item
Type of Beach Essential | Sunscreen Lotion
Benefits | Fragrance Free, 30 SPF, Travel Sized, Plant Based, Vegan Cruelty Free, Dye-Free
Price | $38
If you are looking for a fresh, and refreshing sunscreen, then this product from 100% Pure. This lightly fragranced sunscreen will provide continuous SPF protection and keep you safe from irritating sunburns and serious sun damage. There is a lot to love about this lightweight sun protectant. We love that this organic, all-natural sunscreen is effective yet safe enough to use on the delicate skin on your face.
There is a lot to love about this spray sunscreen. The fragrance-free formula offers SPF 30 protection against the harsh rays of the sun, offering a sheer level of protection. This sunscreen is made with all-natural zinc. This makes this sunscreen completely reef-friendly, so you don’t have to worry about your product harming our friends in the ocean. Plus, this vegan and fragrance-free formula is safe for the whole family, even babies.
SHOP 100% PURE
3. Freedom
Beach Essential Item: Natural Moisturizing Organic Lip Balm
Type of Beach Essential | Organic Lip Balm
Benefits | Eco-Friendly, Organic, Non-Toxic, Cruelty-Free, No Parabens, Vegan, Gluten Free
Price | $8
FREEDOM is a brand known for their high-quality, and natural beauty and skincare products. In addition to making a number of products designed to help you look your best using only natural ingredients, they have also made a premium mineral sunscreen product as well. This organic lip balm is designed to help protect the skin, including your lips, from serious sun damage. And it does this without using harsh chemicals or ingredients.
This balm provides daily defense and naturally moisturizes skin. In addition to protecting you from the sun, this balm also hydrates and restores the skin as well for your healthiest skin ever. This lip balm is safe, healthy and made with sunflower oil, beeswax, olive oil, essential oils. Plus, this non-tinted formula isn’t greasy, oily or sticky. This means it won’t sting the skin and will instead provide a natural matte-finish that you will love wearing all day long.
SHOP FREEDOM
4. Wonderfold Wagon
Heavy Duty Collapsible Folding Utility Beach Wagon
Type of Beach Essential | Collapsible Folding Beach Wagon
Benefits | All Terrain, Wagon Cart, Collapsible, Plastic, Lightweight, Portable
Price | $159
Looking to have a little fun in the sun during your next beach vacation? Then this beach wagon from Wonderfold Wagon is for you. This is the perfect family-friendly accessory for bringing all of your favorite beach toys and accessories safely down to the beach. Most parents know that the most challenging part of getting all of their toys down to the beach is the toy hauling part. This wagon has a roomy interior and a large capacity, but when you are done using it, just fold it up and put it in the small carrying case.
This is a great way to help lighten the load of all of your beach hauls and to make sure your bags, coolers and accessories get safely down to the beach. This wagon is made with a 600D fabric that UV and mildew resistant. It is also easy-to-clean. Plus, this wagon has wheels that are designed to smoothly travel along the sand with ease. This wagon even features two cup holders to help store your favorite beverages.
SHOP WONDERFOLD WAGON
5. Simplenice
Type of Beach Essential | Sand Toys
Benefits | Safe, 26 Piece Set, Eco-Friendly, Sand-Friendly, Reusable, Easy-to-Clean
Price |
If you are planning on taking little ones to the beach with you, then you need the right beach toys to help keep them occupied while they play in the sand. This is just what you will get with these reusable animal sandbox toys from Simplenice. These eco-friendly toys are made with natural materials that you can feel good about having your little one play with. Plus, there are 26 individual, bright, fun and imaginative toys.
These toys are made of wheat straw materials instead of harsh chemicals and toxic plastics. Plus, these toys come with their own reusable mesh bag for travel. This makes it easy to carry all of your little toys with you when you are heading down to the beach. If you want to help your kids dig, play and make molds in the sand—then this is the eco-friendly set for you!
SHOP SIMPLENICE
6. Green Toys
Type of Beach Essential | Plane Toy
Benefits | Green, BPA-Free, Safe, Natural, Phthalate-Free, Improves Pincers Grip
Price |
Looking for some new toys to take on your next beach vacation? Green Toys has you covered. This Seaplane toy is perfect for the beach and for encouraging young imaginations. This plane also floats making it a fun toy to take in the water at the ocean. This kid-safe toy doesn’t just look green, it is green as well.
This toy is made out of 100% recycled plastic milk jugs to ensure that this toy is safe for you, your child and the environment as well. Even the packaging of this toy is made with recycled and recyclable materials. We love that this buoyant floatplane not only floats in the ocean, but it also a fun toy for the bathtub or pool. The unique design of this kids toy will also help with important developmental milestones including improving the pincer grip of your child.
SHOP GREEN TOYS
7. Slowtide
Oversized Woven Beach Towels For the Entire Family
Type of Beach Essential | Oversized Beach Towel
Benefits | OEKO-TEK certified, Cotton, Natural, 815 GSM, Drawcord, Soft, Absorbent, Lightweight Odorless
Price | $70
If you are planning on heading to the beach with the family, then one of the first things that you need to pack is a great beach towel. This Slowtide Oversized Woven Beach Towel is perfect for beach getaways. It not only great for drying off, thanks to the lightweight microfiber design. It is also sand resistant as well, so you can have a clean place to lay out on. This towel is also completely odorless, so you don’t have to worry about your wet beach towel stinking up your beach bag.
This lightweight towel is perfect for throwing in your bag and won’t take up a lot of room. Plus, it is super soft to the touch. We also love that the unique microfiber design dries three times faster than traditional towels. Another favorite feature of this towel? It is made out of Oeko-Tek Certified sustainably sourced cotton, making it an eco-friendly addition to your collection of beach accessories.
SHOP SLOWTIDE
8. The Turkish Towel
Eco-Friendly Recycled Beach Towels
Type of Beach Essential | Peshtemal Stripe Towel
Benefits | Recycled, Oeko-Tek Certified, Natural, Sand-Free, Soft, Absorbent, Lightweight Odorless
Price | $60
Ready to start packing for your next beach trip? The Turkish Towel has you covered with your most important beach essential—your beach towel. This eco-friendly recycled beach towel is a must-have for your trip. Not only is it lightweight and easy to throw in your beach bag, but it is also great for outdoor and home use as well. This mold stripe beach towel has a fast-drying design so you can use and reuse it every time you get in and out of the water!
This isn’t the only reason we put this beach towel on our list either. These towels are made entirely out of safe and natural materials. This towel is made out of a blend of recycled polyester and upcycled cotton, making this a green and eco-friendly option for your beach trip. We love the nature-friendly design of these towels. Plus, these towels are completely free from chemicals, pollutants or harsh dyes for a sustainable and comfortable towel for your upcoming trip.
SHOP THE TURKISH TOWEL
9. Coyuchi
Lightweight Beach Towel For Every Family Beach Trip
Type of Beach Essential | Luxury Beach Towel
Benefits | GOTS Certified, Organic Cotton, Fast Drying, Safe, Natural, Lightweight
Price | $108
When you start packing up the family for a beach trip, one of the first and most important things you will need to grab is a great beach towel. As many seasoned beach-goers know, when it comes to finding the perfect beach towel, not all towels are created equal. This is why it is so important to make sure you have the right towel for the beach. This lightweight Coyuchi towel is perfect for those beach outings when you need to dry off fast.
We love that this little towel will fit perfectly in your beach bag and won’t take up too much room while you are packing. This lightweight towel is super absorbent but still quick-drying, making it perfect for multiple-uses on the beach. Plus, when you aren’t using it, it folds up in a compact travel bag for easy transport down to the beach. Plus, we love that these towels are made with 100% recycled materials, which makes them an eco-friendly option for your family.
SHOP COYUCHI
10. S'well
Type of Beach Essential | Stainless Steel Water Bottle
Benefits | Stainless Steel, Vacuum Insulated, Keeps Drinks Cold for 36 Hours, BPA-Free, No Condensation
Price |
If you are going to spend the day on the hot beach, then you need to make sure that you pack plenty of water to keep you cool. More specifically, you need to pack the right water bottle to take with you. This is where the S’well Stainless Steel Water Bottle comes in. This lightweight water bottle is perfect for throwing in your beach bag because it is specifically designed to help keep cold beverages cold all day long—even in the sweltering heat.
This water bottle is triple-layered insulated and vacuum insulated. This means it will keep your cold beverages cold for 36 hours—even when you are hanging out on a hot and sunny beach. We also love that this water bottle is condensation-free. It means it won’t sweat in your hands and it won’t sweat in your beach bag. This bottle is also naturally sustainable, and made with food-grade stainless steel and BPA/BPS-free materials.
SHOP S’WELL
11. Thermoflask
Type of Beach Essential | Water Bottle
Benefits | Double Stainless Steel, Insulated, Safe Materials, Keeps Liquids Cool
Price |
There is nothing as refreshing as nice, cool water on a hot summer day at the beach. However, in order to make sure your cold water stays cold when you’re hitting the sun and sand, you need the right water bottle. This is why we put this Thermoflask Water Bottle on our list. This water bottle is double stainless insulated meaning it is ready to keep your beverages cold even when the sun is hot.
This water bottle is made out of food-safe materials so you don’t have to worry about unwanted toxins or chemicals leaching into your beverages. Plus, the double insulated design is designed to keep your cold beverages cool throughout the day, even when you are sitting in the sun. We love that with a reusable, high-quality water bottle like this, you are easily making sustainable choices instead of using reusable water bottles day after day.
SHOP THERMOFLASK
12. True Places
Essential Beach Trip Items: Folding Chair
Type of Beach Essential | Folding Beach Chair
Benefits | TrueFlex Outdoor Fabric, Aerospace-Grade Aluminum, Recycled Carrying Bag, Moveable Cupholder, Bottle Openers, Lightweight, Give Back
Price | $149
If you are planning on going to the beach or the outdoors, then one of the most important accessories you need to bring with you is a folding chair. This True Places Emmett Folding Chair is the perfect accessory for your upcoming beach trip or family vacation. This folding chair comes with a recycled carrying bag for easy transport down to your spot on the beach next to your beach cooler and beach towels.
This sustainably made folding chair features large cub holders and a TrueFlex outdoor fabric that will help your chair last for a lifetime. Plus, we love that this folding chair is made with aluminum and the bag is made out of recycled polyester. This material is decomposable, eco-friendly and recyclable, making it a smart option for eco-conscious buyers. Plus, this product is lightweight, portable and a super functional addition to your beach gear collection.
SHOP TRUE PLACES
Fair Trade, Organic and Eco-Friendly Women’s Shorts That You Will Love All Summer Long
If you are planning on going to the beach this summer, then it is so important to make sure you have your bags packed with all of your most important beach accessories and essentials. Take a look at our list before you plan on leaving for the beach. You may be missing some key accessories that could be making your beach trip even better. This way, you can focus on what matters most—having fun with your family!
Karen A Mulvey is a personal social blogger and mom with 14 years of experience in the every day world of motherhood and sustainable product research. Karen is on a mission to help everyday families select sustainable, non-toxic organic products, stop stressing about uncertainties on sustainable home goods and apparel, and start living the life they’ve always wanted.
Follow Karen at @karenAmulveycs | Karen A Mulvey
Finding the best natural and organic pillow online is hard to do, but we are here to help. We researched, tested, tried, slept on, crushed and even had a few pillow fights. We completely love finding the non-toxic pillows that are made without bad chemicals and toxic fire retardants. Enjoy our updated 2025 list of the top reviewed natural and organic pillows.