The Best Beach Bags for All Your Summer Fun

Keeping your stuff cool at the beach is vital, whether it’s snacks for the kiddos or four six-packs of what is definitely, totally just soda, officer. That’s why our team put Corkcicle’s Estelle tote, a zippable insulated tote that offers a stylish alternative to typical rectangular or backpack-style cooler bags, to the test. The design features lightweight reinforced insulation, which in our experience of the bag, will keep a block-style ice pack mostly frozen for eight hours (even without ice, cold sodas we put in the bag were at least still chilled, if not fridge-cold, after eight hours, too). It has an optional shoulder strap, deep wrap-around pockets and exterior straps for holding towels or jackets. The tote gets high marks for looks, as its tailored style and colorful material definitely turned heads—don’t be surprised if you get asked many, many times where you found the bag when you’re carrying it around. We were also impressed with its capacity. You can fit up to 24 cans (there’s those four six-packs we mentioned) inside the bag, and while this does get as heavy as you’d think, the durable straps are supportive enough to distribute the weight more comfortably than a typical soft-sided cooler.

“Indestructible” is definitely a strong word, but having had a Herschel tote that’s made it through several years of beach trips with babies and well beyond without a scratch, it’s not totally inaccurate. This version is insulated, has three front pockets, and comes with a separate, insulated bottle sleeve. Its leak-proof interior is great for either lugging drinks to the beach, or wet towels and swimsuits home.

A mesh bag doesn’t sound ideal for the beach, since it’s guaranteed you’re not keeping the sand out of it. But this tough, lightweight bag at least makes getting the sand out again easier, since the 3mm by 3mm holes in its mesh are large enough to allow sand to pass quickly through, rather than getting stuck in there for the rest of time. It also has nine—nine!—pockets (seven exterior mesh pockets, one large inside pocket, and one waterproof inside pocket) and a carrying capacity of 160 lbs. For something that somewhat resembles a goth’s body stocking, it’s surprisingly well suited to a day on the beach.

Being able to chuck your beach bag in the laundry is great, but you know what’s better? Being able to just rinse it off in the sink in less than 30 seconds. Made of sturdy, waterproof EVA, this is the Crocs of beach bags: The look isn’t to everyone’s taste, necessarily, but there’s no denying just how durable and easy it is. It’s also very hard to tip over, which is always a bonus on the beach.

When you’re looking for a waterproof bag, it’s tough to argue with one made from literal wetsuit material. This neoprene tote has two large, water-resistant, internal zip pockets, and snaps on each end so that when you fold it up after use, it actually stays folded. It also smells like a surfer, and what’s not to like about that?

If you don’t have children, you’re probably looking at this and thinking, “Why on Earth would I ever need a bag the size of a Volkswagen?” If you do have children, though, you get it. Able to hold up to 75 lbs and featuring a stable, burst-proof bottom, this bag is as durable as it is enormous. A U-shaped zipper on top makes it easier to close—just don’t lose your child in there.

First off, just because it’s called the Cloud Bag, it doesn’t mean you have to get the cloud print—here are three other color options to choose from. Whichever you choose, the bag is lightweight, but still large enough to hold enough for a solo trip to the beach (depending on what you have planned, of course—don’t get mad at us because it turned out you couldn’t fit a jet ski in there).

Aside from being impaled by a runaway beach umbrella, nothing will ruin your day like seeing some no-good, thieving (insert bad word of your choice) has rifled through your belongings. Stop it happening with a secure bag: This waterproof tote has a built-in combination lock and tethering cable, meaning that not only can other people not open it, they can’t run off with it, either. As an added bonus, it’s insulated, so you can keep your sandwiches fresh alongside your valuables.