10 Chic Upgrades to Your Favorite Beach Bag Staples

It’s finally time to ditch your sopping, sandy towel. Pack one of these instead—it’s super absorbent and dries three times faster than a standard cotton option. Sand won’t stick to it and you won’t notice any damp, musty smells that most towels collect. In fact, it even comes with a handy pouch for compact keeping.

The pop and fizz of a cold day drink is our favorite way to kick off a beach trip. Only this year, we’re making the case for an upgrade from the usual beers or complicated cocktails to Smirnoff Ice Original Zero Sugar. Yep, there’s no added sugar and each single-serve bottle has less than 100 calories. Considering all that, and the fact that it still has the same citrusy-sweet taste you know and love, it’s precisely the kind of refreshing, low-effort bev we look forward to sipping in the sun.

You look totally cute in your trusty old baseball cap, but we’re ready for something a little more fun. Consider a bucket hat: They’re easy to wear, they tuck nicely into your bag and they’re diligent at keeping the sun off your face. This one is made from a breezy cotton mix and comes in the sweetest buttercup yellow.

This Korean beauty brand was created by influencer Liah Yoo, who believes in transparency, simplicity and health when it comes to skincare. That’s why her SPF is fragrance- and cruelty-free, vegan and filled with ingredients like antioxidants and beetroot to protect your skin from sun and stressors. With a lightweight formula reviewers report as being “non-sticky” and “easy to spread around,” it soaks right in without leaving a chalky trace.

Waterproof (because things happen) and durable, this portable Bluetooth speaker is made of sustainable aluminum and fits in the palm of your hand. It won’t weigh down your bag, but it will produce a powerful sound that leaves hundreds of five-star reviewers gushing.

Snacks are a non-negotiable. But this year, leave single-use plastics out of the equation and pack your post-swim sammy in a non-toxic silicone storage bag. With a patented Pinch-loc seal, these dishwasher- and microwave-safe bags keep food fresh and your tote free of spills. Stasher is also a woman-owned company, and one percent of sales from the new Mojavo Collection (shown above) will be donated to the Mojave Desert Land Trust to protect its ecosystem and cultural resource values.

Moisturized lips are important, yes, but sun-protected lips are even more crucial. Give that delicate skin a dose of the good stuff from beloved swimsuit brand Solid & Striped. Their lip balm is full of SPF, beeswax, jojoba and sunflower seed oils for a peptide-rich barrier that leaves your lips healthy, not parched.

As much as we always hope we’ll have then entire beach to ourselves, truth is, everyone’s heading seaside when they can. Put safety first in the parking lot or bathrooms with a breathable cotton mask. This one is made of 100% cotton jersey for an ultra-soft feel you can machine wash and dry, and how cute is the subtle indigo tie-dye?

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No trip to the beach is complete without a good book, but one that leaves you thinking? Even better. PureWow Books editor, Sarah Stiefvater deems The Vanishing Half “a timely and compelling story of race and identity,” perfect for getting lost in amid a salty ocean breeze.

Last but not least, it’s probably time to update your beach bag itself. There’s just so much to say about this Fisherman’s Tote, from the reversible neoprene material to the eye-catching color contrast to the fact that it’s designed to lay flat when fully opened. Oh, and it floats.