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The Best Beach Bags and Totes for a Day in the Sun (and Sand)

Your usual backpack won’t cut it along the coastline.

beach bags Courtesy

By Evan Malachosky

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Summertime calls for a trip to the beach (or at least the pool or lake). But you can never go unprepared. (See below for a full list of what to bring.) Once you’ve gathered all your beach goods together, it’s time to put it all in a bag. For that, you need a beach bag.

Products in the Guide

What Is a Beach Bag?

Beach bags come in all manner of styles, but the best ones are durable, have enough space to hold your personal effects plus your seaside accouterments. These aren’t exactly your everyday tote bags, but they could function as your daily driver. Whether your speed is an all-natural approach with a burly canvas bag, a high-tech tote with sophisticated water-repellant coatings and a grip of zips, daisy chains and pockets or a bottomless bucket you can stuff with ice and cans of beer, there’s a tote out there begging you to go to the beach.

What to Look for

You can’t just take any tote to the beach, though, and which you lug along with you depends on what you’re bringing. Spending a few hours in the sun and scurrying home? You probably don’t need to pack much. Staying the entire day, eating a few meals and playing some games? You’ll have to worry about the size of the bag and whether it’s waterproof, because high tide approaches as the day goes on.

Your bag should withstand a single wave, whether with a waterproof bottom or a mesh construction, which easily drains as the waves retreat. If you’re planning to bring a phone, your wallet and perhaps even a car key, you probably don’t want to carry a mesh bag that could fill with water. (You could always hang it on your beach chair, by the way.)

Our best advice? Assess the situation and pick accordingly. You could always store one of the mesh bags below in one of the bigger cooler bags — versatility.

What to Put in Your Beach Bag

Pros

  • Insulated and leakproof
  • Pockets are compartmentalized
  • Comes in a number of colors

Cons

  • Not the biggest bag
  • Once wet things are in, nothing valuable can go in

It’s almost as if the designers at Herschel crafted their Alexander tote specifically for the beach. (They did.) It’s insulated to keep cool drinks cold and leakproof to keep wet bathing suits or melting ice from pouring out of the bottom. Plus, there are three exterior pockets, reinforced handles and a zip-top closure. This iteration comes in an assortment of colors, but plain black is always a safe bet.

Pros

  • Top strap is removable
  • Completely waterproof

Cons

  • No interior pockets

Filson’s heavy-duty 840-denier nylon Roll-Top Tote Bag is completely waterproof, courtesy of its resistant exterior but also its roll-top closure, which cinches at the sides to create a seal. There are no interior pockets, just one big compartment, but that’s okay for the beach. The top shoulder strap is removable so really can carry it like a tote, and daisy chain webbing gives you space for attachments.

Pros

  • Affordable
  • Customizable
  • Comes in several sizes

Cons

  • Not waterproof

It’s hard to talk about tote bags without mentioning the legendary Boat and Tote from L.L. Bean. Originally made to haul loads of ice, these make for a perfect tote for hot beach layouts. You’re usually limited to just two picks in the triangle of price, style and quality. Somehow, the Bean’s managed to get all three points. They’re affordable, they look great, and they last a long, long time. They come in a variety of sizes and colorways, each of which looks better with age.

Pros

  • Versatile — good for the beach and traveling
  • Water- and wind-resistant

Cons

  • Top doesn't close

A part of Away’s new For All Routes collection, an assortment of bags built for outdoor adventures, the F.A.R Tote boasts a capacity of 45 liters, an abrasion- and weather-resistant exterior and pack flat capabilities (when empty, of course). And while this bag works well on the beach, it features travel-friendly additions like a trolley sleeve and an interior recycled mesh pocket. Plus, it’s sized appropriately for most airlines’ carry-on requirements.

Pros

  • Super roomy
  • Easy to clean

Cons

  • Not technically a cooler

If your beach essentials include beer, beer and more beer — or maybe a stash of seltzers — then this is the bag for you. Yeti’s lined tote doubles as a cooler. (Even though the brand explicitly says this bag is not a cooler, I’ve filled it with cans and poured ice overtop. It isn’t insulated, so the ice will surely melt, but the cans stay cold for quite a while.) It can also carry plenty of other dirty or wet items: a sandy wetsuit, soaked swim trunks, a sunscreen-covered T-shirt or messy snacks. It’s a versatile, very light bag with plenty of room inside.

Pros

  • Incredibly durable
  • Big
  • Comes in several sizes

Patagonia’s Black Hole bags are seriously tough. I’ve used a Black Hole duffle to carry well over 100 pounds of equipment, so this bag can definitely hold your sunscreen and beach towels. It’s made of 14-ounce 900-denier recycled polyester ripstop fabric coated with a weather-resistant TPU-film laminate and DWR and includes an external zip pocket and daisy chains for any add-ons you might have. If the massive 61L size is more than you need, they also make a more reasonable 25L version, too.

Pros

  • Mesh, so it drains

Cons

  • Not the biggest

A mesh bag is always a wise choice because the sand can flow right out of it, and if it fills with water, it’s easy to pour out. But Noah’s Mesh Beach Bag is more than just a throwaway. It’s well-structured, comes with comfortable straps and a drawstring closure. Plus, there’s a zippered pocket inside for valuables — so they don’t get lost in the sand.

Pros

  • Water-resistant
  • Good on sand and land

Cons

  • Comes with a laptop sleeve, which few would probably use on the beach

After a long hiatus, Graf Lantz’s Boat Bag returns. But it isn’t just the same old bag it was before. The brand reinvented it, replacing different parts and improving the construction where needed. For example, although it doesn’t look it, the merino wool bag is indeed water resistant, making it equally appropriate on shore as it is on the deck of an actual boat. But for folks who’d rather use it every day, too, there’s a 13-inch laptop sleeve, a phone pocket and a zipper to close the thing up. The handles are leather, too, and so is the bottom.

Pros

  • Packable
  • Easy to clean

Cons

  • Not the biggest bag

Epperson Mountaineering’s Packable Climb Tote, which is made in the U.S. from wind- and waterproof nylon ripstop, proves sizable when open, but it can pack down into its own accessory pocket that hangs on the inside. The top closes with a drawcord, while the straps turn into daisy chains on the side for attaching a water bottle or other add-ons. This way, when the bag is empty, you can stuff it into a jacket pocket or carry it by hand.

Pros

  • Mesh is easy to drain/clean

Cons

  • On the smaller side

This mesh bag is a lot smaller than Noah’s, and it’s way less structured, but that’s okay. You shouldn’t overpack for the beach. And, honestly, this is just the right size for your essentials — and your essentials only. The mesh helps sand and water pass right through, while the double strap ensemble lets you carry it over your shoulder or across your body.

Pros

  • Made from vintage sailcloth

Cons

  • Perhaps too nautical

How beachy can one bag get? Resails’ Original Recycled Sail Tote bag plays up the nautical theme, upcycling vintage sailcloth to make its one-of-a-kind bags. Sailcloth is a great option for bags because it’s lightweight and super strong. To make matters even more durable, Resails also lines its bags with oxford nylon for extra protection and water-resistance.

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