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Byrdie / Lecia Landis
A trip to the beach requires some thoughtful packing. From snacks to beach toys to sunscreen to a sun hat, you’re bound to have a lot in tow. And, the only way to cart everything to the shore is in a beach bag, of course. When we think of beach bags, we think of giant waterproof tote bags, typically covered in a nautical-themed pattern. And while that is a very practical choice, there are tons of other great options to choose from—including ones that are trendsetting enough to take you from the beach (or pool!) to a night out. On top of that, they make for a fun and easy way to try the season’s trends without going overboard.
Byrdie Researched & Approved
Our top pick is the QOGiR Neoprene Multipurpose Beach Bag Tote because it's cost-effective and has garnered more than 3,000 positive reviews from those who've bought it. If you're wanting something more trendy, we recommend the Kelly Wynne Bring on the Beach Clear Tote, available at Nordstrom. It's not only water-resistant, but features an inside compartment for extra protection for those valuable items, like your phone, wallet, and beach read.
“Beach bags are a great way to try out summer trends that you might not be ready to embrace as a full outfit,” says Liz Bader-Natal, the Director of Styling at Dia & Co. “For example, neon is trending everywhere for summer 2022, and finding a beach bag with neon accents is a fantastic way to dip your toe into seeing how you feel about rocking bright colors yourself.”
Whether you’re headed out on a tropical vacation or enjoying the summer season, we’ve got all of your beach bag needs covered with a list of our must-have picks for the best beach bags—including practical mesh beach bags, canvas tot bags, straw beach bags that double as handbags, and more.
Ahead—the best beach bags of the season.
Best Overall
QOGiR Neoprene Multipurpose Beach Bag Tote with Inner Zipper Pocket
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Amazon
Who else recommends it? Oprah Daily also picked the QOGIR Neoprene Multipurpose Beach Bag Tote.
What do buyers say? 81% of 3,300+ Amazon reviewers gave this product 5 stars.
This beach bag made our best overall category for a few reasons. To start, we love the sporty aesthetic with the neoprene material and cord straps. This bag also comes in 18 different color options, multiple sizes, and fits all of your beach essentials. On top of that, it has 4.7 stars from almost 3,000 customers—need we say more?
Price at time of publish: $31
Material: Neoprene and nylon | Colors: Black, Blue, Brown, Camouflage, Coral, Dark Blue, Dark Grey, Elegant Gray, Pure Black, Red, Sky Blue +more | Size: 14 x 12.5 x 10 inches
Best Clear
Kelly Wyne Bring on the Beach Clear Tote
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Nordstrom
It wouldn’t be a beach bag story without highlighting the best clear tote. We love this designer beach bag from Kelly Wyne for its blend of fashion and function. Made of clear PVC material and featuring a large and colorful pouch for belongings, this bag was made for a beach or pool day with friends.
Material: PVC/synthetic | Colors: White/Grey, Taupe/Grey | Size: 22 x 15 x 7.5 inches
Best Designer
Melissa Odabash Cap Ferrat Tote Bag
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Neiman Marcus
If you’re looking for a great everyday tote bag that doubles as a beach bag, this designer option is a great investment piece for your warm-weather wardrobe. Available in four color choices and the perfect size—not too oversized, but not too small—you can’t go wrong with this option.
Price at time of publish: $209
Material: 100% cotton | Colors: Beige/Tan, Olive, Navy/Tan, White/Tan | Size: 21 x 13.5 inches
Best Active
BÉIS The Sport Tote
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BEIS
If you're the type that loves to get a workout in while on the beach, leave it to BÉIS to make an ultra-chic bag just for that. From sand volleyball to beach yoga, this bag will take you from sweat session to seaside effortlessly. It features a side compartment for your reusable water bottle, with enough room inside to fit a beach towel and swimsuit, plus running shoes, a tennis racket, or a yoga mat. It's convertible too and goes from shoulder bag to backpack, so you can tote your stuff in whatever way is most comfortable.
Price at time of publish: $58
Material: Wrinkled nylon and recycled polyester | Colors: Black, Beige | Size: 16 x 12 x 5.5 inches
Best Insulated
Hat Attack Canvas Cooler Tote- Denim Stripe
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Hat Attack
What's a beach trip without some snacks and cold beverages? We love this option from Hat Attack since it's big enough for beach essentials and keeps your cans cold, too. It features an interior pocket that zips so you can keep your phone, wallet, and keys separate—and means you don't have to haul around two different beach bags. The bag is durable thanks to its canvas linen exterior—did we mention it's cute, too?
Price at time of publish: $161
Material: 55% linen, 45% cotton; aluminum foil with polyester padding lining | Colors: Denim Stripe | Size: 12 x 14 x 13.75 inches
Most Versatile
Madewell The (Re)sourced Tote Bag
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Amazon
If you’re planning to take your beach bag on vacation, a versatile option such as this Madewell bag is a great choice. Made from recycled material, this carry-on bag doubles as a beach bag (with tons of compartments), a laptop pocket, and a luggage pass-through sleeve. With so many uses (it can even double as a gym bag), you’re bound to get a lot of wear out of this one.
Material: 50% recycled polyester, 50% conventional polyester | Colors: Faded Rust, Faded Earth, Golden Spinach, Coal | Size: 13.75 x 20.5 inches
Best Budget
Dejaroo Mesh Beach Bag
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Amazon
This beach bag might be under $20, but it is anything but cheap. The high-quality bag boasts a whopping eight pockets—so you can fit everything from your towels to your sunscreen to your water bottle—is made of a highly durable mesh material and is available in 22 color options. Additionally, it comes highly recommended by over 4,000 customers.
Price at time of publish: $20
Material: Mesh | Colors: Black, Black/Gray, Black/White, Blue, Blue/Gray, Green/Aqua, Mint Blue/white, Neon Blue/White, Neon Green/White, Neon Orange/White, Neon Pink/White +more
Best Waterproof
Bogg Bag Original Bogg Bag
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Amazon
We can’t get enough of this adorable beach bag. Big enough to fit everything you need—and then some—the bag is made of an ethylene-vinyl material, making it the ultimate waterproof bag. And for added protection, it also comes with two clear insert bags, plus a large insert bag and a small insert bag with buttons that attach to the holes in the tote’s design.
Price at time of publish: $138
Material: Ethylene-vinyl acetate | Colors: Green Apple, Blue, Blush, Burgundy, Carolina Blue, Coral, Fog, Green with Envy, Hunter Green, Lilac, Mint, Navy, Peacock Blue, Pink, Yellow +more | Size: 19 x 15 x 9.5 inches
Best Printed
Joanna Vanderpuije Batik Box Bag
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Joanna Vanderpuije
If you’re looking for the perfect summer bag you can take from the streets to the beach: this is it. The cotton tote bag is crafted by made by Ghanaian artisans and features a stunning batik and cotton appliqué. A silver snap clasp to keep items secure while you bask in the sun.
Price at time of publish: $103
Material: Organic cotton | Colors: Purple | Size: 11 x 9.5 x 4 inches
Best Straw
Monday Swimwear Paloma Bag
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Monday Swimwear
When we were looking for the best straw bag, we sought out something oversized, durable, and simple yet stylish. This one from Monday Swimwear understood the assignment with its gorgeous hand-crocheted seagrass, spacious interior, and boxy handles.
Price at time of publish: $138
Material: Seagrass | Colors: Straw | Size: 23.6 x 18.5 x 4.7 inches
Best Cotton
Rip Curl Drifter Beach Tote
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Nordstrom
For a fashionable catch-all beach bag, look no further. This bag from Rip Curl is made from textured cotton material and features trendy frayed edges with tassels for an added touch of style.
Price at time of publish: $45
Material: 100% cotton | Colors: Bone | Size: 15.75 x 24.8 x 10.6 inches
Best Washable
Bodysurf Extra Large Pool Bag
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Amazon
This Amazon beach bag is a must-have for all your warm-weather travels, especially if you don’t plan on using your bag as a carry-on. Not only is it waterproof, but it’s also made of recycled material, large enough to fit your essentials and some, and it packs down easily, fitting nicely in your luggage.
Price at time of publish: $50
Material: Recycled nylon | Colors: Marine Blue, Black, Lifeguard Red, Sand | Size: 7 x 6 x 2 inches
Best Mesh
HOXIS Mesh Beach Tote Shoulder Bag
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Amazon
We love this mesh beach bag because of its high-quality, price point, and stellar reviews from over 1,500 customers. But, what makes it even better is that it could be used for so much more than a day at the beach or pool. We’re thinking: The farmers market, grocery store, a picnic in the park, shopping, and more. On top of that, it comes in 13 fun colors.
Price at time of publish: $16
Material: Canvas, mesh, and polyester | Colors: Tan, Yellow, Pink, White, Lavender, Klein Blue, Ice Blue, Green, Gray, Dark Blue, Cream, Coral, Black | Size: 17.3 x 15.7 x 5 inches
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Nothing says sustainable quite like reusing single-use plastic bags to create a new, reusable tote. That’s right, this beach bag from Sarep + Rose is handwoven from single-use plastic bags, making it not only a fantastic (and chic) sustainable choice but also incredibly durable, too.
Price at time of publish: $260
Material: Single-use plastic bags | Colors: Tan | Size: Medium
Best Crossbody
AAKS Belle
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AAKS
If you’re looking for a smaller bag that doubles as a daily purse, a straw crossbody straw purse makes for a great little beach bag. This one from AAKS takes you from the pool to the beach to dinner in style with its gorgeous indigo blue-hued bucket-style bag with leather detailing.
Material: Raffia and linen | Colors: Blue | Size: 10.6 x 11 x 5.9 inches
Best Personalized
Lands’ End Natural Open Top Canvas Tote Bag
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Landsâ End
One of the best beach bags that also happens to have a personalization option is the canvas tote from Lands’ End. Available in multiple sizes—though we prefer the extra-large for a beach day—with the option to customize strap size and add personalization to the front (by way of a monogram), this bag feels essential to summer.
Price at time of publish: $33
Material: 100% cotton canvas | Colors: Natural/Athletic Gold, Natural/Fresh Pink, Natural/Navy, Natural/Deep Scarlet, Natural/Beacon Blue, Natural/Dark Olive Green, Natural/Black +more | Size: 6 x 10.25 x 17.5 inches
Best Mini
AAKS Tia Raffia Bucket Bag
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AAKS
Basket bags make for the perfect warm-weather purse because they can double as pool and beach bags for all of your summer essentials. This mini beach bag-style purse is compact yet large enough to fit your sunglasses, sunscreen, a good read, some SPF lip balm, and more.
Material: Woven raffia and leather | Colors: Pink/Yellow/Coral | Size: 9.8 x 12.6 inches
Meet the Expert
Liz Bader-Natal is the Director of Styling at Dia & Co, a plus-size clothing and personal styling retail service.
What to Look for When Shopping for a Beach Bag
Durability
“Durability is something that I always keep at the top of my list,” says Bader-Natal. When shopping for a beach bag, it helps to consider how you’ll use the said bag to determine the durability requirements. For example, if you plan to use the bag at the beach (versus the pool), Bader-Natal says to “stick with a bag made of materials that can be thrown in the washing machine after a day of sand and salt.”
Closure and water-resistance
Another important thing to consider is how your bag closes and whether or not you want it to zip. This, of course, comes down to personal preference. But, with so many things in tow—read: a beach chair, umbrella, and sun hat—unzipping might be a challenge. With that in mind, Bader-Natal recommends trying a beach bag with a “single snap closure” instead.
Additionally, while a closure sure helps with protecting any items inside a beach bag, the best avenue to make sure water doesn't seep into your bag and damage any electronics or paperback books, etc., is to buy a tote that is made of water-resistant materials.
How We Researched
To compile this list, our team of editors and contributors spent hours researching the best products on the market in this category, evaluating their key features—like ingredients, shade range, or design—in addition to reviews from customers and other trusted sources. We then used this research to assign a star rating from one to five (five being the best; one being the worst) to certain products on the list.
Why Trust Byrdie
Contributing writer Jessie Quinn has a bachelor's degree in fashion journalism. From working in the fashion closet and interviewing designers at NYLON Magazine to now writing about the best style trends for various publications, Jessie researches and sources the best fashion finds. As a born-and-raised Californian, Jessie knows a thing or two about beach bags. When scouring the internet for the best beach bags, she researched options that are durable, multi-functional, and spacious for all your warm-weather needs.
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