Beach Bag Essentials
Whether you’re planning a luxury seaside getaway or a casual day trip, you’re going to want to pack a few things if you’re hitting the beach this summer. From SPF and sunglasses, to swimwear and sandals, we’ve rounded up our top beach bag must-haves.
1) Stay Wild The Thea One Piece
Whether bathing or lounging, a beach bag isn’t complete without flattering yet functional swimwear. Our top pick is this chic, timeless one piece by Stay Wild, with its clean shape, square neck cut, and minimalist, adjustable straps. Made in London using ECONYL® fabric (from regenerated ocean plastic), it’s as sustainable as it’s stylish.
2) Riz Buckler Short-Length Tailored Swim Shorts
If you’re looking for smart, tailored trunks with sartorial details, then look no further. Featuring quick-drying, recycled materials, Riz’s Buckler shorts are ideal for swimming and tanning alike. As part of their commitment to circular fashion, you can also return them once they’re old and worn through their ‘Rizcycle Programme’, or get free repairs for life.
3) La Mer The SPF 50 UV Protecting Fluid
Treat your skin to the sun’s golden touch without the harming effects with this luxuriously lightweight silky formula. Formulated without parabens, phthalates or sulfates, it hydrates, soothes and nourishes skin while preventing discolouration and protecting your complexion from damaging light. Plus, you can wear it over moisturiser or under makeup.
4) Aesop Protective Lip Balm SPF 30 S
This is luxury sun care at its finest: a balm enhanced with UVA and UVB filters to shield your lips from the sun’s rays, while botanical oils soften, hydrate and nourish them. It’s formulated without silicone, paraffin, beeswax, or other animal-derived ingredients, so it’s kind to your skin, and kind to nature. Kiss sun-chapped lips goodbye.
5) Pala Baobab Sunglasses (Amber)
We love these classic round sunglasses, with their hint of retro styling. Each pair you buy contributes to funding vision projects across Africa, so you can match your aesthetics with your ethics. Handmade in Italy using eco-friendly bio-acetate, with a plant-based frame and recycled microfibre bag, they’re also a sustainable, earth-friendly choice.
6) Allbirds SweetFoam® Sugar Zeffers (Lux Beige)
With a sugarcane-based and carbon-neutral material that’s soft in all the right spots and cushiony where it counts, these flip flops will become your summer staple. They’re the perfect balance of comfort and sustainability, and ideal for casual strolls on the beach, sunny skies, and even poolside soirées. They’ve even got recycled polyester straps.
7) Dock & Bay Quick-Drying Towel
A thin, highly-absorbent microfibre towel is a beach-goer’s BFF, and we love this vibrantly-coloured one from Dock & Bay. Its unique waffle fabric dries 2x faster than regular towels, while its conveniently compact design rolls up like a piece of sushi. Use to dry yourself post-swim, or to dry wet swimwear (roll your items inside, gently squeeze, then unroll). It won’t collect damp smells, so say goodbye to soggy, smelly towels.
8) PANGAIA Carbon-positive Organic Cotton Bucket Hat
Try adding an edgy, cool flair to your beach ensemble with a bucket hat. It’ll keep you cool while also protecting the skin on your ears and neck from the sun’s UV rays. This one’s made from structured 100% organic cotton, and features a classic text print. There are many fun colourways to choose from, but we particularly love the bold celestial blue.
9) Ocean Bottle (Ocean Blue)
Stay hydrated with the ultimate beachside water bottle. With its stainless steel vacuum insulation, it’ll keep your cold drinks ice cold and hot drinks piping hot, so ice, coffee, cocktails and smoothies are all good. It’s designed to last a lifetime, but also comes with a 10-year repair and replacement scheme. Plus, your purchase will pay for the collection of 1000 ocean-bound plastic bottles, supporting local coastal communities.
10) Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 2 Portable Speaker
We adore this small but mighty bluetooth speaker, with its booming 360-degree sound, ultraportable design, and practical Outdoor Boost mode. From beach detours to pool parties, it’ll certainly make waves. It’s waterproof, dustproof, drop-proof and even floats - literally built to make a splash! And a battery life of 13 hours ensures it'll outlast the party.
There you have our beach bag essentials round-up, so that whether you’re into swimming and surfing, or lounging and leisure, you can make the most of the sun and sand.
