How to buy the best beach bag
From trendy woven straw bags that'll stand out in your pictures, to waterproof bags with lots of pockets and zippers, there’s a beach bag out there to meet your needs. But there are a few things to consider before making a purchase.
Size. How much do you want to carry in your bag? Is it just for you or are you the one that ends up carrying everyone else’s worldly goods? Also, will you be using it to travel with or packing it away in a suitcase? Make sure to check the dimensions and the number of compartments or pockets before you buy. Secondly, is it just for a regular trip to the beach or will you be taking it on a boat trip and therefore might need something more hard wearing? If it’s the latter, think about buying a waterproof beach bag. When it comes to style, that’s a personal choice and with so many variations, you’ll have fun browsing.
Read next: The best women's backpacks to buy
What is the best material for a beach bag?
Sturdy fabrics such as canvas, denim and twill are best for beach bags. Since many beach bags seldom require cleaning, novelty drapery and upholstery fabrics can be fun choices too. Faux leather vinyl and nylon are more durable options.
What is the best beach bag to buy
The Mia Tui Falmouth Beach/Travel Bag has got everything going for it. A spacious interior with plenty of pockets means the Falmouth is highly practical, while the gorgeous pattern choice means you will be the envy of the whole beach. It’s even machine washable - hurray!
About the author
Laura Cooke is a Content Editor at Mumsnet, with a special focus on homeware and product reviews. She's a mum of two and lives in Sussex. Her work has been published in the Daily Mirror, the i, Metro, Stylist and Happiful magazine.
Laura started writing Swears By articles for Mumsnet in 2021 and has since written several buyer's guides and product reviews to help Mumsnetters make informed choices when it comes to parting with their pennies.
In her free time, Laura enjoys going to gigs, learning to play tennis and eating fish and chips by the seaside.
How we choose our recommendations
We’ve thoroughly researched the best beach bags you can buy this season including tried-and-tested experiences from a wide range of honest, trusted sources. Here’s how we narrowed it down to our top picks.
Mumsnet community
When it comes to stylish and practical beach bags, Mumsnetters know a trusty carrier when they see (and use) one.
We first assessed all the recommendations from the Mumsnet community, getting feedback on the best beach bags they have personally used, reviewed and rated, including their favourite models, and must-have additional features. We also considered the reasons why Mumsnetters would avoid certain beach bags.
Expert opinions
We know that choosing the right beach bag takes a lot of thought and consideration, so we made sure our recommendations were well received within the bags and luggage industry, rated or recommended by travel experts and industry leaders.
Trusted consumer reviews
Finally, we scrutinised honest customer reviews on retailer sites such as Amazon and John Lewis to get wider consumer opinions on the products on our shortlist. Through this research, we were able to weigh up the best beach bags for a variety of needs and gain a greater understanding of the pros and cons of each.
Why you should trust us
We work hard to provide unbiased, independent advice you can trust. We do sometimes earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links in our articles. This helps us fund more helpful articles like this one.
Mumsnet carries some affiliate marketing links, so if you buy something through our posts, we may get a small share of the sale.