AUSTIN, Texas — If you’re gearing up for some fun in the sun this summer but you’re overwhelmed by all the options for chairs, towels, and umbrellas. Consumer Reports has you covered with some of the best beach, pool, and lake gear you can buy.
“Beaching it” has changed so much over the years. And now, the options for beach buys are seemingly endless.
“There are so many beach products out there. So we focused on some of the essentials: beach umbrellas, beach canopies, beach tents, and even sand-repellant beach towels.”
Consumer Reports likes this Turkish cotton towel from Ephesus. It’s compact, repels sand and water, and dries quickly—and some styles are under 10 dollars!
For chairs, CR chose the Cooler Quad Chair from Coleman for its comfort and versatility.
“Not only is this chair amazing on the beach. But you’ll find yourself pulling it out so many times during the year.”
If your idea of fun in the sun includes reclining, CR also likes the Tommy Bahama Wavy Marlin Deluxe Backpack Beach Chair — which has plenty of storage, including an insulated cooler pouch.
To help protect you from the sun’s harmful rays, these shady top picks all say they’re made with at least UPF 50 fabric.
This Tommy Bahama umbrella has easy grip handles for setup and is designed to withstand the breeziest beach days.
The same can’t be said for the Caribbean Joe umbrella—which lost its battle with the wind.
The CoolCabanas 5 was a top choice for its ease of use and abundance of shade.
This tent from L.L.Bean is made with quality materials, had the most features – And was the easiest to set up and take down among the tents CR looked at!
Even if you’re under cover, it’s important to still wear sunscreen.
This Coppertone lotion and this Eucerin spray both earned top scores in CR’s sunscreen ratings.
And, of course, if you’re headed to the beach … don’t forget the snacks!
And just a friendly reminder—if you can't find a CR-recommended sunscreen, any sunscreen is better than none at all. Check our website for more sunscreen tips.
RELATED: Best sunscreens of 2024