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.
Consumer Reports liked the Turkish cotton towel from Ephesus. It’s compact, repels sand and water, and dries quickly—and some styles are under 10 dollars! Click HERE for a list of Consumer Reports’ recommended beach towels.
For chairs, CR chose the Cooler Quad Chair from Coleman for its comfort and versatility. But if your idea of fun in the sun includes reclining, Consumer Reports also likes the Tommy Bahama Wavy Marlin Deluxe Backpack Beach Chair — which has plenty of storage, including an insulated cooler pouch. Click here for a list of Consumer Reports’ recommended beach chairs.
To help protect you from the sun’s harmful rays, many of the umbrellas, canopies, and tents Consumer Reports looked at are made with at least UPF 50 fabric. The Tommy Bahama umbrella has easy grip handles for setup and is designed to withstand the breeziest beach days. But the same couldn’t be said for the Caribbean Joe umbrella—which lost its battle with the wind.
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! Click here for lists of Consumer Reports’ recommended beach tents and canopies.
And you’ve got to protect your skin if you’re headed to the beach which means, sunscreen. Consumer Reports tested dozens of sprays and lotions and reveals the top picks for best protection against harmful sunrays. Click HERE to see which sunscreens passed Consumer Reports’ tests.