Everything to pack in the beach bag this summer

2 mins

27 Jul 2023

Everything to pack in the beach bag this summer

From warm bass to cool caps, here’s how to perfect your beach trip this summer

image Baywatch 2017 / Paramount Pictures

words Rhys Thomas

Uh, let's go to the beach-each, let's go get a wave, as Nicki Minaj said like eleven years ago. You know you want to. It’s summer time. The sun is (sometimes) shining and while you’ve spent plenty of time in parks, perhaps the call of some sea air and sand is finally too much and you just have to go?! Well great, do it!

Beaches are wonderful at any time of year, in the same way ice cream can be enjoyed while barefoot on the sand or tucked up in bed watching a rerun of Girls. And it’s good for us, too! In many ways. For instance, former mental health and wellbeing charity Sea Sanctuary has reported on the benefits of how staring out to sea can induce a; “mild meditative state. The colour blue is associated with feelings of calm and peace and listening to the ebb and flow of waves and the swell of the sea naturally soothes and relaxes the brain”.

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Pretty good, but there’s more! Salty air is said to contain negative ions, which is the same sorts of benefits that people claim to get from grounding (or going barefoot, for us normies). You know how you feel sleepy from the beach too? Yeah that’s also the clever salt air (it’s a good thing, you’ll sleep better after the beach, assuming you’re not crazy sunburned, SPF please!). Plus you know, the myriad benefits of sunlight. And even walking on the sand is a good bit of subtle resistance training.

But of course, the beach is generally associated with summertime, so we’ve packed this particular beach bag with that in mind. From booming speakers to chic shades, it’s all here, expertly curated by woo and including brands like Haeckels, Bang & Olufsen, Loewe, and many more. Oh, and if you want a good book to read as you splay on the sand, look here. Anyway, let’s get into that bag!

protection

SPF50 Sea & Sun Formula

Saltee

£32.00

Yes, put this on ideally half hour before sunlight exposure, you know that, very good. But you need to bring it with you to keep topped up throughout the day too. This bottle is very travel-friendly, but it’s not small on quality protection. The spf from Saltee is an ultra-high naturally derived UVA and UVB (here’s the difference) and it’s SPF 50, which is always recommended on the face.

barbie girl

Pink Heart Shaped Sunglasses

Loewe

£200.00

Sunglasses at the beach? Essential. Feeling like an absolute main character while channelling Barbie ken-ergy all summer? Also essential. And to have those essentials firmly knocked out of the park (and into your bag), you’ll want to consider these vintage Loewe pink heart-shaped sunnies. Vibrant pink lenses, elegant golden frames. Perfect.

protect ya neck

Sun Essentials Collection

Saltee

£46.00

If you’re soaking up the sun in nothing but those shorts or bikinis or actually just nothing but a towel, you’ll need to bring a good quality SPF, like the body sea and sun lotion from Saltee. But why not go the extra step and use their tan enhancing after sun, for protection and a longer-lasting golden glow. Maybe pack someone to lather it into your bag. Ooo.

drip

large white metal water bottle

BOTL

£25.00

Speaking functional, water’s good for you, but it’s notoriously slippery. You ever tried holding water? Try it when you’re in the sea. It’s not easy. So you should pack something to hold the water for you, like this big slender metal water bottle. You can get 800ml in there, which is a nice half day’s worth or thereabouts of the liquid of life.

slurrrp

Haeckels Lab: Spiraglow™ EGF Serum

Haeckels

£72.00

Give your skin a drink too, hydration starts from within but we can help from the outside too. It’s especially good to hydrate if you’ve been in sun and salt water all day. This serum is inspired by the sea, specifically Margate, and the seaweed that Haeckels harvests from the shore to make its products from. This spiraglow serum is made in their lab, a plan that’ll help them use algae (their lab made one is called spiraglow) at scale without affecting ecosystems. The product is as effective as it is thoughtful. Stick the SPF on top.

good vibrations

Beolit 20 Portable Speaker

Bang & Olufsen

£499.00

The bluetooth speaker that looks a bit like a futuristic Birkin. It has a much longer lasting battery than Birkin bags do, and integrated smartphone charging to keep the phone battery alive too. Take that, Hermès (other 1990s pop bands are available). But yeah, the beach and some music, ideal vibes. Eight hours of playtime, a 360 sound design, and lovely deep clear bass. We all love to soundtrack our lives. What will you listen to? "Barbie Girl" with the Loewe on? Good for you, Ken.

up in smoke

Incense Cones Trio

Earl of East

£54.00

A weird one? Hey, possibly. But smells are nice, like charcoal barbecues wafting around nearby, and sunscreen. If the beach isn’t letting you get your grill on, incense can provide some smoke and scent without the fire and bad vibes. In this trio you have sage, sandal wood, and rose. Whether you want to add a freshness, a warmth, or some floral to the vibe you’re all covered. You can use the lid to rest the cone on too.

Products are selected independently by our editors from the woo online store, a carefully curated platform for feel good fashion, beauty, wellness and lifestyle, as well as externally. Items on sale are subject to change pending stock availability. Discover more here.