We are very fortunate to live 5 min away from some beautiful beaches. Our baby has been visiting the beach since she was only around 6 weeks old.
We have also spent many days on the beach whilst traveling with baby to overseas destinations. We always have our handy baby beach bag checklist printed out and ready to make sure that we are packing everything we might need.
You can also grab our checklist for FREE simply by signing up below, then we can send over an email with a download link.
Bringing your baby to the beach can be an overall fun experience and they’ll be captivated by the beach atmosphere around them.
We actually find that with the right baby beach accessories, our bubba is actually really at peace at the beach. And we really love going to the beach with our baby as a result.
While planning your upcoming beach trip with the baby, there are some essential infant beach gear items that you’ll need to pack to boost both, you and the baby’s comfort level while at the beach.
We have broken our ”summer baby gear for the beach list” up into two handy sections.
The first contains all the beach necessities for baby – the beach accessories for babies, that we ALWAYS take to the beach with us.
Whilst the second list contains some really handy extra baby beach supplies that you might want to invest in (but that aren’t necessarily essential). We will also share an easy to scan baby beach list at the bottom of the post as well.
Remember it is important to think about how much you can carry whilst also balancing your baby in your arms, so the trick is to find the right balance of beach gear for infants, whilst not overloading yourself.
Let’s make the challenge of taking a baby to the beach a breeze and not a stressful affair by choosing to purchase only the best baby beach gear for our needs.
Here are our favorite summer baby items for the beach.
Beach Essentials for Baby
Find out first-hand just how much easier your beach adventures will be with the right baby beach essentials. Check out our extensive list of baby essentials for your baby here:
Baby beach necessities you should Never Leave Home Without
There is just some baby beach stuff that you should never leave home without! These are the 11 most important things to take to the beach with a baby:
1. Baby Beach Bag
A special beach bag for baby is really essential, especially when bubs is still little!
I don’t think you have to complicate things, we simply took along our normal everyday diaper bag to the beach as it already contained all the items we would typically need on an outing.
As the baby got older, we often left the diaper bag in the boot of the car and simply popped spare clothes, diapers, wipes etc in our family beach bag.
It is important to have one of the baby beach bags that is nice and large and that is easy to carry around. Pockets are always handy to keep things organized. If you are on the hunt for a great diaper bag, I suggest you check out our diaper bag guide here.
We also recommend that you grab our FREE baby beach bag checklist below so that you can print it out and have it on hand whilst packing for the day.
Together with appropriate swimwear and a big-brimmed hat, this is one of our top newborn beach gear recommendations. You can find one of our favorite baby beach bags in the link below.
>> Click to see this diaper bag.
2. Swim Diaper
When going to the beach with the baby it’s essential that you bring a waterproof beach diaper. You will need to decide whether you will want to use disposable swim diapers or if you would prefer a reusable swim diaper.
We personally do prefer using the disposable type so we can simply throw them in a bin close by when they get soiled, but I know that reusable swim diapers are very popular at the moment too.
In our opinion, finding the best reusable swim diapers is the key to a more successful time at the beach.
>>> Click here to see disposable swim diapers
3. Baby Sunscreen
While in the sun you’ll want to apply sunscreen to the baby’s skins to keep them from getting sunburn or other sun-related illnesses.
Per the sunscreen bottle instructions, make sure to follow the instructions for the best applications for skin protection.
We have tested out a few different brands of sunscreen for our baby and we really think that the best baby sunscreen is the Thinkbaby Safe Sunscreen.
It has an SPF 50+ rating and whilst other sunscreens contain questionable ingredients and known carcinogens, this company has gone out of its way to developing a sunscreen that is truly safe to use on your baby.
>>Find out more about this sunscreen
4. Hat/Cover Up/Rash Guard
Decent hats, rashies, and swimwear that offers sun protection might just be the most important beach necessities for babies.
Since the baby’s skin is still in its ultra-sensitive phase, you’ll want to bring a hat to the beach to keep the sun from beaming down on the baby’s head. Also, it will keep the sun out of their eyes.
Cover-ups and rash guards will keep the baby safe from sunburn and sand rashes and other elements that can irritate the baby’s skin while on the beach.
We find that the best baby swim gear will have a UPF rating of at least 30+. Ensure the hat has large flaps and that the rashie has long sleeves.
It really is worthwhile investing in quality and highly protective swim gear for infants – make sure the swimwear has that all-important UPF rating.
5. Snacks and Water
While you’re out all day on the beach, you’re definitely going to get hungry and so will the baby. Pack a lot of snacks and water to hold you over while on the beach.
Snacks and water will satisfy the appetite and keep the baby happy until you can feed them a proper meal. Of course, if your baby is breastfed, it is pretty easy to take the baby’s food along ;).
6. Pop Up Baby Beach Tent
Looking for some ideas of the best beach equipment for babies?
A baby sun tent is, in our opinion, one of the best for protecting your little one from the harsh UV rays of the sun. It also makes a nice little oasis for a private retreat from the beach, while there.
The tent is also great for private diaper changes and taking a quick beach nap.
We absolutely love pop-up-style tents as they are quick and easy to set up. It is important to ensure that the baby beach tent has UV protection as well as stakes to secure the tent down for windy days.
At the very least, do take a baby beach umbrella; we find that the shade at midday under the umbrella can be a bit useless, but it is better than nothing! You can see our list of all the best baby shade tents here.
>>> See prices for our favorite Schylling UV Play Shade Tent here. This tent is suitable for babies from 1 month+.
7. Baby Powder
Baby powder is a staple and one of the baby beach must haves. Baby powder will keep sand from abrading the baby’s skin if you rub the powder all over their skin. Forget about using a towel to run off the sand from a baby’s skin.
Pop some powder onto the legs and arms and the sand will come off without aggressively rubbing their sensitive skin.
8. Water-Resistant Baby Beach Blanket
Water-resistant blankets are highly essential when it comes to comfort on the beach.
It’s also good to put the blanket under the baby’s tent or pool while they’re sitting on the hot sand. But it can also just be a great place for them to play.
I promise you that if you pop them on the sand, they will try to eat it! So best to keep them on a nice clean blanket I say!
Any picnic-style blanket with the waterproof backing will work just fine, but if you don’t have a picnic blanket yet, we found that, for us, the best beach blanket for baby is the Skip Hop Baby Outdoor Blanket.
>>> Click here to see a great selection of waterproof blankets
9. Baby Beach Toys
Maybe not essential when bub is still little, but we found that our baby loved to have toys at the beach once she could crawl around.
We mostly brought everyday baby toys from home, that could either be washed or easily cleaned.
We didn’t bother with buying any actual sand toys for her until she was closer to 1 year of age. However, if you are after the best baby beach toys, we suggest you have a look at this set here.
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10. Disposable Tidy Bags
The last item, on our list of baby beach essentials, that we never leave home without is some disposable tidy bags. We typically just use diaper bags.
Easy to pop some dirty diapers into seeing as there won’t be a bin close by. Also very handy if you have any diaper accidents (swim diapers can be really messy when they get soiled).
Pop your dirty clothes in there and tie them up till you get home to wash.
We also use it for any snacks that don’t get finished or that might drop in the sand. So handy!
11. Portable Baby Bassinet
What better way to keep your baby safe and sound when resting at the beach than in a portable baby bassinet.
Having one of those handy will ensure that your baby is cozy and protected. We all know that a happy baby at the beach means a happy parent at the beach, right?
>>> Click here to check out this baby bassinet
Handy Extra Beach Items for Baby
Items that are not Essential but will Make Life Easier!
Here is the list of handy items for what to take to the beach with a baby:
1. Beach Baby Stroller
A baby stroller that can handle the beach terrain can be really handy. We often use our baby jogging stroller on the beach instead of the pop-up baby beach tent.
A stroller is great as the baby will be familiar with it and might fall asleep a lot easier in it as a result.
We don’t recommend using a stroller when you need to walk far to get to the ocean though, so if your beach typically has a lot of sand for you to cover to get close to the water, I would suggest you stick to a baby tent. Even all-terrain strollers are still really tricky to use in the loose sand.
Our beach has a narrow section of beach sand, it also has a cement path along the beach, so we only have the drag the stroller a meter or so before settling down. In our opinion this is the best stroller for beach sand is jogging-style strollers.
Whilst we personally have a Baby Jogger, the BOB Jogging Stroller comes highly recommended as one of the best strollers for the beach.
>>> See a selection of strollers by clicking here.
2. Wet Bags
Wet bags are so handy for beach days. I’m sure I don’t even have to explain why right? You need these handy bags for those wet swimmers/clothes.
Chuck your dirty bibs or burp clothes in them to keep them separated from the clean items in your bag.
We never leave home without our wet bags!
>>> Click here to see these handy wet bags
3. Small Baby Beach Pool and Bath Toys
Sometimes the beach waves can simply be too rough for a little baby so it can be advantageous to take a small pop-up pool so they can enjoy being in the water (and cool down) just like everyone else.
A baby pool for the beach is brilliant as they dig out a small hole in the sand. In our opinion, the best baby pool for beach use is usually the one that is easy-to-assemble pop-up style.
Simply collect some ocean water with a bucket and you are done!
The pool in the photo above is the Early Years Baby Beach Shade Pool, however, our favorite and vote for the best baby pool for the beach is the MonoBeach one.
I really find that they are pretty cheap and really easy to take along to the beach. Have you tried one of these baby pools for the beach?
Here are some of the best pool toys for babies that we have found in this 8 set piece. The toys are nice and chunky for baby fingers to hold easily and the toys are interactive and fun.
Tip: Bring along their favorite bath toys for extra fun while they’re in the pool.
>>> Check out the different types of the shaded beach pools here.
4. Spray Bottle
If you are wondering about how to keep baby cool at the beach, here is a simple and easy trick for you. Bringing a spray bottle to the beach is advantageous, especially when it’s warm out.
With the spray bottle, you can constantly mist the baby to keep them cool.
The spray bottle is also great for keeping the baby from consuming sand while spraying it on their hands to keep them clean.
It is a must have beach item for babies as it is truly nifty and doesn’t cost much!
5. Mesh Bags
If you have heavily sandy items to bring back from the beach, just put them in a mesh bag and keep the excess sand from getting to places you don’t want it.
Honestly, they take up so little room to pack and once your baby is playing with toys in the sand, they really are so incredibly handy to have.
Mesh bags don’t cost much, you can check them out here.
6. Beach Baby Carrier
A baby carrier is another really handy item to have at the beach. As it can be way too hard to maneuver a stroller around on the sand, a carrier is great for those of us who have a baby that requires a bit of rocking and movement to fall asleep.
We love our Ergo Baby Carrier, but I wish we had the mesh type as ours got too hot for the baby really quickly. This is one of the beach must haves for baby for sure!
A mesh baby carrier is ideal for hot days or beach days as the material of the carrier is designed with breathable material, so you don’t have to worry about whether the baby will overheat whilst in the carrier.
Go for a stroll up and down the beach and I’m sure that in no time at all your baby would have drifted off to sleep.
We always take our carrier with us, but we typically leave it in the car and only go and fetch it if we really need it.
Tip: Check out our guide to finding the Best Baby Wrap Carrier for Summer here.
>> Click here to see the mesh ErgoBaby Carrier
7. Spout Adapter for Water Bottle
In the event that you’ve forgotten a bottle at home, the Spout Adapter for a water bottle is a great little accessory to have one you at all times.
Bringing this to the beach will come in handy as you can change the average plastic water bottle into a baby-friendly bottle in just seconds.
Such a great idea, especially as you can’t refill the baby bottle when the water is gone. The spout is the ultimate beach item to pack.
>> Click to find more detail about the Spout Adapter here.
8. Food Pouch Spoon Tips
This is, in our opinion, one of the best baby beach products. With these spoon tips, you don’t have to bring any extra baby spoons or bowls.
Just twist the spoon tip onto any baby food pouch and Voila!
You can feed the baby without the added mess and worry of cleaning up while on the beach.
So super handy!!! Love it! Click here to see these spoon tips.
9. Baby Beach Chair
An infant beach seat is super helpful when your baby gets to an age where they get bored lying down all the time.
You can easily pop them in a portable high chair where you can feed bubs some food, or simply use the baby beach seat for the beach as a place to pop a selection of toys on the tray to keep them happy and occupied.
I have seen so many parents use an infant beach chair whilst camping; when enjoying an outdoor picnic as well as at the beach!
They fold down just like a camping chair would. So easy! One of the best baby at beach gear items if your baby is a bit older!
>> Click here to see the styles.
10. Portable Baby Beach PlayPen
I must admit that I have never bothered taking a baby beach pack and play with it on our outings. However, we have spent many beach outings that involved us simply chasing after our baby, so maybe we should have tried out one of these nifty beach baby gear playpens.
A pack and play is actually a brilliant way to give a baby a confined space to play in whilst you might possibly even relax as well. So I’m thinking that it really would be worth the effort to set up!
Have any of you given it a go? I would love to hear your thoughts! It looks like it could be fabulous baby beach equipment to drag along if your little one is mobile.
>>> Click here to see the baby beach pack and play
11. Baby Beach Float
A baby beach float is brilliant for those of you who have access to a calm ocean. A section of our favorite beach is in a cove, so the beach there is always peaceful with only really small waves.
So we can easily carry our baby over the low waves and then pop her in the float on the calm water (where we can still easily stand).
I wouldn’t bother tagging the float along though if you have strong waves, best to leave it at home in that case.
Whilst there are loads of cute floats out there, we personally always choose a more sensible covered baby float.
In our opinion, this is one of the best infant float (best infant pool float) has a covered roof that doesn’t easily collapse, you can find our personal favorite by clicking the button below.
>>> Click here to see different designs of infant pool floats.
12. Baby Beach Shoes
Baby beach shoes are essential if your beach has loads of sharp rocks, shells, or coral. And obviously more so when your baby can walk.
We are fortunate to have some beautiful soft sand here where we live so we never bother with shoes.
But on a few of our trips to beaches in destinations such as Gili Islands & Vanuatu proper beach shoes not only for our baby but for the whole family were truly essential.
Needless to say, you need to get the best baby water shoes that you can get, with comfort and flexibility in mind, of course.
Tip: Check out our guide to find the Best Water Shoes for Toddlers here.
>> Click here to see different designs of the baby water shoes.
13. Baby Beach Cooler Bag
Having a good quality beach cooler bag will ensure that you keep your baby essentials, such as formula, milk and water cool and, of course, protected from the sand.
A good and sturdy cooler bag will also be beneficial for the parents. You can grab some snacks and make it a picnic outing at the beach as well.
Want to see our favorite pick, and in our opinion, the best cooler bag?
>> Click here to see beach cooler bag now
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14. Best Baby Sunglasses
Finding the best infant sunglasses is one of the most important things that you can take to the beach for your baby. Looking after the eyes of our little ones has never been more important than now.
These days we tend to spend so much time outdoors, taking your baby to the beach with sunglasses is a definite must.
These sunglasses for baby come with an elastic strap to keep the glasses in place and, of course, are super stylish too.
>> Click here to see the price for these non toxic baby sunglasses.
