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After a busy week, it can be nice to get out of the house and take a trip somewhere nice to relax and recharge. Since it's summer, the beach is the perfect destination for your next day trip or long weekend.

While going to the beach is fun, it requires a lot more preparation than, say, a trip to the dog park. We'll walk you through all the things you should have on your beach checklist to make the most out of your time in the sun.

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Arguably the most important element of going to the beach: make sure you have a bathing suit. While you could take a swim in your jeans, we don't recommend it. Even if you already have swimwear in your closet, you might need a different size than before, your old suit might not be in the best shape or perhaps you just want to try out a new design. Whether you're looking for swimming trunks or a swimsuit, stores such as Amazon offer a variety of stylish and comfortable options to choose from.

Whether you plan to spend most of your time swimming or lounging on the sand, a beach towel is going to be essential for your trip. Ideally, a beach towel can both keep off sand and quickly dry swimmers. Unfortunately, many beach towels only do one of these tasks adequately. PackTowl's beach towel, however, absorbs four times its weight in water and effectively sheds sand.

Laying or sitting on a towel isn't for everyone. If you're looking to sit back and relax a few more inches off the ground (and sand), then you should bring a beach chair to your next shoreline excursion. The Tommy Bahama Beach chair features five reclining positions, as well as several areas to store your belongings. Whether you’re winding down your beach day or just getting started, it comes with convenient backpack-like straps that make it easy to transport.

Going to the beach doesn't have to end with you getting absolutely baked by the sun. An umbrella is a good way to get some shade while still enjoying the beach. Beach umbrellas are known to blow away in the wind, so consider getting this 4.9-star rated Oniva portable umbrella, which reviewers state is "lightweight, easy to carry and sets up easily in the sand."

Thanks to their larger size, beach tents provide even more shade than umbrellas and protect from more angles of exposure to the sun. The Sun Ninja Beach Tent is one of the best, with built-in UPF protection that keeps harmful rays of the sun at bay. Its versatility lends itself to many outings and Reviewed home editor Leigh Harrington agrees, recommending this tent for fun days in the sun. 

Sunscreen provides great protection against harmful sun rays and should be applied anywhere your skin is exposed to sunlight (yes, including your scalp). Sunscreen has a reputation for feeling thick and greasy on your skin, but users of Aveeno Positively Mineral SPF 50 Sunscreen Stick report that it doesn’t leave you feeling either of these things. Plus, it's water-resistant, making it perfect for going to the beach. For the face, we recommend the EltaMD UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46 as it blends fully in and doesn't feel greasy. You can also wear  UPF clothing, which is clothing that protects against the ultraviolet radiation of the sun.

Why not make the beach an all-day affair by bringing food to grill and beverages to drink? Storing them in a cooler will keep your lunch and drinks refrigerated until they're ready to be consumed. We found the Ozark Trail 52-Quart Cooler to be the cooler with the greatest value. It’s roomy and has several useful features like a removable wire rack and even a bottle opener. Plus, it keeps meat cool for up to four days.

It's important to stay hydrated all the time, but particularly when you're at the beach and baking in the sun. While there's ample water at a beach, we highly advise against drinking seawater. Instead, we recommend buying a reusable water bottle such as the one offered by Brita. Its stainless steel will keep your water cool for up to 24 hours and the powerful filter keeps funky odors at bay.

Part of the fun of going to the beach is the entertainment like reading a good book or blasting music. Pack a Bluetooth speaker so that you and your friends can listen to your favorite songs—just be mindful of others that are nearby who might also be trying to listen to tunes. We recommend the JBL Flip 6 because it’s waterproof and provides excellent sound quality. If you prefer to read on the beach, then we recommend getting a Kindle which gives you access to thousands of titles at your fingertips. We love the Kindle Paperwhite for its large, crisp display that automatically adjusts its brightness making it the perfect reading device to have under the sun.

People of all ages deserve to have fun in the sun.  Thankfully, there are many toys that you can bring to the beach to keep your child happy. Few things say "beach" louder than a colorful beach ball and thanks to Big Mo's Toys, you can get a pack of 12 of colorful and durable beach balls that can be enjoyed by kids of all ages. You can also buy a bucket and shovel set, which is perfect for sand adventures like building sandcastles and digging big holes for playing in. Hey, use your imagination.  

Last but certainly not least, you're going to need a beach bag to hold your many belongings. Deputy Head of Audience Rachel Moskowitz loves this beach bag by Bluboon saying it's large enough to hold all her belongings and waterproof to keep them safe. It has many convenient pockets, including a wet compartment to hold used bathing suits and towels so they won't contaminate the rest of your things. 

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