Skip to main content

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

Get Tan, Toned, and Tipsy with these 10 Beach Towels and Totes

beach towels, Best Beach Towels and Totes
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Amid the cheap-o beach towels that last only one season in the sand and surf, and the summer totes that remain too rigid, or quite frankly look too ugly to be seen with, we’ve had only one thing on our mind as the hot weather sets in:

Who makes the most stunning beach towels and totes?

Scrupulously searching the racks of online and brick-and-mortar, we found the 10 best towels and totes that will elevate your beach experience and bring some class, comfort, and style to accessories that are often bought cheap and without much thought.

Because after all, if you make intentional, quality purchases like non-toxic sunblock and swimming trunks, it’s time you grew out of buying towels at Walmart. And surprise! The transition isn’t as expensive as you thought.

TOWEL: Dock & Bay Active Collection Towel, $19-$30

Image used with permission by copyright holder

This new range of compact, lightweight, quick-dry, affordable microfiber towels won’t replace your XXL beach towel, but if you’re traveling surf-side with a group setting up a blanket or chairs, or heading to the coast for a beach body workout, this bad boy should ride in tow. We dig the clean design and pastel (but not too pastel) colorways.

TOTE: Hudson Sutler Cooler Bag, $99

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Ok, ok, it’s not a traditional tote. But Hudson Sutler’s new Cooler Bags are a summer essential. It’s shaped very similarly to a classic canvas tote, only these hold beer, so… we’ll let you decide if they count. Built around a half inch of insulation and a durable welded waterproof liner (normally used for life rafts), the bag keeps brews, wine, or La Croix super chill. (Literally fits 18 beers or 6 bottles of wine.) The rust proof resin zipper and flip top only reassert its place along the water.

TOWEL: Huckberry Eagle Gift Towel, $40

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Supersized for all your summer toweling needs (i.e. beach, pool, spa, park, and blow up pool, etc.) the Native-American inspired print is a bold standout (just like you). The towel is sheared on one side for softness and looped on the other for increased absorption. One-hundred-percent cotton, baby.

TOTE: WM. J. MILLS & CO – The Mills Tote, $110

Image used with permission by copyright holder

A timeless tote that will never go out of style, The Mills Tote is practically an American treasure (WM. J. Mills has been making them for 60+ years). The company refers to it as “workhorse bags,” because well, they’re meant to be used and dirtied up. Tip: Have no fear throwing this tote in the wash with your jeans… again, and again, and again. With an iconic shape and crafted from cotton duck canvas, the only question becomes: why don’t you have one yet?

TOWEL: Woolrich Oversized Beach Towel, $24.99-$49.50

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Who says plaid is only for the winter? Woolrich took its heritage buffalo red and black pattern and threw that bad boy on a beach towel. Perfect for men who want to bring their lumberjack vibe to the surf. The fabric is a luck cotton, generously cut at 40’ x 70’, woven at the edges so it won’t fray. One reviewer from Austin, Texas adds, “It can almost double as a blanket. That’s beach towel quality.”

TOTE: Chester Wallace Classic Tote, $150

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Built from 100-percent cotton duck canvas (that’s how you know your canvas is the real deal), and made in the USA by craftsmen in Portland, Oregon, this elongated Classic tote sneaks in two pockets to help keep your beach good organized. The bottom is reinforced to add much-needed structure so it sits well in the sand, and choose between stout nylon handles or a detachable shoulder strap that adds a punch of summer coloring to the otherwise simple color blocked body.

TOWEL: Outlier Grid Linen Towel, $50

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Perhaps our favorite towel of 2017, the magic ingredient here is linen (as opposed to traditional cotton). Not too flat, too fluffy, too big, or too sand-trapping, Outlier hit the jackpot with this unique dimensional grid linen weave. The result: it’s lighter, tosses off sand, absorbs moisture better, dries quicker, and come fall, can be used in the bathroom or on backcountry camping trips. Plus, it gets softer and softer over time. (Ugh, we love that.)

TOTE: Fjallraven ‘Totepack No.1’ Water Resistant Tote, $110

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Swedish made, Manual approved. This modern, minimal, waxed canvas is sturdy yet soft, and keeps your packing list to a minimum. (Which it should be.) There’s plenty of room to store beach essentials like sunblock, chapstick, a towel, some trail mix, and water. But it reminds us to forget the gadgets at home.

TOWEL- John Elliot Blue Moroccan Beach Towel, $185

Image used with permission by copyright holder

That pattern do’. The intricate maze pattern stands out against the smooth sand, providing one of our favorite towel prints of all time. The rectangular cotton terrycloth towel is approximately 84” x 37” and was made in Japan. Do not forget this towel on your vacation to Europe this summer; it’s the equivalent of wearing a Brioni Vanquish II suit… only for the beach.

TOTE: Picnic Time Adventure Wine Tote, $111.95

Image used with permission by copyright holder

What’s summer on the beach without some romantic alone time. Whether it’s a long-time S.O. or a new flame, this wine tote allows you to bring the bubbly directly to the tide. This Insulated tote has space for two wine bottles and comes with wine and cheese service for two. As for the dishes, the tote includes a portable acacia table, two PET stemless wine glasses, corkscrew, and bottle stopper. You know, if you want to take the drink elsewhere.

Topics
Jahla Seppanen
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Born and raised off-the-grid in New Mexico, Jahla Seppanen is currently a sports, fitness, spirits, and culture writer in…
Chelsea boots are the official men’s footwear this fall – how to style your look
Why men's Chelsea boots are having a moment in the fall
brown dress chelseas pushing pedal

In the long list of must-haves men need for their closet, one of the most important to pick up is Chelsea boots. From wearing them with suits to wearing them with jeans and flannels, these will be some of the most valuable shoes in your closet, especially in the fall. Men's Chelsea boots are versatile and necessary, and these are the ones that will work with everything you already have in your collection, simply taking the place of some of your favorite shoes and extending the life of each.

A brief history of Chelsea boots
Chelsea boots get their name from the fashionable Chelsea district of London. Chelsea was the epicenter of fashion and music during the 1960s. It was here that fashion designers resurrected a style of ankle boot first worn by Queen Victoria in the 1840s. Shoemaker Joseph Sparks Hall adapted a traditional English riding boot for everyday use by the Queen. To make them more comfortable, he lowered the shaft to ankle height, and to make them easier to get on and off, he added elastic gussets on each side. The style became popular during the late 1800s but disappeared during WWI.

Read more
The new Tudor black Pelagos FXD watch has a throwback ’60s design inspired by the U.S. Navy
This new dive watch has a retro feel
Tudor’s Black Pelagos FXD

Rolex may have spent the last century as the biggest name in the watch game, but founder Hans Wilsdorf recognized in the mid-1920s that his beloved timepieces were out of reach for the everyman. His solution was to create a new brand of affordable luxury watches, bringing the same beautiful aesthetics and Swiss construction; Tudor was born in 1946.

While Tudor watches bring with them the same quality design and reliability as their older brother, they developed their own distinct identity by capturing the attention and the loyalty of explorers and military organizations the world over. In 2012, the brand developed a line as a throwback to its diving history. Pelagos watches became one of its most popular lines. Its newest iteration, the FXD, comes with a black face and nods to the brand's naval history.

Read more
All new Rolex 1908 men’s watch leans into timeless Rolex styling and we can’t get enough of it
You won't stop staring at it, but that has nothing to do with what time it is
The Rolex Perpetual 1908

The world’s most desirable watch brand, Rolex, is paying homage to its long and storied history with a new series of watches. The new Rolex watch takes inspiration from the vintage timepieces that made the luxury brand what it is today. So expect an almost impossibly slim profile, smaller dimensions than modern men’s watches, and large numbers. Another nice vintage touch is the lack of a central seconds hand, with a dedicated sub-dial being used instead.

Rolex’s main inspiration when creating the Perpetual 1908 is the original Oyster Perpetual from 1931. While its 39mm diameter may be a little more petit than the 45+ mm dive watches that have been in vogue over the last few decades, it’s actually somewhat of a compromise. Many classic men’s watches are rocking 34mm or 36mm cases.

Read more