Today I’m sharing my experience from recent trek to Huntington Beach, California in which I tested out several beach-related gadgets. I put all of these products to a real-world test, and here are the insights I gathered.
Where to Purchase
- Sand Cloud Towel – I paid $48 for this, which seems to be the usual price.
- Beach Cup Holders – Prices for these vary wildly, from $15 – $30, so it may pay to monitor the price for a while if it seems high.
- Travelon Towel – These typically run about $10 for a two-pack.
- Sandscreen – This runs around $25 for one bag, which lasts multiple uses.
- Caldesene Cornstarch Baby Powder – Any cornstarch baby powder will work, but this is the brand I tried.
- Bag-Cleaning Ball – You should be able to pick this up for $12-$15
Prices noted above are subject to change. They are current as of this July 2023 writing.
Beach Gadget Review
I recently traveled down to Huntington Beach, California to test out several gadgets that seemed appropriate for a beach day. While this may not be as exhaustive as my usual reviews, the products are certainly being used in a real-world situation. If you have a beach day planned, perhaps some of these may come in handy for you.
Sand Cloud Towel
First up, I tested a product that had been featured on Shark Tank: the Sand Cloud towel. Claiming to be an anti-sand towel, I purchased this for 48 dollars. This towel is said to be quick-drying, rolls up smaller than other towels of its size, and can also double as a yoga mat, throw blanket, or more. It’s made from 100% organic Turkish cotton and has glowing reviews on Amazon for being soft, quick to dry, and durable. Some, however, complained it was too thin or expensive.
Upon comparison with a generic towel, I found the Sand Cloud towel thinner, albeit a tad less soft. To test its anti-sand feature, I placed it on the sweltering sand and tossed some sand on each towel. I picked each towel up, shook them off, and found that both towels initially shed the sand well. For my next test, I used both towels for the rest of the day, including laying on them with wet, sandy legs. I shook them off at the end of the day and each seemed to shed sand equally well once again. Upon further inspection at the end of the day back at my hotel, however, I found that there was some sand left in the beach towel, while the Sand Cloud was practically sand-free. So, while the price tag may seem steep, it does seem to fulfill its anti-sand promise slightly better than a regular towel.
Beach Cup Holders
Next in line were simple beach cup holders I purchased on Amazon for $14.44 (seven-pack). These colorful holders are designed to keep your drinks sand-free and are large enough to accommodate various sizes of cans and bottles. Some users have even employed these for their phones. The only complaints online were about their size or sharpness of the legs.
I enjoyed using these cup holders; they were easy to set up by just twisting them into the sand. They kept my drinks sand-free throughout the day, and you can even color-coordinate them with your cans. However, I did notice that they warmed my bottles over time more than if they were kept inside a bag or out of the sun. This might not matter, depending on your situation, but it was a small detail I observed. So, while not perfect, they were handy and served their primary purpose well.
Travelon Travel Towel
As a bonus gadget, I decided to test the Travelon antimicrobial travel towel, which is more of a general travel gadget. This small, convenient towel comes with a clip for easy access. It was quite useful in wiping off excess sunscreen and sand from my hands, and you can just stuff it back into its bag and wash it later. A nice little add-on for any beach day.
Sandscreen
Another intriguing product I tested was the Sandscreen, an anti-sand bag that claims to remove sand from your skin. It was priced at $24.99. Some users have compared it to just baby powder in a bag, but I wanted to see the difference for myself.
To test, I purposely applied wet sand on my skin, let it dry, and then tried to wipe it off using both the Sandscreen and regular cornstarch baby powder. I found that both products worked almost equally well in removing the sand and leaving my skin smooth. Given this, I’d argue that cornstarch baby powder, being more readily available and cheaper, is a better option.
Bag-Cleaning Ball
Lastly, I tested the Bag-Cleaning Ball that is designed to pick up dirt, dust, and sand from bags or purses. I paid $12 for this and thought the beach would be the perfect place to test it out.
I put the ball into my bag along with my sandy beach towels and found that by the end of the day, it had indeed collected a considerable amount of sand. While it didn’t pick up everything, it certainly reduced the amount of sand in my bag.
Conclusion
In the end, the Sand Cloud towel does seem to have a slight edge over regular towels in being sand-resistant, despite its higher price. The beach cup holders have one job, and they do it well. The Travelon travel towel was a handy addition to my beach gear. Although the Sandscreen works, you might get a better deal with regular baby powder, while the Bag-Cleaning Ball is not a complete solution but does help to some extent.
I hope you found my personal beach gadget testing insightful. If you’ve tried any of these gadgets, let me know your thoughts in the comments below.