Towel Time 

CGear’s Sandlite beach mat is a game changer—no more shaking or vacuuming sand out of your car for days afterward. It’s made from a dual-weave fabric that traps and filters sand, and it won’t absorb water, so you don’t have to worry about waiting to use it, or the towel growing yucky mildew. $49.99-$84.99 depending on size, cgear-sandfree.com

Sit Back and Relax 

Rio Brands’ beach chairs are the gold standard by which all others are measured. Each chair, made of durable polyester fabric, has a lightweight, rust-proof aluminum frame, and features an armrest, cupholder and cell phone pocket. It adjusts to five comfortable positions, including a flat position for when you want to catch extra rays—with sunscreen, of course.  $49.99, Bed, Bath & Beyond, 6567 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, (941) 924-0319, bedbathandbeyond.com

Made in the Shade  

Sunglasses not only protect your eyes from harmful UV rays, they also complete the beach chic look. This pair, from Cartier, has class-3 sun protection and also looks super cool, thanks to the gold metal frame and golden mirrored lenses. $945, Sunglass Express Optical, 343 St. Armands Circle, (941) 388-5115, sunglassexpressoptical.com

Cool to Carry  

Billabong’s “Talk to the Palm” straw tote bag is roomy enough to carry your magazines, beverages and sunscreen, and pretty enough to go from beach to bar after a day of sunshine. Plus, who doesn’t love a pom-pom? $59 at T.Georgiano’s, 1409-B First St., Sarasota, (941) 870-3727, tgeorgianos.com