Any regular beachgoer recognizes the classic beach umbrella boondoggle. There are days when the umbrella simply refuses to stand. You'll dig a hole, twist and turn the umbrella, but still, there are many times when the umbrella simply flops over — or worse — takes flight and bounces across the beach like a dangerous missile.
And flying umbrellas can be more than an annoyance. Consumer Reports notes that a Consumer Product Safety Commission database turned up 31 incident reports, which included lacerations and internal organ injuries, from beach umbrellas between 2004 and 2009. A woman in New York even won $200,000 after a runaway beach umbrella at a state park hit her in the head.
Even still, I would never spend a day on the beach without an umbrella. The dangers of sun exposure — from skin cancer to premature aging — are well-documented. And besides, it is just much more pleasant to sit on a chair shaded by a sturdy umbrella.
You want to find one that is not only sturdy but easy to carry, easy to set up, stays put in the sand even amidst beachy gusts, and offers excellent protection from the sun's UV rays. We've researched to find the best beach umbrellas you can buy for your next outing.
Here are our top picks for the best beach umbrellas:Prices and links are current as of 6/23/20. We also streamlined our related buying guides.