This $30 beach blanket lays flat and doesn't fly away - here's why I'll never go to the beach or park without it

• Innovative products come in all different shapes and sizes. One of the smartest products I've ever tried is this simple, lightweight, and portable Parasheet Beach Blanket from Grand Trunk.
• Whether you're on a sandy beach or a grassy field, this blanket is designed to keep your phone, food, and bottom clean from sandy messes and grass stains.
• At only $30 on Amazon, this is a must-have for anyone who frequents the beach or park. Just throw it in the bottom of your backpack, pouch of your beach chair, or trunk of your car, and you'll always have a clean place to lay out with a group of friends.

After almost a year in Brooklyn, I recently discovered how easy it is for me to get to the beach. A quick 45-minute ride on the Q train, and it feels like I've entered a Floridian alternate universe within my metropolitan New York City hub.

My first time making the trek to Brighton Beach was surreal. Besides the unnerving amount of garbage floating in the ocean, it was paradise. However, since I was a little kid, I've felt the same way about sand as an angsty teenage Anakin Skywalker.

On our first beach outing, my girlfriend and I brought along a flimsy yet passable blanket we'd used before on trips to the park. But at the beach, it did not hold up. It kept folding in on itself and collected piles of sand, and once it got wet, it took forever to dry. Plus, it tracked a ton of sand into my bag.

Thankfully, I heard about the Parasheet Beach Blanket from Grand Trunk, which promised to make my beach outings much less messy.

The thin nylon blanket arrived neatly folded within its attached carrying pouch. It was super lightweight (about 1 pound) and compact (7.5 inches by 4.5 inches within the pouch). This was especially convenient for a trip to the beach because I usually carry a bag filled with towels, snacks, water bottles, sunscreen, and books. I could fit the Parasheet in my bag and no longer worry about a bulky blanket.

The next time I went to the beach, I brought along the blanket. When I unfurled it from the sack, the wind started flinging the fabric in every direction. This is when the ingenious sand pockets came into play. Each corner of the blanket has a pocket that can be filled with sand to keep it in place.

With the help of my girlfriend's Birkenstocks, we were able to easily shovel sand into each pocket, and the blanket maintained its 7 feet by 7 feet surface area without any risk of flying away. If you plan to use the blanket at the park or on a grassy field, each corner has stake loops so you can secure it to more firm ground. You will need to provide your own stakes though.

In addition to the simple yet game-changing sand pockets, my favorite thing about the blanket was how resistant it was to the sand. I was able to brush any incoming grains off its surface and lounge without worrying about getting sand in my hair or any other undesirable place. I was also amazed that absolutely zero grains of sand lingered inside the corner pockets after we shook it out.

A caveat: The blanket was not shy about holding onto sweat spots where I had been lying down. While this was annoying in the short term, the blanket was quick-drying, and the marks quickly dissipated. By the time we were ready to pack up and leave, the blanket was completely dry and ready to place (or stuff) back into the pouch. You really do not need to neatly fold it to make it fit.

Also, the Parasheet Beach Blanket can be difficult to clean because you have to wash the nylon material by hand and hang it to dry. In my apartment, there's not much space to line-dry a blanket this size, but you can get away with not washing it after every use. Just be sure to let it dry before placing it back in the pouch.

Because it's so easy to transport and only costs $29.95 on Amazon, the Grand Trunk Parasheet Beach Blanket is a must-have for anyone who frequents the beach or park. It is big enough for three to four people to lie down comfortably and can fit about five to six people sitting up straight. All you have to do is toss the pouch into your backpack, a beach chair pocket, or the trunk of your car, and you'll always have a comfortable spot to lounge no matter where you are.

Buy the Grand Trunk parasheet ground cover for $29.95 at Amazon