For the last five years, the Junes Grande Tote has been my go-to beach bag. I’ve never loved the natural color, but the bag itself is hard to beat. It’s large yet folds down to almost nothing, so it barely takes up space in my carry-on. It has interior pockets, which is a big plus in a beach bag. It’s easy to wash, and the mesh lets sand fall right through.
Lately, though, I’ve been eyeing other mesh beach bags, ones for style, as well as function.
The Amazon Find
I bought this one for my recent trip to Aruba, and for the price, it was a great little bag. It held all my beach essentials and looked cute doing it. A woman even stopped me to compliment it because she thought it was the bag that inspired it.
My only complaint is that the straps dug into my shoulders whenever I overloaded it, which was every day as I had a large reusable water bottle, and other heavy items.
The Original
This is the bag the woman thought I was carrying. I’ve had my eye on it for a while, and the Amazon version was really just a placeholder while I made up my mind. I plan to buy it for an upcoming trip, but I have one reservation. After my experience with the Amazon bag, I wonder whether these straps will dig into my shoulders too when the bag is full.
The Colorful Contender
I’ve also been eyeing this colorful option from Cotopaxi. It’s made from leftover fabric, packs into its own pocket, and has exterior pockets for water bottles, which I love. And at $35, it’s much easier on the wallet than the Parker Thatch. But I feel like it leans more sporty that fashion, so I’m on the fence.
The Society Pick
For now, the Junes Grande Tote still gets my vote. Five years of beach trips have proven its worth, and none of these newer bags has convinced me to retire it.
JUNES THE GRANDE TOTE - $48