The best technology for the beach

A visit to the beach without technology can certainly be relaxing, but bringing specific devices can also make your trip relaxing. Reading a book on your Kindle, listening to your favorite song, fresh air blowing on your neck sounds like a pretty luxurious experience to me.

Of course, not everyone will be attracted to every item on this list. Some things, like the drone or the GoPro, are more suitable for those who like to be active and record their experiences. To others, noise-canceling headphones and a digital book, combined with the scent of salt water and a cool ocean breeze, sound like heaven. Whatever your preferences, there is something here that will be to your liking.

Music for everyone: JBL Flip 5

Whether you’re attending a beach party or just hanging out with some friends, a waterproof speaker is the perfect accessory. The JBL Flip 5 speaker only weighs about a pound and has an IPX7 waterproof rating, so you don’t have to worry about someone accidentally spilling water on it.

Powered by a 4,800mAh battery, the Flip 5 can last up to 12 hours between charges. It’s also equipped with JBL’s PartyBoost feature, so if you have another PartyBoost compatible speaker, you can pair them together for a stereo sound experience. The speaker currently supports Bluetooth 4.2, which isn’t the latest version, but the lower range and speed shouldn’t matter too much as you’ll probably be close to the speaker.

For incredible action shots: GoPro HERO8 Black

If you want to shoot video and photos in the ocean, whether you’re swimming or surfing, the GoPro HERO8 camera is the way to go. It’s waterproof to 33 feet deep and incredibly durable, so it can handle just about anything you throw at it.

You can take 12MP photos that look great, even in low-light areas. But the GoPro HERO8 really shines with its video capabilities. Record in super sharp 4K at 60 frames per second, or smooth slow motion at 240 frames per second at 1080p resolution. You can even stream live via the GoPro app (Android/iOS) in 1080p, saving footage to your SD card as you stream.

Keep Cool: JISULIFE Portable Neck Fan

When you’re at the beach, there’s bound to be a bit of a breeze, but sometimes the heat is still too much. Fortunately, a portable neck fan can give you some much-needed relief and can be worn comfortably while you tan or read a book in the sand.

This particular fan has a 4,000 mAh battery that can last between four and 16 hours, depending on the speed you use most often. Plus, it’s designed with 78 air vents instead of traditional fan blades on the outside, which means it’s perfectly safe for all ages and poses no danger to long hair.

For beaches without a shower: Tadomoe portable shower

If you know your favorite beach has a shower, you may not need this portable shower from Tadomoe. But if you’re not sure or just want to have warm water to rinse off next to your beach towel in the sand, it’s worth it.

This portable shower can hold up to five gallons of water, and the sun can heat the water so you don’t have to experience an impossibly cold shower. There is a temperature gauge on the bag that shows how hot the water is at any given time, helping you recognize if the water is too hot to use.

There is a built-in air pump that automatically inflates and stops based on real-time air pressure, helping the water flow stay constant until you run out of water. You can choose between a constant water spray and one that you must manually turn on and off to use. Plus, if you’re at the beach when it gets dark outside, there’s an emergency flashlight attached.

Take your favorite book with you: Kindle Paperwhite

There is nothing like reading a book on the beach. I mean, there’s a reason libraries and bookstores have an entire category titled “Beach Reading.” But with a traditional book, you have to fight the wind and worry about water droplets staining the pages. A Kindle Paperwhite solves those problems!

Amazon’s Kindle Paperwhite has a 6.8-inch, 300 ppi display that looks like the paper pages of a real book, even in bright sunlight. A single charge lasts up to 10 weeks, depending on the adjustable warm light setting you choose, and you can carry thousands of books with you without the bulky weight. Plus, it’s IPX8-rated, which means it can survive accidental immersion in up to 0.25 meters of seawater for up to three minutes (or up to two meters of fresh water for up to one hour).

For comfortable and private listening: Jabra Elite 7 Active

Whether you’re heading to the beach alone or meeting up with friends, Jabra’s Elite 7 Active earphones are the perfect companion. Built-in Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) technology helps keep your beach experience serene, just the way it should be. Plus, these earphones are IP57 waterproof and sweatproof, so they’re perfectly safe if they accidentally get wet.

The Elite 7 Active earphones have a battery life of up to eight hours, plus 30 if you take the charging case with you – fully charged, of course. If you use ANC, expect battery life to drain faster. The Jabra Sound+ app (Android/iOS) allows you to customize your HearThrough level, which controls the amount of background noise that comes through while ANC is on.

Create Aerial Video Memories – DJI Mini 2

It seems like everyone has a drone these days, but if you don’t already have one, use your next trip to the beach as an excuse to get one. The DJI Mini 2 is a fantastic, compact option that only weighs around half a pound. Despite being so light, it is able to withstand level 5 wind resistance and take off at a maximum altitude of 4,000 meters.

Its recording capabilities are just as impressive. DJI’s Mini 2 can shoot 4K video at 30 frames per second, stream 720p live video from 10km away, and rotate to capture it all with a three-axis motorized gimbal. If it’s pictures you’re after, the 12MP camera can do some wonders.

On a single charge, you’ll get a maximum flight time of 31 minutes. It might not sound like much, but it’s enough to capture some amazing shots to look back on for years to come. There are more features that you can take advantage of through the mobile app (Android/iOS), but the Android app cannot currently be downloaded from the Google Play Store. Instead, you can download an APK file directly from the DJI website.

Keep Everything Fully Charged: BigBlue 3 Solar Charger

Bringing a solar charger to the beach seems like a no-brainer, especially if you bring a lot of extra tech with you. The sun blinds you the whole time you’re at the beach, so why not put it to good use and charge your smartphone, Bluetooth speaker, and more with a solar charger?

This particular solar charger from BigBlue has a panel efficiency of up to 24%, which means it can convert up to 24% of solar energy into free energy as long as there is enough sunlight. It’s portable, durable, lightweight, and even has an IPX4 waterproof rating, not including the USB junction box.

There are three USB-A ports with a total maximum current of 5V/4.8A, and each USB-A port has a maximum output of 5V/2.4A. This solar charger is equipped with smart charging technology that detects when your device is fully charged to prevent overheating, as well as providing the best charging speed to different devices when more than one is connected.