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If you’re looking for the best beach carts for soft sand, look no further. Beach Life is here to help. I’ve created a list of the top beach wagons with big wheels that will assist you with getting your gear from your car to your spot on the sand.
The beach is the perfect place to vacation the summer. But don’t forget to bring your own gear and a beach cart to carry it!
Without the right items you’ll be hot, sandy, and burned.
A few of the essential items are:
- Towels
- Snacks
- Shade (tent, or umbrella)
- Sunscreen and shades
- Chairs
- Sand shovels, boards, fins, and snorkels
- Beverages
If you’re alone, chances are you won’t need a beach cart, but if you’re with family you’ll have your hands full (with gear).
Thankfully, there are carts made for the sand. These big wheeled carts will help you get to your destination on the beach with ease.
In the sections below, we will review why a beach cart is necessary, the best beach carts for soft sand, and I’ll conclude with a few tips you should look for when choosing the a beach cart.
Getting Gear From The Car To The Beach: Use A Beach Cart or Wagon
The beach seems like the easiest place to vacation. After all, you don’t need much, just your bathing suit.
As is the case with most activities in life, you’ll actually need to take a lot of things to the beach.
If you’re responsible for small children you’ll need many more items (such as diapers etc).
Problems may arise when you park your car at the beach. How will you carry your umbrella, chair, towels, and bag?
Some people can handle carrying their items, but you might drop something or forget an item and have to return to the car.
It’s much easier with a cart because all your items can be stored in one place. Beach carts have hooks for chairs, straps to hold down towels, zippered areas for personal items, and a basket area to hold bulky items (like umbrellas and blankets).
The list below ranks the best beach carts available in 2023. Let me know in the comments which cart you prefer!
8 Best Beach Carts or Wagons For Soft Sand
#1 Rio Brands Wonder Wheeler Beach Cart
Rio Brands has been making beach gear for decades, 1947 to be exact. They specialize in beach chairs but also manufacture beach umbrellas and carts. It’s a beach company!
Rio Brands beach cart has all your needs in mind, including a bodyboard pouch (how cool is that) (check Rio Brands beach cart on Amazon).
Highlights:
- 37” x 16” x 8” folded
- 5” x 16” x 28.8” open
- Oversized wheels 10” diameter
- Basket
- Holds 4 folded chairs
- Cargo area (basket)
- Removable black tote that attaches to handle
- Umbrella mount
- Folds down to fit in a car – 13 lbs.
Reviews for this beach cart are solid. However, there are a few customers that suggest it isn’t as sturdy as they expected. Keep in mind that the mesh area could tear if the load is too heavy.
Due to the great price it’s not going to be perfect. For the casual beachgoer this is a great beach cart!
#2 Mac Sports Heavy Duty Collapsible Beach Cart
I like that it’s lightweight, breaks down to 10” thick, and has four oversized wheels. It also comes in a few color options (black, red, and blue).
The Mac Sports beach cart has a larger weight capacity than our #1 option, so if you have heavy items (like an ice chest), consider this cart (check Mac Sports beach cart on Amazon).
Highlights:
- 150 lbs capacity
- Thick polyester fabric
- 4”x10” wheels
- Open: 36.2” x 21.4” x 24.59”
- Folded: 31.48” x 21.4” x 9.64”
- Weighs 22 lbs
- 1 year warranty
Although it’s a beach wagon, it can also be used for camping, the park, and social events in the backyard (keep your ice chest in the cart so you don’t have to carry it).
Besides its utility, it has a few extra features like 2 cup holders and a small fold-out table for drinks. This beach cart is pulled like a wagon, so make sure you can pull the weight of the cart before you arrive at the beach.
Overall I like the look, the functionality, and that it’s a durable product.
Reviews for the Mac Sports beach cart are excellent. Some people put their kids in the cart with their gear. Others just used it to roll a cooler to the beach.
#3 Beach Cart – Rolling Caddy
The wheels are the reason I like it so much. The wide, balloon-style wheels that far exceed any other beach carts on this list. The cart literally glides across the sand.
I wish other beach carts would use the same wheels.
The frame of the cart leaves a lot to be desired and you’ll need to use a strategic stacking method.
I recommend starting with your ice chest, then stacking on top of it (towels, bags, and chairs). Use bungee cords, securing the items on your cart will be a breeze (check beach cart caddy on Amazon).
Highlights:
- Amazing wheels, perfect for sand
- Simple design with sturdy frame
- Air pump included for tires
- Platform: 14” x 14.5”
- Folded: 29” x 15” x 12”
- 5 lbs
If you have spare bungee cords and you enjoy stacking projects, then this is the best beach cart. It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles as the other carts on the list, however, this will be the easiest cart to pull across the sand.
Let me repeat…because of the nice wheels, it will be the easiest to pull on the sand.
#4 Sea Striker Deluxe Beach Fishing Cart
The Sea Striker is the most unique beach cart on the list because it’s made with fishermen in mind.
It also has pneumatic wheels. It would be better if it used the balloon tires like our #3 option.
The Sea Striker has a strong handle for pulling and pushing across the sand and it uses only 2 wheels to support the frame.
The frame was developed to hold a large sized cooler (54 quart) where bait and fish, or food and drinks can be stored (check Sea Striker fishing beach cart on Amazon).
Highlights:
- Simple, yet strong open frame (will last many years)
- Tall handle
- Fits a large ice chest
- Pneumatic wheels (oversized)
- Fishing pole holders
If you’re not taking a cooler to the beach, the carrying space can be used for towels, umbrellas, and bags.
What makes it convenient for fishing are the pole holders that attach to the outside of the frame. It’s described as being able to break down, but most reviews state that it doesn’t break down easily (be prepared to transport it in the back of a truck).
Other reviews mention that the wheels should be larger for deep sand. Most comments agree that the craftsmanship is solid and it lasts many years.
Overall, this is a strong, durable beach cart that will hold up over time. It works great for people who fish, but even people who don’t fish can benefit by taking their gear to the beach.
#5 Tommy Bahama All Terrain Beach Cart
Whether it’s home decorations or silk Hawaiian shirts, Tommy Bahama will keep you looking good at the beach.
It has a similar design as other beach carts on our list and uses 2 oversized rear wheels to move across the deep sand.
It has a large basket area, a holder for beach chairs, an insulated cooler tote, and an umbrella holder (check Tommy Bahama beach cart on Amazon).
Highlights:
- Folded: 27” x 32” x 10”
- Open: 27” x 32” 10”
- 4 wheels (2 oversized in rear)
- Large basket area (holds 48 quart cooler)
- Chair holder and umbrella holder
- Insulated bag for drinks and snacks
- Cushioned handle
- 100 lbs weight capacity
- Weighs 13 lbs
This is a great beach cart with plenty of extras options. I like the insulated bag for drinks or food and I like that it folds down to easily fit in the car.
I wish the wheels were a little larger, however, it will move across the sand with ease – just make sure you don’t overload your cart.
The heavier it is the harder it will be to pull.
#6 Rio Brands Deluxe Wonder Wheeler
The design is similar to other Rio carts, and similar to the Tommy Bahama cart. It uses a simple, foldable frame with multiple areas to hold gear (1 large and 1 small area for gear).
The wheels are oversized but simple plastic that will last many years if taken care of (check Rio Brands Deluxe beach cart on Amazon).
Highlights:
- Two storage areas
- Handle to push or pull on sand or concrete
- Chair and umbrella holder
- Oversized wheels
- Collapsible
- Detachable tote bag
- Weight capacity 100 lbs
- 22 x 7.5 x 34 inches and 19 lbs
If you like Rio Brands beach carts I’d recommend looking at their various options. There is another option with pneumatic wheels and an insulated bag. There is also a more basic model I’ll review next (below).
You can’t go wrong with a Rio beach cart. They are well-priced and offer a functional and quality product!
#7 Rio Wonder Beach Cart with Table
What differentiates this cart is that transforms into a table.
Once you arrive at the beach you can unpack your items and lay the cart down. Instantly you have a compact table with 4 cup holders (check Rio Brands beach cart and table on Amazon).
Highlights:
- Table and 4 cup holders (41 x 21 x 11 inches)
- Umbrella holder
- 18 x 15 x 36 inches
- 10 lbs
- Can carry 4 chairs
Most reviews are positive and mention that they were impressed with all the items they could carry. You might underestimate what this cart can do because of its simple appearance, but it can carry everything you need including chairs, an umbrella, towels, and coolers.
Customers seem to like it just as well as the other Rio carts, if not better! The wheels aren’t as large as the other Rio Brand options but they can still glide across the sand well. It comes at an unbeatable price compared to all the other carts on the list!
#8 Mac Sports Collapsible Utility Wagon
However, it certainly isn’t the best option for the beach and you might have trouble pushing it through the sand.
The wheels are small and thin. If this wagon is full of gear, chances are it will become stuck and you’ll need an extra person to pick it up (check Mac Sports utility cart on Amazon).
Highlights:
- 1 x 8.3 x 21 inches folded
- 25 lbs weight
- Color choices
- Breaks down
- Smaller wheels (not great for sand)
- Great for sporting events, the park, and can be used at the beach if needed)
- 150 lbs capacity
It will work at beach for certain situations, such as picnics on the grass (near the beach) or BBQ areas at the beach. It’s also good for parks and sporting events (beach volleyball tournaments).
This Mac Sport basic beach wagon comes in many colors. From pink to grey, to camouflage, this cart comes in a color for you.
If you need something that will easily navigate over the sand then the #2 ranked beach cart is much better option because of the big wheels.
Regardless, this beach wagon will fold up nicely and has the same durable material of the #2 ranked cart that will last for years. The frame is made of steel!
A Beach Cart For Soft Sand: What To Look For
As you’re reading through the list of beach carts and wagons there are a few characteristics you should keep an eye on. Sure, the look and design are important, but if the cart doesn’t have quality characteristics it won’t perform very well in the sand.
Let’s go through a few things to consider:
- Wheels
The wheels of the beach cart are the single most important characteristic you should consider. Ideally, these carts would all use balloon-style wheels because they are extra wide and remain on top of sand.
Sadly, you’ll notice that most of the beach carts don’t use the balloon wheels. It doesn’t mean they won’t work. Rio Brands, Mac Sports, and Tommy Bahama all offer plastic wheel options that will do-the-job adequately.
Remember, the weight of your load will have an impact on how well the cart moves over the sand.
- Frame
The frame should be lightweight and strong. Stainless steel and aluminum will be used by most beach carts.
On the frame, there should be hooks to hang items from and attaché bungee cords. The frame shouldn’t be thick or over-the-top. Something simple is all that’s needed.
- Storage Capacity (Hooks, Hangers, Bungees)
Storage capacity is obviously important. Most of the options on the list have hooks and hangers connected to the frame. Bungees will help a lot if you want to secure and stack items.
I really like the beach cart options that include an insulated bag. The bag is a nice option to have and I won’t have to bring a separate cooler!
Conclusion
So there you have it. We just covered the 8 best beach carts and wagons for soft sand. Some of the carts I mentioned were similar, while a few were unique.
My favorite beach cart is the #3 option with big balloon tires, however, I wish it would come with a better frame. The benefit of the open style is that you can pack the beach cart as you choose and secure your items with bungee cords.
The other beach carts and wagons have more “bells and whistles” and include specific places to store your umbrella and beach chairs. Their wheels are oversized, but appear to be made of hard plastic.
When choosing the best beach cart, consider the size of your family and the amount of gear you’ll be taking to the beach. I’m sure one of these cart options will do the job and keep you from carrying too much beach gear.
