Travel
Sand Coasters Bring Stability To Beach Beers
In a few weeks, I will be heading to the beach for the first time in years. With that in mind, I started browsing Amazon for certain summer accoutrements. As I was looking for a tumbler to keep my drinks cold in the heat, I stumbled upon a very interesting product: sand coasters.
Maybe I am late to the party here, but I had never heard of sand coasters. In my experience, setting a cold Corona on the beach without it spilling was somewhere between an art and a science, as you had to keep in mind both the wind as well as the running patterns of children in the vicinity. If you happened to have a beach chair, of course, there was no problem, since most beach chairs feature cupholders. If you were just basking on a beach towel, however, you were pretty much out of luck. Unless you managed to gulp it down in down in one swig, the catastrophe of your beer spilling all over the sand was a fait accompli.
Enter sand coasters. The sand coaster is one of the simplest little innovations I have ever seen, and yet it is utterly ingenious. These small cupholders resemble the miniature orange soccer cones you may remember from elementary school gym class, but they have a stake-like bottom that allows them to be firmly planted in the sand. Just like that, your beer, soda, or other beverage gains instant protection from the elements.
Because there is really not much to them, sand coasters are not expensive. The #1 bestseller on Amazon is by AOMAIS (a brand typically known for its speakers). The set comes with five cheery, brightly-colored coasters, priced at a total of $15. The photos on its Amazon listing show that these coasters can be used for more than just drinks: images also depict them holding phones and sunglasses. This strikes me as another good idea, especially since more often than not I end up using a shoe for such purposes.
The AOMAIS sand coasters do seem to be the best, although I did come across another version that caught my eye. This set from the brand Island Genius happens to be shaped like starfish. While Island Genius’ design is almost identical to that of AOMAIS, its starfish shape does bring with it a certain additional layer of fun.
Island Genius Beach Vacation Accessories Starfish Drink Cup Holder Sand Coasters — $12.99
Unlike the AOMAIS set, this one only comes with four sand coasters. Depending on your family size, that may be all you need.