8 Best Beach Wagons and Carts of 2024

Mac Sports makes many popular wagons, but this all-terrain model is particularly good for the beach. It's mid-priced, has a wide top for piling in 150 pounds of cargo, features big, treaded wheels for traveling through sand and it collapses small for storage, fitting in its own carry bag. There's no assembly required; it arrives ready to go.

The fold is our favorite feature: It goes down to about 10 inches thick so it hardly takes up any room in your vehicle or in your home storage. However, it doesn't stand up when folded, so you'll have to lean it against something or lay it down. Most every wagon on our list works that way — with no brakes on the wheels, the wagons can't rest on their wheels in folded mode.

According to the brand, the fabric is mildew- and UV-resistant. Two pockets on the front can each hold a water bottle. As of press time it has about 2,700 five-star reviews on Amazon.

Capacity: 150 lbs | Wagon weight: 24.5 lbs | Dimensions: 31.5" x 21.5" x 17"

Stack your stuff in this lightweight, aluminum, vertical-storage beach cart. You can tip this back on its big rubber wheels to push or pull it across the sand. It doesn't fit as much as some of the wagons, but not everyone is bringing a car load's worth of stuff to the shore.

The basket is mesh so at the end of the day, sand and rocks filter out through the material and hopefully don't wind up in your car. The basket is also divided into compartments to help you stay organized. A bar in front holds several beach chairs. The pocket in the back fabric can hold your wallet or keys. This cart does require some assembly — you have to put the wheels on, for example — though we found the process to be fairly easy (the assembly aspect helps keep the cost down). It folds up for storage.

Capacity: 100 lbs | Cart weight: 16 lbs | Dimensions: ‎34.5" x 25" x 37.75"

All the wagons on our list can handle hard-packed sand. But many have to be dragged through very soft, deep sand because the wheels get stuck. This beach wagon has four-inch-wide wheels, which help it roll through soft sand with ease, especially if you don't load in the full 300 pounds it can carry. If you do put hundreds of pounds of supplies in it, you'll be dragging it a bit. But one frequent beachgoer was extremely pleased with the purchase, saying, "It is sturdy, the wide wheels are easy to pull in the sand and the steering is also easy."

The frame on this wagon is made of steel, so it's a heavy pick (30 pounds) but that helps it support more weight than any other cart on our list. This one, too, folds up and comes ready to go out of the box. Users note that the front wheels, especially, are not very maneuverable — you won't be making tight turns with this.

Capacity: 300 lbs | Wagon weight: 30 lbs | Dimensions: 34.3" x 20" x 26.4"

"The bigger the wheels the better," said a tester who regularly drags his gear, by his estimation, 300 yards across the Marco Island beach in this dolly-style cart from Easygo. For some beachgoers, a cart can be easier than a wagon, as it can be tipped and then pushed or pulled. This one rides on 7-inch-wide air-filled balloon wheels that stay on top of soft sand rather than sinking in and getting stuck. It comes with a small air pump to keep the tires full.

A beach bag hangs from the handle and can be detached once you've found your beach spot. The rack on the other side is for holding folding chairs. This holds less weight than the wagons, but can still carry 100 pounds. A little bit of easy assembly is required for this one.

Capacity: 100 lbs | Cart weight: 19 lbs | Dimensions: 30" x 27" x 25"

Our Lab experts and consumer testers found this to be an excellent choice for traveling with kids, with users giving it a perfect score for kid comfort and ease of pulling it with young children inside. It's compatible with an infant car seat (adapters are required), has four seats for little ones and can be outfitted with a flat bed if your baby or toddler wants to lie down to rest. It also has two large canopies for sun protection.

A cup holder and a storage container for small items like keys are attached to the handle for parent access, and a storage basket can be clipped onto the end of the wagon. It folds relatively flat, if not as flat as wagons without seats, so you can get it in your vehicle (though it's very heavy to lift and carry). The giant nubby wheels work on almost every kind of terrain, sand included. Though it's pricey, our testers got use out of it not just for the beach but also for heading to outdoor events, parks, the farmers' market and more.

You'll need to put the wheels and canopies on when you first assemble this, and set up the seats and kids' snack tray.

RELATED: The Best Wagon Strollers for Kids

Capacity: 250 lbs | Wagon weight: 42 lbs | Dimensions: 41" x 30" x 22.5"

If you're a person who looks like they're setting up their home on the beach and you need a spacious cart for your umbrella, chairs, food and more, this one's basket can hold seven cubic feet. Note that the total weight capacity is still a standard 150 pounds, but this is longer and deeper than many other beach wagons. Expandable side storage pockets can hold items like magazines and sunscreen, and the side slots are perfect for holding foam noodles.

The wheels are on the smaller side, making this wagon significantly lighter than others. It might struggle on very soft, deep sand but can handle hard sand just fine. It's collapsible and this one can be stored standing upright on its wheels, which gives you more storage options, though it doesn't fold as small as some of the others. There's no assembly required.

Capacity: 150 lbs | Wagon weight: 13.5 lbs | Dimensions: 36" x 21" x 15"

Families can use this Radio Flyer wagon as a traditional wagon to haul beach gear or as a two-seater for children that still allows them to hang some beach chairs off the back. When you get to your beach spot, the side panel can be zipped down to turn this into a bench. That also makes this fun for non-beach activities, like for kids to sit in for parades, fireworks or sports games. During testing, our Lab experts liked that the zipped panels made it easy for kids to climb in and out.

If you have two kids in the wagon there's not a lot of room to store much else. Also the wheels on this are not made for very deep or soft sand, though it can handle packed sand. It's much cheaper than an all-terrain stroller wagon, but the tradeoff is that it's truly best on flat terrain like a boardwalk. We like the sun-protective canopy but it can also come off.

Capacity: 150 lbs | Wagon weight: 32 lbs | Dimensions: 47.6" x 24.4" x 38.4"

This beach cart turns into a comfortable, pillowed lounge chair, which means there's no need to carry a separate chair for yourself to the beach. One of our testers who lives near a beach in New England swears by it for getting herself to the shore and then having a place to rest. The cart has a 3.9-cubic-foot capacity and can hold 100 pounds of stuff; the chair can support an adult up to 225 pounds.

This has only two wheels, so you tip the cart and pull or push it along. It's easy to see through the mesh walls and there's an additional mesh storage pocket to hold small items, such as keys or sunscreen. The only bummer is that you have to empty out all of your things to use this as a chair. But then when you fold the chair up it's easy to throw everything back in and return to your car.

Capacity: 100 lbs (cart), 225 lbs (lounge chair) | Cart weight: 21 lbs | Dimensions: 18.9" x 18.9" x 18.9"