Get a screw anchor for soft sand.

Yes. Screw-in anchors are the only thing that actually hold in loose, dry sand.

The standard metal spike that comes with most umbrellas is basically useless in soft sand. It tips over the second the wind picks up, and you spend the whole day chasing your umbrella down the beach.

A screw anchor (the kind with a corkscrew tip that you twist into the sand) digs deep and locks in. You twist it down until the sand is flush with the top plate, then slide the umbrella pole into the center. It takes maybe a minute and stays put in winds that would send a spike umbrella flying into someone’s cooler.

Sandbags work but they’re bulky. Weight plates work but they’re heavy. The screw anchor is the best balance of portability and holding power for soft sand.

Don’t cheap out on the umbrella and then lose it to a gust.