Rubber latches and a flat lid.

Those are the two most important features for a beach cooler.

Sand gets into everything. Rubber latches don’t have metal hinge pins that jam up, and they’re easy to rinse off. A flat lid means you can sit on it without sand collecting in grooves or hinges. If you can hose the whole thing down and not worry about water getting in the latch mechanism, that’s the winner.

Also look for a drain plug that’s recessed or flush, not one that sticks out and catches sand. Non-slip rubber feet help keep the cooler from sliding sideways on a blanket or towel. Skip the fancy wheels unless you’re dragging it over dunes — wheels just add more cracks for sand to hide in.

The cooler you don’t have to baby on the beach is the cooler you’ll actually bring.