Beach Blanket vs Beach Mat: One Goes on Wet Sand. One Does Not

There is a very specific moment when the difference between these two products becomes obvious. You lay down your blanket, the tide comes in slightly further than expected and fifteen minutes later you are lying on what feels like a damp sponge. Not the end of the world. Just not what you were going for.

A beach mat would have fixed that. A beach blanket would not have. Here is why.

What a beach blanket actually is

A beach blanket is essentially a large microfibre towel. The Will and Wind beach blanket is double-sized, quick-dry, sand-free and made from GRS 4.0 certified rPET. It folds into a drawstring bag smaller than a rugby ball and weighs almost nothing. At the beach it gives you a soft, warm surface to lie on after swimming, wrap up in when the afternoon wind arrives or spread out for a family that has somehow acquired more children than they left the house with.

What it does not do: block moisture from below. On dry sand it is perfect. On wet sand or anywhere the tide might reach, you will feel it.

What a beach mat does differently

The Will and Wind beach mat has a waterproof PVC base and an Oxford fabric top. The base does not let moisture through from wet sand below. Four metal corner pegs go into the sand when the coastal breeze decides to show up, which in Australia is most of the time.

At 200cm x 145cm it fits two adults comfortably plus gear. It folds to 41cm x 23cm x 8cm in its own carry bag and lives flat under a car seat or alongside camp chairs without taking over the boot. We have written about it in waterproof beach mat: what it actually means and why our beach mats are always in the car.

The trade-off: the mat is not as soft to lie on as a microfibre blanket, is not machine washable (spot clean only) and is not rPET certified. It is the practical workhorse. The blanket is the comfortable one.

Which one do you actually need first?

If you are buying one product for Australian beach conditions, buy the mat. Most of our beaches have enough wind, wave action or wet sand to make a waterproof base worth having. The mat handles it. The blanket does not.

If you already have a mat, the blanket is the obvious next step. The mat goes down and handles the ground. The blanket goes on top for softness, wraps around a child who just came out of the water or doubles as a towel for an unexpected extra person. See beach blankets that actually make beach days better for more on this combination.

Can a travel towel do the same job?

For one person, yes. The Will and Wind travel towel at 160cm x 80cm works as a compact beach surface. The blanket is larger and designed to be shared. If you are regularly at the beach with family or another person, the blanket earns its space , you stop playing towel Tetris trying to fit everyone on one travel towel.

FAQs

Can I use a beach blanket on wet sand?

Not without getting damp from below. A beach blanket is microfibre fabric , it will absorb moisture coming up through it. For wet sand, the beach mat with its waterproof PVC base is the right tool.

Is the Will and Wind beach blanket machine washable?

Yes. Cold machine wash, no fabric softener, line dry. This is one of the key differences from the beach mat , the mat is spot clean only because of the PVC base.

Does the beach blanket shed sand?

Yes. The loopless microfibre weave means sand sits on the surface rather than embedding in the fibres. A firm shake at the car sorts out most of it.

How big is the beach blanket?

Double-sized microfibre , large enough for two adults to lie on comfortably with room for snacks and the general debris that accumulates at the beach.

Are both products sustainable?

The beach blanket is GRS 4.0 certified rPET. The beach mat uses a waterproof PVC base and Oxford fabric top and is not rPET certified. See what is rPET for the full certification story.

Shop both at Will and Wind beach mats. Read more at spotlight: our waterproof beach mats and beach blankets that actually make beach days better.