Nice Item to Have! My kids love the beach and sand but don't like the sand sticking to them once we leave. This product is great because it easily swipes the sand right off of you with the powder inside the mitt. I wouldn't call it an essential but it is nice to have. You can accomplish the same thing with powder and a towel, but when you have small kids, this product makes it easy and fast. I will say the powder inside the mitt lasts a while , too!