For anyone who enjoys the outdoors and likes to listen to music, audiobooks or podcasts, you have two main options. You can use headphones or earbuds to create a private listening experience for yourself while you’re relaxing on a beach or having a little backyard barbecue. Your second option is to use one of the best waterproof Bluetooth speakers for outdoors, so you and the people around you can all enjoy the same listening experience together.
Technically, you can take any wireless Bluetooth speaker outside. However, you’ll feel much better if it’s a product that can withstand splashes from a pool, rain or snow, yet still provide superior quality sound. And you can’t forget jamming out to your favorite songs while in the shower—for that, a waterproof Bluetooth speaker is a must.
- Best Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker Overall: Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 2nd Generation
- Best Battery Life Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker: Bang & Olufsen Beosound Explore
- Best Ultra-Portable Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker: Sonos Roam
- Best Premium Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker: Bose SoundLink Flex Bluetooth Speaker
- Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker For The Pool: Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3
- Best Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker For Showers: Sylvania SP230
- Best Budget-Friendly Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker: Sony Extra Bass Portable Compact IP67
- Best Mid-Priced Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker: JBL Xtreme 2
- Best Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker for Pairing: Fugoo Tough 2.o
- Best High-End Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker: JBL Xtreme 3
Best Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker Overall
Experience B&O’s Audio Quality While You’re Outside
While a bit on the pricey side, in part because you’re paying for a premium brand name, the Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd generation) utilizes two 140-watt speakers in one ultra-portable, battery-powered unit. It supports the aptXTM adaptive codec to produce extra-rich sound that emanates 360 degrees. Even when playing audio at a high volume, you can expect the rechargeable battery to last up to 18 hours.
This speaker’s casing is made from aluminum, so it’s both durable and elegant. You’ll get Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant technology built-in, and when you pair this speaker with your smartphone, you can use it as a speakerphone during calls thanks to its three internal microphones.
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 2nd Generation supports Bluetooth 5.1, is IP67 certified for water and dust resistance, has a built in USB-C port for charging and it weighs just 1.23 pounds. The speaker itself measures 1.83-inches high by 5.2-inches in diameter, so it somewhat resembles an oversized hockey puck.
Best Battery Life Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker
Take This Bang & Olufsen Speaker On Any Outdoor Adventure
For about $200, this Bang & Olufson speaker is waterproof (IP67 rated), tough and ready to go just about anywhere your outdoor adventures take you. You’ll enjoy up to 27 hours of playtime per charge, and can choose from five different casing colors. Place this speaker on any flat surface, or clip it onto your belt buckle or backpack using the supplied carabiner clip.
Unlike other speakers in this price range, this one generates true 360-degree sound (at up to 59 decibels) utilizing two 1.8 full-range drivers. You can pair two of these speakers wirelessly to boost your listening experience.
Best Ultra-Portable Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker
Sonos Roam Generates Awesome Sound Indoors Or Outdoors
The Sonos Roam features a longer design than most typically offer in a unit that’s lightweight. What’s nice about this speaker is that in addition to Bluetooth, it supports Wi-Fi connectivity and Apple AirPlay 2. When you use this speaker with the Sonos mobile app, you’re able to utilize multiple Sonos speakers at once for a seamless multi-room (or vast outdoor area) listening experience.
The Sonos Roam is water and dust resistant (IP67 certified), but it’s also drop resistant, which makes it more durable than some of its competitors. One thing the Sonos brand is known for is superior audio clarity and depth. Despite the smaller size of this speaker, reviews suggest it lives up to the company’s reputation nicely.
The rechargeable battery that powers the speaker will last up to 10 hours of continuous use when used at a moderate volume. Considering its long and narrow design (measuring 6.61 x 2.32 x 2.44 inches), you can position this speaker either upright or horizontally (for added stability) and it’ll automatically adapt the audio output accordingly. The speaker weighs 0.93 pounds. Both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant are built-in, both aided by onboard microphones (which can also be used to carry out voice calls). The Sonos app allows you to manually adjust bass, treble and volume to personalize your listening experience. The speaker also supports Qi wireless charging in addition to your usual USB charging options.
Best Premium Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker
Bose Offers A Flexible Listening Experience
The SoundLink Flex offers the high-quality audio you’d expect from Bose, but in a relatively small, portable and battery-powered speaker that utilizes a waterproof (IP67 certified) and rugged design. Its casing is made from powder-coated steel and silicone, so it’s ready to go on your next outdoor adventure.
The Bose SoundLink Flex’s battery lasts up to 12 hours per charge, and the speaker can be paired with other Bose Bluetooth speakers (via the Bose Connect mobile app) to create an even more immersive listening experience. Thanks to its PositionIQ feature, you can position the speaker horizontally or vertically, and it will continue to produce full and balanced audio.
Like most of the other speakers featured here, the Bose SoundLink Flex has a built-in microphone to use as a smart speaker a speakerphone when paired with a smartphone. Featuring a more box-like design, the SoundLink Flex measures 3.6 x 7.9 x 2.1 inches and weighs 1.3 pounds.
Best Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker For The Pool
Enjoy A Massive Listening Experience With This Megaboom Speaker
What sets this waterproof Bluetooth speaker apart from the competition is its 20-hour battery life combined with the powerful bass it’s able to generate. Thanks to its long and rounded design, this speaker outputs audio in a 360-degree radius that’s crystal-clear.
In addition to being waterproof, the Megaboom 3 actually floats, so you can use it in a swimming pool or bathtub. When used with its “Partyup” mode, it’s possible to wirelessly pair two, four or up to 150 Megaboom 3 speakers to create the ultimate surround sound experience.
This speaker weighs 2.90 pounds, so it’s a bit heavier than some of its competitors, although it's still very portable. It measures 3.2 x 3.2 x 8.75 inches. While you can recharge this speaker’s battery via its USB-C port, an optional wireless charging dock is sold separately.
Best Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker For Showers
Listen While You Shower
The Sylvania SP230 is a small, circular speaker that’s designed for shower time. On its back is a suction cup which makes mounting it to a shower wall easy. Of course, you can also take it just about anywhere you want to stream audio.
The Sylvania SP230 weighs just 3.52 ounces and is 2.25 inches thick with a 3.25-inch diameter. It supports Bluetooth 3.0 and utilizes a built-in rechargeable battery. This ultra-low-cost speaker falls into the “you get what you pay for” category, so don’t expect a long battery life or incredibly high-quality audio. It’s better for listening to audiobooks or podcasts as opposed to music. It can also be used as a speakerphone when paired with a smartphone.
Best Budget-Friendly Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker
This Tiny Sony Speaker Offers Big Sound At A Small Price
Although it offers a rounded pipe-shaped design, this Sony model is shorter and more compact than typical Bluetooth speakers. Despite its size, it can generate deep bass and audio that’s capable of filling a small- to mid-size room. Because it’s waterproof (IP67 certified) and battery powered, you can easily use it outdoors..
Expect up to 16 hours of battery life from the Sony Extra Bass Portable Compact speaker, you can pair with a second unit to generate a stereo listening experience. The speaker comes in several casing colors, including black, light blue, coral pink and taupe.
This speaker supports Bluetooth 4.2 (which supports a 33-foot signal radius) and it weighs just nine ounces. It measures 3.75-inches tall with a 3-inch diameter. The diameter of the internal mono speaker is 46 millimeters. Overall, this Sony speaker offers a compact, elegant and durable design that produces decent quality sound with surprising bass. It’s $60 price tag is more than fair for a speaker of this quality.
Best Mid-Priced Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker
From This Slightly Larger Speaker You Get Much Bigger Sound
Although the JBL Xtreme 3 from Harman is a newer model of this mid-size and mid-priced speaker, the JBL Xtreme 2 continues to offer excellent value for a waterproof (IPX7 certified) speaker, with an impressive 15-hour battery life. Weighing in at 5.27 pounds and measuring 7.9-inches, this is a larger size and slightly heavier speaker than others featured here. It does, however, come with a convenient shoulder strap for easy transport.
Packed into this unit are four drivers and two JBL Bass Radiators, which together produce immersive stereo sound, which is something that many of the other speakers don’t offer unless you pair two or more of them together. Using its JBL Connect+ feature, you can pair this speaker with any of more than 100 other JBL speaker models to elevate your listening experience. On its own, it’s able to play music and audio clearly at a high volume.
The Xtreme 2 supports Bluetooth 4.2, as well as the A2DP V1.3, AVRCP V1.6, HFP V1.6 and HSP V1.2 codecs. It utilizes two 2.75-inch woofers and two 20-millimeter tweeters. Priced around $200, this mid-priced speaker offers excellent value, versatility and sound quality for the money. It does not, however, offer voice assistant compatibility or the ability to serve as a speakerphone when paired with a smartphone.
Best Rugged Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker
Built For The Road
This redesigned version of the Fugoo Tough wireless bluetooth speaker is not just waterproof (IP67 rated), it’s rugged and looks the part. It offers 12-hour battery life and a built-in microphone so you can control it using Siri or Google Assistant and it can be controlled from a smartphone or mobile device that’s up to 33 feet away.
The Fugoo Tough 2.0 has five proprietary acoustic drivers that are set at an 8-degree upward tilt for enhanced sound distribution. The unit weighs just 1.2 pounds, so it won’t weigh you down too heavily if you have to haul it up a small mountain.
Perhaps the best feature of this speaker is that when you wirelessly pair two or more of them together, you can create the ultimate listening experience that’ll fill a much larger outdoor (or indoor) space with rich sound. Each speaker can generate up to 108 decibels of sound.
Best High-End Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker
JBL Takes Listening To Music Anywhere To The Extreme
The JBL Xtreme 3 offers a very similar design to the Xtreme 2, but it’s a newer model that utilizes four drivers and two JBL Bass Radiators to deliver a rich and deep sound—indoors or outdoors—with 100-watt output. This version of the speaker supports Bluetooth 5.1 and weighs 4.34 pounds.
In addition to being able to stream audio wirelessly from connected devices, the Xtreme 3 has a built in 3.5mm audio cable input. Expect the battery to last up to 15 hours of continuous playback per charge.
This newer version of JBL’s Xtreme speaker does offer some technological, power and audio quality improvements over its predecessor, but for the average listener, these improvements are probably not enough to justify the significantly higher price.
The Benefits Of A Bluetooth Speaker
If you want to enjoy listening to audio through a speaker that’s more powerful than the speakers built into your smartphone, tablet or computer, for example, a Bluetooth speaker allows you to wirelessly stream audio content without having to deal with cables. The Bluetooth speakers featured within this article are all waterproof and battery powered, so you can use them virtually anywhere—indoors or outdoors.
Features To Look For In A Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker
When it comes to Bluetooth speakers, most have a wireless range of about 33 feet, meaning that the source of the audio (such as your smartphone) needs to be within the Bluetooth signal radius to function. Ideally, you want to seek out a speaker that supports Bluetooth v5.3 (the latest version of Bluetooth).
Other features to look for include: A long battery life, the strength of the speaker’s amplifier, whether the speaker has a subwoofer, the speaker’s sound direction/diffusion (360 degrees is ideal) and whether the speaker has a built-in voice assistant (such as Amazon Alexa, Siri or Google Assistant). Specifically look for IP67 certification to ensure it’s waterproof and dust-resistant.
In addition to the speaker’s physical size and weight, also pay attention to the controls built into the speaker itself, in addition to the control you’ll have over the speaker using your mobile device or computer. In many cases, you can use two of the same wireless Bluetooth speakers to create a true stereo listening experience.
Why Do The Prices Of Waterproof Bluetooth Speakers Vary So Much?
The price of a waterproof Bluetooth speaker will depend a lot on the components used within the speaker itself, which directly impact the sound quality it can produce. You’ll also pay a premium for a well-known brand name speaker, such as Bang & Olufsen, Bose or Sonos.
Don’t just assume the price of a speaker directly correlates with sound quality though. In some cases, you’ll discover speakers from lesser-known companies that are loaded with the highest-quality components and that have the best selection of features and functions, but at a much more affordable price.
Do You Really Need A Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker?
If you want to take the speaker into a swimming pool, to a beach, camping, on a boat or into the shower, you need a waterproof speaker. However, if the weather is nice and you’ll be hosting an outdoor barbeque, campfire or gathering with friends, for example, you can probably get away with using any wireless Bluetooth speaker, since the chances of it getting wet or covered in dust or dirt are minimal.
The main benefit to a waterproof speaker is that you can use it virtually anywhere without worrying about water damage. However, if the speaker is designed specifically to be used in rugged conditions, you also don’t need to worry about accidentally dropping it or exposing it to either high or low temperatures.
Choose a speaker that matches your needs and lifestyle. For example, if the speaker will permanently sit somewhere within your home that’s not a shower, having a waterproof speaker is not at all essential (unless you have a leaky roof). In this case, focus on sound quality and functionality, and investigate smart speakers—such as an Apple HomePod Mini ($99) or Google Nest Audio ($100). These are both small and affordable, yet offer excellent sound quality for the price with digital assistants built-in.
