Best waterproof speakers for 2024: top water-resistant speakers
One of the best waterproof speakers is a great choice if you love taking your music outdoors but don’t want to worry about rain or the occasional splash.
In this guide, we’ve selected the best outdoor speakers with high IP ratings, ensuring they’re fully protected against water. For example, an IPX4 rating means a speaker can handle splashes from any direction – perfect for unexpected showers. An IPX7 rating allows a speaker to be submerged in fresh water for up to 30 minutes, making it ideal for lakeside listening.
At TechRadar, we’ve tested hundreds of the best Bluetooth speakers and know exactly what to look for when it comes to the best waterproof speakers. From excellent water resistance and durable designs to top-tier sound quality, these speakers are built to perform, even after getting wet.
The quick list
Want to cut to the chase and find out which waterproof speakers are the absolute best? Below, you’ll find a roundup of our choices for different needs. You can also jump to a more detailed review of each product, and the best deals on them online.
1. Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3
The best waterproof speaker for most people
With a low price, small size and long battery life, the Wonderboom 3 ticks all the boxes you’d want from a waterproof speaker that you can take anywhere.
Read more below
2. Tribit Audio Stormbox Micro 2
The best budget waterproof speaker
Don’t let its small compact size and equally small price tag fool you, this hardy speaker is packed full of great features and has superb sound quality for its design.
Read more below
The best mid-range waterproof speaker
Sometimes simple is often best and JBL is simply the best at doing simple. Its limited features mean that the focus is on sound quality, with the added bonus of multipoint pairing.
Read more below
The best waterproof speaker with Wi-Fi
Sonos knows how to do portable speakers well and the Roam is the best it has ever made so far. It has powerful sound, a rugged design and excellent connectivity.
Read more below
The best waterproof speaker for audiophiles
Bluetooth speakers come in all shapes and sizes but B&O is our pick of the crop when it comes to great design and supremum sound. This is an audiophile’s dream for balanced audio.
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The best for charging your phone
No one wants to carry around more than they need to. Which is why this Bose speaker is our top pick for all-in-one solution as a charger for your devices and a waterproof speaker.
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Load the next 3 products…
The best waterproof speaker for battery life
If you’re looking for a tough and rugged speaker to take with you anywhere, then you don’t want the music to stop when you’re far from a plug, which won’t be a problem here.
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The best waterprood speaker for parties
The ultimate party speaker with serious power, strong audio performance, and an impressive 30 hours of battery for pumping the tunes all day and night.
Read more below
The best waterproof speaker for features
Smart sound modes, mic/guitar input, hi-res wireless support, long battery life, flashing lights, salt water resistance… this speaker has it all, and great sound too. But it’s big and pricey.
Read more below
Becky Scarrott
I’ve reviewed over 150 audio products since becoming a tech journalist, ranging from cheap Bluetooth speakers to high-end Hi-Res Audio music players. Before joining TechRadar, I spent three years at What Hi-Fi? testing everything the world of audio had to offer; before that, I was a professional dancer. My love of listening to music everywhere ties it all together, and goes into the choices in this guide.
September 11, 2024
Swapped the JBL Charge 5 for the Bose Soundlink Max as the top option for both charging your other devices and listening outdoors, based on our reviews and the fact the JBL device is getting on for more than 3 years old now.
The best waterproof speakers of 2024
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Below you’ll find full write-ups for each of the best waterproof speakers in our list. We’ve tested each one extensively, so you can be sure that our recommendations can be trusted.
The best waterproof speaker overall
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Ultimate Ears didn’t make that many upgrades to the Wonderboom 3 compared to its predecessor but sometimes if it ain’t broke, why fix it? The second-generation Ultimate Ears Wonderboom was at the top of our best waterproof speaker list long (long) after its 2019 debut but since it has been discontinued, we’ve since replaced it for this third-generation, which is just as rugged, loud and feature-rich.
Although the UE Wonderboom 3 looks nearly identical to its original mould (released in 2013) and the second-generation model, Ultimate Ears has added some small upgrades (albeit not many) to the Wonderboom 3, including increased battery life from 13 hours to 14 hours and an increased Bluetooth range from 100 to 131 feet. It can also still be paired with other UE Wonderboom speakers in either mono or stereo mode to amplify sound.
It’s only a small update, but with the Wonderboom 2 now discontinued, naturally this replaces it as the best waterproof speaker to suit most peoples’ needs. There are few small niggles, including a micro USB charging port instead of USB-C and a lack of 3.5mm aux-in, but putting those aside the Wonderboom 3 is still fantastic value for money if you’re looking for tunes on the go.
Read our full Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 review
The best budget waterproof speaker
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Haven’t heard of Tribit before? You’re not alone. The Chinese audio specialist doesn’t have the big-brand clout of heavy-hitters such as JBL, Sony and Bose in the best Bluetooth speaker realm. However, its latest speaker, the Stormbox Micro 2, is not only an improvement on the original Stormbox Micro, but is an extremely portable speaker that’s excellent value for money at only $60 / £60 (around AU$86) with features you’d never expect at this price and a beefy, crisp sound that will bring even more fun to your picnic, hike or campfire.
The Micro 2 is about the size of a stack of drinks coasters, and it has a handy strap on the underside so you can attach it to a bag strap or your bike’s handlebars. It weighs 315g and has an IP67 dust- and waterproof rating, making it perfect for taking to the beach, pool or anywhere else. It has 12 hours of battery life at moderate volume, which we found accurate during testing. This is great considering you’ll only get five from similarly-sized options such as the JBL Go 3.
You can also pair two Stormbox Micro 2 speakers together to get either ‘Party’ (read: mono) sound or create a stereo pair. Although it’s a little disappointing to see you must have two Micro 2s to pair them up at all, so you can’t daisy-chain other original Stormbox Micros as you can with JBL’s PartyBoost tech or the UE WonderBoom 2 and original Wonderboom. But that’s a relatively small gripe at this level.
Read our full Tribit Stormbox Micro 2 review
The best mid-range waterproof speaker
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The JBL Flip 6 is a prime example of a Bluetooth speaker that sticks to the basics, and gets it right. This rugged portable speaker is super simple to use, sounds good, and can be paired with up to 100 other JBL speakers at once to create a huge wall of sound.
You won’t find extra features like voice assistants or Wi-Fi connectivity, but the Flip 6 sounds so good that you won’t miss them. We found that its warm, well-balanced audio performance is far more powerful than you might expect from a speaker of this size, and while we felt that trebles can sound a little harsh at higher volumes, you’re getting plenty of clarity and detail.
A 12-hour battery life and IP67 water and dustproofing makes this an ideal speaker to take to the pool or beach, and it’s available in an array of eye-catching colors. It’s a shame it doesn’t have a port to charge your phone, like larger JBL Charge speakers do, but that’s not a big deal.
Like the JBL Flip 5 before it, the Flip 6 is an ideal speaker for anyone who wants to simply play their music, crank it up loud, sit back and enjoy – whether you’re listening at home or on the go.
Read the full JBL Flip 6 review
The best waterproof speaker for multi-room connectivity
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The Sonos Roam is our pick for the best Bluetooth speaker on the planet, and with an IP67 dust and water resistance rating, it can handle the great outdoors with ease. Following in the footsteps of the Sonos Move, the Sonos Roam comes with both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, which means it can work as an outdoor speaker as well as part of your wider multi-room Sonos system. Plus, with Google Assistant and Alexa onboard, it doubles up a smart speaker too.
During our tests, we found this mini Sonos speaker to deliver a powerful sound, and that alone makes it a sound investment, especially for the more discerning listeners. Add in its rugged design, excellent connectivity features, and smart home control, and you’re getting the full package. A bass-heavy audio performance makes it ideal for use outdoors, while a clever Automatic Switching feature means it’s easily used indoors, too – though audiophiles may take issue with the occasionally-overwhelming low frequencies.
Read our full Sonos Roam review
Check out our Sonos discount codes for our latest deals and savings.
The best waterproof speaker for sound
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Almost identical to the original A1, the Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd Gen) is an appealing and highly portable Bluetooth speaker that comes with (admittedly flawed) Alexa support without the need for Wi-Fi.
The puck- or even burger-shaped speaker looks sophisticated, while its IP67 water and dust resistance rating means it’s more robust than it looks, making it suitable for use outdoors and it can take a dunking.
We found that its crisp audio performance and 360-degree soundstage makes the A1 ideal for soundtracking small gatherings. The impeccable balance between bass, mid and treble means that compared to a lot of Bluetooth speakers, it’s like we were enjoying our favorite songs as if we were listening to them for the first time. Music is exciting, punchy and energetic, yet it achieves this without overloading the bass, or pushing the treble so far that it loses realism. It’s what you expect from B&O (and for a premium price), but still – this is the best smaller portable speaker for hardcore music lovers.
Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity means that the speaker is easy to pair with your smartphone, while built-in Alexa voice assistance means it can double up as a smart speaker. The A1 is the first speaker to offer Alexa support without needing to be connected to your home Wi-Fi network – and while this is impressive in itself, we did find that the voice assistant was sometimes quite slow to respond to our commands, since it’s routing over Bluetooth to your phone, and your phone is then making the request over whatever internet connection it has… which won’t always be great.
Read our full Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd Gen) review
The best waterproof speaker for charging and listening
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The Bose SoundLink Max is a wireless speaker with a big and punchy sound that competes with the best waterproof speakers in this guide for audio, robust build and features. But we recommend it the most for those who want a way to charge their devices as they listen to their tunes. The Bose SoundLink Max takes the place of the JBL Charge 5 in our guide. We still think the JBL Charge 5 is an excellent waterproof speaker, and a solid choice for charging, but it came out in 2021 – update it already, JBL!
As you’d expect, the Bose SoundLink Max has an IP67 rating, which means it can survive short periods in water and it’s dust-tight. But not only is it waterproof and dustproof, this speaker is built for the outdoors with a robust design and lots of silicone – which means it’ll happily withstand knocks and bumps. It also has a carry handle, and you can swap this out for a shoulder strap if you’re willing to pay a little extra.
Sound-wise, you can expect the best-in-class power and performance that Bose is known for. Especially the power. In our review, we wrote that the Bose SoundLink Max delivers “punchy, full-scale sound” and “is about as robustly assertive with low-end stuff as seems possible” with plenty of low-frequency grunt. However, we were quick to note this doesn’t mean the SoundLink Max is a blunt instrument. Instead, it’s tonally consistent across the whole range. The only thing it’s lacking in a little is detail, but that won’t stop it from being one impressive and powerful outdoorsy speaker.
There are some good features here, too. As well as USB-C charging for your other devices, there’s Aux-in and, if you own other Bose speakers, there’s ‘SimpleSync’ technology onboard. This is pretty self-explanatory, making it easy to sync up with other Bose speakers and soundbars if you have them. This isn’t a cheap speaker, but considering the robust, waterproof design, top sound and solid build, it’s worth it – especially if you’re already a fan of Bose devices.
Read our full Bose SoundLink Max review
The best waterproof speaker for battery life
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The Bang & Olufsen Beosound Explore is an excellent go anywhere, do anything Bluetooth speaker. Designed like a tall cappuccino, it has a striking look and an even more striking sound that’s both detailed and insightful.
While it’s certainly not the cheapest option on the market when it comes to portable Bluetooth speakers, the Beosound Explore is Bang & Olufsen’s most modestly-priced offering in the portability space.
It’s also very outdoor friendly, with a long-lasting battery life of 27 hours, Bluetooth 5.2 and a durable quality design that has a scratch-resistant hard anodised shell – it even comes with a bundled carabiner to attach it to your backpack.
Read our full Bang & Olufsen Beosound Explore review
The best waterproof speaker for parties
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The JBL Xtreme 4 is a tough and powerful speaker that’s our top pick for parties. It has an impressive 24 hours of playlist, which you can extend by six hours thanks to a Playtime Boost feature. That’s up to 30 hours of play, perfect for pumping out the tunes all day and night.
The JBL Xtreme 4 is powerful and sounds fantastic. It performs well at high volumes, delivering fun-sounding audio that performs well across the range. In our review, we said that it provides: “Well-defined high frequencies, full-bodied mids and a pumping bass.” But, you’ll probably have to tweak the EQ settings to find the right sound profile for you, especially if you want to boost the bass at a big party. A Sound Boost feature also uses AI smarts to predict speaker movement, which JBL says improves sound and reduces distortion.
At 2.1kg, it’s not the lightest or prettiest speaker on the list. This is a bulky device that our reviewer commented “is designed with utility and longevity in mind.” But a shoulder strap makes it portable, and an IP67 rating means it’s both waterproof and dustproof, ideal for parties at a pool or a beach.
We enjoyed this speaker a lot; it’s powerful, portable, reliable and performs exceptionally well. But it isn’t cheap – still, if you want the whole package and your budget allows it, the JBL Xtreme 4 is the perfect party companion.
Read our full JBL Xtreme 4 review
The best waterproof speaker for features
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This is a large, heavy and pricey Bluetooth speaker, but it’s absolutely crammed with tech option, which are all genuinely useful. It has two different bass-boost settings, with one focused on power of the bass, and one focused on the depth, so you can pick your low-end flavor of choice. It has Sony’s LDAC hi-res Bluetooth tech, it has a mic/guitar input for karaoke/jam sessions, it has aux-in, it has charging out, it automatically tweaks its sound in response to ambient noise so you can hear it better, it has multi-point pairing, it syncs with other Sony wireless speakers for even bigger sound… the list goes on.
And speaking of big sound, in our review we were impressed with how “despite this speaker focusing its efforts on heavy bass levels, it still delivers a balanced and pleasant listening experience across the board.” The bass doesn’t overwhelm things even with the boost modes on: “A good level of softness and detail are still detectable in vocals in ULT1 [deeper bass] mode – and even in the punchier ULT2 mode, voices still sound clear.”
The battery life of 30 hours appeared to be about on target in our testing (we got slightly less than that, but we had all the bells and whistles turned on, which Sony says will reduce the life below 30 hours, so fair enough), and we love that it has not only an IP67 rating, but Sony says it’s resistant to salt water too – that’s not actually included in the standard IP ratings, so it’s useful to know for beach fans. Our only design concerns are that its fabric and plastic outside won’t be too easy to clean for dirt and sand… and it’s a big, hefty beast. Well, and also, it looks a bit like a fancy ashtray when standing upright, but that’s not a big deal.
Read our full Sony ULT Field 7 review
How to choose the best waterproof speaker
The first thing you need to know is that the best outdoor waterproof speakers can protect the internal circuitry and drivers nestling inside your speaker from splashes, rain and water-based wear such as being dropped in puddles or pools.
But not all waterproof ratings are equal, and it’s vital that you get something that is at least IPX7 rated. Seen an IP67 speaker? Good, that means that in addition to waterproofing, the speaker has also been tested against sand and dust ingress — the ‘X’ in IPX7 just means the model hasn’t been tested for this. Planning to hang out at the beach a lot? Look for IP67.
The ‘7’ here signifies that the speaker can be submerged in a body of water up to 1m deep for up to half an hour, but you can now get IP68 speakers too, which can sink a little lower, to a maximum depth of 1.5m underwater for up to thirty minutes and still live to tell the tale.
As you’d expect, waterproof Bluetooth speakers such as these are also designed to be incredibly robust, rugged, and resistant to wear and tear, so you don’t have to worry about them toppling off your camping table or sun lounger and into the drink.
We’ve tested more than our share of waterproof speakers and we know what makes one a better choice than another. To help you choose the best one for you, we’ve gathered together the best of the best based on the factors above as well as sound quality, price, design, connectivity, and feature set.
Behold! Our top picks of the best waterproof speakers, along with our price comparison tool for the best Bluetooth speaker deals.
If portability and waterproofing aren’t your top priorities and you need excellent sound that never leaves your living room, take a look at our best party speakers guide or best wireless speakers roundup. Prefer a more intimate device to soundtrack your swims? Take a look at our best bone conduction headphones and our best waterproof headphones roundups. Otherwise, read on for our selection of the best waterproof speakers you can buy today.
Can you put an indoor speaker outside?
It’s possible, depending on the type of power output. A wireless speaker can be put anywhere, providing it’s near enough to its source device – smartphone, computer, or otherwise. Keep in mind indoor speakers won’t usually be waterproof, though. So it’s always best to get one built for the outdoors to be safe.
What’s a good wattage for outdoor speakers?
5W might be suitable for a quiet picnic, but you’ll want more for a bustling BBQ or party out of doors. For comparison, most smart TVs come with maximum 10W speakers.
How many outdoor speakers do I need?
This depends on the volume of the device and where you’re putting it. For covering various spots around a garden or yard, you may want several. If you do need more than one speaker, look for models that support stereo pairing for a convincing soundstage.
What’s the difference between waterproof and water-resistant speakers?
While waterproof and water-resistant aren’t synonymous, they roughly translate to ‘water won’t ruin it’.
When hunting for the best waterproof speaker for the great outdoors, look for its IP rating. This is how water resistance gadgets are categorized. You’ll see that IP mark, followed by two numbers – IP67 is one of the most common, and means the speaker can be submerged in water for up to 30 minutes. This is the one you want and means it’s a great option for waterproofing and one of the best outdoor speakers your money can buy.
Waterproof is the better of the two, as it usually carries an IP67 rating that means it can withstand to float in around a meter of water for a half-hour before it bites the dust.
Water-resistant, on the other hand, means it could survive a splash or two, but it’s not the kind of thing you’d just want to casually throw in the pool.
Of course waterproofing isn’t the only thing we looked for when picking out this list of the best outdoor speakers. We also considered factors such as sound quality, price and feature set, all of which helped establish a set of criteria that we could measure all speakers against. What you see above is the result of that effort – our definitive list of the best waterproof speakers.
How we test the best waterproof speakers
We test countless portable waterproof speakers every year at TechRadar, and that means we know exactly which features, IP ratings and specs to look out for.
It’s important for us to compare the performance of these speakers against the specs claimed by their manufacturers, which is why we take the time to make sure the stamina, durability and connectivity claims are legit. We don’t like doing it, but yes, we do submerge review samples in water when testing those waterproofing claims — because surviving a dunk in the pool is not the same as thriving, and you’ll probably want to carry on using it directly after the mishap.
We make sure to test each waterproof speaker in a range of environments and against its chief competitors too, so you can be sure that the product will work just as well in the great outdoors as it does in your home. We live with these speakers in our homes to make sure that their performances are consistent, and we don’t finalize our testing until we are certain of the sound quality.
In order to test the audio performance, we play a range of musical genres streamed from different sources – this helps us to get a sense of how the speakers handles hardcore bass, delicate treble and everything in between. We’ll try it with different levels of streaming quality to see if that affects things, and we’ll try spoken audio, such as podcasts.
After more years in this game than we’d care to admit, we are truly confident that our star-rated reviews are the best indication of the quality of the waterproof speakers in this list. There are no sales teams involved in our verdicts, which means if we don’t like it for sound, design, usability and features, we simply won’t recommend it here.
Latest updates to the best waterproof speakers
September 11, 2024
Swapped the JBL Charge 5 for the Bose Soundlink Max as the top option for both charging your other devices and listening outdoors, based on our reviews and the fact the JBL device is getting on for more than 3 years old now.
July 12, 2024
Swapped the Tribit Stormbox Blast for the JBL Xtreme 4 as the best option for parties based on current availability, and the better dust and waterproof rating of the JBL, as well as its lighter weight.
May 16, 2024
Swapped the Sony SRS-XG300 for the Sony ULT Field 7 as the best option for being packed with features, based on our review. The ULT 7 is bigger and more expensive, but comes with even more genuinely useful features.
February 13, 2024
Added in extra images from product reviews and an additional spec to each write-up that explains the waterproof rating of each speaker in this guide.
October 31, 2023
Updated lead image, added in quick menu navigation and swapped out the UE Wonderboom 2 for 3, the Anker Soundcore Flare 2 for the B&O Beosound Explore, the Cleer Audio Scene for the Sony SRS-XG300 and the JBL Boombox 2 for the Tribit Stormbox Blast.
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