If you want to party anywhere, it's clear you need a wireless outdoor speaker. Ideally, you need one that's drop-proof, rain-proof, and party-proof.
To help you kick your party to the next level, here are several of the best wireless outdoor speakers available to buy right now.
The UE Hyperboom is the premium product in Ultimate Ears' range of outdoor portable speakers. That means it has the highest price tag but also boasts the best sound and audio quality. To give you a sense of the difference, the UE Hyperboom goes three times louder and offers six times more base than the company's hugely popular Megaboom 3 portable speaker.
Another cool feature is the charge out ability. It means you can use the speaker to give your phone a power boost---it's ideal for if you're partying a long way from a power source.
But it's not all perfect. The UE Hyperboom only has an IPX4 waterproof rating, meaning that although the speaker is splash-proof, it cannot handle more substantial amounts of liquid. As such, the Hyperboom might not be ideal for poolside shenanigans.
- Extreme bass levels
- 150-foot Bluetooth range
- Includes precision woofers, passive radiators, and soft-dome tweeters
- Brand: Ultimate Ears
- Connectivity: Bluetooth
- Battery: 24 hours
- Water Resistance: IPX4
- Protected from splashes
- Massive battery life
- Adaptive equalizer feature
- No Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant
- No charging dock
- No Wi-Fi connectivity
The Sonos Move is the company's first foray into the outdoor portable speaker market. When you're at home, you can connect the device to your local Wi-Fi network to stream your music. If you venture further afield, you can switch to Bluetooth.
The speaker comes with 11 hours of battery life (with a lithium-ion battery that will last for 900 recharge cycles before deteriorating). Recharging can be done via the included recharging base or a standard USB-C cable.
Importantly for an outdoor speaker, the Sonos Move boasts an IP56 rating to protect the speaker against rain and sand, as well as a hard-wearing, shock-resistant case to protect the components against drops, bumps, and the wear-and-tear of travel.
- Downward-firing tweeter
- Integrated mid-woofer
- Resistant to heavy splashing, rain, and fine dust
- Brand: Sonos
- Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-FI
- Integrations: Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant
- Battery: 11 hours
- Water Resistance: IP56
- Easy-to-use recharging base
- Voice control
- Supports Apple AirPlay 2
- Not wall-mountable
- Cannot be used as surround sound speakers
- Does not pair with the Sonos subwoofer
The Bose SoundLink Revolve+ is one of the best portable Bluetooth speakers you can buy right now.
With Bose-quality audio, the 360-degree sound is as good as you would expect. If you're an audiophile who is debating between this model and the Bose SoundLink Color II, go for the Revolve+ every time.
In addition to the significant step up in sound quality, you also get a much longer battery life. The Revolve+ offers 16 hours compared to the Color II's eight hours.
The speaker is beautifully designed and looks great on a tripod or tabletop when you're entertaining outdoors. It is less suitable for being thrown in a bag and carried around.
- 16-hour battery life
- 360-degree sound
- Can attach to tripod
- Brand: Bose
- Connectivity: Bluetooth
- Integrations: Siri, Google Assistant
- Battery: 16 hours
- Water Resistance: IPX4
- Supports Siri
- Can pair with other speakers for stereo sound
- Beautiful design
- Optional charging cradle
- Expensive
- Not designed for rugged use
Given the small size of the Bose SoundLink Color II (just 2.2 x 5 x 5.2 inches), the amount of sound it can deliver is impressive. Of course, that sound comes with the Bose seal of approval; the company has a reputation for incredible audio across all its products.
Away from the audio, some other features should put the SoundLink Color II near the top of your shopping list. They include support for Apple's Siri assistant (unusual in the world of portable speakers), NFC connectivity, and a built-in microphone so you can use the speaker to take calls hands-free.
The extra features do have a tradeoff in battery life. The speaker can only last for eight hours, so it isn't suitable for long trips.
- Built-in mic
- 8-hour battery life
- Weighs 1.2 pounds
- Brand: Bose
- Connectivity: Bluetooth, NFC
- Integrations: Siri, Google Assistant
- Battery: 8 hours
- Water Resistance: IPX4
- Supports voice prompts
- Can be paired together for stereo sound
- Supports Siri
- Battery life could be better
- Cannot withstand water submersion
- No Amazon Alexa
The UE Megaboom 3 is one of our favorite wireless outdoor speakers on the market. As you'd expect for a UE speaker, the audio output is crisp and loud (up to 90 decibels). But it is the speaker's other features that help it to stand out.
For example, not only does it have an IP67 rating (meaning the speaker is fully waterproof), but it also floats; if you knock it in the pool or off the side of a boat while on holiday, it will be easy to retrieve. Battery recharging is done via USB-C or a charging base (sold separately).
You can also pair up to eight Bluetooth devices in the speaker's memory and connect two sources simultaneously. If you've ever been to a party, you'll know that the battle for control of the music is a major talking point, so the dual connection will help relieve some of the tension.
- Maximum sound level of 90dBA
- 360-degree sound
- Connect with up to 150 other UE Boom speakers for large-scale surround sound
- Brand: Ultimate Ears
- Connectivity: Bluetooth
- Battery: 20 hours
- Water Resistance: IP67
- Available in four colors
- Includes strap for hanging on wall hooks
- 150-foot Bluetooth range
- Fully waterproof
- No support for voice assistants
- No Wi-Fi connectivity
6. AmazonBasics Bluetooth Stereo Speaker
If you've never bought anything from the AmazonBasics range of products, it's worth checking out. The products are all well-made and extremely affordable. The AmazonBasics Bluetooth Stereo Speaker is no different.
It has a 15-watt speaker (which is loud, but not loud enough to be heard over dozens of people in large parties), water resistance (although Amazon does not make clear what IP rating the device has), and a lithium-ion battery that will last for seven hours.
Amazon does offer some even cheaper portable speakers in its Basics range, but they do not have water protection, so their use cases are more limited. The speaker is available in black, blue, and red.
- 15 watt speaker
- Water resistant (IP rating not provided)
- AUX input available
- Brand: Amazon
- Connectivity: Bluetooth
- Battery: 7 hours
- Water Resistance: Yes
- Lightweight
- Incredibly affordable
- Mirco-USB charging
- Available in three colors
- Not very robust
- Buttons do not light up
- Volume settings not remembered when powered off
The JBL Charge 4 is trying to compete with the UE speakers, mostly doing an impressive job. It delivers a balanced and powerful sound experience. The two passive radiators at each end of the device add a new quality to the bass, something missing on previous editions.
Thanks to the speaker's power-out capabilities, you can draw some juice from the 20-hour battery to top up your phone or other devices. That, along with the sturdiness of the Charge 4, makes it an ideal companion for camping trips and hikes.
The 12 colors let users add some personality, but the speaker is not as pleasing to the eye as some other similarly-priced models.
- 30-watt speakers
- Bluetooth connection
- Dual-passive radiators
- Brand: JBL
- Connectivity: Bluetooth
- Battery: 20 hours
- Water Resistance: IPX7
- Available in 12 colors
- Improved bass compared to earlier models
- Can be submersed in water
- 20-hour battery life
- No Wi-Fi connection
- Plain design
- Struggles at high volume
FAQ
Q: How to Choose a Wireless Bluetooth Speaker
Decide what is important to you before you make a decision. Some key questions to consider include:
- Where will you use it?
- How loud do you need it to be?
- Do you use any voice assistants?
- Would a wired option be better?
Q: Are Wired Outdoor Speakers Available?
Absolutely. If you want a speaker you can move around, the models we've looked at are all great options. However, if you need a permanent solution for your home, weather-proof wired outdoor speakers are also available.
Q: Are Bluetooth Speakers Easy to Set Up?
Yes, you can pair them to your phone like you would with any other wireless device. Music playback is done through the official apps from Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, or Apple Music.
