One of the best waterproof speakers is essential if you want to take your music outside but don’t want to worry about rain or a quick dip in a pool or puddle.
In this guide we’ve tested and selected the best outdoor speakers with high IP ratings. The higher the IP rating, the better protection from water ingress. For example, an IPX4 rating it’ll handle splashes from any direction – ideal for unexpected showers. An IPX7 rating means a speaker can be submerged in water for 30 minutes – good for lakeside listening. IP67? That means it's dust-proof as well as waterproof.
We’ve spent years reviewing the best Bluetooth speakers, which means we know what audio quality, features and design specs to look out for. Every recommendation in this list is based on hours of testing in a range of environments. The result is a list of the best waterproof speakers you can buy right now, filled with recommendations that boast excellent water resistance, durable designs and high quality sound to suit a range of budgets.
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.
The best waterproof speaker for most people
We love this portable mug-sized design. It's ideal for outdoor gatherings with a boost feature specially for outdoor sound, solid battery life and an IP67 rating means it's dust- and waterproof – it even floats on water!
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 (it can even charge your phone!) and has superb sound quality for its design.
The best mid-range waterproof speaker
Sometimes simple is 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 – and it sounds very good indeed.
The best waterproof speaker with Wi-Fi
Sonos knows how to do portable speakers well and the Roam 2 is the best it has made so far. It has powerful sound, a rugged design and excellent connectivity.
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.
Read more below
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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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.
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.
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.
The best waterproof speaker for training
This bright and bold speaker is a fantastic choice for sports or warming up with a pre-match playlist. It's robust, gets incredibly loud and has a long-lasting battery.
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.
Recent updates
November 6, 2024
Rewrote the introduction. Added the Wonderboom 4 to replace the Wonderboom 3 as our 'best overall' pick based on recent testing. Added the Sonos Roam 2 in for the older Sonos Roam 1. Added the Loewe We Hear Pro vs Kylian Mbappé speaker as our 'best for training' pick after our recent review. Added an 'also consider' section to give readers more choice if they want alternative picks. Itemized our 'how to choose' and 'how we test' sections to make it easier to understand what to look out for and our review process.
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
Ultimate Ears continues its streak of producing reliable, high-performing Bluetooth speakers with the Wonderboom 4. Building on the success of the Wonderboom 3, this compact speaker is our top pick for most people because it's has impressive audio quality and a durable, travel-friendly design that's IP67-rated.
In our review, we noted that the Wonderboom 4 "punches well above its weight when it comes to both low-end oomph and overall clarity." Expect a robust bass, rich sound, a well-balanced soundstage, and excellent clarity at higher volumes. While it’s great for outdoor listening, it’s more suited for picnics than larger gatherings – its sound is loud, but not enough for a big outdoor party. The Outdoor Boost feature helps by lowering bass and enhancing treble for better outdoor sound, though it does reduce some clarity.
Weighing only 420g, the Wonderboom 4 is compact and easy to carry, fitting comfortably in any bag. True to the Ultimate Ears style, it’s available in vibrant colors like Active Black, Hyper Pink, and Joyous Bright. Small but tough, it has an IP67 rating for water and dust resistance – and it even floats in water! It's also drop-proof from up to 1.5 meters, making it a great companion for travel, adventures, and hassle-free listening.
The Wonderboom 4 delivers excellent value, combining sound quality, portability, and durability. It's worth mentioning that recent discounts on the Wonderboom 3 may make it a solid choice for budget-conscious buyers who keep their eyes peeled during sales. But consider the Wonderboom 4 a fantastic all-around upgrade if you can afford it.
Read our full Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 review
The best budget waterproof speaker
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
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
The Sonos Roam 2 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 and the original Sonos Roam, it 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.
Sonos fixed the biggest gripe we had with the original Roam by adding a dedicated Bluetooth pairing button – above the power button – on the back. You can easily connect by just holding it down, seeing the light on the front switch to a glowing blue, and connecting from your phone. It means you now know you're using Bluetooth rather than Wi-Fi and also eliminates the need to fire up the Sonos app to use the Roam. And even in Bluetooth mode (as many will need to use it outdoors and away from their home network), it delivers a rich playback experience.
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. It's not the biggest speaker for an outdoor party, you understand, but for its dimensions it serves up excellent audio.
Read our full Sonos Roam 2 review
Check out our Sonos discount codes for our latest deals and savings.
The best waterproof speaker for sound
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
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
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
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