The best outdoor speaker allow users to take their music with them without compromising on sound or worrying about the weather.
An outdoor speaker is designed to survive whatever Mother Nature (or you) can throw at it. As such the speakers on this list can resist dust or water, are designed to survive any accidental knocks or drops and deliver an audio performance as good as speakers made for the home.
We’ve tested these portable speakers inside our homes and outdoors, to understand how they operate, as well as going through their feature list with a fine tooth comb to make sure they work as intended.
If an outdoor speaker isn’t what you’re after, then our best list of more conventional Bluetooth speakers may be to your liking. Or you could also have a look at our best smart speaker page and best multi-room speaker options.
How we test
We play a lot of music, and we play it loud. We play it everywhere – in the house, in the garden, and even in the bath if a speaker is waterproof.
We don’t just listen to the speakers; if there are special features then we make sure we fiddle with them until we’re satisfied. Some Bluetooth speakers have smart functionality, and as a result we’ve started speaking to our speakers as well. With portable speakers we take them outside and listen to them to get a feel for how they sound in the great outdoors.
Of course, it always comes back to the music. Speakers are tested by reviewers who have a love of music, a knowledge of sound quality, as well as a context of the market. We’ll listen to Bluetooth speakers alongside similarly priced rivals, so when we recommend a particular model, it’s among the best you can buy for the money.
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- Great sound quality
- Deeper bass than the Xtreme 2
- Highly portable despite substantial size
- Almost no smart features
- Sound isn’t quite as measured as the Xtreme 2’s
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- Clear, detailed performance
- Can be used indoors and out
- Easy to use
- Good looks
- Bass lacks excitement
- Not fully waterproofed
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- Clear, detailed sound
- Long-battery life (with a few caveats)
- Big bass
- Design an improvement over the PK7
- Treble could be better
- On the heavy side
- No aptX/aptX-HD
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- Rugged design
- Entertaining sound
- Nice control interface
- Stylish looks
- Other speakers deliver more precision and clarity
- Slightly soft bass
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- Big and fun sound
- 20 hour+ battery life
- Distinctive look
- Expensive
- Not the most articulate presentation
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- Big, powerful sound
- Confident bass performance
- Can work like any other Sonos speaker
- Voice assistant and multi-room capability
- Expensive
- Not exactly portable
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- Excellent, neutral-sounding performance
- Well built
- New features are useful
- Easy to use
- Auto Trueplay
- Sonos S2 little flaky with new features
- Rather functional looks
- Wireless charging plate an optional extra
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- Clear and detailed performance
- Dust and waterproof
- Good, smart design
- Affordable price
- Not the most directional sound
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- Great rugged features
- Loud, clean “360-degree” sound
- Smart-looking design
- No aux input
- Some rivals offer deeper bass and a better soundstage
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- Big sound
- Easy to use
- 13-hour battery life
- Outdoor Boost mode
- Not much of note
Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2
A small wonder of a portable speaker
Pros
- Huge sound
- Easy to use
- 13-hour battery life
- Useful Outdoor Boost mode
Cons
- Not much of note
Almost identical to the original Wonderboom, the Wonderboom 2 brings with it a few important tweaks.
New features arrive in Outdoor Boost and Double Up modes; the former boosting the mid-range when the speaker is outside and the latter introduces stereo pairing. And for such a small unit, the Wonderboom 2 is surprisingly loud and energetic.
Its IP67 rating ensures it can survive wet conditions, and with 13 hours of battery life, you’ve got plenty of time to enjoy its fun sound.
Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full review: Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2
Sonos Roam
The true portable Sonos speaker
Pros
- Excellent, neutral-sounding performance
- Well built
- New features are useful
- Easy to use Auto Trueplay
Cons
- Sonos S2 can be a little flaky with new features
- Lacks visual pizzazz
- Wireless charging plate optional
The Sonos Roam is what we envisaged the Sonos Move would be. Both operate as a Sonos-like speaker in the home, but out of the two, the Roam is easily the more portable.
Few wireless speakers combine Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, as well as function as a smart speaker, for the Roam’s asking price. It’s easy to use, the build quality is tough enough to survive scrapes and the 10-hour battery is around what we’d expect.
It sounds terrific: natural, detailed and clear and certainly within the same sounding realm as Sonos’ more expensive speakers. It’s a bit light on bass, but that’s not surprising given its small size. For existing Sonos owners it makes plenty of sense as it extends the Sonos sound into the outdoors. For everyone else it’s the cheapest way into the world of Sonos.
Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full review: Sonos Roam
Bang and Olufsen Beosound A1 2nd Gen
Hi-fi sound for the outdoors
Pros
- Excellent sound
- Portable
- Alexa support
- Great style
- Waterproof design
Cons
- Still pricey
The A1 2nd gen is the world’s first Bluetooth-only speaker to support Alexa. But more than that, it’s a portable speaker with excellent audio.
Alexa works by communicating via the Bluetooth signal from your phone, providing answers to your queries without much in the way of hiccups. The speaker is fully water- and dustproof, but at £200 it’s not a speaker to be careless with anyway.
It is the audio that makes the biggest impression: detailed, clear and boasting plenty of bass from a small form factor. It’s a wonderfully expressive effort.
Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full review: Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 2nd Gen
Sonos Move
An outdoor speaker that adapts to its surroundings
Pros
- Big, powerful sound
- Confident bass performance
- Works like any other Sonos speaker
- Voice assistant and multi-room capability
Cons
- Expensive
- Not exactly portable
The Move is Sonos’ first Bluetooth speaker, and can be used in the home or outdoors. It marks the first instance of Sonos’ Auto Trueplay feature, which adapts the sound to fit its environment. It’s tough enough to survive some falls and inclement weather, plus its IP56 rating guards it against dust, water, mud and the like.
It’s a big, powerful speaker with an assured bass performance – and while it isn’t exactly portable at 3kg, it’s one of the most versatile speakers on this list.
Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full review: Sonos Move
LG XBOOM PL7
A fun party speaker
Pros
- Clear, detailed sound
- Long-battery life (with a few caveats)
- Big bass
- Design an improvement over the PK7
Cons
- Treble could be better
- On the heavy side
- No aptX/aptX-HD
The XBOOM PL7 is big and tips the scales at 1.4kg, but is less bulky than its PK7 predecessor and looks less like a toy, too. Battery life is 24 hours at 50% volume, which should be enough time to gallivant around a garden or park. The IPX5 water resistance is enough to shield it from some mild inclement weather, but we’d avoid using it around a pool in case it falls in.
The loss of aptX-HD from the PK7 is noted, but the sound quality still impresses. The delivery belies its XBOOM name with a controlled but weighty sound. It’s not a particularly wide soundstage but the bass is tightly delivered and dynamically it entertains.
Some may find the light show that accompanies the performance gimmicky, but we like it as it gives the XBOOM some personality. It’s an unabashed party speaker with a sound that’s more mature than you’d expect.
Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full review: LG XBOOM Go PL7
KitSound Diggit 55
An outdoor speaker you can stick in the ground
Pros
- Clear, detailed performance
- Can be used indoors and out
- Easy to use
- Good looks
Cons
- Bass lacks excitement
- Not fully waterproofed
KitSound’s Diggit 55 impresses both as indoor and outdoor speaker. While indoors it can be used as a conventional Bluetooth speaker, outdoors there’s the option of planting it into the ground with a stake. The benefit is that it allows sound to travel further instead of being absorbed by the earth, and in our testing we found it live up to the marketing hype.
The Diggit 55 can be stereo paired with another, with left and right channels filling a decently-sized garden. It’s not fully waterproof, so we wouldn’t leave it close to a pool or outside in the rain. Battery is improved over the original and we like the Outdoor EQ mode too, which offers more scale and volume.
The mid-range of the KitSound is its best characteristic, sounding natural, detailed and clear. Treble frequencies are handled well enough, though bass is tepid with its flat and uniform description. While it’s not geared to more critical listening, we’d heartily recommend the Diggit 55.
Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full review: KitSound Diggit 55
Marshall Emberton
Marshall’s Stylish and rugged outdoor contender
Pros
- Rugged design
- Entertaining sound
- Nice control interface
- Stylish looks
Cons
- Other speakers deliver more precision and clarity
- Slightly soft bass
Marshall’s smallest speaker combines a stylish and rugged build with enjoyable audio.
The Emberton doesn’t feature a carry strap, which may slightly hamper its portable credentials. But its design means it can survive whatever nature throws at it, and with battery life at 20+ hours, it has has enough energy to last almost a day.
The audio quality is entertaining, packing that signature Marshall energy but not going overboard with it. Vocals come across clearly, there’s detail to be found and the Stereophonic feature means wherever you’re sitting you’re getting a similar-sounding performance.
Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full review: Marshall Emberton
Tribit Stormbox Micro
A cheap and versatile portable speaker
Pros
- Clear and detailed performance
- Dust and waterproof
- Good, smart design
- Affordable price
Cons
- Not the most directional-sounding speaker
The Stormbox Micro is a small speaker that packs a big surprise. It’s the first effort we’ve heard from Tribit and we can’t wait to hear what else they have in store.
The Micro’s tear-resistant strap allows it to be placed on a handlebar of a bicycle or attached to a backpack. The 8-hour battery life is slightly less than what we’ve come to expect, while its IP67 ratings protect it from dust and water.
The sound is much better than we’d imagined, with bass bigger than expected and audio cleanly delivered and detailed. Considering its size it doesn’t pitch the broadest of sounds, nor is it the most directional sounding of speakers. Nevertheless, the Tribit is great value for £40.
Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full review: Tribit Micro Stormbox
Ultimate Ears Wonderboom
Nigh-on unbreakable
Pros
- Pretty much unbreakable
- Solid battery life
- Ridiculously loud
Cons
- Doesn’t handle mid-range well
If you’re after a Bluetooth speaker for your travels but don’t want to spend a small fortune, the original Wonderboom is still available.
Small and rugged, it can survive submersion into water at 1m for 30 minutes, meaning it’s great for pool parties. 10 hours of battery before it conks out is still a respectable figure – and, as is usual from Ultimate Ears, the Wonderoom delivers a big sound with plenty of bass.
Reviewer: Alastair Stevenson
Full review: Ultimate Ears Wonderboom
JBL Xtreme 3
A portable speaker that’s all about that bass
Pros
- Great sound quality
- Deeper bass than the Xtreme 2
- Highly portable despite substantial size
Cons
- Almost no smart features Sound isn’t quite as measured as the Xtreme 2’s
The JBL Xtreme 3 is a wireless speaker tailor made for the outdoors. For those not interested in multi-room or digital assistants, this is a good alternative to the Sonos Roam.
It is quite heavy at nearly 2kg, but its size gets you up to 15-hours of battery life – more than enough for a day’s frolicking outside. The IP67 rating provides waterproofing and protection from dust, so it’s very rugged and durable. The shoulder strap adds another element of portability, too. It’s not particularly stylish, but that’s not really the point.
Compared to the Xtreme 2, the 3rd gen version digs deeper into the low frequency range, serving a bit more impact and punch. It perhaps doesn’t quite offer the same mid-range performance as its predecessor, but we’d say they’re roughly equal when all is said and done.
Reviewer: Andrew Williams
Full review: JBL Xtreme 3
Marshall Tufton
Marshall’s biggest speaker is a party starter
Pros
- Big, energetic and fun sound
- 20 hour+ battery life
- Distinctive looks
Cons
- Expensive
- Not the most articulate
- No smarts
The Tufton is the biggest speaker in Marshall’s portable range – but like the Sonos Move, it’s not quite truly portable.
For one, it’s big, and although the IPX2 rating protects it from some water splashes, this doesn’t cover being caught out in the British weather. At £349 it’s expensive, and you’ll need to feed it songs that work to its characteristics – but there’s a reason it’s on this list.
It offers a big, powerful and energetic sound. This speaker is infectiously fun, and with its distinctive looks the Tufton is a great way to get an outdoor party started.
Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full review: Marshall Tufton
Ultimate Ears Boom 3
Another UE speaker that’s ready for adventure
Pros
- Great rugged features
- Loud, clean “360-degree” sound
- Smart-looking design
Cons
- No aux input
- Some rivals offer deeper bass and a better soundstage
The Boom 3 is the Goldilocks of UE’s portable range of wireless speakers. It’s neither too big, or too small, and plays music very loud. With a clean and stylish look, the Boom 3 isn’t only waterproof, it floats too. Other speakers pip it for sound quality, but the Boom 3 is a fun speaker nevertheless.
Reviewer: Andrew Williams
Full review: Ultimate Ears Boom 3
FAQs
IP stands for Ingress Protection, and it refers to a products ability to withstand ingress of dust and water. The higher the rating a product has, the better the protection.
If power is what you want, then you’d be looking at a bigger speaker, such as the B&O Beolit 20, Marshall Tufton and Sonos Move.
B&O’s Beosound A1 2nd Gen is one of the best-sounding portable speakers we’ve tested, with excellent clarity and good bass for its size.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.