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The best outdoor speakers

Michael Bizzaco
Parker Hall
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We’ve looked at numerous options for speakers designed for outdoor use, and the Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3 is our choice as the best all-around. With a winning trifecta of incredible sound, a diehard battery, and a rugged design that is ideal for crowd-pleasing, it’s the clear standout in a sea of speakers.

There are plenty of other good choices on our list, which we chose after hundreds of hours evaluating key criteria like sound quality, portability, water and dust resistance, ruggedness, battery life, ease of use, and, of course, value. We also considered scenarios like permanent wired installations and times when a portable speaker would be preferable. Follow below to find the best outdoor speakers for any situation.

Best outdoor speakers at a glance

Best outdoor speaker: Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Why you should buy it: You’re on the hunt for a speaker that offers the perfect blend of sound quality, battery life, and rugged durability.

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Who’s it for: Those who don’t mind paying extra for a tough, go-anywhere speaker that also sounds fantastic.

Why we picked the Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3

If you want something to really pump up your next pool party, and you’ve got some cash to burn, the Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3 is the ticket. The speaker improves on its less “mega” little brother, the UE Boom 2, with boosted bass response, excellent battery life, and an exterior shell that can take a beating and keep the tunes bumping.

Like most Bluetooth speakers, the Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3 has extras like an onboard speaker phone and a charging port for your smartphone, and it also has a class-leading wireless range of up to 100 feet. It’s a bit spendy for a rugged Bluetooth speaker, but its mixture of excellent sound and plenty of extras, including up to 20 hours of battery run time, makes this one of the best outdoor speakers around.

Read our full Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3 review

Best outdoor speaker under $100: JBL Flip 4

JBL Flip 4 bluetooth speaker
Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Why you should buy it: You want a small, powerful, waterproof speaker, and don’t want to pay through the nose.

Who’s it for: Everyone from outdoor adventurers to poolside loungers.

Why we picked the JBL Flip 4:

Making an outdoor speaker both good, and affordable is one thing. Making it robust enough to deal with the demands of outdoor activities, while not compromising the first two qualities? That’s impressive, which is why we picked the JBL Flip 4.

With a fun, (or possibly frustrating) ability to be linked to two phones simultaneously, the Flip 4 is waterproofed with an IPX7 rating, so it’s guaranteed pool-worthy. Battery life, while not massive at 12 hours, is still plenty for an entire day’s worth of tunes.

Its sound won’t compete with the MegaBoom 3, but considering it’s much cheaper price point, that’s not surprising. The key is that — despite its low price — it doesn’t sound like an inexpensive speaker, as it can get plenty loud, and manages to do so without overpowering either the low or high ends. All of that for a speaker in sub-$100 territory makes the JBL Flip 4 a very solid choice.

Read our full JBL Flip 4 review

Best outdoor speaker for pools or the beach: Ultimate Ears Wonderboom

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Why you should buy it: You’re looking for tiny a ball of sound to revolve around your floating recliner.

Who’s it for: Those who don’t want to give up their tunes, even in the pool or on the lake.

Why we picked the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom:

The perfect listening companion for the water-bound among us comes in the form of the softball-sized Ultimate Ears Wonderboom. A floating sphere of sound that can be fully submerged in 3 feet of water for 30 minutes,  the Wonderboom is also perfect for the clumsy among us. Along with being waterproof, the speaker is shock resistant and able to withstand falls up to five feet without issue. Dual 40mm drivers take your music to a relatively powerful 86dB — about the volume of a home blender — meaning you’ll never be away from your favorite tunes, even among the excitable shouts of children in the water.

Read our full Ultimate Ears Wonderboom review

Best portable speaker for voice assistants: Bose Portable Home Speaker

Bose Portable Home Speaker on the beach
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Why you should buy it: You’re eager to incorporate Alexa or Google Assistant into your portable listening experience.

Who’s it for: Those who want impressive sound, reliable performance, and smart capabilities.

Why we picked the Bose Portable Home Speaker:

Bose continues its tradition of powerful sound and cutting-edge features with this IPX4-rated speaker. Delivering 360 degrees of rich audio, the Portable Home Speaker is a solid contender for any patio lunch, a round of backyard croquet, or ambient tunes for those days when you just want to lounge around the house.

The rechargeable battery lasts for up to 12 hours, so you can blast tunes all day and charge all night. Assuming you’re within Wi-Fi range, you can also link and control the speaker with both Alexa and Google Assistant, allowing you to quickly stream your favorite playlist, set a timer, or tap into your local weather report, among other things. The Portable Home Speaker is a part of Bose’s larger smart-home family, too, which means you can pair and group the device with other Bose SoundLink products, including both stand-alone speakers and home theater soundbars.

Read our full Bose Portable Home Speaker review

Best HiFi outdoor speaker: Klipsch AWR-650-SM

Klipsch AWR-650
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Why you should buy it: You’ve just finished landscaping your backyard paradise, but you’re missing the music.

Who’s it for: Those who want to jam out in their yard, but don’t want unsightly speakers getting in the way of the natural aesthetic.

Why we picked the Klipsch AWR-650-SM:

If you’re looking for high-quality sound that doesn’t obstruct your view, there’s perhaps no better choice in the outdoor market than the cleverly disguised AWR-650-SM from Klipsch. Yard-ready audio devices designed to look like large rocks, the ARW-650-SM comes in both granite and sandstone colors. Each speaker features dual 3/4-inch tweeters and dual 6.5-inch woofers, delivering dynamic audio to every corner of your yard. And of course, Klipsch claims each speaker is weather- and UV-resistant for long-term use.

The Klipsch AWR-650-SM must be wired to a dedicated or dual-zone amplifier or receiver, and those looking to set up a pair for long-term listening may want to hire a professional contractor to properly install them. Still, if you’re looking for powerful sound that appears to come from nowhere — and you don’t need to take your favorite tunes with you on the go — these are a fantastic option.

Best outdoor speaker for bass: Anker Soundcore Motion+

Anker SoundCore Motion+ being controlled by phone
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Why you should buy it: It’s tough as nails and delivers a big, boomy sound in a package that’s still highly portable.

Who’s it for: Those who want big bass in an outdoor speaker that’s nearly indestructible.

Why we picked the Anker SoundCore Motion+ Bluetooth Speaker:

The SoundCore Motion+ is sure to satisfy even the most stringent of outdoor audiophiles. Powered by the Qualcomm aptX and High-Res Audio codecs, the Motion+ performs more like a mighty home-theater rig than a portable speaker. For those seeking the rumbles of a premium sub, the Anker Soundcore Motion+ has got you covered there, too. Harnessing Anker’s advanced DSP processing and high-grade neodymium woofers, bass sounds amazing at both high and low volumes, and is only further enhanced by Anker’s onboard BassUp technology. The IPX7 waterproof shell just means you can rock out by the poolside without worrying about your speaker getting wet, and the battery features a 12-hour runtime, perfect for those long summer nights.

Research and buying tips

Will outdoor speakers work with a TV or projector?

Yes, but we only recommend wired models for this task. Wired outdoor speakers are no different than their indoor siblings: If you connect them to an A/V receiver that is also connected to a TV or projector, you’ll get the same great sound. Bluetooth outdoor speakers could also work in theory, but there are two major drawbacks.

The first is finding a way to connect them to your source. Most TVs and projectors do not support Bluetooth audio natively, which means you’ll need to buy an external Bluetooth stereo gateway.

Also, even if you successfully pair your Bluetooth speaker this way, be prepared for some noticeable lag between what you see and what you hear. It’s not a problem when listening to Spotify, but brutal when watching actors speak their lines.

Are outdoor speakers suitable for an RV?

Portable outdoor speakers with built-in batteries are a great solution for life in an RV. Their go-anywhere design and weather-proof hardware are ideal for road trips of any length. We don’t recommend wired outdoor speakers unless your RV has a compatible sound system.

Can I use outdoor speakers inside?

Absolutely. Outdoor speakers are really just indoor speakers that have had their components ruggedized, and/or sealed against water and dust. They will perform just fine indoors, but keep in mind, it’s unlikely that a $200 outdoor speaker will sound as good inside as a $200 indoor speaker. All of that extra weatherproofing is expensive, and the manufacturer may have compromised on audio quality in favor of versatility.

What if I want my outdoor speakers to match my landscaping?

No problem! There are lots of wired outdoor speakers disguised as rocks and other landscaping features, to help them blend seamlessly into your yard. The Klipsch AWR-650-SM speakers we list above are a great example, but there are many others, too. You will even come across wireless models like this one made by Ion, but we think most people will be happier with wired models, because of their greater power and superior sound.

Can outdoor speakers be mounted?

Yes, but this is a feature most commonly found on wired outdoor speakers. Wireless models, because of their flexibility of placement, are rarely designed to be mounted to a surface.

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Michael Bizzaco
Michael Bizzaco
Michael Bizzaco has been writing about and working with consumer tech for well over a decade, writing about everything from…
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