Gone are the days of wishing you could take your hi-fi setup and plonk it outdoors. The arrival of portable Bluetooth speakers has meant that listeners are no longer tethered to the indoors for their tunes, allowing music to be played at any time, anywhere and at a pretty remarkable standard. Brands such as JBL and Ultimate Ears have led the charge, with the go-anywhere speaker market growing massively over the past 15 or so years.
No wonder, as everyone wants the convenience of loud, portable sound without the need for trailing wires or tricky setups. That said, it's hard to know where to start in this crowded corner of the market. Thanks to our exhaustive hands-on testing and extensive experience in this sector, you can bet we'll have sniffed out the ideal model for your needs.
Perhaps more than any, 2024 has been the year of the Bluetooth speaker. The Beats Pill has returned and made its way straight into our also consider section, Bose unveiled its superb SoundLink Max, while JBL enjoyed more five-star success with the excellent Go 4.
Find out more about our testing process or keep scrolling to see our pick of the best outdoor speakers currently available.
Recent updates
October 29th: We've made changes to our list order labelled our recent What Hi-Fi? Awards 2024 winners.
The quick list
The Charge 5 is currently as good a sound as you can get in a portable Bluetooth speaker for under £200/$200. It is just superb.
With its diminutive dimensions, 12-hour battery life and punchy bass, the Flip 6 is the ideal travel companion.
A tiny budget speaker that makes a big impact – if you’re watching the pennies there’s no better option right now than Tribit's Stormbox Micro 2.
The Xtreme 4 looks big and bruising, but its sound is refined, mature and very satisfying.
The UE Wonderboom 3 has the rather impressive distinction of being able to float in water. Plus, it looks funky and sounds rather decent.
I'm a senior staff writer who has listened to and reviewed dozens of products - from Bluetooth speakers to truckloads of wireless headphones - during my time at What Hi-Fi?. I have first-hand experience with all of the models below, all of which I can recommend given their respective sound profiles, spec sheets and durable builds. Bluetooth speakers, especially outdoorsy ones, are big business right now, so I'm here to help you navigate this endlessly rewarding corner of the market, assessing how they sound, how they'll cope with the pressures and strains of outdoor use and the sorts of features you'll receive with your potential new purchase.
Best outdoor speaker overall
In the arena of outdoor speakers, few models come close to the might of the JBL Charge 5.
The Award-winning Charge 5 is even more durable and hardwearing than the four Charges that came before it, and while its predecessor carried an IPX7 rating for handling water submergence to a depth of 1.5m, the IP67-rated Charge 5 builds on that durability by also being fully dustproof.
Thanks in part to its 10W tweeter and racetrack-shaped driver, the Charge 5 is pretty much as good a sound as you can get in an outdoor speaker design for under £200 ($200 / AU$300), although the arrival of the slightly more expensive Charge 5 Wi-Fi (£230 / $230 / AU$330) has made things a tad more complex. Still, the inherent qualities of the classic Charge 5, specifically its invigorating, cohesive listen with lots of punch, body and rhythmic drive, make it a winner.
Yes, the Charge 5 Wi-Fi offers a slightly more refined sound and more flexible wi-fi-enabled capabilities such as AirPlay 2 and Alexa Multiroom, but the Charge 5 remains a superb portable speaker that offers enjoyable audio in a handsome, durable package. JBL has plenty more Bluetooth speaker options in the Charge 5 Wi-Fi and Flip 6 (below), but the standard Charge 5 remains a surefire winner.
Read our full JBL Charge 5 review
Best budget outdoor speaker
Admittedly, it's another JBL, but at this rate, what were you expecting? The American audio brand remains king of the pile in the outdoor speaker realm, and with the company's proclivity for producing such great portable speakers, it's little wonder so many of its products are so well suited to outdoor use.
The Flip 5 was a past What Hi-Fi? Award winner, a trick that JBL has more or less repeated with the five-star sequel (if only losing out on the top trophy to its Charge 5 bigger brother). We might have thought we’d be advising JBL to re-design the Flip by now, but it works so well that there really doesn't seem to be much point. The upcoming Flip 7 has room to improve on the current model, even if it has its work cut out to be even better than our beloved, burrito-shaped fave.
Waterproofed to an IP67 rating (dust won't get in either), the Flip 6 truly sounds the part courtesy of its punchy, rhythmically adept delivery that brings plenty of flavour and musicality to your favourite songs. If you want to boost the sound presentation to your liking, you can now tweak things thanks to an EQ feature in the app.
All in all, by far the best small-form, outdoor Bluetooth speaker you'll find at this price.
Read our full JBL Flip 6 review
Best portable outdoor speaker
A small, bag-friendly waterproof speaker that's one of the cheapest options on this list, the Tribit Stormbox Micro 2 gets a strong recommendation from us thanks to its hardy construction and surprisingly robust sound.
The small-form-factor speaker doesn’t have the 360-degree sound design of many of its rivals like the dinky UE Wonderboom 3, but during our tests we found it is one of the best value options if you’re really on a tight budget.
Sporting a handsome woven finish, the Micro 2 fires out enjoyably forceful audio alongside some solid battery life numbers. We easily managed to get 12 hours of listening from a single charge, while an IP67 rating let one of our reviewers use it in the bathroom/shower without any issue or damage. Again, the Stormbox Micro 2's diminutive size and durable design make it well-suited for travelling far beyond the confines of a bathroom or kitchen.
Audio is really strong, too, bigger, punchier and louder than you’d expect from such a small box. Midrange in particular is dealt with in a much more appealing manner than anything else we’ve seen at this price. The only issue is that it can start to suffer from distortion at louder volumes, but based on our head-to-head tests, you’ll have to pay more for either a JBL Flip 6 or UE Wonderboom 3 to get a better performer.
Read our full Tribit Audio Stormbox Micro 2 review
Best premium outdoor speaker
For tackling the outdoors with the best premium speaker, you really can't go wrong with the JBL Xtreme 4. The Bose SoundLink Max is an outstanding candidate at this price, but the all-around credentials of JBL's latest Xtreme make it almost impossible not to recommend. At this price, we feel that there's nothing objectively better.
Simply put, the Xtreme 4 is the Xtreme 3 but better. The design is roughly the same as the older model, albeit with some small distinguishing tweaks. The speaker's button layout is now a block of six rather than a linear strip, while a tweaked base with two strips of silicon feet grants more stability and grip to the ensemble. Those changes aside, it's the same robust, IP67-rated build as the Xtreme 3, and that's no bad thing; this design has served JBL exceedingly well in the past.
The Xtreme 4's driver configuration is the same as the previous model, with two 70mm woofers and two 20mm tweeters behind the grille and those pulsating radiators housed at either end. Sonically, things have been taken up a notch, offering up the best audio performance we've heard at this price to make one of the best-sounding Bluetooth speakers of 2024. As our review enthused: "For such a chunky speaker it produces a fantastically refined sound. It produces a wonderfully clear and consistent sound across tracks: low frequencies are poised and punchy but don’t lack weight, (whereas) highs are crisp enough so they don’t feel rolled off".
New features further enhance the Xtreme 4's credentials. Auracast is the big one, letting users pair two Xtreme 4 speakers together in stereo or connect multiple compatible JBLs in a chain. It also gives the new model some element of future-proofing should additional features that require the tech emerge in the coming months.
The JBL app is as user-friendly and comprehensive as ever, whereas 24 hours is a big improvement on the 15 hours of the previous model. Like the Charge 5, the Xtreme 4 will charge up connected devices via USB-C, and there's even a replaceable battery if the built-in unit gives up the ghost.
All in all, an outstanding outdoor speaker from JBL. If you've got the cash to stretch further up the price ladder, the Xtreme 4 is the speaker to go for.
Read our full JBL Xtreme 4 review
Best outdoor speaker for durability
If you think of waterproofing, you think of Ultimate Ears. Well, that seems to be the intention of UE's outlandish branding and marketing campaigns which delight in showcasing just how aquatically inclined most of its speakers are by floating them in pools, rivers and the ocean at any given opportunity. For outdoor use then, a UE speaker makes a great deal of sense, especially if you live somewhere with heavy rainfall. Or you own a swimming pool, of course.
The third entry in the Wonderboom trilogy sounds dynamic and detailed enough to be a pleasing, exciting listen, but it's the model's portability and ease of use that make it ideal for outdoor excursions. Battery life is up to a total of 14 hours, while the Bluetooth range will reach 10 meters, making the Wonderboom 3 even more suited to when you're not confined to the four walls of your home. Better still, the UE's IP67 rating should keep dust, dirt and water from ruining the speaker during your muddy bike ride or beach volleyball session.
Sonically, the Wonderboom 3 is an enjoyable, exciting listen. Bass is impressive given how small the speaker is, and the sense of dynamics on display is similarly remarkable. You also get a ‘boost’ button on the underside of the unit that restricts the bass frequencies when pressed, allowing the UE to play louder through the midrange. That certainly helps if you're out on a trip and need a speaker with a sound that will carry.
Bear in mind, though, that the Wonderboom 3 won't be with us forever. Ultimate Ears recently released the the Wonderboom 4, a direct sequel to the third-gen model which brings new additions such as a vocal-boosting podcast mode and a much-needed USB-C port.
Read our full Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 review
We've said it before and we'll say it again: don't immediately dismiss four-star products. There are plenty about – the Beats Pill, the Wonderboom 3, the Sony ULT Field 1 – that won't be for all buyers but might give you that one element you've been searching for. As a case in point, we'd like a little more sonic dynamism from the UE Wonderboom 3, but it does excel in a few unique areas such as its hugely appealing aesthetic, its omni-dimensional sound and the fact that you can float it in water. Sometimes, it's all about taste...
Also consider
JBL Go 4: If you're desperate to get your hands on a JBL outdoor speaker but don't have a huge amount of space to spare, the JBL Go 4 is a five-star proposition. Taking the four-star recipe of the outgoing Go 3 and adding better sound, more features and a boosted battery life, it's the ideal speaker for boosting your sound on a budget.
Beats Pill: The return of the Beats Pill has been a pleasant surprise. Serving up a clean, clear sound and plenty of solid bass, the rugged and likeable Pill is a welcome upgrade that Beats fans will love. If it's good enough for LeBron James, it's good enough for us.
Bose SoundLink Max: The SoundLink Max is excellent, it really is. In fact, it's so good that it barely missed out on being included in the main list, only failing to make the cut because we think the outstanding JBL Xtreme 4 is a better 'all things to all people' performer. For offering a rugged, ergonomic design that belts out tunes with genuinely exciting joie de vivre, the burly Max is a sensational delight.
Sonos Move 2: If you love Sonos and want something larger than the Roam, try the Move 2. It's weightier than the Roam, but the Move 2 is made semi-portable courtesy of its Bluetooth connectivity, built-in handle at the back and solid build. That said, it's more the sort of speaker you'd take around the garden rather than much further afield.
Sony ULT Field 1: The recent ULT Field 1 hasn't quite ousted the JBL Flip 6 for sonic prowess, but what it does give you is flexibility and a lot of great features. That ULT boost button works well considering the size and general use case of the Field 1, while hands-free calling, DSD sound diffusion, stereo pairing and Android Fast Pair only add to its credentials. And, of course, it's IP67 rated, so you don't exactly have to handle the Sony with too much care.
How to choose the best outdoor speaker for you
Fully waterproof speakers are a great option and will survive a lengthy dip in your private pool (you lucky thing, you) while dust-proof options can also shrug off sand with the best of us. If you want a speaker for the beach, look for an IP67 rating rather than the waterproof-only IPX7. Check out our IP ratings explainer for the full reasoning behind each of those numbers and what it means for your rugged speaker.
Most portable speakers feature hooks or handles for carrying, plus Bluetooth wireless connectivity if you want something for a camping holiday or road trip. Some models even offer access to voice assistants, should you need to ask Alexa the current temperature in Florida or the chances of decent surf this weekend in Cornwall.
Some of these models are great for slinging in a bag, but don't be fooled: there are bigger high-fidelity options too if you want to level up the sound quality outside. Read on for our pick of the best outdoor speakers, each with a full, in-depth What Hi-Fi? review attached. We'll let you select the best fit for your needs.
How we test outdoor speakers
We have state-of-the-art testing facilities where our team of experienced, in-house reviewers test all of the outdoor, portable and Bluetooth speakers to pass through What Hi-Fi? towers. Of course, we also take outdoor speakers, well, outdoors. We test out the outdoor speakers' durability and ruggedness in our gardens, in the park and in drizzly conditions (or sometimes dunk them in the sink) to test their waterproof abilities.
What Hi-Fi? is all about comparative testing, listening to one product up against its closest competition to figure out exactly how it differs and what each model does best. We keep class-leading outdoor speakers in our stockrooms so we can compare new products to ones we know and love.
Aside from the raw audio quality of an outdoor speaker (heard both inside and outside our test rooms), we also test and evaluate every aspect of its performance, including battery life, connection quality, ease of use, and versatility.
We are always impartial and do our level best to make sure we're hearing every product at its very best. Whatever your budget, we want you to have the best solution for the money, so we will test out all features, use any voice assistant integration and app support, try plenty of different types of music and give the speaker plenty of listening time (and time to run in).
All review verdicts are agreed upon by the team as a whole too, rather than an individual reviewer, thus eliminating any personal preference. Note that there's no input from PR companies or our sales team when it comes to our verdicts. We are proud to have been delivering honest, unbiased and thorough reviews since 1976 – and we're not about to change that.
FAQ
What are IP ratings and why are they important for outdoor speakers?
Our "IP ratings explained" page is the best place to go if you want an in-depth rundown clarifying what said ratings are, how to use and them and why they matter to your new audio goodies.
If you're merely seeking a quick potted guide, the IPXX system classifies audio products depending on their resistance to environmental factors, namely physical particles like dust and sand alongside liquid particles (i.e. water). The initials "IP" stand for “Ingress Protection” - how well a product prevents particles from entering its precious internal hardware.
The IPXX rating system is thus designed to inform consumers as to how waterproof and/or dustproof their chosen product is, with the first number showing resistance to physical particles and the second signifying liquids (an X means untested/unrated), with 0 coming in as the lowest level of protection and 9 denoting the highest. An IP67 rating, for instance, means a dust-tight speaker that can manage full immersion for 30 minutes in water up to one meter deep.
How does a Bluetooth speaker work?
Bluetooth is a low-powered, short-range and low-bandwidth streaming protocol for connecting devices wirelessly. Like wi-fi, Bluetooth uses radio waves, albeit on a different scale.
A classic Bluetooth speaker uses short-range Bluetooth to connect to a Bluetooth-supporting source before accepting and unpacking the data sent. Both the speaker and source device require compatible Bluetooth codecs to send the information between them – SBC and AAC are the standard ones but there are more 'high-quality' names you might have heard, including LDAC and aptX Adaptive. A wireless speaker works in roughly the same way, except it relies on a wi-fi network connection instead to accept audio data transmitted from the audio source.
Pairing a Bluetooth speaker and Bluetooth device is straightforward: put the speaker in 'pairing mode' (usually by pressing or holding a button with the Bluetooth icon), go into your device's Bluetooth settings, 'scan' for available speakers and then pick out your device when it pops up.
Recent updates
October 2024: Re-ordered the overall list slightly and labelled our 2024 What Hi-Fi? Awards winners.
August 2024: Replaced JBL Xtreme 3 with Xtreme 4 as the best premium outdoor speaker. Also added the Beats Pill and Bose SoundLink Max to the 'also consider' section.
June 2024: Added the Sony ULT Field 1 to our also consider section, replaced single images with galleries and made references to the exciting news that Ultimate Ears has lots of new portable speakers on the way.
April 2024: Added FAQs and an "Also Consider" section to offer more alternative buying options for readers.
November 2023: What Hi-Fi? Award winners labelled after the 2023 Awards Best Buys and Product of the Year announcements.
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