Best Waterproof Wireless Outdoor Speakers

The XG300 delivers what you want in a medium-sized portable speaker. You get decent volume, an IP67 water-resistance rating, and a rechargeable battery that delivers 25 hours of battery life, according to Sony.

The XG300 is also one of the better-sounding portable speakers we’ve tested, with bass with a decent amount of sock and a clear, even midrange. All in all, our testers say it’s a significantly better speaker than its more expensive sibling, the XG500.

One caveat: While it comes in a compact, boom-box-like package, the XG300’s handle is less substantial than what you find on boom-box-style models like the much more expensive JBL Boombox 2.

We’ve tested a number of party speakers, and many have performed quite well in our labs. However, most are just splashproof, so you need to be careful with them. The Soundcore Rave Neo 2 is an exception. It’s a midsized, midpriced party box, complete with customizable LED lighting and an IPX7 water-resistance rating, so it can stand a soaking.

The foot-tall Rave Neo 2 is a fine party companion, providing a decent volume level for a large room or backyard. The model also has Party Cast, a Bluetooth feature that allows you to link to more than 100 compatible speakers, and our testers find the Bluetooth pairing mode easy to use.

Portable wireless speakers often take a beating, rattling around in the bottom of a backpack or getting knocked off a picnic table—and sometimes even getting lost entirely. All of which argues in favor of a modestly priced speaker like the high-value JBL Flip 6.

Despite having a price just over $100, the Flip 6 boasts decent bass, adequate volume, and satisfying sound quality that’s not as detailed as that of some more expensive competitors but isn’t hard on the ears, either. Our testers say it’s easy to pair the speaker with a phone via Bluetooth, and the 12-hour battery life claimed by JBL is long enough for even your epic 81-song Abba to ZZ Top playlist.

With an IPX7 rating, JBL says the Flip 6 is not only splashproof and spillproof but also totally dunkable. One other cool feature: If you buy the Flip 6 from JBL, you can even opt to get your speaker personalized, choosing the color and printing your own images or text on the grill.

The Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3 features whimsical and colorful styling that says it’s time for fun. It’s a little larger than its less expensive sibling, the Boom 3, and our testers report that it sounds significantly better, too. The Megaboom 3 also provides enough volume for use outside or in a large room.

Though it boasts almost comically large volume buttons, the model achieves only average ease-of-use scores from our testers because routine functions require the use of unlabeled buttons.

According to the manufacturer, the Megaboom has an IP67 rating, so it’s both dustproof and can survive immersion in 1 meter of water for up to a half-hour. Which means it could be the right choice for blasting the Beach Boys’ “California Girls”—or Katy Perry’s “California Gurls”—on your beach blanket. The manufacturer also claims that the Megaboom 3 floats, but it’s probably a good idea to move it before the tide comes in.

The Sony XE300 is an example of when less is more. Sony’s earlier wireless Bluetooth speakers were laden with bells and whistles, including colorful LEDs that pulsed with the music and digital sound effects that bleated when you beat on the device. Those features were fun but ultimately beside the point.

A speaker should be all about filling your life with music, and the more straightforward XE300 performs its primary function admirably. It’s a relatively inexpensive, medium-sized speaker that’s resistant to dust and can shake off a dunking. (It has an IP67 rating, according to Sony.)

And our testers say the sound quality, while a bit dark and muffled, is solid enough to be satisfying, if not truly exceptional.

The smaller Sony XE200 didn’t fare as well in our testing, so if you want a more modest, cheaper Sony that performs well, you might keep an eye out for the soon-to-be-discontinued SRS-XB23.

The SoundLink Flex ticks a lot of boxes. This midsized Bose sounds good for a small, modestly priced portable speaker and, unlike some of Bose’s other portable speakers, it has IP67 water and dust resistance, so it’s right at home on the beach or by the pool.

The bass is a bit on the boomy side, according to our testers, and the speaker produces only enough volume to fill a medium-sized room, but it can be positioned horizontally or vertically and the audio adjusts automatically to the orientation. The SoundLink Flex also comes in five stylish colors.

If you have a Sonos multiroom system and want a portable speaker, the Sonos Roam SL is worth your consideration. That’s because—brand loyalty aside—the Roam SL actually adds features to the rest of your Sonos system.

The Roam SL is the “nonsmart” version of the portable Sonos Roam, and it performs well in our lab tests, albeit with some limitations. The bass has impact but doesn’t go very deep, and the sound can get harsh when you crank up the volume. The model carries an IP67 rating, which means it’s sealed against dust and can be submerged in up to 3 feet of water.

Like the Roam, the SL can add Bluetooth functionality to your other Sonos speakers. That means you can take a playlist from a friend’s smartphone and easily pair it to your Sonos Five or even a Sonos soundbar via the Roam SL. That’s a feature that helps to justify the Roam SL’s relatively high price.

For whatever it may lack in sound quality, the JBL Clip 4 Eco has two important things going for it: It’s inexpensive and it’s very small.

The model fits easily into your palm and features a carabiner that easily clips onto a backpack, a beach bag, or even your shorts if you’re so inclined. JBL claims an IPX67 rating, which means the speaker is both water-resistant and dustproof. Our testers find the Clip 4 Eco to be easy to pair and give solid marks to the prominent controls. Our testers find the Clip 4 Eco, which uses post-consumer plastics and recycled fabrics in its construction, to perform identically to the older Clip 4.

Sonically, the tiny Clip 4 Eco is somewhat challenged. The highs are a little sizzly, the midrange is a bit nasal, and there’s not much bass to speak of. The performance can’t match the similarly small but significantly more expensive Bose SoundLink Micro. But if you’re taking a walk or bicycle ride and want to bring along your tunes (or, better still, your favorite podcast), the JBL Clip 4 Eco provides a significant step up from the built-in speaker on your phone for not much cash.