7 Best Waterproof Wireless Outdoor Speakers, Tested by Our Fun-Loving Experts

If you’re looking for a medium-sized outdoor speaker with volume aplenty and more than adequate bass, the Sony ULT Field 5 is a serious contender. It has an IP67 rating and features restrained LED lighting effects aimed more at adults seated around a fire pit than kids on a sleepover. Size-wise, it’s perfect for a barbecue or a poolside dance party. It’s a bit big for tossing into a bag for a jaunt to the beach, though. If you want a more portable Sony, try the ULT Field 1, which bears a family resemblance in a smaller and less loud and bassy package.

The second-generation SoundLink Flex has a lot going for it. The midsized Bose sounds good for a modestly priced portable speaker and, unlike some of Bose’s other options, 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, but the three-band equalizer helps tame that. 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 controls on the latest model are easier to use as well. The SoundLink Flex also comes in eight stylish colors from sunset peach to twilight blue.

If you want a bigger Bose, try the SoundLink Max, an updated boom-box-style model.

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 for a modestly priced speaker like the high-value JBL Flip 7.

Despite the $120 to $150 price, the Flip 7 boasts decent bass, adequate volume, and satisfying sound quality that may not be as detailed as that of some more expensive competitors, but it 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 7 is not only splashproof and spillproof but also totally dunkable. One other cool feature: If you buy the Flip 7 from JBL, you can even opt to get your speaker personalized, choosing the color and printing your own images or text on the grill.

We’ve tested a number of party speakers, and many have performed quite well in our labs. But 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, relatively inexpensive 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 found the Bluetooth pairing mode easy to use.

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 half an 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.

If you have a Sonos multiroom system and want a portable speaker, the Sonos Roam 2 is well worth a look. That’s because—brand loyalty aside—the Roam 2 adds features to the rest of your Sonos system.

The speaker 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.

But here’s the best part: The Roam 2 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 portable Roam. That’s a feature that helps to justify the Roam 2’s somewhat high price.

For whatever it may lack in sound quality, the JBL Clip 5 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 clips to a backpack, a beach bag, or even your shorts if you’re so inclined. JBL claims an IP67 rating, which means the speaker is both water-resistant and dustproof. Our testers found the Clip 5 to be easy to pair and gave solid marks to the prominent controls.

Sonically, the tiny Clip 5 is somewhat challenged. The highs are a little sizzly, the midrange is a bit nasal, and there’s not much bass to speak of. 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 5 provides a significant step up from the built-in speaker on your phone for not much cash.