Best outdoor speakers 2023: portable, wireless, waterproof

Wireless speaker: JBL Flip 6
(Image credit: JBL)

Whether you genuinely love a podcast in the garden or are calmly nudged that way when your nearest and dearest does their online yoga class, an outdoor wireless speaker makes a great companion. 

Maybe you want a larger option to wheel out when hosting an outdoor party, or maybe you've just learned that sticking a playlist on while weeding the lawn eases the job. Whatever necessitates your music al fresco, there are plenty of outdoor speakers we want you to know about.  

Portable speakers have become massively popular in recent times, so much so that it can be hard to know where to start in this crowded, increasingly complicated corner of the market. Thanks to the hands-on testing in our dedicated listening facilities (and occasionally a trip to the local park) for every one of the speakers below, you can bet you'll sniff out the ideal speaker for your outdoor needs.

How to choose the best outdoor speaker for you

Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Our expert team reviews products in dedicated test rooms, to help you make the best choice for your budget. Find out more about how we test.

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.

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 really 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.

Best outdoor speakers: JBL Charge 5

More durable than the Charge 4, the JBL Charge 5 can handle just about anything and sounds great, too. (Image credit: JBL)
What Hi-Fi? Awards 2022 winner. Updated specs, supreme durability and excellent sound means JBL still leads the charge.

Specifications

Battery life: 20 hours
Waterproof: IP67
Power: 40W
Connections: USB-C (charge), USB output, Bluetooth
Dimensions (hwd): 22 x 9.6 x 9.4cm

Reasons to buy

+
Clearer and more detailed sound
+
Wider soundstage
+
Updated dustproofing

Reasons to avoid

-
Quite a large, chunky unit
-
Can't link to older JBL models

The JBL Charge 5 is even more durable and better sounding than the four Charges before it – and it's a current What Hi-Fi? Award-winner to boot. Its predecessor carried an IPX7 rating, meaning it could handle being submerged in water to a depth of 1.5m, but the IP67-rated Charge 5 builds on that durability by also being fully dustproof. Want a speaker roughly the dimensions of a bottle of wine that'll charge your phone and sound great? You've found it. 

Thanks in part to its 10W tweeter and racetrack-shaped driver, the Charge 5 is currently as good a sound as you can get in a portable Bluetooth speaker design for under £200/$200/AU$300. It even boasts marginal improvements, both sonically and aesthetically, over its predecessor, the five-star Charge 4. 

One day JBL may produce a Charge that can be outdone by a new and plucky rival. With the rather splendid Charge 5, that day is yet to come.

Read the full review: JBL Charge 5

Best outdoor speakers: JBL Flip 6

JBL's Flip 6 is a hardy speaker but it also has loads of clarity and precision alongside punchy bass. (Image credit: JBL)
JBL continues an inspired run of form with the talented, durable, compact Flip 6.

Specifications

Battery life: 12 hours
Waterproof : IP67
Power: 30W tweeter
Connections: USB-C (charge), Bluetooth
Dimensions (hwd): 17.8 x 6.8 x 7.2cm

Reasons to buy

+
Improved clarity and sonic precision
+
Punchy bass for size
+
Useful equaliser feature

Reasons to avoid

-
More critical of recording and source quality

Yes, it's another JBL, but at this rate, what were you expecting? The American audio brand remains king of the pile, and with the company's proclivity for producing such great portable speakers, it's little wonder so many of its products are suitable for outdoor use as well. 

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 the top trophy to its Charge 5 bigger brother). We might have thought we’d be advising JBL to rework the Flip by now – add a few more features, change it up a bit to keep up with the competition – but instead, we're left praising the sonic chops of a proposition that now offers extra durability (IP67 water and dust proofing over the waterproof-only IPX7-rated Flip 5), plus an extra ounce of space within its trademark zealous and musical presentation. 

Yes, it's still 'just' a Bluetooth speaker – but what a great-sounding Bluetooth speaker it is.  If you want to boost the sound presentation to your liking, you can now tweak things thanks to a new EQ feature in the app. For a nominal price hike over the launch price of the Flip 5, there’s certainly more detail here, too.

Read the full review: JBL Flip 6

Bluetooth speaker: Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3

The Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 has a much larger sound than you'd expect, while also offering waterproofing and portability to boot. (Image credit: Future)
A crowd-pleasing, wallet-friendly portable Bluetooth speaker with updated battery life.

Specifications

Battery life: 14 hours
Waterproof : IP67
Connections: MicroUSB (charge), Bluetooth 5.2
Dimensions (hwd): 10.4 x 9.53 x 9.53
Finishes : 4

Reasons to buy

+
Cohesive, enjoyable presentation
+
Excellent portable, waterproof design 
+
Nice and easy to use 
+
Dynamic, detailed sound 

Reasons to avoid

-
No app 
-
Still uses outdated micro USB 
-
Newer rivals have more nuanced, engaging sound 

Ultimate Ears has really made a splash in the Bluetooth speaker market with a number of colourful, fun-sounding and portable models, and the Wonderboom 3 is by no means an exception.

The four-star follow-up to the five-star Wonderboom 2, the third entry in the trilogy still sounds dynamic and detailed, but it's the model's portability and ease of use that make it ideal for outdoor excursions. Battery life is bolstered by an hour to a total of 14, while the Bluetooth range is now up by 10 meters, making the Wonderboom 3 even more suited to when you're not confined to the four walls of your domestic abode. 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. This in turn makes the sound easier to hear when the unit is used outdoors, rendering it all the more attractive as a speaker to bring with you on a trip.

Sadly, there's no built-in mic or app as is the case for the Wonderboom 2, but even so, the Wonderboom 3 is an eminently portable, great-sounding Bluetooth speaker that won't break the bank.

Read the full review: Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3

Wireless speaker: Tribit Stormbox Micro 2

Wherever you go and whatever you listen to, you'll get a really decent performance out of the Tribit Stormbox Micro 2. (Image credit: Future)
A tiny, budget Bluetooth speaker that matches superb portability with surprisingly enjoyable sound.

Specifications

Battery life: 12 hours
Waterproof : IP67
Power: 10W
Connections: USB-C for charging, Bluetooth 5.3
Dimensions (hwd): 9.8 x 9.8 x 4.29cm

Reasons to buy

+
Really decent sound for the size
+
Excellent portable design
+
Plenty of extra features

Reasons to avoid

-
Can sound unwieldy at higher volumes
-
Far from the biggest sound on this list 

If all you want from a decent outdoor speaker is portability and affordability, you really couldn't do much better than the excellent Stormbox Micro 2. A tiny, satchel-friendly Bluetooth speaker that's one of the cheapest options on this list, the Tribit Stormbox Micro 2 is easily one of the best we’ve tested at this meagre price point.

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.

Building on the success of the original Stormbox Micro and featuring an all but identical woven finish design, the Micro's sequel trumps its predecessor when it comes to delivering enjoyable audio and massively improved battery life. We easily coaxed 12 hours of listening out of 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. Play Juice by Lizzo and the Micro 2 does justice to the song’s upbeat tempo with her vocals vibrantly portrayed. 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 and invest in either a JBL Flip 6 or Wonderboom 3 to get a better speaker. Really impressive stuff.

Read the full review: Tribit Audio Stormbox Micro 2

Best outdoor speakers: JBL Xtreme 3

The rugged, outdoorsy Xtreme 3 makes a fine accompaniment to any great trip to the great outdoors. (Image credit: JBL)
JBL’s wireless outdoorsman may be rugged, but that doesn't mean it can't deliver high quality audio.

Specifications

Battery life: 15 hours
Waterproof: IP67
Connections: 3.5mm input, USB-C, USB outputs, Bluetooth
Power : 100W
Dimensions (hwd): 13.9 x 29.8 x 13.4cm

Reasons to buy

+
Rugged build
+
Impressive detail and dynamics
+
Strong sense of timing

Reasons to avoid

-
No smart features
-
No hands-free for phone calls

JBL has practically built its name on rugged, portable hardware capable of surviving anywhere (we imagine) from the bottom of an icy ravine to the top of a snow-capped summit. The JBL Xtreme 3 is no exception with its durable design and is a versatile, talented five-star wireless speaker that’s as happy chilling at home as it is being the life and soul of a sweaty student party. As rugged as the rest of its stablemates, it is IP67 dust and waterproof-certified, making it perfect for getting its (metaphorical) hands dirty in the great outdoors. 

You might be forgiven for thinking that, given the bulky construction, the Xtreme 3 might be more preoccupied with the amount of bass it’s producing rather than focusing on musical quality. Let us put your mind at rest: the Xtreme 3 proves to be a careful and considerate performer from the lowest of lows to the highest highs, giving impressive detail, dynamics and a strong sense of timing.

Still, bassheads will be more than satisfied with the healthy low-end clout on offer, but there’s quality as well as quantity on display. The JBL Xtreme 3 gained five stars across the board during our rigorous in-house testing, never appearing out of its depth no matter how complicated the musical arrangement. 

Read the full review: JBL Xtreme 3

Best outdoor speakers: Sonos Roam

The meaty sound of the Sonos Roam is great for, well, roaming the outdoors when you still want a full-bodied speaker. (Image credit: Sonos)
Sonos' well-made portable will be there for you wherever you Roam.

Specifications

Battery life: 10 hours
Waterproof: IP67
Power: 18W
Connections: USB-C (charge), wi-fi, Bluetooth, AirPlay 2
Dimensions (hwd): 16.8 x 6.2 x 6cm

Reasons to buy

+
Full-bodied sound
+
Lots of features
+
Portable

Reasons to avoid

-
Clarity not exceptional
-
Average timing and dynamics

The Sonos Roam is an ideal option for those looking for an off-roading, hiking, beach-combing, deep-diving speaker with dimensions and a feature set to rival offerings from JBL and Ultimate Ears. Not to mention those that also want to dip a toe into Sonos's excellent ecosystem. Given Sonos’s recent run of superb-sounding products, one that we can drop in our backpack and take on a ramble has been highly anticipated – especially since the Move, the company’s first battery-powered speaker, was more portly than portable in comparison. 

Sonically, the Roam is a decent effort, but we can't help feeling things have been flipped around somewhat, with Sonos' diminutive portable speaker swapping out truly detailed sound for a greater emphasis on usability, build quality and durability. That's not an entirely bad thing for an outdoors speaker (and we're admittedly being very harsh), but the Roam's slight lack of crystal clear detail, coupled with some rather average timing and dynamics, means it won't trouble the JBL rivals.

However, it's a nicely portable design with a pleasing, full-bodied sound, and unusually for this type of speaker, it can connect to your home wi-fi. Let's hope the sequel (whenever it arrives) steps up its game in the sound department.

Read the full review: Sonos Roam

Best outdoor speakers: Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd Gen)

While small, this little speaker is remarkably refined with expansive sound and a weighty bass. (Image credit: Bang & Olufsen)
The weightiest and most refined little speaker we’ve heard, built to the highest standards.

Specifications

Battery life: 18 hours
Waterproof: IP67
Power: 60W
Connections: USB-C (charge), Bluetooth
Dimensions (hwd): 4.6 x 13.3 x 13.3cm

Reasons to buy

+
Expansive sound, weighty bass
+
Competent Alexa integration
+
Stunning build and finish

Reasons to avoid

-
Not the cheapest item on this list

Bang & Olufsen isn’t noted for following the herd. In the Danish audio specialist’s stable you'll find a wheel-shaped wireless speaker, a TV that opens up like a butterfly, and an 8200-watt monolithic speaker comprising 18 drivers. Its output could reasonably be described as "premium" and "innovative" – and the B&O Beosound A1 (2nd Gen) wireless speaker is no exception.

That said, all of these fancy designs and clever tricks aren't what you'd usually associate with rugged, outdoorsy functionality. Most of B&O's range looks more at home in an art gallery than stuck on the side of Skegness, meaning you'd be forgiven for thinking that a go-anywhere bit of Bang tech would be a little like having a portable version of Rodin's The Thinker stuffed in your backpack.     

Happily, the Beosound A1 is tougher than its delicate looks would suggest. The A1 is now water- and dust-proof to the high IP67 rating, meaning it should be happy being subjected to a 30-minute swim up to a meter deep. Quoted battery life is also a solid 18 hours at normal listening volume, or up to 48 hours at a more conservative level, so running out of juice halfway through your camping trip shouldn't be too much of a concern.

The new A1 supports Qualcomm’s latest aptX Adaptive Bluetooth 5.1 codec, as well as Alexa voice control, despite the fact that it's Bluetooth-only. Sound performance is authoritative and expansive with a weighty, pleasing bass presentation, and there's even a convenient strap for ease of transport. It's expensive, sure, but if you have money to spend, the Beosound A1 is a rather remarkable all-rounder.  

Read the full review: Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd Gen) 

Best outdoor speakers: Audio Pro Addon T3

The Audio Pro Addon T3 is a classy, stylish speaker you can take with you on your next trip that delivers some of the best sound around. (Image credit: Audio Pro)
A classy wireless speaker that ignores gimmicks and focuses on delivering the best sound possible for the money.

Specifications

Battery: 30 hours
Waterproof : No
Power: 25W
Connections: 3.5mm input, USB (charge), Bluetooth
Dimensions (hwd): 21.5 x 11.5 x 13.5cm

Reasons to buy

+
Full sound with good balance
+
Expressive and dynamic
+
Faultless build

Reasons to avoid

-
Size won't suit everyone
-
Not water-resistant

Portable, outdoor-ready speakers usually opt for a funky, rough-and-ready design aesthetic, but they're rarely what you'd call actively "handsome". Enter the Audio Pro Addon T3 to buck the trend, a stylish, vintage-feeling piece of kit that brings style and substance to the great outdoors with ease. A bit like Bear Grylls or those chaps on SAS: Who Dares Wins

Unlike those burly lads mentioned above, though, the Addon T3 isn't water resistant, a big drawback if you happen to live in the UK and forever labour under the yoke of a constant, persistent drizzle. It's also getting on a bit, and while the T3 was recently been superseded by the T3+, we actually prefer this model as a more expressive and enjoyable wireless speaker. That handle is a nice touch for carrying the thing around, too.

It's in the arena of sound quality, though, where we found the T3 near-impossible to fault, covering itself in glory with full sound, great balance and expressive, dynamic delivery. It may now have a few grey hairs these days, but the original Addon T3 is still a five-star listen.

Read the full review: Audio Pro Addon T3

Best outdoor speakers: JBL Go 3

The cheap, tiny JBL Go 3 packs a much bigger punch than you would expect at a glance. (Image credit: JBL)
JBL’s soap-sized speaker punches above its weight sonically– but the finish and battery life won’t wash with today’s class leaders.

Specifications

Battery life: 5 hours
Waterproof: IP67
Power: 4.2W
Connections: USB-C (charge), Bluetooth
Dimensions (hwd): 8.8 x 7.5 x 4.1

Reasons to buy

+
Sensible treble
+
Fuller bass
+
More volume

Reasons to avoid

-
Poor battery life
-
Not very durable finish

This diminutive, soap on a rope-styled Go 3 features Bluetooth 5.1 plus a maximum power output of 4.2W, up from Bluetooth 4.1 and 3W in the previous iteration, the Go 2. The one specification that hasn’t changed is the Go 3's stamina. It takes 2.5 hours to charge fully, and you can still only get a comparatively meagre five hours of playtime from a single charge. 

If you can live with this, there's much to celebrate in the sound department at the level. The extra power and overhauled design have resulted in some solid sonic enhancements, so much so that we awarded the Go 3 full five stars in the sound department.

It's also an aesthetically pleasing little fella, perhaps even cuter than the 2nd generation model (if you can imagine such a thing). The problem for the Go 3, sadly, is that it's limited by a poor battery life and a pretty average sound range, so if you're only planning a trip to the end of your street, you'll be fine. Any further, you might want to consider one of this list's bigger boys, or maybe think about digging out a wireless charger instead. 

Read the full review: JBL Go 3

Best outdoor speakers: Audio Pro Drumfire

The Audio Pro Drumfire isn't waterproof, but it's still a great speaker to bring out at a party. (Image credit: Future)
We’re banging the drum for Audio Pro’s loudest multi-room (and even outdoor) speaker.

Specifications

Battery life: N/A
Waterproof: No
Connections: RCA, 3.5mm inputs, Ethernet, Bluetooth, wi-fi
Power: 300W
Dimensions (hwd): 65 x 52 x 19cm

Reasons to buy

+
Tight bass with clear midrange
+
Good impression of space
+
Loud and proud
+
Nice build quality

Reasons to avoid

-
Audio Pro’s app is still more awkward than its competitors'
-
Not waterproof

We're leading with this option because, while it is not waterproof, the Drumfire could certainly be wheeled out to start a party. What you see here is a great, space-filling speaker that stands over half a metre tall and boasts a top-notch build quality. If you're looking for something you could actually take to the beach, the Drumfire probably isn't your best bet, but for blasting Metallica at your stepmother at the family barbeque, you'd struggle to find much better.

As an all-in-one system to which you can connect a multitude of sources, the Award-winning Drumfire is a great choice for the money. Compatible with a wide range of file formats, including MP3, WMA, AAC, FLAC and Apple Lossless, there's a huge variety of applications on display. If you’re running music from your server, meanwhile, you shouldn’t meet with many compatibility issues either. 

As for sound quality, Audio Pro’s sonic chops only get better as its speakers get bigger, delivering a loud, impressive listening experience wherever you are. Get ready for those summer heatwaves on the patio with a scorchingly good speaker. 

Read the full review: Audio Pro Drumfire

Note: There is an updated version of this speaker, the Audio Pro Drumfire II, with upgraded sound, AirPlay 2 and Google Cast compatibility, costing £700 / €800 / $800 / AU$1299.

How we choose the best outdoor speakers 

We have state-of-the-art testing facilities in London, Reading and Bath where our team of experienced, in-house reviewers test all of the outdoor, portable and Bluetooth speakers to pass through What Hi-Fi? towers. 

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'll experiment with features, test any voice assistant integration and app support, try plenty of different types of music and give the proposition 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.

Staff writer

Harry McKerrell is a staff writer at What Hi-Fi?. He studied law and history at university before working as a freelance journalist covering TV and gaming for numerous platforms both online and in print. When not at work he can be found playing hockey, practising the piano or forcing himself to go long-distance running.

With contributions from