Best outdoor speakers 2024: portable, wireless, waterproof models tried and tested

JBL Charge 5
(Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)

There was a time when the thought of combining electrical speakers and the outdoors, especially in soggy old Britain, would have been as laughable as pairing your morning bacon sandwich with a healthy dollop of homemade custard.    

Happily, the standard of portable models available these days has improved dramatically thanks to brands such as JBL and Ultimate Ears. The go-anywhere speaker market has grown hugely over the past 15 or so years, as everyone wants the convenience of loud, portable sound without the need for trailing wires or tricky, expensive setups.   

It can be hard, though, to know where to start in this crowded corner of the market. Thanks to the hands-on testing in our dedicated listening facilities (and the occasional trip to our local park), you can bet we'll have sniffed out the ideal model for your needs. 

Harry McKerrell headshot
Harry McKerrell

I'm a 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.

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. 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 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.

JBL Charge 5 being held in front of flowers

More durable than the Charge 4, the JBL Charge 5 can handle just about anything and sounds great, too. (Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)
What Hi-Fi? Awards 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

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 new 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

JBL Flip 6 on a table outside

JBL's Flip 6 is a hardy speaker but it also has loads of clarity and precision alongside punchy bass. (Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)
Clear, punchy and portable, this is probably the best small-form Bluetooth speaker you can buy.

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
-
Doesn't go as loud as the Charge 5

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 a new 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

Tribit Stormbox Micro 2 speaker on an orange surface

Wherever you go and whatever you listen to, you'll get a really decent performance out of the Tribit Stormbox Micro 2. (Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)
On a budget? The Micro 2 matches superb portability with enjoyable sound at a low price.

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 

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

JBL Xtreme 3 outside on a paved surface

The rugged, outdoorsy Xtreme 3 makes a fine accompaniment to any great trip to the great outdoors. (Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)
If you can afford it, JBL’s rugged outdoorsman delivers high quality audio and a big, bold sound.

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
-
Will be too heavy for some 

If you're going all-in on sound and are happy to spend more without reaching into the realm of the Dali Katch G2, say, JBL has you covered. The JBL Xtreme 3 is as rugged and hardwearing as its Charge 5 and Flip 6 siblings, earning its reputation as 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. It's bigger than its brothers, with an IP67 dust and waterproof certification that makes it perfect for getting its (metaphorical) hands dirty in the great outdoors. 

You might be forgiven for thinking that, given the bulkier construction, the Xtreme 3 might be more preoccupied with the amount of bass it’s producing rather than focusing on musical quality. Thankfully, 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. 

If you want a burlier, more expensive upgrade from the Award-winning Charge 5 with just as much durability and waterproofness, the Xtreme 3 makes total sense. 

Read our full JBL Xtreme 3 review

Pink Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 on a shelf

The Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 has a much larger sound than you'd expect, while also offering waterproofing and portability to boot. (Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)
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 

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. 

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

Read our full Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 review

Sonos Roam outdoors on a chair

The meaty sound of the Sonos Roam is great for, well, roaming the outdoors when you still want a full-bodied speaker. (Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)
Sonos' well-made portable sounds nice and is a strong choice for anyone wedded to the Sonos ecosystem.

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
+
Slim, portable design 

Reasons to avoid

-
Clarity not exceptional
-
Average timing and dynamics

The Sonos Roam is a fine 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. The idea of a portable Sonos speaker is deeply appealing to many, with a lot of call for a more portable alternative to the battery-powered Move / Move 2 models.

Sonically, the Roam is a decent effort, but we can't help feeling that Sonos' diminutive portable can do even better when the sequel inevitably arrives. The US brand has placed a greater emphasis on usability, build quality and durability than truly refined sound, and while that's not an entirely bad thing for an outdoors speaker, the Roam's slight lack of crystal clear detail, coupled with some rather average timing and dynamics, means that we'd still favour the JBL Flip 6 above for true audio performance.

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 for integration within a wider Sonos ecosystem. Let's hope the sequel steps up its game in the sound department.

Read our full Sonos Roam review

How we choose the best outdoor speakers 

We have state-of-the-art testing facilities in London and Reading 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.

MORE:

These are the best smart speakers money can buy

Or how about the best Alexa speakers?

Heading out? These are the best running headphones 

Harry McKerrell
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