The 7 Best Outdoor Speakers - Fall 2024

The JBL Boombox 3 is the best outdoor speaker we've tested. It's great for listening to music wherever you go, whether you're soaking up the sun in the backyard or relaxing at a campsite over a long weekend. It's also designed to hold up against the elements—it's rated IP67 for dust and water resistance and even floats in water. Its solid and sturdy build gives it a great feel, and with a built-in handle, you can carry it around with one hand. Since it lasts for over 29 hours off a single charge, you don't have to worry about getting it back to a power outlet for a recharge all that often.

Granted, this Bluetooth speaker is larger than some of the other picks on our list, but it pays off in terms of sound quality. That's especially true in the bass range, as the speaker's deep thump and rumble really bring genres like EDM and hip-hop to life. There's even a graphic EQ on hand to customize its sound. If you want something a little lighter for longer treks outdoors with a slightly smaller form factor, it's worth checking out the Bose SoundLink Max. The Bose is a fair bit lighter and can get louder. However, its battery life is half that of the JBL, its default sound isn't as balanced, and there's more compression present at max volume.

The Ultimate Ears EPICBOOM is another premium speaker that's great for listening to your favorite tunes outdoors. It's a little more affordable than the JBL Boombox 3, but it still comes with lots of premium features to make the most of your listening experience. Notably, it's also rated IP67 for dust and water resistance, and it comes with a built-in handle to help you carry it around. Again, it's a little larger than the more budget-friendly picks on our list, but you may find it's worth the trade-off. Thanks to its bigger size, it can bring more thump and rumble in the low bass than smaller speakers.

This speaker also comes with many premium sound enhancement features, like an Adaptive EQ room correction tool that automatically optimizes its sound based on the acoustics of your listening space. As a result, it can bring the best possible sound to larger and more open spaces like your backyard and smaller rooms like your bedroom. There's a graphic EQ on hand to manually customize it, too. That said, it only lasts around 7.8 hours off a single charge, which can be limiting, especially compared to the more premium JBL. If you like to keep your time outside on the shorter side, you may still find it worth the value.

Looking for an even more affordable speaker to bring outside? Check out the Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 3. This versatile device is great for indoor and outdoor use and is available at a wallet-friendly price. Take it to the park for an afternoon with your friends, then bring it back home to relax and listen to music in your living room. Its small and lightweight design makes it easy to bring wherever you go, especially compared to our top picks, and you can even clip it to your bag with its built-in hook. Plus, it's sturdy enough to endure some exposure to the elements while you're outside, thanks to its IP67 rating for dust and water resistance.

This speaker is available in many colors to suit your style, and its sound makes it suitable for listening to different music genres. Voices and lead instruments are reproduced with clarity right out of the box. Granted, it doesn't have a room correction tool like the Ultimate Ears EPICBOOM, so it sounds slightly different depending on your space. It doesn't bring as much low bass as our top picks, either. Still, you can customize its sound a bit thanks to its graphic EQ, which is a nice touch.

The Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 4 is one of the best outdoor Bluetooth speakers in the budget range we've tested. For an affordable price, this small but mighty speaker lets you bring your music wherever you go. Thanks to its lightweight and compact design, you can carry it around in one hand or clip it to your bag using the included strap. It's an especially great option for the pool since it can float in water, and it's also rated IP67 for dust and water resistance. This iteration of the popular portable speaker features over 13 hours of battery life and the welcome addition of USB-C charging.

While its sound quality isn't as impressive as our top picks, it still performs well compared to similarly priced models. Since it's smaller than the Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 3, it's not a surprise that it can't reproduce as deep of a low bass, so you'll notice a little less rumble in tracks like EDM and hip-hop. Still, voices and instruments are reproduced with clarity. The speaker's Outdoor mode is even designed to bring a little extra crispness to the mix when you're out in a larger, more open-air space, which is a cool touch. It's a standout pick if you're on a tighter budget.

If you're looking for a simple speaker that won't break the bank, the Anker Soundcore 3 is the top outdoor speaker for cheap. The next generation of the Anker Soundcore 2 comes in the same small and lightweight frame, so it's easy to carry this speaker around. Take it to the backyard or on a hike, and its IPX7 rating for water resistance keeps it safe from some light exposure to the elements. Its 13-hour battery life isn't quite as impressive as what you get with the more premium Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 4, but it's still more than enough for most days outdoors.

Despite its wallet-friendly pricing, this speaker has some cool features to help it stand out. It's one of the few speakers we've tested in this price range to offer a graphic EQ for sound customization, which is a nice touch. You can pair it with other compatible speakers to spread sound throughout your backyard. Overall, its sound quality is solid for the price, so it's a suitable choice for listening to lots of different types of music outside.

The Pohopa EF-B210G is one of the only speakers on our list designed for 24/7 outdoor use. The speaker comes in sets of two, each with built-in LED lights that actually function to light up your space at night, giving them some additional functionality. Simply connect your phone to the speakers via Bluetooth to stream music from your phone or laptop. With an IP54 rating for dust and water resistance, these speakers are more than capable of withstanding the elements. Plus, their stylish design makes them a discreet addition to your outdoor living spaces, like your patio, porch, or pool deck.

However, like most outdoor decor speakers we've tested, these devices prioritize design over sound quality. They're more than suitable for most casual listening sessions. However, if you're an astute audiophile, you'll notice a muddier and more cluttered sound than more premium speakers like the JBL Boombox 3. Plus, without any customization tools, you don't have any way to switch up their performance. If you aren't too worried about the fidelity of audio reproduction, they're still a great choice, and you won't have any trouble hearing your music or podcasts through the speaker.

Check out the Sonos Move 2 for one of the best wireless outdoor speakers with voice assistant support. This speaker is the next generation of the original Sonos Move, and while it retains a similar design, it adds an additional tweeter for an improved sound with stereo content. Available in several colors, this speaker is sleek enough to fit into your home decor and sturdy enough to take outdoors. It's rated IP56 for dust and water resistance and can withstand some drops and falls. Since it's battery-powered, you don't have to worry about finding an outlet to plug it into when you listen to your favorite tunes.

Built-in Alexa makes it easy to control this speaker using your voice. It can pick up on your commands from far away and if you're at a noisy park or camping site. The microphone mute button is on hand for more private moments, too. This speaker is also a great choice for connecting with other smart products. It pairs with other Sonos speakers to spread audio throughout your backyard or simultaneously play music in different spaces. If you want a smaller smart speaker for outdoor use, you can also check out the Sonos Roam 2. It doesn't get as loud as the Move 2, and its sound quality isn't quite as impressive, so it may or may not be worth the trade-off in size, depending on how you plan to use it.