Whether you want to host a pool party, listen to your favorite tunes in the backyard, or spice up your next hike, an outdoor speaker is a great way to bring audio with you on the go. Many portable Bluetooth speakers on the market are battery-operated, allowing you to use them outside without needing to plug them into an outlet. Plus, their sturdy and solid designs help withstand the bumps and falls that come with an active lifestyle, and they even boast IP ratings for dust and water resistance to help them withstand the elements. We've also tested a few speakers that blend into your landscaping, which is a neat touch. However, the scope of our testing hasn't expanded to speakers designed for permanent outdoor use, so you'll want to remember to bring them inside at the end of the day, unless otherwise specified by the manufacturer.
We've tested 185 speakers, and below, you'll find our recommendations for outdoor speakers. To learn more about choosing a speaker, check out our Bluetooth speaker buying guide. Otherwise, we have recommendations for the best portable Bluetooth speakers, the best waterproof Bluetooth speakers, and the best small Bluetooth speakers.
Quick Look
All of our recommendations start with the products we've tested. And, they're backed by in-house experts who ensure unbiased, objective data to help you choose the right speaker.
Want to see how we've tested more than 150 speakers? Our How We Test Speakers article walks you through the entire process: from selecting and purchasing products to testing, reviewing, and publishing our results.
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Best Outdoor Speaker
The JBL Boombox 4 is the best outdoor speaker we've tested. It's great for listening to music wherever you go, whether you're soaking up some sun in the backyard or relaxing at a campsite over a long weekend. It's also designed to withstand the elements: it's rated IP68 for dust and water resistance, and it even floats. Its solid, sturdy build gives it a great feel, and with a built-in handle, you can carry it with one hand. Since it lasts for over 40 hours on a single charge, you don't have to worry about getting it back to a power outlet for a recharge very 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 with presets on hand to customize its sound. If you want something a little lighter for longer outdoor treks with a smaller form factor, it's worth checking out the Bose SoundLink Max. The Bose is a fair bit lighter and more portable. However, its 15-hour battery life is much shorter than the JBL's, and it can't get as loud.
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Best Upper Mid-Range Outdoor Speaker
The Ultimate Ears EPICBOOM is another premium speaker that's great for listening to your favorite tunes outdoors. While more affordable than the JBL Boombox 4, it still offers a range of premium features to enhance your listening experience. Notably, it's also rated IP67 for dust and water resistance, and it comes with a built-in handle to facilitate carrying. 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 larger size, it can produce 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. A graphic EQ is also available for manual customization. It lasts around 15 hours off a single charge, which isn't as long as the more premium JBL, but it's still long enough for a languid day at the park. If you're looking for longer battery life in a more portable package than either of our top picks, consider the Ultimate Ears EVERBOOM. Since it's smaller than the EPICBOOM, it can't get as loud or put out as much bass, but it still performs well, and its 21-hour battery life is handy for camping trips.
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Best Mid-Range Outdoor Speaker
If you want a more affordable option, the best wireless outdoor speaker in the mid-range tier is the LG xboom Bounce. While it doesn't get quite as loud or nearly as bassy as the Ultimate Ears EPICBOOM, it includes other appealing benefits, such as a stellar, 25-hour battery life and a built-in mic, so you can use it for phone calls while at the beach. Thanks to the IP67 rating and passing MIL-STD-810H testing, you can take the speaker with you anywhere, including to the pool, because it'll float if it tumbles in. One upside over the EPICBOOM is that the LG has a more comprehensive array of physical controls, so you don't need to consult the app as much or learn as many multi-function commands. Plus, you can set it up with your device's voice assistant.
The LG boasts a fairly even tuning that emphasizes the mid-range with a slightly warm top-end. Since the speaker's size limits the amount of deep bass it can truly produce, the warmer treble prevents it from sounding too shrill in the highs. As a result, your favorite pop songs sound pleasantly melodic with vocals sitting well in the mix, but if you want more... boom... in the low-end, you can turn to the app's six-band EQ, EQ presets, or just select the bass boost mode. If you prioritize getting more volume and thump over the convenience of the LG's 1.4 kg (3 lbs) weight, you may prefer the boombox-style EarFun UBOOM X, which is triple the LG's weight but delivers deeper bass and nearly 40 hours of battery life. The EarFun is sometimes sold out, so availability can vary, though.
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Best Budget Outdoor Speaker
The Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 4 is one of the best outdoor Bluetooth speakers we've tested in the budget range. At an affordable price, this compact yet powerful speaker lets you take your music wherever you go. Thanks to its lightweight, compact design, you can carry it in one hand or clip it to your bag with the included strap. It's an especially great option for the pool, as it's rated IP67 for dust and water resistance and floats. This iteration of the popular portable speaker features over 13 hours of battery life and the welcome addition of USB-C charging, which is decent, even if it can't compete with the LG xboom Bounce's removable 25-hour battery.
While its sound quality isn't as impressive as our top pick, it still performs well compared to similarly priced models, and it sounds more consistent across listening angles than the LG's 360-degree design. Due to its smaller size, it's not surprising that it can't reproduce deep bass, though kick drums in your favorite techno tracks have less punch. Unlike the LG, it also lacks an app, so there's no EQ available to customize its sound to your preferences or voice assistant support. Still, it reproduces voices and instruments with clarity. The speaker's Outdoor mode adds a little extra crispness to the mix when you're in a larger, more open-air space, which is a cool touch. It's a standout pick if you're on a tighter budget. However, if you're interested in a lighter speaker that's even smaller with the trade-off of a worse soundstage and slightly shorter battery life, check out the Anker Soundcore Select 4 Go.
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Best Outdoor Lantern Speaker
The Pohopa EF-B210G is one of the only speakers on our list designed for 24/7 outdoor use. This option comes in sets of two; each lantern-style speaker features built-in LED lights that illuminate your space at night, adding functionality. Simply connect your phone or laptop to the speakers via Bluetooth to stream music. 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 with more premium speakers like the JBL Boombox 4. Additionally, without customization tools, you don't have a way to adjust their performance. If you're not too concerned about audio fidelity, they're still a great choice, and you won't have any trouble hearing your music or podcasts through the speaker.
Notable Mentions
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Ultimate Ears HYPERBOOM:
The Ultimate Ears HYPERBOOM is a portable Bluetooth speaker that can get incredibly loud with less compression than the JBL Boombox 4. It also offers a better soundstage, so audio sounds fairly similar regardless of your listening angle. But its battery life is around half that of the JBL, and it's not as resistant to the elements as our pick.
See our review -
Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen):
The Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) is a well-built portable Bluetooth speaker that has a bit more balanced sound. However, unlike the LG xboom Bounce, it downmixes stereo content to mono, which isn't as immersive. Its battery life also doesn't last as long.
See our review -
Anker Soundcore Boom 3i:
The Anker Soundcore Boom 3i is a portable speaker that makes a great beach companion. It stands out because it's specially made to be saltwater resistant and has a special Buzz Clean mode to shake sand out of the enclosure. But it's less portable and compresses quite a lot in the bass with a narrow soundstage compared to the Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 4.
See our review -
Limitless Innovations TikiTunes:
The Limitless Innovations TikiTunes is a cheap outdoor speaker designed to look like a tiki torch. It has a built-in amber light that mimics a flickering flame. However, it has an uneven sound profile and doesn't come with any customization features. It also doesn't get as loud as the Pohopa EF-B210G speakers, and its battery doesn't last as long.
See our review
Recent Updates
Jan 27, 2026:
This article was updated to add the LG xboom Bounce as our new mid-range pick because the EarFun UBOOM X is frequently out of stock. We've tightened the focus of the article by removing the smart and cheap picks; you can find our previous cheap pick (Anker Soundcore Select 4 Go) mentioned in the budget section, and we've removed less relevant picks from the Notable Mentions.
Nov 11, 2025:
The JBL Boombox 4 is our new top pick for its lighter design compared to the JBL Boombox 3, while the EarFun UBOOM X and Anker Soundcore Select 4 Go are our new mid-range and cheap picks, respectively. Finally, we removed the Sony ULT FIELD 7 from our Notable Mentions, but added the Anker Soundcore Boom 3i for its beach-friendly features.
Mar 17, 2025:
We've made minor edits to the text for clarity, but our picks haven't changed.
Dec 18, 2024:
The Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 4 charges via USB-C, so it replaces the Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 3 as our mid-range pick. The Anker Soundcore Select 2S is our new pick in the cheap category because it performs similarly to the Anker Soundcore 3 but at a lower price point. We also added the Ultimate Ears EVERBOOM as an alternative to the Ultimate Ears EPICBOOM for anyone looking for a long battery life in a portable package. Finally, the Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) replaces the first-gen Bose SoundLink Flex in our Notable Mentions.
Sep 27, 2024: We've updated this article to feature the Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 4 as our budget pick due to its inclusion of USB-C charging and other minor performance upgrades. Otherwise, we've made no changes to the picks.
All Reviews
Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the best outdoor Bluetooth speakers for most people to buy, according to their needs. We factor in the price (cheaper speakers win over pricier ones if the difference isn't worth it), feedback from our visitors, and availability (no speakers that are difficult to find or almost out of stock everywhere).
If you would like to choose for yourself, here's the list of all our reviews for speakers, sorted by their outdoor performance. Be careful not to get caught up in the details. There are no perfect speakers. Personal taste, preference, and listening habits will matter more in your selection.