With warmer weather fast approaching, the best waterproof speakers could become an integral part of your audio arsenal. Of course you can use these safely in the shower or while relaxing in the bathtub all year round, but when it’s time to hit the pool or the park, some extra protection against the elements sets these apart from the best Bluetooth speakers in general.
There are different degrees of water resistance on offer: some may just be immune to rain and light sprays, while others can withstand full submersion in fresh water. One thing all these speakers have in common, though, is that they sound great, and they’ll all make fine additions to any pool party or rain-risking BBQ. To find out what we’ve chosen as the best waterproof speakers, keep reading.
What is the best waterproof speaker?
The UE Megaboom 3 stands at the top of our best waterproof speaker rankings, and for good reason. It pumps out sharp-sound audio in a full 360 degrees, lasts long between battery recharges and is certified for IPX7 waterproofing, one of the best IP (ingress protection) ratings you can get.
Sonos also has a couple of great waterproof smart speakers. We slightly prefer the Sonos Roam over the larger Sonos Move, owing to the former’s superior waterproofing and much lower price.
For a more budget-friendly option, consider, the Anker Soundcore 2. This highly portable speaker is much louder than it looks, and its IPX5 water resistance is enough to cope with rain and splashes.
Check out all of our top picks for the best waterproof speakers below.
The best waterproof speakers right now
The UE Megaboom 3 is, at its core, simply an excellent Bluetooth speaker. Its cylindrical design allows for high-quality sound to pump out in all directions, and with a healthy rated battery life of 20 hours it can keep going all day. In fact, according to our own testing, it can go even longer than that between charges.
What takes the Megaboom 3 to the top of our best waterproof speakers list is a substantial assortment of bonus features, including the ability to pair with another Megaboom 3 for stereo sound, and its enviable IP67 waterproofing. That’s enough to let the speaker get utterly soaked and still keep playing without issue, something we confirmed by dunking it in a sink to no ill effect. You won’t find a better combination of portability, practicality and sound quality.
Read our full UE Megaboom 3 review.
The Sonos Roam takes the concept of the preceding Sonos Move — a battery-powered smart speaker with water resistance — and makes it tougher, more portable and even more affordable. At less than half the price of the Move, it’s a great choice if you want to stay within the Sonos ecosystem of interconnected speakers.
Upgrading on the Move’s IP56 rating, the IP67-rated Roam is not simply splash-proof but fully waterproof, and like the Megaboom 3 can be fully submerged for up to 30 minutes without harm. It has plenty of other tricks that cement its ‘smart’ status, too: Auto TruePlay adjusts the Roam’s sound output according to the acoustic properties of its surroundings, and an useful handoff feature lets you swap playback from the Roam to a wired Sonos speaker as soon as you carry the Roam through your front door.
Read our full Sonos Roam review.
The Wi-Fi-equipped Sonos Move is on the pricey side, but this speaker is portable and smart, complete with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant support. Switching between Bluetooth and Wi-Fi is seamless, and the latter also enables direct streaming from services like Spotify and Apple Music. AirPlay 2 works as well.
Sonos’ first wireless Bluetooth speaker is relatively big and heavy, and combined with the importance of a Wi-Fi signal it’s the kind of speaker you should probably keep close to home. Even so, its IP56 rating lets it cope with heavy rainfall as well as dust, so you can take it into your backyard or front deck with confidence.
Read our full Sonos Move review.
Even if it’s not as smart as the Sonos Roam or doesn’t sound quite as superb as the UE Wonderboom 3, the JBL Charge 5 is still one of the best waterproof speakers on the market. It’s easy to use, audio performance improves on the Charge 4 and there’s a handy phone-recharging feature that enables the speaker itself to top up your mobile device if it runs low.
Its waterproofing is top-notch too, achieving an IP67 rating. In addition to surving dunks up to 1 meter for 30 minutes, then, the Charge 5 is also nigh-immune to dust ingress. It’s definitely one to consider if you need something that will endure trips to the beach, or camping excursions.
Read our full JBL Charge 5 review.
A highly portable yet deceptively powerful speaker with IPX5 water resistance, all for less than $50. What’s not to like about the Anker Soundcore 2? This diminutive speaker blasts out well-balanced sound that’s more than enough for an intimate BBQ or pool party, and with around 24 hours of battery life you probably won’t need to worry about running out of juice.
You will need to be a bit careful around bodies of water as IPX5 only represents protection against splashes and low-power jets, not total submersion should someone get careless. That said, it’s so cheap that you could buy one and a spare and still have saved money compared to most waterproof speakers.
The UE Wonderboom 2 is one of the best waterproof speakers that crams a surprising amount of bass-rich sound into a small, go-anywhere enclosure. Its cute, orb-like design comes in a wide array of color options, and besides good looks it also enables 360-degree audio like the Megaboom 3.
Also like the Megaboom 3, the Wonderboom 2 is fully waterproofed with an IP67 rating. It even floats in water, so fishing it out of a pool or bathtub is no problem at all, and a respectable level of solid ingrees protection should keep it safe around mud and dust too.
Read our full UE Wonderboom 2 review.
This is the latest in JBL’s highly-rated Flip series of rugged speakers, following on from the impressive Flip 4. The Flip 5 matches its predecessor’s IPX7 rating, so is fully waterproof even if it lacks dust protection, and can turn up a bit louder too.
JBL speakers are known for their energetic, bass-forward sound, and the Flip 5 is no exception. It sounds lively but still balanced, with a wide soundstage and clear vocals. It can distort at louder volumes, something we wish was fixed from the Flip 4, but otherwise this is a good bet if you want something similar to the UE Megaboom 3 at a more affordable price.
Read our full JBL Flip 5 review.
The LG XBoom Go PL7 is another cylindrical wireless speaker, but this is no boring copycat. In fact it’s one of the most exciting-looking speakers around, with a stylish soft-touch finish and integrated LED lighting that add some visual pop to your playlists.
Like the Sonos Move, the XBoom Go PL7 has an IPX5 rating for water resistance, not full-on waterproofing. Still, that’s enough protection for all but the most serious of aquatic accidents, and with good-quality sound put plus 24 hours of battery life, LG clearly hasn’t forgotten the essentials. Pick it up if you want something a bit more eye-catching than most Bluetooth speakers.
Read our full LG XBoom Go PL7 review.
While most of the devices on our best waterproof speaker list are portable enough to easily toss in a bag, only the Tribit StormBox Micro is truly tiny. Measuring 3.9 x 3.9 x 1.4 inches and weighing a relatively featherweight 8 ounces, the StormBox Micro is a Bluetooth speaker that will fit in your palm, never mind a carry case.
Tribit has still found room for a set of onboard controls, though an aux input didn’t make the cut. Still, if anything this helps with waterproofing, and the StormBox Micro is rated at a very reassuring IP67. It’s cheap, too.
Read our full Tribot StormBox Micro review.
Say hello to UE’s biggest and boldest Bluetooth speaker yet. Its hefty drivers and vicious loudness make this the best waterproof speaker for parties, and the quality of clarity of the audio hasn’t been sacrificed at the altar of volume. The Hyperboom still sounds commendably balanced even when it’s making the glasses shake.
The only downside is that with an IPX4 rating, the Hyperboom isn’t as water-resistant as its smaller UE cousins. It’s still protected against light splashes — a misplaced drink, say — or light rainfall, but unlike the Wonderboom 2 we don’t think this is one you’d be happy to retrieve from an unexpected dip.
Read our full UE Hyperboom review.
The Fugoo Sport 2.0 doesn’t have 360-degree sound, or a digital assistant, or even a mobile app. What Fugoo has built here is a simple and straightforward Bluetooth speaker the still manages to deliver on ruggedness.
The IP67 rating is particularly impressive, making the Sport 2.0 one of the few speakers that can match the Wonderboom 2’s level of protection at a similar price. Tough plastic edges add further protection against drops, and despite the portable dimensions the Sport 2.0 can play detailed, balanced audio at very high volumes. Battery life is a step back from the original Fugoo Sport, but there’s still lots to like.
Read our full Fugoo Sport 2.0 review.
How to choose the best waterproof speaker for you
You should consider the degree of waterproofing you’ll think you’ll need, which means understanding IP ratings. As you’ll have seen these are given in the “IPXX” format, where the first number represents protection against solids and the second against liquids. Higher numbers mean better protection, so an IPX7 device can survive full submersion in up to 1 meter of fresh water for up to 30 minutes, whereas IPX6 can endure strong water jets but not full submersion.
Anything above IPX4 will be at least splash-proof, so that’s fine if you just want peace of mind that unexpected rain won’t ruin your speaker. For a bathroom or pool party speaker, we’d suggest at least IPX6 and ideally IPX7 protection.
Think also about how portable you want your speaker to be. Smaller, lighter speakers are easier to carry out to the park but might not deliver the space-filling volume output of bigger, heavier models.
All of the speakers in this list can connect via Bluetooth but some support Wi-Fi as well. This opens up a lot of new opportunities for smart assistants and streaming services, which you may find useful. Just remember that you’ll need to stay within range of a Wi-Fi signal to get the benefit, might might not always be feasible outdoors.
How we test the best waterproof speakers
As with any speaker we review, we’ll spend hours listening to each waterproof speaker to judge how good they sound with a variety of musical genres. For portable speakers we’ll often pay special attention to volume, as these are often used for outdoor parties and need to provide the appropriate power.
We’ll also test any special features to make sure they work, like voice commands, and will judge the connectivity and controls of each speaker based on how easy they are to use. As most waterproof speakers are wireless, we’ll also measure battery life to see if it stands up to the manufacturer’s claims.
Naturally, we’ll also test waterproofing in practical settings. While we don’t set out to intentionally destroy each speaker, we’ll hold them under running water, splash them, leave them in a shower or (where appropriate) submerge them in water to ensure they’re as tough as they say they are.
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