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Do not fear water in 2020

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5 years ago

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Consider range, battery life, IP ratings, weight, and more when choosing the best waterproof speaker for you.

By Team Commerce

Being able to take your music with you wherever you go is one of the great wonders of smartphone technology, and is improved by a portable Bluetooth speaker that can boost the sound quality. Ideally though, you want a Bluetooth speaker that’s waterproof.

Besides protecting your beats from a sudden downpour, a waterproof Bluetooth speaker can come along to a pool party and you don’t need to worry about a thing. Some portable Bluetooth speakers even float in the water, becoming a cool feature piece to show off to your friends. 

There are hundreds of different Bluetooth speakers out there, and it’s tough to know which one’s right for you. This is where we can help, as we’ve done the hard work and researched the best waterproof Bluetooth speakers on the market, so you can find something that works for you.

You want to focus on a few important things when considering your options. For one thing, not all waterproofing is the same. It’s easy to get confused by IP ratings that tell you exactly how waterproof (or merely water-resistant) something is, but ideally you want something that’s at least IP67 rated. That means it can be submerged in about a metre of water for 30 minutes without any issue. All the speakers listed here are at least IP67 rated.

You’ll want your speaker to be lightweight, as a portable Bluetooth speaker will seem a little pointless if it’s tough to carry around. The output quality should also be a priority, so we’ve also taken into consideration how good your music is actually going to sound. Life’s too short for dull sounding beats, right? 

It’s also important to consider battery life. Your Bluetooth speaker is portable for a reason and you don’t want to have to take a charger with you everywhere you go. Being able to charge the portable speaker and not worry about it for the rest of the day is the sweet spot here. 

Range is the final thing to think about. If you’re sitting nearby your speaker, it doesn’t really matter. But if you’re having a party, you might want the flexibility of moving your phone (and you) quite far away from the setup. There’s never a time where you want less range so you might as well aim for the best Bluetooth range possible, right?

A good waterproof Bluetooth speaker won’t be the cheapest Bluetooth speaker out there, but it will stand you in good stead for a number of years to come. You want a speaker that is rugged and can take a bit of a beating if needs be, so that it fits into your active (or chilled) lifestyle. Think of it as planning ahead when you spend a little more than usual on one. 

These are six of the best Bluetooth waterproof speakers on the market right now.


IP67 rated • Easy to carry around • 10-hour battery life

No speakerphone • Sound is a little limited

Looks super stylish and is the perfect addition to your pool party.

Ultimate Ears Wonderboom

A great option all around for quality sound and effective portability.

  • Weight:
    420 grams
  • Battery life:
    10 hours
  • Features:
    100+ foot wireless range, two 40mm active drivers, two 46x65mm passive radiators, floats on water
The Ultimate Ears Wonderboom is pretty small yet mighty where it counts. It looks very cute, thanks to its ball like design and it’s available in a bunch of different bright colours. That might make you underestimate it but you’ll be surprised by the quality, once you hear it play. 
Besides being pretty loud at all times, the clarity of sound is high-end for the price and the overall sound quality is remarkable. Mid-basses thump with power that belies its size. 
To make it even more appealing, it actually floats on water. That’s thanks to its inflatable ring that works as its own personal lifesaver. Toss it in the pool and enjoy the sound. If it happens to sink, it’ll be good in up to one metre of water for 30 minutes. You can pair it with two devices simultaneously too, which is great if you want to have two DJs controlling the music at your party.
It’s also pretty rugged so if you happen to drop it or drunkenly throw it across the garden, it’s going to survive a little rough housing. The only issue here is that there’s no speakerphone option, but that’s hardly a problem if you’re just after great sound with your buddies. 

Great sound quality • Charges your phone

A solid effort by a respectable Bluetooth speaker manufacturer, the JBL Charge 4 is dependable whether you’re indoors or out.

JBL Charge 4

Ideal for flexible living and use, it can easily move from inside the house to the garden.

  • Weight:
    800 grams
  • Battery life:
    20 hours
  • Features:
    30+ feet wireless range, two 1.7-inch drivers and two passive radiators, speakerphone facility
It’s convenient to have a speaker that looks just at home indoors as it does outside next to the pool. That’s the thinking behind JBL Charge 4. It has a great battery life, it’s completely waterproof, and it’ll still look good resting on a table in your living room. 
It’s a fairly chunky design so don’t expect it to be the most lightweight of speakers to carry around. The weight is worth it though, thanks to it packing in a battery that’ll last about 20 hours, and a powerful speaker to boot.
Like the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom, it’ll survive being submerged in up to a metre of water for 30 minutes but, obviously, it’s going to sink pretty fast. 
You can hook up multiple JBL Connect based speakers to augment the sound with stereo playback supported through two speakers. It sounds great too, with music really being projected across the room or yard in a clear and powerful fashion. Expect the deepest bass you’ve heard in a while.

Compact • Lightweight • Easy to attach to things

Short battery life • No 360 sound

Not every waterproof Bluetooth speaker has to be for taking outdoors, as this is perfect for listening to music in the shower.

Bose SoundLink Micro

The Bose SoundLink Micro is perfect for listening to music while hitting the shower.

  • Weight:
    290 grams
  • Battery life:
    6 hours
  • Features:
    Lightweight, tear-resistant strap, speakerphone, rugged design
Many waterproof Bluetooth speakers are designed with pool parties or hiking in mind. Sometimes though, you just want to be able to hear music or podcasts while you’re in the shower or bath. The Bose SoundLink Micro is an ideal size for that. It’s compact and lightweight, while still being rugged enough to withstand you tossing it around or knocking it into a pool of water by your feet.
It’s not going to win prizes for style, but it’s very travel friendly and the sound quality is what you would expect from Bose. It has a strap directly attached to the bottom so you can easily fasten it to objects, like your bike or a towel rail, or simply a hook next to your shower. Flexibility is key here, so you can easily move the Bose SoundLink Micro around your home. 
Where the Bose SoundLink Micro falters a little is its six-hour battery life. This isn’t a speaker to take out hiking for the day, although its sound levels are surprisingly high enough to carry when outdoors. 
We think this speaker’s greatest strengths lie at home. It’s perfect for moving around wherever you go about your business throughout the house. Conveniently, there’s Siri and Google Assistant support too.  

Alexa support • Rugged design • 360 degree sound

If you want a poolside smart assistant, the Ultimate Ears Blast is the speaker to get.

Ultimate Ears Blast

Control everything through Alexa for a truly hands-free listening experience.

  • Weight:
    640 grams
  • Battery life:
    12 hours
  • Features:
    150 foot wireless range, Alexa support, 360 degree sound, two 1.4 inches active drivers, two 3.2 inches x 1.5 inches passive radiators
Having hands-free control via Amazon Alexa is a great part of modern living. Who wants to touch buttons when you can just talk to your tech? Relatively few smart speakers are also waterproof, but the Ultimate Ears Blast is a notable exception. 
With its 150-foot Bluetooth wireless range and 330-foot WiFi range, you can use it to not only play whatever music you feel like, but also control everything that works through your Alexa unit. It’s kind of a game changer for when you’re sitting at the pool and you suddenly realise you need to do something important. Besides that, it’s simply a great Bluetooth speaker. 
Its build quality means it can survive a few knocks, thanks to its tough rubber coating around the speaker. Plus, there’s a metal D-ring for hanging it up from a hook or branch. 
You can pair it up to eight different Bluetooth devices, and its Alexa services means you can easily access Amazon Music, Tune-In, Deezer, and (recently added) Spotify. However, there’s no support for Alexa Calling and Messaging right now, and some users have reported it’s not as accurate as a conventional Echo. 
However, reassuringly, sound quality is exactly what you would expect from Ultimate Ears. Bass is strong but not overwhelming, and mids and lows are easy to spot without any distortion, even at maximum volume. 360-degree audio helps, too. 
Battery life isn’t amazing at 12 hours but it’s perfectly respectable for when you’re hanging out in the garden. If you’re keen to enjoy Alexa through your waterproof speaker, the Ultimate Ears Blast is the speaker for you. 

Fun light show • 360 degree sound

Sound quality isn’t the highest

If you’re not too fussy about high sound quality but you want super fun lighting, then the JBL Pulse 3 is perfect for a party.

JBL Pulse 3

It’s waterproof, of course, but the focus is on fun.

  • Weight:
    962 grams
  • Battery life:
    12 hours
  • Features:
    360 degree sound, three x 40mm transducer, light sequence show, speakerphone
JBL doesn’t just make practical sounding speakers. It also makes super fun ones. That’s the thinking behind the JBL Pulse 3. It’s waterproof, of course, but its focus is on fun. That’s because it looks kind of like a 1970s lava lamp, but it has its own light show that flashes according to the music it plays. 
Its body is made up of a smooth plastic that acts as a light diffuser for the built-in LEDs while still protecting it from water with a IP67 rating. Its sound projects in 360 degrees so wherever you’re located, it’ll sound the same. The issue there is that the quality isn’t quite as high as others in this price range, but that’s not to say it’s massively inferior. 
Highs and lows are reasonably balanced, and the bass is full bodied if not quite as meaty as other JBL speakers. That’s a small price to pay for something that looks this fun though. Watching the light show unfold in time with the music you’re listening to is great when you’re all gathered around the pool or beach. Even if it does mean that battery life is a little low at 12 hours. 
For a fun party piece, it’s hard to go wrong with the JBL Pulse 3. There’s even a speakerphone facility, and the option to hook it up to many other JBL speakers through the app.  

Good audio • Can link with another XB12 speaker • Dustproof

A well balanced speaker that provides excellent value for money, especially considering the sound quality.

Sony SRS-XB12

Compact and lightweight, but powerful.

  • Weight:
    244 grams
  • Battery life:
    16 hours
  • Features:
    46mm mono speaker, passive radiator, compact, dustproof
The Sony XB12 speaker is something to consider if portability is your priority and you are looking at the smaller end of the spectrum. This speaker is able to strike a nice balance between size and power compared to other speakers at this scale, especially as a one channel speaker. 
One way this balance is established is through the improved bass performance, which can always be a question mark for small speakers. And with a 16-hour lifespan on the battery and waterproof capabilities, you’ll definitely get your money’s worth. 
You can even pair two SRS-XB12 speakers together to play your tracks with stereo sound. This creates a better separation between left and right channels, giving your music greater depth and creating a more immersive effect. 

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