Best Waterproof Speakers: Top 5 Brands Most Recommended For Outdoor Listening

If you’re spending time outdoors and want to listen to music and podcasts, why not pick up a waterproof speaker? You never have to worry if your waterproof speaker gets splashed during a swim. They’re built to get a little wet, making it an ideal accessory for your next beach, pool, or fishing trip. The best waterproof speakers are rechargeable and Bluetooth capable, so it’s easy to play your favorite audio with a touch of a button. 

We know music can be a mood enhancer. Now, a recent study shows the benefits of music go even further. Researchers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), HES-SO Geneva, and EPFL found that both listening and learning to play music could prevent brain health decline. 

‘‘After six months, we found common effects for both interventions. Neuroimaging revealed an increase in grey matter in four brain regions involved in high-level cognitive functioning in all participants, including cerebellum areas involved in working memory. Their performance increased by 6% and this result was directly correlated to the plasticity of the cerebellum,’’ says study author Clara James, a lecturer at the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences of UNIGE and full professor at the Geneva School of Health Sciences. Overall, the results show that listening and practicing music can preserve cognition. 

Here at StudyFinds, we love music and a good beach day. So, we want you to have a quality waterproof speaker to take with you anywhere you go this summer. That’s why we’ve put together a list of the top five brands from ten expert websites to find the best waterproof speakers. As always, we’d like to see your own recommendations in the comments below!

UE Boom Speakers on the beach
Ultimate Ears Speakers on the beach (Photo by Zac Gudakov on Unsplash)

The List: Best Waterproof Speakers, According to Tech Experts

 

1. Sonos Roam

If you are looking for a lightweight premium waterproof speaker, you can’t go wrong with the Sonos Roam. TechRadar notes, it “comes with both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, which means it can work as an outdoor speaker as well as part of your wider multi-room Sonos system. Plus, with Google Assistant and Alexa onboard, it doubles up a smart speaker too.” 

Sonos Roam
Sonos Roam

How does it perform? USA Today says “its sound gets a little heavy in the midrange, and its fidelity is best at about mid-volume (it loses some luster at low volume), but it’s easy to adjust the EQ to taste. What’s more, the speaker‘s True Volume feature helps it adjust the sound to its environment.”

“While there are no speakerphone capabilities, this is a small add-on that is easily forgotten when you consider all the other powerful capabilities of the Roam,” points out Digital Trends.

2. Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 3

This little, affordable waterproof Bluetooth speaker packs a powerful punch. “The UE WONDERBOOM 3 is one of the best waterproof speakers that crams a surprising amount of bass-rich sound into a small, go-anywhere enclosure. Balanced sound and a portable design make it a great companion, while the Outdoor Boost feature does its job. And for most people 14 hours of battery life is plenty,” according to Tom’s Guide.

Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 3
Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 3

Travel+Leisure adds, “in addition to being waterproof, this speaker is also dustproof and floatable, allowing it to be used in virtually any outdoor setting and making it especially handy for boat trips when sinking could become and issue. To top things off, it has a 131-foot Bluetooth range, so you can control it from all over the party.”

It’s also small enough to fit in your shower. Forbes points out, it “has a compact ball shape and is so small it feels like a baseball in your hand. It’s lighter than most speakers but is just as durable and waterproof as its competition.”

3. JBL Flip 6

Popular Science crowns the JBL Flip 6 ‘Best Overall’, adding it “has dual passive radiators, a separate tweeter, a purported frequency response range of 63 Hz – 20 kHz, and a max volume of around 87 dB, so you’ll be satisfied with the overall sound quality. Plus, you can customize your audio using the graphic EQ on the JBL Portable app, available for both iOS and Android systems.” 

JBL Flip 6
JBL Flip 6

It’s rugged too. “Not only can you get the Flip 6 wet at the beach, but you can also afford to allow quite a bit of sand to get near it as well,” suggests What Hi-Fi? 

CNET highlights the speaker is “rated for up to 12 hours of audio playback at moderate volume levels and charges via USB-C. Available in multiple color options, it’s one of the best-sounding speakers for its compact size.”

4. Tribit StormBox Micro 2

Check out the Tribit StormBox Micro 2 if you are looking for a compact waterproof speaker with solid battery power. “It has 12 hours of battery life at moderate volume, which we found accurate during testing. This is great considering you’ll only get five from similarly-sized options,” notes TechRadar.

Tribit StormBox Micro 2
Tribit StormBox Micro 2

What Hi-Fi? points out, the “audio is also really strong, and much 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 and invest in either a more expensive JBL Flip 6 or WONDERBOOM 3 to move up to the next level.”

This speaker is very budget-friendly. Another bonus? “An integrated strap allows you to clip it to your backpack or your bike’s handlebars. Like the original, it’s an excellent value and easy to recommend if you’re looking for a supercompact portable wireless speaker,” adds CNET.

5. Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 3   

“It’s not every day that your waterproof Bluetooth speaker will outshine even the most decorated of indoor setups, but such is the case with the top-notch Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 3. True to the UE label, this speaker delivers big, booming sound, plentiful battery, and the handy ability to pair up with not just other MEGABOOM 3 units but older UE hardware as well,” according to Digital Trends.

Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 3   
Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 3

Tom’s Guide gives the MEGABOOM 3 ‘Best Overall’ accolades, suggesting “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.”

“Dialogue in podcasts and audiobooks is clear and accurate in the mix, and voices and lead instruments are detailed and pleasant-sounding. You get a little extra boom in the bass range, too, so you feel the excitement in bass-heavy genres like EDM and hip-hop, which is great for your next pool party,” adds RTINGS.com.

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Note: This article was not paid for nor sponsored. StudyFinds is not connected to nor partnered with any of the brands mentioned and receives no compensation for its recommendations. This post may contain affiliate links.

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About the Author

Melissa Kraus

Melissa is a freelance writer, based out of New Jersey. She has over two-decades of writing, editing, and producing experience for Radio, TV, and Digital Media.

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