Finding the best speaker is a must if you want to play music in the pool or on a camping trip. As long as your phone, laptop, or tablets are around, your music will be loud, because the speakers are compatible with practically every mobile device around. It can be difficult to choose the best option for your needs. We have done the research and identified what we think are the best speakers. If your speaker is not on this list, it is time to buy one.
The Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2 is our favorite speaker due to its sound quality, battery life, and water resistance. It comes in at a reasonable price. It has everything you would want in a speaker.
The Charge 5 is an upgrade if you are looking for a more premium alternative. It has a full day's battery life, and bigger speakers for more sound.
The Charge 5 is an upgrade if you are looking for a more premium alternative. It has a full day's battery life, and bigger speakers for more sound.
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The features can make a stereo pair, they include a boost mode, a 13-hour battery life, and a water and dust rating.
Ultimate Ears shows that speakers can be good. Our Wonderboom 2 review said that the little speaker could sound great for just about any type of music, from pop to rock and jazz. The Wonderboom 2 is great for parties. You can only pair it with another Wonderboom 2 speaker, but it comes in multiple flashy colors.
The Wonderboom 2 is resistant to dust and submersion, which is why half of the photos you will find online of the Wonderboom 2 feature the speaker floating in pools. The Wonderboom 2 lasts 13 hours between each charge and is rated to survive drops up to 5 feet. Not bad for a speaker of this size and the fact that it is one of the best speakers under $100.
Can connect to two phones at the same time, 20-hour battery life, and can connect to more than 100 speakers.
The Charge 5 is the latest speaker from JBL and it has 20 hours of battery life. The Charge 5 has a port next to its charging port that can be used to share the power from its 7,500mAh battery, which can be used to charge your phone while you listen to music.
If you keep the rubber gasket closed, the JBL Charge 5 is water-resistant. If you like singing in the shower, this is the best shower speaker on the market, but it is also useful if you are throwing an all-day pool party or going on a camping trip. The Charge 5 is one of the best options since it almost eliminates the need for a separate battery pack.
Excellent battery life, water-resistance, and seamless connection to the system are some of the top features.
For a long time, Sonos never made a smart speaker that you could leave the house with. Before the year 2019, the speakers didn't even work with Bluetooth. The speaker that looks and sounds great by the pool is the Sonos Move.
The Move has a charging dock, not that you will need it a lot. You will get 10 hours on a single charge if you take it out and about. The speaker is water and dust resistant, so it should hold up just as well outside. The built-in handle makes it much easier to pick up and move around, even though it is a bit bulkier and heavier than many speakers on this list.
Soundcore speakers have great price, stereo and weather resistance.
According to our review of the Soundcore 2 speaker, there isn't much to complain about. For a fraction of other speaker prices, you can get the Anker speaker, which has respectable sound and all-day battery life. The Soundcore 2 is waterproof and lasts for a full 24 hours. Of course, you would hope that the battery life of the brands would be good.
The Soundcore 2 is a bit quiet compared to other speakers on this list, and it lacks bass, which can impact specific genres of music. It is one of the best cheap speakers under $50 and you can even buy more than one and pair them together for surround sound audio.
The Ultimate Ears speakers have over 150 other features.
Our Ultimate Ears Boom 3 review said it was a great all-around speaker because it does about everything and it is only eight inches tall. It comes in a number of fun colors. It sounds great because of its balanced design. This is a great speaker. The Boom 3 can float and stay submerged in one meter of water for up to 30 minutes.
The Boom 3 has a one-touch Magic button that can be used for play/pause controls or to set up custom one-touch playlists through a variety of music services. You can pair this with over 150 other Boom, Megaboom, or Hyperboom speakers for the ultimate street party.
There are advanced amplifier modules, XBass technology, and IPX7 waterproof.
The Tribit MaxSound Plus is one of the best water- resistant speakers on the market. The portable powerhouse has an impressive range of up to 100 feet, so you don't have to keep the device close to you or your phone to keep the tunes blasting.
Texas Instruments amplifier modules and audio processing technology are included along with two 12W drivers with Tribit's proprietary Xbass technology for booming sound at the push of a button. The speaker has a lanyard rope for carrying and a rubber flap to keep it waterproof. The MaxSound Plus is hard to go wrong with if you are on a tight budget.
Classic styling, in-depth app controls, 3.5mm audio jack, and 30-foot range are top features.
Marshall built a great speaker in the Stanmore II. It has a few knobs at the top for adjusting volume, as well as bass and treble, and you can quickly switch between the various inputs.
The Marshall Stanmore II is larger than most of the other speakers on this list, but it sounds as good as you would expect from a Marshall product. Even though you can adjust the sound via the accompanying app, it is a Marshall amplifier and it holds up well even at loud volumes. Well, sort of.
There are features that can pair two for stereo or party mode.
Bose's new and improved SoundLink Revolve+ II is similar to some of the other speakers on this list in that it offers omnidirectional audio and several onboard controls. It sounds better than any other speaker we have used, with a clearer high-end and punchier bass that Bose is known for. The aluminum unibody design is pretty slick, but it is only dust and splash resistant and not like other speakers on this list. This is an improvement over the IPX4 rating.
SoundLink is almost twice as expensive as the Charge 5. It could be worth it for Bose fans. The handle at the top makes it easy to pick up and carry around when the party moves.
Yard-filling sound and size, IPX4 water-resistant, 24 hour battery life, pair with other Ultimate Ears speakers, and easy touch controls are some of the top features.
If you ever wanted to take your parents to the beach or the pool, then the Ultimate Ears Hyperboom is for you. That may be hyperbole, but this thing is easily the biggest portable speaker we have come across. It is over 14 inches tall and almost 8 inches wide. It is a big boi.
Ultimate Ears could pack in some great sounding speakers with all that space. It can last up to a full day on one charge, and it can charge your phone while you stream to it. You can use other Boom, Megaboom, or Hyperboom speakers to amplify and extend the sound. The speakers are suitable for a large, formal event, even if you want a booming backyard barbeque.
The top features are wireless charging, fantastic sound, and seamless connection to the Sonos ecosystem.
Fans have been waiting for a smaller, less expensive version of the Sonos Move to be released. The Sonos Roam was released in early 2021.
The Roam is the same size as the Ultimate Ears Boom 3 and is ready for the outdoors. It has improved water and dust protection over its larger sibling, and it can also charge with any compatible wireless charging device. Our initial tests show that the battery longevity is a bit wanting with the Roam, but this is a good feature. The price of the Roam is more expensive than the Boom 3, so you should consider what else you can get. If you want an excellent portable option, you will not be disappointed here.
The award-winning sound, 10-hour battery life, 3.5mm audio jack, and built-in VAMP headphones are some of the top features.
V-Moda is known for its high-end headphones, but the V-Moda Remix has a unique design and modern appointments. It is a bit on the larger side, but it has a built-in amplifier that allows you to connect high-quality headphones.
The hexagonal speaker grill is enclosed in either aluminum or vegan leather. It's one of the best looking speakers around, and the audio lives up to V-Moda's reputation with responsive highs and mids and loud, thumping bass. The Remix only has half the battery life of the other options on the list, and it isn't water resistant.
The big sound from a small package, dust resistance, and the ability to connect two for stereo pair are the top features.
The Sony XB13 is a water resistant speaker that can take a beating. It fits in the palm of your hand and is loud and clean despite its small stature. If you ever need more sound, you can pair it with an extra speaker, because it is the perfect speaker to bring with you to the beach.
The Sony XB13 has an upgraded port for more convenient charging and still comes in a small assortment of eye-catching colors with matching wrist/carrying straps. It takes several hours to reach a full charge, but lasts up to 16 hours per charge. There is a lot to love about the XB13, it has a solid build quality and a rugged exterior.
The IPX7 water-resistant, 6-hour battery life, and built-in microphone make it portable for bikes, bags, or backpacks.
The Bose SoundLink Micro is a smaller speaker that is water resistant and shockproof, and it is a good choice if the SoundLink Revolve+ II is out of your price range. It has a clean, distortion-free sound at a moderate volume and is available in a few striking colors. Thanks to the strap, you can attach it to your backpack or bike.
The SoundLink Micro has a poor battery life. The speaker is only 6 hours long, but your neighbors will appreciate the hard limit on loud music. The SoundLink Micro has built-in microphones, which makes it an excellent speaker, allowing you to use it to make calls and even talk to your phone.
The IPX7 water-resistant, 15-hour battery life, MicroSD card slot, and connect two for stereo pair are the top features.
Being lucky to find a speaker that can take the occasional drop is even better than having a waterproof speaker. A speaker can survive a four-story fall from a hotel balcony into a pool. Do you not believe us? Check out how we discovered this in our review.
This is the kind of speaker that you can bring with you on your next pool party or beach vacation, but it is equally at home in the home. It pairs quickly and easily to your devices, and even though the battery life isn't as long as we'd like, you can charge it efficiently via its charging port. Many people use it as a shower speaker.
The battery life, sound quality, and resistance element are some of the features you need to consider when designing a portable speaker. You want a speaker that is built to take on the go, so you will want a speaker that is portable.
We would go for the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2 if we were buying one. The speaker is great value for your money. The Wonderboom 2 is the most well-rounded speaker, offering loud, punchy sound, water resistance, and excellent battery life.
This article is intended to be a guide for buying the best speakers for different uses and different price points. We know that you may still have questions about the speakers. Hopefully, we will be able to address all of your questions below before tackling why you should buy a speaker in the first place, how to choose the best speaker for you, and what other speaker options are available.
Pair your phone or tablet with a speaker and you'll get a better sound. The standard is ubiquitous with every phone, tablet, and notebook. You will not notice a difference when connecting your phone or tablet to any of the picks we have outlined.
The last five years have seen the emergence of even budget options that offer excellent sound quality. They are ideal for listening to music at home or near the pool. You don't have to worry about range, with all of the options delivering rock-solid connection up to 50 feet. Ultimate Ears is leading the charge in this area, with several on the list going up to 100 feet.
One of the main reasons for going with a speaker is that you don't have to worry about wires, and there is no specialized hardware required to connect to one. It is easy to carry most of the picks we have listed in your bag.
It can be difficult to decide where to start with a seemingly endless selection of speakers. The devices vary in price, design, feature set, and sound quality. There are some factors to consider before you buy a speaker.
1. Is it indoors or outdoors?
Many of the speakers on this list can function equally well inside and out, but some can work better in one environment over the other.
The Marshall Stanmore II or V-Moda Remix are both great additions to your living room or office, but you probably don't want to leave them outside for hours at a time. If you are primarily going to be listening inside, you can find better options like the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2.
2. The price.
Bargain buys to premium products are what the speaker pricing is. More features are included and the speaker sounds better if you spend more. A good balance of features can be found for a good value. One of our favorite speakers is the Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II, but it's not the only speaker from Ultimate Ears or JBL that makes most ears happy.
3. Size matters.
Get your mind out of the gutter, I'm talking speaker size here. If you want something portable for a mountain bike ride or commute, then you will not want to get anything larger than the Bose SoundLink Micro or Sony SRS-XB13. If you are going to host an epic BBQ or dance party, the Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II or Marshall Stanmore II might be more appropriate.
4. There is a charging capacity and battery life.
If you are taking your speaker away from a steady power source, you want to be sure that it can last the duration you need it to. You don't want to have to carry a phone, a speaker, and a battery pack if you don't.
The larger the speaker, the larger the battery. The Toughest Speaker is the Tronsmart Force. It tops out at about 15 hours, whereas similarly-sized speakers can get up to 10 hours more per charge.