Best waterproof Bluetooth speakers 2023

Bluetooth speakers can go anywhere, but that means surviving some harsh conditions.

One of the best parts about Bluetooth speakers is that they can go anywhere. Their lack of reliance on wall outlets makes them great for camping, pool parties, travel, and other exciting activities or places. The downside is that exciting adventures often come with hazards like water. And water, as we all know, generally doesn't fare well with electronics. Fortunately, waterproof Bluetooth speakers exist in great numbers to help protect themselves from accidents.

For this list, we'll talk about a variety of Bluetooth speakers, but they all have one thing in common. Every one of them has a minimum of an IPX7 rating, which means any of them can take a swim in one-meter deep water for up to 30 minutes. That should be enough protection to keep your Bluetooth speaker safe during any excursion.

A near-perfect all-rounder

The UE Megaboom 3 offers big sound, good waterproofing, and excellent usability. With few weaknesses, it's a fairly easy recommendation.

The UE Megaboom 3 is an excellent choice for waterproof Bluetooth speakers. It offers the standard IP67 rating, meaning it can be dunked in water up to one meter deep for up to 30 minutes. That's challenging to pull off because the thing floats anyway, so most aquatic excursions will typically be momentary. That makes it good for essentially any environment.

It’s not only adept at resisting the elements. The sound quality is excellent, the battery life is good, and even the design is unique with its massive plus and minus buttons for volume control. There is also the Magic Button, which, despite its humorous name, is pretty sweet. It works as a control button and lets you play, pause, and skip tracks. There's also a function that auto-plays playlists, but it only works with Apple Music, Deezer, Spotify, and Amazon Music.

Aside from that and the archaic Micro-USB charging port, there isn't much downside here. The speaker works well, can survive being drunkenly thrown into the ocean, and it's not horrifically expensive.

The UE Megaboom 3 should fit most people's use cases. However, we also understand if you want to see more options, which we have listed below.

This big boy puts out a big sound but at a big price

The JBL Boombox 3 is a large Bluetooth speaker with enough sound for a beach party with a large price tag to match.

The JBL Boombox 3 is aptly named because it is much larger than the other speakers on the list. The size comes with some benefits, including 180 watts worth of power. That means it's loud enough for larger outdoor gatherings like beach parties. Along with its massive size comes 24 hours of reported battery life and an IP67 rating which means this thing can take a tumble into the pool without worry provided that you get it out in under 30 minutes.

The Boombox 3 isn't perfect. Its big size comes with a price tag to match that even with sales tends to be a lot more than the other selections on our list. In addition, it doesn't have 360-degree audio like the UE Megaboom, so the sound quality may differ depending on where you are in relation to the Boombox 3. It's also large and heavy, so it's not something you can easily toss into a backpack and take anywhere.

Additionally, JBL has an excellent app to go with the company's speakers, and that includes an EQ to dial in the exact sound that you want. It also supports JBL's Party Boost feature to connect it to other JBL speakers. There isn't really anything wrong with it, it's just massive and expensive.

A compact speaker with surprisingly great sound quality

The Bang and Olufsen A1 offers a clean sound and waterproofing in a smaller form factor. Its a little pricy for its size, but it otherwise ticks all the right boxes.

The Bang and Olufsen A1 (2nd generation) is a surprisingly capable little speaker. It's about the size of an average human's hand, which means you can take this thing just about anywhere. It even comes with a cute little strap that you can use to affix it to your backpack or shower head. The understated design doesn't stand out in the crowd, but it's not entirely boring either.

The only negatives with the A1 rests in its extras. It doesn't have a 3.5mm jack, Wi-Fi, AirPlay, or any other special features like many of its competitors. The only thing you can really do with it is pair it to a second A1 for a stereo sound. However, at over $250 MSRP, people probably aren't clamoring to buy two of them.

All that said, this tiny speaker is a good overall product. The battery, sound, IP67 rating, and portability outweigh its cons. It's a matter of preference whether those things also outweigh the speaker’s price.

A safe choice for a waterproof Bluetooth speaker

The JBL Flip 6 is a fantastic midrange waterproof Bluetooth speaker with great sound and an IP67 rating to keep it safe from accidental dunks in the pool.

The JBL Flip 6 is a pretty safe bet when it comes to waterproof Bluetooth speakers. It comes with the right prerequisites, like an IP67 rating, and reasonably good sound quality. The speaker also matches the UE Megaboom 3's ability to float in water, making it good for poolside or beach use. In terms of sound quality, it isn't perfect, but it's certainly not terrible either. You can adjust the sound with the EQ from the JBL app, so any notable sound issues can be fixed.

While not stacked with features, the flip side is that the JBL flip 6 doesn’t have many downsides. Even the aforementioned strong treble isn't great, but it's fixable. The battery life is only rated for 12 hours. That's honestly the worst part of the Flip 6. It'll last for a long afternoon of swimming or barbecuing, but keeping the party going into the long hours of the night may prove too much. Luckily, it comes with a USB-C charging port, so you can plug it in to keep it going.

Pair the JBL Flip 6's virtues with its very reasonable price tag, and this is a solid option for most folks. JBL's speakers also go on sale during almost every sales event from Black Friday to Amazon Prime Day, so it's not hard to get this one for under $100.

Tough to beat, literally

The UE Wonderboom is a delightful small Bluetooth speaker that you can take with you anywhere. The sound quality is good and it's just as waterproof as its larger siblings.

The UE Wonderboom 3 is a good small speaker that is durable enough to go everywhere. It comes in bright colors, which makes it hard to lose, and there is a strap to attach it to your bookbag or camping gear. It floats in the water like its larger brethren, so it should be easy to retrieve if it's ever tossed into the water. The sound quality is pretty good as well, especially for its small stature.

There isn't much wrong with the Wonderboom 3. It still comes with a Micro-USB charging port, which isn't ideal these days. You can also save yourself a few dollars and look into the Wonderboom 2 since the latest iteration features minimal upgrades over its predecessor. The battery lasts about 14 hours. That's not as long as some on the list, but it's actually not bad for a small speaker.

You could certainly do worse than the Wonderboom 3, especially if you're looking for a sub-$100 speaker.

Better than its price would suggest

The Anker Soundcore 3 is an excellent budget option that gives you most of the options of some more expensive competitors. That includes waterproofing and decent sound quality.

The Anker Soundcore 3 is a good budget option. It costs less than half of what the JBL Flip 6 goes for, and you get your money's worth for it. The speaker comes with an IPX7 rating, which means it's water-resistant but not dust-resistant. We don't recommend whipping this around in the sand because that'll probably cause damage. The rubberized coating will also get scratched up pretty easily, making the speaker look more beat up than it is.

What you get for the price, though, is decent sound quality for the price tag even if the speaker struggles to hold it together at higher volumes. The control buttons are also large and easy to find, a boon for folks who don't want to wade into the user manual to find everything. This is the kind of waterproof speaker you buy to sit next to your pool and jam with. Even the 24-hour battery is excellent compared to many in its size class.

There are few other Bluetooth speakers at this size in this price range, and the Anker Soundcore 3 has a strong argument that it's the best among them.

So small you might forget it's in your bag

The JBL Go 3 is an adorable little speaker that you can essentially fit into your pocket. It won't wow anyone with its sound quality, but it'll get you there.

The JBL Go 3 is the smallest speaker on the list. It comes with IP67 dust and water resistance, so you can bury this thing in the ground or toss it into the water with minimal concern. Unlike JBL’s more expensive options, this one doesn’t float. You'll probably lose it forever if you drop it into murky lake water. That’s a bummer, but as long as it never gets dropped into lake water, it’ll be fine.

The sound quality for the Go 3 isn't half bad for something of this size, but it obviously won't compete with larger or more expensive speakers. This isn't something you buy to wow your friends or fill a large area with loud music. It's something you take into the shower or use in small groups. Anything more than that, and you may want to pony up for a larger speaker.

It's fairly cheap at under $50, and it goes on sale about as often as JBL's other speakers. The ability to toss this thing into almost any bag and use it anywhere makes it a nice option for a cheap, tiny speaker.

Perfect for existing Sonos setups

The Sonos Roam is a smart speaker with good waterproofing and built-in voice assistance support. It also sounds quite good.

The Sonos Roam is a reasonably good smart speaker. It brings with it the usual stuff that you get from Sonos, like the ability to integrate this with your existing Sonos setup for a whole-house musical experience. Underneath that, the Roam is a competent waterproof Bluetooth speaker. You can take it anywhere you can take a normal Bluetooth speaker of this size.

Unfortunately, the Sonos Roam doesn't float, so don't drop it in water that's too deep or you'll never see it again. In addition, it doesn't have the ruggedness of some of its competitors so it's better not to abuse it too much. Other than that, there aren't many negatives. The battery life is just okay, but it's not the worst in its size class.

Fortunately, Sonos makes up for the negatives by being otherwise excellent. The sound quality is good for a speaker this small. It uses USB-C for the charging port and it features voice assistance support from Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. It's definitely worth a look if you already have Sonos speakers at home.

The nice thing about Bluetooth speakers is that most of them are at least somewhat waterproof. Speaker brands know why people are buying these things and have designed them accordingly. There are plenty of options in this space for consumers, and that’s always a good thing.

That said, there are some that rise above the others. The UE Megaboom 3 works in almost every situation, floats in the water, has great sound quality, and doesn’t cost an excessive amount. Those who need something bigger and more powerful can opt for the JBL Boombox 3. It costs a lot more, but it also gets much louder. The B&O A1 is the ideal choice for the opposite end of the spectrum with excellent sound quality in a small form factor.

A near-perfect all-rounder

The UE Megaboom 3 offers big sound, good waterproofing, and excellent usability. With few weaknesses, it's a fairly easy recommendation.

All three speakers can take dunks in the pool but do keep in mind that the B&O doesn’t float like the other two, so be sure not to drop it in deep water. If you do manage to find it in under 30 minutes, the B&O A1 should continue to work.

The primary source was Pocket-Lint’s testing and review process. After all, these are speakers we’ve had our hands on and that we know well. They’ve been through testing and passed with flying colors. From there, it was a matter of narrowing it down based on specific features. For example, every speaker on this list has an IP67 or IPX7 water resistance, meaning they can all be fully submerged in water up to one meter deep for up to 30 minutes. There’s an argument that one could add splash-resistant speakers, but these are waterproof, not splash-resistant.

IP rating: Obviously, the first thing you should look at is the IP rating. If it’s not IPX7 or IP67 at least, then it isn’t waterproof. It’s probably not a good idea to shop for a waterproof Bluetooth speaker and then buy one without any water resistance.

Use case : Like all purchasing decisions, your specific use case matters most. Do you need something to sit by a pool or take to your parents’ lake house? Or, do you just need something that sounds nice for the shower?

Form factor: Those who are going backpacking probably don’t need something like a Boombox 3. In that same vein, a B&O A1 probably isn’t enough for a pool party. A safe bet is going with one of the mid-size options that will do well everywhere. Obviously, don’t buy a Boombox 3 if you just need a waterproof speaker for your shower.

Additional features: It really depends on whether you want a simple experience where you turn the speaker on and hit play or if you want some extra features like UE’s Magic Button or the voice assistants on the Sonos Roam.

Allegedly, yes, but going from IP67 to IP68 isn’t that big of a change. At IP67, a device can handle 1 meter of water for 30 minutes. With IP68, it’s more than 1 meter and is dependent on the manufacturer’s specifications, but it’s still only for 30 minutes. The extra protection is certainly nice, but it’s more costly to implement. For most consumer uses, IP67 is just fine, especially since a good percentage of them float anyway.

Yes, but its effectiveness is questionable, so we don’t necessarily recommend using the waterproofing sprays you can find online. If you were to use the spray, however, you’d coat the speaker from top to bottom, which might help with splash resistance. Ultimately, it’s virtually impossible to get every crack and crevice, so water will still get in somewhere.