We Found the Best Outdoor Speakers for Summer So You Don’t Have To
Summer is the highlight of the year, with cookouts, get-togethers, and backyard bonfire parties making the season unforgettable. But no summer gathering—whether it's a tailgate or a rooftop tanning session—is complete without a killer sound system. While your social media feeds might be overflowing with portable outdoor speaker ads, we've got the ultimate guide for you.
Our deep dive into the best portable outdoor speakers for summer, including budget-friendly options, shows just how far this tech has come from the bulky, unimpressive gadgets of the past.
With tech brands constantly pushing the envelope to enhance their audio offerings, choosing the perfect outdoor portable speaker for your lifestyle has never been more challenging.
But don’t worry, we've done the work to find the top outdoor speakers on the market, so you don't have to.
Check out the best portable outdoor speakers for summer down below.
Bose SoundLink Max Portable Speaker
The Bose SoundLink Max Portable Speaker is simply a must-have for summer. It's low-maintenance, extremely durable, and delivers powerful sound and bass. Built to handle some bruising, its waterproof design makes it perfect for outdoor hangouts, while the 20-hour battery life ensures your music will keep playing all day long.
What to listen to:
Beats Pill
Freshly launched this past June, the Beats Pill makes the list as it offers a sleek, portable audio solution with signature Beats sound quality. Compact and lightweight, it's perfect for on-the-go music. With a powerful, elevated sound, Bluetooth connectivity, and a built-in speakerphone, the Beats Pill enhances both the quality of music and your listening experience.
Add to that its 24-hour battery life, soft grip silicone backing, and compatibility with other devices and you are guaranteed a top notch listening session all summer.
What to listen to:
Bose SoundLink Flex Speaker
The Bose SoundLink Flex Bluetooth Speaker combines rich, immersive sound with a robust, portable design. Its waterproof and durable build makes it ideal for outdoor activities, while PositionIQ technology ensures optimal sound quality in any orientation. This means one less thing to worry about when you are at the beach or the cookouts.
What to listen to:
JBL Portable Speakers
Option 1: The JBL Charge 5 packs a punch of powerful stereo sound with enhanced bass in a compact, waterproof design. Another perfect speaker to have during outdoor activities, it boasts up to 12 hours of playtime and Bluetooth connectivity for wireless streaming.
Thanks to a feature called PartyBoost, you can connect multiple JBL PartyBoost-enabled speakers for a sound big enough for any crowd.
And it's waterproof.
Option 2: A cheaper and slightly less powerful option from the JBL Charge 5, the Flip 6 Portable Speaker still combines high-output audio performance with a durable, compact, waterproof design.
What to listen to:
Skullcandy Portable Speakers
Option 1: Definitely one of the biggest portable speakers on this list, the Skullcandy Barrel has all you need to enjoy high-quality music outdoors, long battery life, and Bluetooth connectivity as well as a nice handle and strap to move it around.
Option 2: Skullcandy Terrain instead provides similar quality to the Barrel but its truly compact and water-resistant build makes it perfect for more spontaneous hangouts and post-hike bonfire nights. It could probably fit in the larger pockets of your cargo pants.
What to listen to:
Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8
Crafted from recycled materials, the Onyx Studio 8 portable outdoor speaker by Harman Kardon neatly blends any setting you choose to use it in. The anodized aluminum handle, which doubles as a sturdy base, means you can easily carry it from one place to another, and, best of all, the speaker automatically calibrates to its environment, meaning getting the best sound possible no matter where you set it down.
What to listen to:
Sonos Roam 2
SONOS has made a name for itself in the portable speaker game through its linkable devices that pride themselves on features like Automatic Trueplay™, which fine-tune the sound for your environment.
The portable speaker Roam 2 is a showcase in a simple, stripped-back design and delivers the impressive sound quality we have grown accustomed to with SONOS but it’s engineered and tested to withstand all the natural elements you can throw at it.
Once summer is over, it doubles as a smart speaker at home, seamlessly transitioning your summer playlist to the comfort of your sofa.
What to listen to:
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