The best outdoor speakers of 2026 to pump up your parties, tested and reviewed

Weight: 11.6 pounds | Supports multi-speaker pairing: Yes | Weatherproofing: IPX7 | Rated battery life: 30 hours | Ports: USB-C | Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3 | Special features: LED lighting effects; power bank

Full stop: This is my favorite speaker in the group. It's easy to move (thanks, '80s-boom-box-style handle) and has incredible battery life (up to 30 hours, which blows away the competition). Best of all, it has excellent sound that, if I'm being honest, handily beats Sonos in outdoor environments. Credit that to the two tweeters and two midwoofers that combine to crank out a hefty 90 watts of audio goodness. Everything I played on the StormBox Blast just felt big.

Maybe it's because the actual speaker is physically large as well, weighing in at about 12 pounds. That makes it among the heaviest players in the group, though there's an added benefit to the arm workout you'll get from carrying it: The Blast's battery has so much capacity, you can use it as a power source to charge your phone or another device. There's a USB-C port tucked away inside the rear panel.

Unfortunately, that port is for output only; you can't use it to charge the speaker itself. For that you need Tribit's AC power cord. That's understandable, given the size of the battery, but it's one more cable to keep track of.

The StormBox Blast comes ready to party: It's IPX7-rated water-resistant, meaning you could literally submerge it and it would keep playing, and outfitted with color-changing LEDs that bounce in time with the music. A clearly marked button on the control panel toggles between two lighting modes and no lighting at all.

Speaking of controls, the Blast's buttons are large and easy to identify. You can also pair Tribit's companion app to choose lighting modes, check the battery level and apply equalizer settings to tune the music to your liking. There are auto-shutdown modes available as well to help preserve battery life.

If you really want to liven things up, you can pair two of these things for a whopping 180-watt wall of sound. The only real downside I've found is that the speaker doesn't have a microphone built in, so you can't use it for phone calls, but that's hardly a dealbreaker.

Indeed, I consider the Tribit StormBox Blast one of the best outdoor speakers you can get. For half the price of the Sonos Move, it can last three times as long on a charge. Plus, it fills outdoor spaces better than the Move and looks cooler doing it. Put this party animal on your short list for the best portable speaker.

Note: Tribit 's newer StormBox Blast 2 is a bigger, louder version of the speaker that's also priced 50% higher. For $300 you get a whopping 200 watts, plus slightly improved Bluetooth and an IP67 weatherproofing rating (meaning it's both dust- and water-tight). At 19 pounds, it's considerably heavier, therefore less travel-friendly. For the moment, we're keeping the original StormBox Blast (which is still available) as our top pick, as we like its combination of price, power and portability.

Is that a speaker in your pocket or have they finally invented Bluetooth pants? Ah, it's a speaker — the JBL Go 4, which is compact enough that it actually could fit in a (relatively loose) pocket.

And if you're thinking size does matter, at least where audio fidelity is concerned, think again: This little fellow sounds remarkably good. Loud, too; you can take it to a park, a pool or even the beach and still enjoy your tunes. 

True to its name, it can "Go" just about anywhere; just on looks alone, I'd say it could survive a mortar attack. But its actual IP67 rating means it can withstand nearly all manner of dust and water. No need to worry if it gets sand kicked in its face or dunked in the pool.

Battery life is the Achilles' heel, however: Expect about five hours of play time, unless you enable JBL's PlaytimeBoost feature, which can stretch it to seven — but robs you of all bass (and makes the speaker sound just generally bad). Other similarly small speakers I've tested can run as long as 10 hours.

Still, with a price tag of just $45 (often discounted to $40), the JBL Go 4 won our hearts. Don't let the battery life stop you from scooping one up.

Weight: 1.4 pounds | Supports multi-speaker pairing: Yes | Weatherproofing: IP67 | Rated battery life: 16 hours | Ports: USB-C | Connectivity: Bluetooth | Special features: Microphone

If you don't have a lot of money to spend on a speaker but still want something good for the outdoors, look no further than EarFun's 1.4-pound UBoom L. It's surprisingly powerful for its size yet still compact enough to toss in a bag or backpack. 

Even better, toss in two: You can pair them for bigger, louder sound and true stereo separation — something that's not always an option with compact speakers like these, but definitely desirable.

Speaking of the outdoors, the UBoom L has a special mode just for those environments. Push a button and it amplifies both the bass and loudness. Of course, you can use that mode indoors as well, which I found I preferred.

The UBoom L can crank out 28 watts — more than many speakers in this size and price range. This matters most outdoors, where open areas can swallow up your music. You won't be able to hear it well from across a field, but within, say, a 20-foot perimeter, it has the juice.

It also produces very good sound, with impressive balance and bass. EarFun promises a solid 16 hours of battery life on a single charge, more than enough to last a day (and night) at the beach. And because it's water-resistant, you don't have to worry about splashes or even dunks. In fact, during my testing, I plunged this underwater and it kept right on playing. It even floats!

EarFun frequently discounts the UBoom L, but even at an $80 price point, it's a great buy.

Weight: 5.2 pounds | Supports multi-speaker pairing: Yes | Weatherproofing: IPX4 | Rated battery life: 22 hours | Ports: USB-C | Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0 | Special features: NFC pairing

The HD-360 Pro isn't the most portable speaker in the group, and it's equipped to handle only light splashes, not a dunk or deluge. That said, it's absolutely great for the outdoors because you can put it anywhere and enjoy 360-degree sound.

Consider: Most speakers drive audio in one direction, so if you're standing to the side or behind it, you won't get the best listening experience. The HD-360 Pro has five drivers: one each facing north, south, east and west and one (for bass) pointing down. What's especially cool is that you can actually see the outward-facing ones through oval holes in the frame.

The speaker itself bears some resemblance to an Apple HomePod, but with a cooler-looking touch-control panel up top. A light tap is all it takes to play or pause music and adjust volume. If you press and hold play/pause for three seconds, it toggles between three equalizer modes: balanced, bass boost and a surprisingly effective (indoors, anyway) 3D surround.

The downside is that glossy panel collects fingerprints like crazy. And if you're looking for any additional audio customization, too bad: There's no companion app here with equalizer settings, remote playback controls or anything else. That helps keep complexity to a minimum -- not everyone wants yet another app to deal with -- but it also limits your ability to know battery status: There's no power gauge on the control panel, so the only way to know when it's time to recharge is when the speaker emits a low-battery prompt.

Another nitpick: There's no easy way to carry the HD-360 Pro, which lacks any kind of strap or handle. Even cradling it in one arm is a bit of a challenge given its smooth, rounded design.

If you're OK with all that, your reward is a speaker that sounds fabulous (in every direction). And that bass driver adds some real thump, especially in bass-boost mode. As with most modern speakers, you have the option of pairing a second one for true stereo.

The next time you're outside, consider if you want a speaker that plays in all directions or just one. If you chose the former, choose this speaker.

Weight: 3.2 pounds | Supports multi-speaker pairing: Yes | Weatherproofing: IP67 | Rated battery life: 12 hours | Ports: USB-C | Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3 | Special features: LED lighting effects

Do your outdoor events often last well into the night? The Pulse 5 puts on a light show that's even better than the Tribit Stormbox Blast's. It not only spans the full height of the speaker but also wraps all the way around it: Stick it in the center of your gathering and everyone gets the same great view.

The Pulse 5 looks like a shiny black thermos, at least until it's turned on. Then it becomes the LED-powered equivalent of a lava lamp, with cool morphing colors and your choice of a half dozen light-show modes. You can toggle between these using a button on the speaker or the JBL Portable app, which is also home to a wealth of settings and other options — all logically organized and very easy to understand. With a few taps, you can set not only the light mode but also brightness and tempo.

Trouble sleeping? The app offers five ambient sounds you can play as well, including waves, forest sounds and crackling fire. A simple slider lets you set a countdown timer for this sound. And I love that you can toggle more than one at a time — forest sounds and a babbling brook, for example.

Simplicity carries over to the speaker, where you'll find a narrow control panel with clearly labeled buttons: power, Bluetooth, light mode and multi-speaker. Just below that are a battery gauge and the USB-C charging port. Although there's no rubber gasket protecting that port, the Pulse 5 carries an IP67 waterproof rating. That means if any liquid gets splashed into the port, it shouldn't harm the speaker — but you'll need to let it dry out before attempting to charge. Another smart feature? Attach it to your gear using a carabiner with the included finger strap so you can easily keep track of it.

Notably absent from the on-speaker controls: volume, play/pause and track skip. It's up to your phone or tablet to manage all that, which can be a hassle if someone other than you needs to quickly pause the music or adjust the volume.

That's my only real usability complaint with the JBL Pulse 5, but I do have a financial one as well: $250 seems awfully steep for a speaker of this size. Make no mistake, it sounds terrific, with impressive bass response and enough wattage for a wide listening area. But unless you really want that light show, you can get just as much power (or more) for less money.

Weight: 6.2 pounds | Supports multi-speaker pairing: Yes | Weatherproofing: IP54 | Rated battery life: 50 hours | Ports: USB-C | Connectivity: Bluetooth | Special features: Power bank

The name Marshall is synonymous with amplifiers; if you've ever attended a concert, you've almost certainly seen that distinctive script logo on some equipment. Turns out the company makes a damn fine portable Bluetooth speaker, too, one that's sure to appeal to Boomers and nostalgia-lovers alike.

It's called the Killburn III, and it looks like it stepped out of a time machine. This gorgeous leather-wrapped cinderblock is adorned with buttons, switches and dials, all of them straight outta the 50s. The only nods to modernity are the tiny red LEDs that encircle the dials and display battery life, though even those manage to look retro. I freaking love the looks of this thing.

Luckily, there's more here than just a gorgeous design. In my tests, the Kilburn III sang out boisterous, full-bodied sound in all directions -- this is a 360-degree speaker, making it especially well-suited to the outdoors. But it's also impressively adaptable to indoor use: Marshall's app includes several "placement compensation" settings that will adjust the sound if it's sitting close to a wall or the edge of table or shelf.

That nicely designed app also offers a 5-band equalizer, battery preservation options and a customization tool for the speaker's "M" button: it can toggle between your two favorite equalizer settings. And if you're in proximity to an Auracast broadcast, the app can tune you in. (I wasn't able to test this still-in-beta feature.)

This is not an inexpensive speaker, but it's not the most expensive one, either. If you want something that absolutely oozes style but can also deliver big, sweet sound, the Marshall Kilburn III is worth the splurge.

Weight: 2.9 pounds | Supports multi-speaker pairing: Yes | Weatherproofing: IP67 | Rated battery life: 24 hours | Ports: USB-C | Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi | Special features: Wireless charging dock, power bank

Available in black or white, the 2.9-pound Sonos Play takes the place of the Sonos Move 2 in our list, offering similarly premium sound along with better portability and a lower price tag. It's also better able to withstand the elements, as it's 100% waterproof.

Meanwhile, even though it's physically smaller, the Play can last a full 24 hours on a charge, same as the Move 2. When it's not out and about, it docks on an included wireless charger -- though you can also plug into the USB-C port if needed. I like the finger strap provided for carrying the speaker; it rotates down and out of the way to improve the aesthetic when the speaker moves indoors.

Speaking of which, it connects to Wi-Fi when you're at home (for Apple AirPlay use and/or connection with other Sonos speakers) and Bluetooth when you're elsewhere. But there's an oddity here: The Sonos app is effectively disabled if your phone isn't connected to a Wi-Fi network. You can still use your phone's media controls with the Play, but everything else will have to wait until you're back on Wi-Fi.

Even when you are, the app could be better; it's not immediately obvious where to find speaker settings, and once you do, the options can get a little confusing. (When do you venture into "Products," for example, versus scrolling down to Sound, Bluetooth, etc.?) I do like the "Get to know your Play" and "Get to know Sonos Voice Control" tutorials that are baked in; very helpful.

The on-speaker controls are limited to play/pause and volume buttons, all them raised just slightly and hard to make out in low lighting. And if you want to skip tracks, you'll have to remember that double-pressing play/pause skips forward and triple-pressing skips back. Thankfully, you've got two voice-control options -- Alexa and Sonos -- and you can use both as needed; it's not just one or the other. (Alas, anyone hoping for the return of Google Assistant, which was available in earlier Sonos speakers, will be disappointed.)

If you have privacy concerns, a physical switch on the back of the speaker instantly disables the microphones. However, keeping them enabled allows for Automatic Trueplay, which adjusts the sound based on the environment (indoor, outdoor, bookshelf, etc.).

If you've ever owned a Sonos speaker, this will come as no surprise: The Play sounds fantastic, with warm and balanced audio that rivals speakers twice the size. It can get just as loud, too. Of course, this will also come as no surprise: The price tag is on the high side. But for audiophiles and/or anyone already invested in the Sonos ecosystem, it's almost certainly worth it.

In addition to Bluetooth connectivity (which is what allows for on-the-go listening), the Move emulates other Sonos speakers by connecting to your home Wi-Fi network. This is fairly easy to set up, though it does require installing the Sonos app. What's more, when you roam outside the range of that network and want to switch to Bluetooth, you have to press a rear button to toggle modes. At least the Move 2 can automatically revert to Wi-Fi when back in range, something its predecessor couldn't.

Another Wi-Fi perk: Support for both Sonos and Alexa voice commands. (Sorry, Google Assistant fans: That option has been removed.) It's a great feature, one not found in any other speaker here. Once you get accustomed to barking, "Alexa, play my party playlist," it's hard to go back to tapping on your phone.

Having adopted a new dual-tweeter design, the Move 2 sounds even better than its predecessor — and that's saying something. You get a brighter, more detailed soundstage, with a hint of stereo separation. Sonos's Trueplay technology employs microphones to optimize the sound depending on your environment.

The tough pill to swallow, as with many Sonos products, is the price. At $449, the Move is definitely on the high side in this category. But if you want a first-class indoor speaker that can also go outside to play, it's easy to make the case for splurging.

Weight: 14.7 pounds | Supports multi-speaker pairing: Yes | Weatherproofing: IP67 | Rated battery life: 24 hours | Ports: USB-A | Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3 | Special features: Power bank

If you're old enough to remember the iconic portable tape decks of the 1980s, you'll appreciate JBL's choice of name: The Boombox 3 looks like, well, a boom box, though good luck hefting it onto your shoulder. This thing is heavy, tipping the scales at nearly 15 pounds. At least there's a handle for relatively easy toting.

Ironically, there's nothing boxy about the Boombox 3: It's all curves, a big black (or camouflage) tube that, from afar, could be mistaken for a duffel bag. I like the design save for one oddity: The small, flat base. Although it has rubber feet for gripping a surface, there's not enough surface area to keep the whole unit from tipping over if placed on an incline. Flat ground, flatbed — wherever you put the Boombox, it better be flat.

It doesn't have to be dry, though: The Boombox 3 can withstand splashes, dunks, dust and just about everything else. This beast packs more audio oomph than any other speaker in this group — the better to keep your beach party from getting drowned out by pesky waves and whatnot. Credit for that goes to two tweeters, two midrange drivers and a "racetrack-shaped" subwoofer, which combine to deliver a whopping 180 watts. For straight-up loudness, few other stand-alone speakers come close. 

It's worth noting, though, that the Boombox 3 downshifts slightly when running on battery power, producing 136 watts instead. Make no mistake, you still get a veritable wall of top-quality sound; you just don't get all of it unless you're plugged into an AC outlet.

It would be nice if JBL let you decide between power and battery life, but I found no such setting in the JBL companion app. In fact, it doesn't do much beyond displaying battery life, updating firmware and managing PartyBoost — a feature that allows you to link up multiple JBL speakers. There's an equalizer, but no presets and only three adjustable settings: bass, mid and treble.

Honestly, I'm fine with that. This is an outdoor speaker, built for big sound, not audiophile fine-tuning. In my tests, it produced wonderfully deep bass and crisp high-end notes, easily earning it a top spot in this roundup. Only the high price is hard to swallow.

Weight: 35.5 pounds | Supports multi-speaker pairing: Yes | Weatherproofing: IP65 | Rated battery life: 40 hours | Ports: USB-A | Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0 | Special features: Removable battery

The Soundboks 4 looks like something that fell off a rock band's equipment truck. It's a beast, a speaker that'll easily drown out competing tailgate parties. I can't say this big black slab of overkill is an ideal fit for Yahoo readers, but if you're looking for loud and you've got the budget to pay for it, look no further.

Standing just over two feet tall (!), the Soundboks 4 is housed in a wood (rather than plastic) casing adorned with an aluminum frame and shock-absorbing rubber-ball corners. It's so sturdy I suspect it actually could fall off a truck and keep on playing. And the all-metal front grill can pop off if you want to give it a custom paint job (looking at you, DJs). 

Of course, this is also considerably heavier than the other speakers here, a two-hander at 35 pounds. Even so, it's designed to be portable, with a removable battery pack that can be swapped out to keep the party going. (Be warned: additional batteries cost $199 each.)

Unfortunately, after I received my review unit, Soundboks switched over to a battery that charges via USB-C instead of a proprietary AC adapter. That's in effort to help reduce electronics waste, which I applaud, but I also feel like a $1,200 speaker should come with everything needed. As it stands, you'll have to supply your own USB-C PowerDelivery (PD) charger, one that can output 65 watts or better.

Most Bluetooth speakers I've tested are pretty easy to set up, but I struggled a bit here. For starters, the battery slides into a recessed cavity at the back, but unless you push it well past what feels like a point of resistance, the plug can't reach the power input port. Meanwhile there's an unusual ID code printed on the side and a button next to the volume dial that's labeled Solo, Join and Host. (Turns out this is for pairing additional speakers — up to five — which could make for a serious wall of sound.)

Soundboks does provide a printed instruction guide, but I found it terse and poorly illustrated (especially with regard to battery installation). An online version of the manual was similarly cryptic.

Initial setup gripes aside, I seriously dig this speaker. It's without question the loudest one in the group — I can hear it well up the street from my house — and it keeps a great balance even when cranked to the higher volumes. In short, it sounds really good, as you'd expect from this size and price point.

The company says you can expect a whopping 40 hours of listening time on a charge, though that's at medium volume; it lasts just six hours at maximum, which seems like a disproportionate drop-ff. Thankfully, you can charge the battery at the same time it's powering the speaker.

As I said, this is overkill for most outdoor-speaker shoppers. But I'd certainly be glad to have it at my next party, tailgate or the like.