Best Wireless Speakers 6 best portable waterproof speakers 2018

Waterproof and water resistant Bluetooth speakers for taking the par-tay outdoors, pool-side and everywhere else

Please note these Bluetooth speakers are not all fully waterproof. 

There aren't enough good enough quality, fully waterproof speakers to make a list worthwhile.

We've noted which ones you can chuck in the pool, and which ones will just stand up to a bit of summer showering. So what I'm saying is, don't come crying to us if you get them mixed up and you end up with a dead speaker, or badly electrocuted house guests.

There's one time when Bluetooth speakers that are battery-powered, rugged and water-resistant enough to resist horseplay come into their own: summer time.

Now, as the weather gets warmer, our thoughts turn once again to al fresco partying, perhaps around the pool, or maybe whilst burning a sausage on a barbecue as a light drizzle starts, and your parasol blows over.

There are plenty of candidates, but the best Bluetooth speaker for outdoor partying is almost certainly made by Logitech offshoot Ultimate Ears.

The UE Boom 2 and Megaboom are great speakers that are equally happy indoors as out. However, for our money – and it's not a lot of money, for once – best of all is the UE Wonderboom.

This little sonic orb is under 90 quid (OK, it's £89.99 RRP), comes in a range of dope colours, puts out massive volume for its size and can easily be paired with a second Wonderboom. 

It's waterproof, it's shockproof, it looks like a hand grenade, and it's the bomb.

HOW TO BUY THE BEST BATTERY-POWERED BLUETOOTH SPEAKER FOR OUTDOORS

Bluetooth speakers can receive music from just about any phone, tablet or laptop in existence, and although the audio may not be lossless, the best ones do deliver decent sonics, as well as portability, versatility and toughness.

Ideally, you want Apt-X support for better audio but to be honest, outdoor sounds are generally more about volume than refinement, and any kind of Bluetooth delivers perfectly adequate audio for that. 

Now scroll through that and the rest of our favourite battery-powered Bluetooth speakers, ranked in order of preference.

OUR PICK OF THE BEST OUTDOOR SPEAKERS TO BUY TODAY

1. UE WONDERBOOM

Best waterproof speaker

SPECIFICATIONS               

Weight: 0.43kg

Battery life: 10 hours

Waterproof: Yes

NFC: No

Aux-in: No **USB charging:** Yes (Micro-USB)

REASONS TO BUY          +   Awesome 360 degree audio

                                               +Waterproof                                               +Extremely rugged

REASONS TO AVOID           -App is needed to control more than one at once

TODAY'S BEST DEALS                       Buy From Amazon

While the UE Boom 2 is undeniably a very strong product, it requires an app to use more than one of them at once, and is a little less portable than this cheap and loud, sonic hand grenade.

The 360 degree audio is better than it has any right to be at the price, especially with EDM, bro rock and other Spring Break, outdoor party-friendly sounds.

The Wonderboom doesn't really try to straddle home and outdoors: it's clearly meant to be taken to wherever the party is. It's fully waterproof – in fact not only does it also float, but if you push it under the water for whatever reason, it'll even survive that as it's IPX7 rated. 

As well as trying to drown the Wonderboom, you can also chuck it at the wall if you like. It'll survive that too.

With up to 10 hours of battery life, a 100m Bluetooth range, and the ability to pair a second Wonderboom with just the press of a button (and a bit of an awkward pause while it does its thing, but it gets there eventually), the Wonderboom is the current state of the art in outdoor party speakers.

2. UE BOOM 2

Very few parties are going to outlive this one

PECIFICATIONS            

Weight: 0.54kg

Battery life: 15 hours

Waterproof: Yes

NFC: Yes

Aux-in: No **USB charging:** Yes (Micro-USB)

REASONS TO BUY             +    You can link tons of them together

                                                  +15 hours of battery life

REASONS TO AVOID              -   Pricier than the Wonderboom

                                                               -Best when the party is indoors

TODAY'S BEST DEALS            Buy From Amazon

The Boom 2 is a little more refined than the Wonderboom, a little pricier, and you'd be a little more worried if you broke or lost it.

As such, I prefer the Wonder for outdoor use. However the Boom 2 is more suited to being taken indoors, and via the UE app you can link together dozens of them, if you wish – although that is not a process I'd ever want to have to go through again, having tried it once. It's okay for pairing two, though.

More usefully, you can also link multiple mobile devices to the Boom 2, for total DJ wars. It's a great, waterproof speaker, with 15 hours of battery life.

3. LIBRATONE ONE CLICK

Best water-resistant speaker

SPECIFICATIONS               

Weight: 0.14kg

Battery life: 12 hours

Waterproof: Splash resistant

NFC: No

Aux-in: Yes **USB charging:** Yes

REASONS TO BUY            +    You can hang this thing anywhere

                                                 +NFC pairing                                                 +Splash proof

REASONS TO AVOID           -Doesn't sound as good as the Beoplay A1

TODAY'S BEST DEALS             Buy From Amazon

There is only one name that everyone knows when it comes to Danish hi-fi products with an effortlessly chic, Scandiwegian-style vibe. And that name is not Libratone.

However, while the One Click is inferior to Bang & Olufsen's Beoplay A1 sonically, that's not by a huge margin.

And arguably it's the match of its more glamorous blonde cousin in terms of look, plus being more practical to carry around and hang on things, thanks to its brace of interchangeable handles. It's also cheaper, and for a speaker you're going to be taking into the wild, that's indubitably better.

We admit we may have been slightly swayed, as well as the VFM, by the extreme good-lookingness of the models Libratone has employed to artfully photograph lounging langorously in the vicinity of its speaker.

As well as that, the addition of NFC pairing, the abliity to have two phones connected to it at once - bring the soundclash! - a 3.5mm jack for whatever people use that for, splash proofing sufficient to survive the rain and a choice of three colours, this is a textbook portable speaker.

Now Libratone has sorted its damn app out, you can also pair two One Clicks in stereo. Bonus.

4. MONSTER SUPERSTAR BLASTER

Best high-volume party speaker

SPECIFICATIONS                 

Weight: 7.65kg

Battery life: 8 hours

Waterproof: Splash resistant

NFC: Yes

Aux-in: Yes **USB charging:** No

REASONS TO BUY                  +   It's powerful, very powerful

                                                      +Eight hours of house shaking bass battery                                                      +NFC pairing

REASONS TO AVOID               -Outdoor mode is pointless

TODAY'S BEST DEALS               Buy From Amazon

Powerful enough to shake the foundations of your shed, yet refined enough to be sold by John Lewis, Monster's latest is the 80s 'ghetto blaster' reimagined for the 2016. All that's missing is a big button marked 'Bass BOOST'.

To be frank, no such button is required, given the brutal bottom-end assault that fires from this thing when you push the volume up. Look how enthused these guys are!

Actually, there is one button that has no apparent purpose. You can switch between 'indoor' and 'outdoor' modes, but the latter just appears to add volume at the expense of greater distortion and less tight bass. Possibly it helps the battery last longer – eight hours is the quoted duration.

With NFC for even easier pairing, the SuperStar Blaster also has a 3.5mm input for those who like to truly rock it old school. 

If you want party rocking rather than background music, this Monster throws down like an original bad bwoy and will leave its foes feeling bugged out by its electric boogaloo. Bring it.

5. BANG & OLUFSEN BEOPLAY A1

Sublime audio and design

SPECIFICATIONS                

Weight: 0.6kg

Battery life: 24 hours

Waterproof: No

NFC: No

Aux-in: No **USB charging:** Yes (USB-C)

REASONS TO BUY            +   Superb sound quality

                                                 +Laudable design                                                 +Incredibly lightweight

REASONS TO AVOID             -Leather strap for hanging isn't ideal

TODAY'S BEST DEALS             Buy From Amazon

You could argue that this looks like something you'd buy in an artisan gift shop in Chelsea, to hang from your shower rail, but you can't argue that this Bluetooth speaker doesn't sound superb, or justify its high-ish price.

The audio and style are unimpeachable, and you also get a lengthy, 'up to 24 hours' battery life, it's lightweight (600g) and compact enough to take anywhere, and while we wouldn't advise chucking it in a ravine, it will stand up to a bit of rain and moisture.

Clearly, a leather thong is not the most practical means of carrying a speaker around or attaching it to your hand-made, small-batch man-bag, but whatever. 

It also sounds and looks good enough to use indoors, in smaller rooms and at quieter volumes.

6. MARSHALL KILBURN

As always, Marshall doesn't disappoint

SPECIFICATIONS             

Weight: 3kg

Battery life: 20 hours

Waterproof: No

NFC: No

Aux-in: Yes **USB charging:** No

REASONS TO BUY          +    Awesome power and bass

                                               +Rock-like design                                               +20-hours of playback

REASONS TO AVOID           -Not waterproof 

TODAY'S BEST DEALS         Buy From Amazon

We can't really overstate what great performers Marshall's speakers and headphones are for the price. It obviously just buys the same Chinese components as everyone else, but it really does seem to applying some kind of expertise from its concert app range that means they real blast out music.

No, there's not a lot of finesse, but it's undeniably musical, and if you want to fill your garden or your 'squad''s area of the park with sound, that's a secondary consideration anyway.

So, if you're looking for something with oomph and snazz, the Marshall Kilburn produces a lot of power and bass for its compact dimensions, giving meaty results with rock and electronic sounds alike. It's probably less good if you like light classical (but Wagner should work).

The power is all the more impressive when you consider that on paper, it's only putting out 2x5W of mid and treble - it's the 15W sub that does the heavy lifting here, presumably.

Despite the authentically rockin' appearance of the Kilburn, we seriously doubt this is made in the same factories with the same components as Marshall's legendary concert amplifiers. However, it certainly doesn't disgrace the brand in terms of volume and fidelity. 

The rugged construction and 20-hour battery life make it hugely capable as an outdoor performer. Although as it's not waterproof, check the weather forecast, and please don't drop it in the pool, as people WILL die.