6 Of The Highest-Rated Outdoor Speakers You Can Find On Amazon

There’s nothing quite like escaping to the great outdoors. The solitude of exploring Mother Nature’s vastness, drinking in the beauty of whatever ecosystem surrounds you. Many of these moments can be elevated with the memorable rhythm of your favorite tunes, whether you’re picnicking with family, partying with friends at the pool, or escaping civilization on a quiet beach. While there are quite a few supplies needed to enjoy your time in the fresh air safely, only the highest-rated outdoor speakers can add the soothing melodies you love to listen to without leaving you worrying about the elements ruining your ambient music.

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Shopping for an outdoor speaker means sifting through dozens of portable Bluetooth speakers across both notable and lesser-known brands. Finding the best can be a chore, especially if you’re not entirely sure what to look for in an outdoor speaker. If that’s the case, then the best shopping method is looking at what others have said about the item. Outdoor speakers that rate well among other customers can be trusted to deliver clear sound and likely a few added features to enhance their appeal.

In building this list of the six highest-rated outdoor speakers on Amazon, we looked at key metrics: the star rating and the number of reviews left on the product’s page. A speaker with 5-stars and only one review tells a different story from a speaker with 4.5 stars and over 50,000 reviews. We’ll discuss our methodology further after you’ve chosen your new speaker from the list below.

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It may look big and bulky, and at over 4 lbs, it is one of the larger outdoor speakers on this list, but the Talk Bluetooth Speaker is still revered enough by users that it’s worth considering. For its extra heft, you do benefit from a 60-watt speaker, which should be more than enough power to fuel the energy at a pool party or a beach-side escapade. If not, the $129.99 price tag makes it viable to purchase a second for 120 watts of audio power.

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More than 10,000 Amazon shoppers slapped a 5-star rating on this very octagonal and highly portable wireless speaker, with many touting its crystal clear, booming audio. There are a few pitfalls, as some reviews point out, like this 5-star accolade that wishes it would charge faster. One surprising universal pro is the speaker’s battery life. You’ll find with other models, the manufacturer’s listed lifespan is greatly overstated. That seems less like the case with Bugani, with even 2-star reviews praising the battery life. It’s also only rated IPX6 for waterproofing, which means you’ll want to avoid submerging it in any water, though a few splashes shouldn’t cause any issues.

Bose is a name synonymous with higher-quality audio options, and the SoundLink Micro Bluetooth Speaker is exactly one reason why. At least, that’s what nearly 30,000 people believed when they gave this small speaker 4- and 5-star ratings. The $119 price tag may seem steep for such a small speaker, but you do pay for the name. With that, though, you get a cute 5-watt speaker that weighs less than a pound while still producing the kind of audio you expect from such a notable brand.

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The SoundLink Micro is one of the few outdoor speakers on this list that you can take everywhere you go. There are no size concerns, and it can actually be mounted onto your bicycle. It’s rugged, durable, and carries a waterproof rating of IP67, which means it’s protected from up to 3 feet of water and harmful dust particles. Since it is small, don’t expect some massive battery to last you throughout the day. However, several reviews, like this 5-star reportclaim the device lasts just as long, if not sometimes longer than Bose’s suggested 6 hours. A critique worth consideringthough, is that it’s not up-to-date on the latest USB port technology and charges via a micro cable rather than the now more universal USB-C.

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Ortizan is likely not a name you’re familiar with. After a little time with this tiny portable music companion, that’s sure to change. Ortizan’s Portable Bluetooth Speaker isn’t some audio powerhouse, but it’s a fantastic little device to have on hand when you want a little music without having to drag around some hefty, semi-portable speaker. More than 28,000 users were quite taken by the 1.14 lb gadget, feeling its 24-watt speaker is powerful enough to deliver a suitable audio quality.

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The IPX7 waterproof rating makes the Ortizan a great poolside buddy and is suitable for most outdoor excursions that may involve water. One of the star features is the battery. Ortizan claims it will last 30 hours, and though reviews say that’s not the case, some users could get up to 25 hours of use. That’s definitely more than enough to provide 3D HD stereo sound for one outdoor adventure. At only $49.99, you can even justify getting two, which can pair together for even more immersive audio or, if you’re boating or in a large outdoor space, to ensure everyone can move to the beat.

JBL is a pretty well-known brand in the audio space, often providing consumers with a budget-friendly option that doesn’t skimp on quality. In terms of portability, nothing in its line of portable speakers comes close to the JBL Go 3 Portable Speaker. More in line with the Bose SoundLink Micro, the Go 3 is a travel companion for most scenarios. Its compact size means you can sneak it in pretty much anywhere, and with its attached loop, it’s convenient to carry, though it does lack some features like Bose’s bicycle mount. It is also quite a bit less, at only $49.95, so with the few sacrifices you’re making, you save big.

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Sporting over 40,000 5- and 4-star reviews, it’s difficult to deny just how well the JBL Go 3 will work for your next outdoor excursion. The IP67 waterproof rating reflects its durability, and some reviews claim a battery life of about five hoursnot bad for a device of its size. Unlike bulkier portable speakers, the Go 3 caters to an active lifestyle, whether you run, cycle, or swim. It’s durable enough to go wherever you need while still delivering on JBL’s signature sound quality.

Newer isn’t necessarily better, as seen with the JBL Charge 4 Bluetooth Speaker. In fact, it’s a toss-up whether you should spend $179.95 on the Charge 5 or save the $65 and stick with the highly regarded older model. With 4.7 stars and over 55,000 reviews (compared to 4.8 and 29,000), the Charge 4 seems like the way to go so long as it’s still available. Unless, of course, you want to seamlessly connect two JBL speakers through PartyBoost, in which case, the Charge 5 is the necessary choice.

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Otherwise, the Charge 4, with its 30-watt speaker and IPX7 waterproof design, is a fantastic outdoor companion. Compared to the cheaper Flip 5, the Charge 4 is slightly bulkier and is equipped with a bigger battery. Not only will the Charge 4 last longer, but it can also double as a power bank, so you can keep your phone charged while streaming your favorite playlist virtually anywhere outdoors. As with the Flip 5 (and the Charge 5, if you look up those reviews), one of the biggest complaints about the Charge 4 is that the battery doesn’t last as long as JBL suggests. One 4-star review states it only lasts about ten hourswhile another puts it at about 16 hoursneither of which are all that bad.

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With over 176,000 reviews between the three speakers on this list, it’s clear that JBL speakers are among the most popular (and highly rated) portable outdoor speakers. The JBL Flip 5 Portable Bluetooth Speaker is among the most popular of them, with a convenient design and a decent-quality 20-watt speaker output. It even benefits from a functional design, as one review points outas “being tubular in design makes it very easy to set the speaker down…”

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The JBL Flip 5 boasts a 4.8-star review score from over 78,000 reviews. Of those, just over 63,000 are 5 stars. With its IPX7 waterproof rating protecting it from water, PartyBoost adding more bass to the audio, and the ability to link to other PartyBoost JBL speakers. If the speaker falters anywhere, it’s with its battery life. Though rated for 12 hours, many reviews, like this 4-star assessmentclaim the USB-C rechargeable battery doesn’t last nearly as long, with some claiming it only lasts about four to six hours.

Compiling this list of highly rated outdoor speakers hinged on two factors: user reviews and competition. The first step was to put together a larger list of available speakers. For that, we stuck with a parameter of no less than a 4-star rating and no fewer than 10,000 reviews. This was to ensure a sample size that meant if even 10% of the 5-star reviews were sponsored or paid for, we’d still be left with a good number of opinions to work from.

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To chip away at that list, we then compared features, user comments, and similarities to get rid of lower-rated speakers that were too identical to some that received more attention and praise. For example, the Ortizan was similar to a BolaButty speakerwhich was more expensive and had fewer reviews. In that instance, it made sense to highlight the cheaper speaker with a higher number of 5- and 4-star ratings.