Whether you’re sticking close to home, heading out to the great wilderness, or throwing a great party somewhere in between, music is going to be a big part of enjoying your freedom outdoors. Alone or with friends, a good playlist of rocking tunes can make a world of difference when it comes to enjoying the sun and fresh air, so it’s a great time to invest in a quality Bluetooth speaker that can handle the outdoors and accidents that sometimes happen while still providing excellent sound quality. Balanced audio performance is a big deal when it comes to getting what you want from a speaker unit, and everything else follows suit: battery life, features, and extras. Some speakers will sacrifice ruggedness for attractive style, while others give up connectivity options for better survivability.

We’ve gathered a great collection of outdoor Bluetooth speakers that deliver on sound quality, build quality, features, and extras. You know what you want. Let’s take a closer look at what speaker units will deliver on your wishes.

Contents

BEST OVERALL | Bose SoundLink Revolve Plus

Bose SoundLink Revolve Plus full view

Bose SoundLink Revolve Plus full view

On top of delivering incredible sound for years, Bose is no slouch when it comes to portable Bluetooth speakers that continue the tradition of space-filling audio while looking sexy to boot. Seamless and sleek, Bose’s SoundLink Revolve Plus looks amazing with the unique, lantern-inspired design exuding classy atmosphere, even when it isn’t on. When you do sync and go, the audio balance gives great highs, mids, and even bass enough to please. Keep in mind that portable speakers aren’t going to be able to keep up with anything with a good subwoofer, but the Revolve Plus manages to deliver sufficiently. The trade-off here is style for survivability. The Revolve Plus is only rated IPX5, which means splash proof, not waterproof, so keep this lovely and expensive speaker safely away from where it might get knocked into the water. Among the handful of other features, Stereo Mode is also an option, so you can sync up two speakers for full coverage and balanced sound. A universal threaded mount allows you to attach it safely to any standard tripod to really broadcast the tunes, while an optional charging dock makes powering up this sleek beast as easy as drop and go. All this comes at a price, though with the Bose name on it, that should have been expected. Bose’s SoundLink Revolve Plus has an MSRP of $299.00, but be sure to check the current Bose SoundLink Revolve Plus – Amazon price here.

Read the full review for the Bose SoundLink Revolve Plus here!

BEST DESIGN | JBL Pulse 3

JBL Pulse 3 with device

JBL Pulse 3 with device

There’s more to a great party than just music. When you go out to a concert or club, they don’t just blast music at you from darkened corners. There’s energy there, music and lights working together to evoke atmosphere and attitude. Enter, the Pulse 3 by JBL. Talk about a company with some serious bragging rights, JBL recently took a Guinness World Record away from UE by simultaneously syncing 1,000 Bluetooth speakers to a single source with their Connect+ app. That same app powers the Pulse 3, a smooth, sleek, lava lamp-inspired 360-degree portable speaker that puts out solid sound quality and a customizable light show, all out of a fully waterproof, IPX7 shell. The Pulse 3 got massive improvements in all ways over the previous generation. Place these speakers strategically, sync them up, and just watch the party bloom to life. Even if they get knocked into the pool, fountain, or surf, you don’t have to worry about losing a valuable asset. Going solo for a night? Play soft, relaxing tunes alongside a smoothly flowing glow and find your mental sanctuary. The Pulse 3 is able to pack a lot of amazing technology, features, and extras into a small package, offering things you didn’t even know you wanted in a package that stands out amongst the many Bluetooth speakers that flood the market. The JBL Pulse 3 has an MSRP of $199.95, but be sure to check the current JBL Pulse 3- Amazon price here.

Read the full review for the JBL Pulse 3 here!

EASIEST TO USE | Ultimate Ears Wonderboom

Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM Super Portable Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker front

Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM Super Portable Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker front

Ultimate Ears (or UE) has been surprising consumers with their portable Bluetooth speakers for years. One of their fully waterproof offerings, the Wonderboom, keeps up the family name by providing extremely good sound quality in a super compact form factor. The Wonderboom is a little shorter and squatter than a can of soda and puts out an astonishing level of bass that similar competitors can’t touch. If you’re looking for a rugged outdoor Bluetooth speaker that won’t break the bank but still delivers on solid bass, the search is over. Here it is. Pumping out great sound via dual 40mm drivers while balancing bass is no small feat. Built to survive more than just submersion, this little trooper features an excellent ingress protection rating of IP67, the best available, and can survive drops from five feet without missing a beat. Clip it onto your backpack and hit the trails, or soak up the sun while listening to the newest bestselling audiobook. Dive off a cliff and into that lake with no worries to hold you back. Sync up and roll out. The controls are simple and obvious, the huge volume buttons are practically trademarks of the UE Bluetooth line, and everything just comes together in a small package that simply works and works hard. If you want compact, bass-y, affordable, and travel-friendly, this is your speaker. The Ultimate Ears Wonderboom has an MSRP of $99.99, but be sure to check the current Ultimate Ears Wonderboom – Amazon price here.

Read the full review for the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom here!

MOST VERSATILE | Fugoo Tough XL

FUGOO Tough XL indoors

FUGOO Tough XL indoors

Versatility comes in many forms. When considering the Fugoo Tough XL, you’re looking at a portable Bluetooth speaker that isn’t just built to handle the outdoors. The Tough XL is made to live, breathe, and dominate the harshest of adventures while looking gorgeous and providing more than just sound to keep you going hour after hour. Carefully engineered speakers, tweeters, mid-woofers, and bass drivers work together to boost 360-degrees of sound out of a fully waterproof, dustproof, shockproof, snow proof, IP67 rated body. IP67 is the highest level of ingress protection available. Within a jacket constructed from a polymer, aluminum, and stainless steel, the Tough XL not only runs for a whopping thirty-five hours on the standard battery but also works as a power bank to keep your phone or other devices running just as long. Both a leader and a team player, it’s no tech left behind when the Fugoo Tough XL gets involved. Connectivity is a dream with access to an integrated microphone, upgradeable firmware, Bluetooth (obviously), low-power connections to Voice Assistants like Siri and Google Now, and even a 3.5mm aux-in input for a full suite of options. There are even more features, options, and accessories for you to outfit your new favorite Bluetooth speaker, too many to cover here. This is a hard-core workhorse, ready and willing to go the distance if you are. The Fugoo Tough XL has an MSRP of $199.99, but be sure to check the current Fugoo Tough XL – Amazon price here.

Read the full review for Fugoo’s Tough XL here!

BARGAIN BUY | Cambridge Soundworks OontZ Angle 3

OontZ Angle 3 Portable Bluetooth Speaker Review waterproof

OontZ Angle 3 Portable Bluetooth Speaker Review waterproof

What first gets attention about the OontZ Angle 3 might be the name, but a close second is just how many people have joined this unassuming little speaker’s cult following. Favored of over 20,000 five-star reviews on Amazon and more elsewhere, the Cambridge Soundworks offering is a simply designed, no-frills portable Bluetooth speaker with a surprising level of survivability. The OontZ Angle 3 has an IPX5 rating, making it splash proof. While this means it likely won’t survive being submerged, some units can apparently survive being run over by a truck. With audio quality that holds its own surprisingly well for the cost, the speaker will generally turn down excessive levels rather than buzz and tweak, rather than distort sound that it can’t handle. The Angle 3 also has two big siblings, the Plus and the Ultra, that add on more and more features for a higher price, so you don’t have to pay more for extras and bits you don’t need. If you’re looking for a cheap, affordable speaker option to spare your favorite set from the dangers of an adventure, the Oontz Angle 3 might just be a perfect stopgap. This speaker isn’t anything pretty, doesn’t boast a ton of grand features or gimmicks, but it is extremely affordable and does deliver pretty solid performance for the price. Cambridge Soundworks’ Oontz Angle 3 has an MSRP of $84.99, but be sure to check the current OontZ Angle 3 – Amazon price here.

Read the full review for Cambridge Soundworks’ OontZ Angle 3 here!

BOTTOM LINE

As long as it plays good sound and can survive getting knocked around a bit, it’s a good outdoor Bluetooth speaker, right? Wrong, so wrong! These five examples prove that it takes a lot more than just a little bass and some plastic to succeed and excel among the many, varied options that flood the portable Bluetooth market. Find the perfect fit for both your needs and your wallet: a great light show, awesome bass capabilities, simple affordability, or pure classy style. Any one of these outdoor Bluetooth speakers could be your next favorite accessory!And if you’re looking to add to your awesome outdoor collection, be sure to check out our Best HDTV Antenna here!