Superb rugged speakers

Heading into the great outdoors and want a soundtrack? You need speakers that won’t quit on you. Let us test three leading contenders

- David Nield, Matt Bolton, Yasmine Crossland

If you’re taking your music on the go with a portable speaker, then you need it to last – and there are a growing number of quality, well-protected outdoor speakers on the market now, including models from high-end audio brands better known for their indoor kit.

With leading manufacturers including Bang & Olufsen and Sonos joining the likes of JBL in making battery-powered, wireless speakers, you can get yourself a device that protected against the elements and that’s going to broadcast your music in high fidelity, whether you’re on the beach, the campsite, or your patio.

Besides the audio quality of your portable speaker, there are a number of key specs to look out for as well, not least battery life – you want a device that’s going to be able to live away from a mains connection for as long as possible, otherwise your outdoor party might be drawn to a premature close.

There’s also waterproofing and dust-proofing to consider: if you’re going to be using your speaker near the pool or out on a windy, rainy mountain hike then make sure the hardware you’re buying is designed to survive the conditions.

Connections to portable speakers are typically done via Bluetooth from your phone or laptop, but other standards (including Apple AirPlay) are sometimes supported too. So let’s see what’s out there.

WHAT’S ON TEST…

1 Sonos Roam

Not much bigger than a can of pop, the Roam takes Sonos’ famous high-fidelity wireless music expertise and transfers it to the great outdoors. It’s waterproof, lasts up to 10 hours on a charge, and supports multiple wireless protocols. At home it integrates with your wired Sonos system. £159, sonos.com