Best outdoor speakers

Enjoy music anywhere with these weatherproof speakers

- Reviewed by HOLLIN JONES

When the summer arrives people like to make the most of the good weather (okay, occasionally better weather), heading to parks, pools or even just the garden to enjoy the outdoors. The more adventurous might even go hiking or camping. Happily there's never been a better time to take your music with you, thanks to the amazing range of wireless outdoor speakers available. As well as sounding great, all the speakers on test here are waterproof to varying extents, with some working just fine while floating in a pool. They're also rugged and designed to be moved around as well as shaking off the occasional knock.

While there are plenty of small speakers, we've focused on mid-sized and larger models, partly because of their superior sound quality but also because they have larger batteries and hence better battery life, as well as in some cases higher-end features like voice assistants or external inputs. They all work with Bluetooth and some are able to work as power banks, while all have companion apps for set-up and management. Whatever your budget, our guide will tell you which speaker is best for you.

How we tested

> Charging time and battery capacity were taken into account, then the speakers paired with their apps to assess ease of set-up and management. Speakers were tested both outdoors and in, at a range of volumes to experience their playback characteristics and ability to handle louder volumes. They were subjected to water splashes and generally used in the manner for which they are designed - thrown in and out of bags and placed on grass and similar surfaces.

Things to consider...

1 Size and weight

The speakers range from very portable to larger, more boombox-style designs which typically have more features but at a higher cost. Consider how you're likely to be using it and which suits better.

2 Extra features