10 Best Outdoor Speakers to Buy in 2023

Our engineers and analysts have tested at least three dozen outdoor speakers in the past few years. Here's the criteria we keep in mind when testing speakers:

✔️ Ease of use: We consider how easy each speaker is to set up, pair and control music playback through the device and app, if applicable. We evaluate voice assistant commands, as well as battery life and special features like built-in microphones. We also measure the physical footprint and weight of each speaker to factor in its portability. If wired, we consider the ease of installation.

✔️ Audio quality: In our tests, we listen to various songs across different genres (everything from rock with heavy bass to classical piano music) to evaluate sound quality and we conduct frequency sweeps via YouTube video with a range of frequencies, measuring what registers at 50dB.

✔️ Weather resistance and durability: Our experts check IP ratings and perform additional in-Lab evaluations to confirm and validate water resistance. For speakers that claim to be waterproof or weather-resistant, we generally perform water-resistance tests depending upon IP ratings, including water submersion tests, rain tests and water-repellency tests. We also drop outdoor speakers multiple times to make sure they are durable enough to still function.

✔️ Wired vs. wireless: When shopping for outdoor speakers, you can either invest in a wired speaker setup or you can purchase portable Bluetooth speakers.

"Wireless speakers are easy, affordable and convenient," says author and tech expert Ryan Herd, CEO of 1 Sound Choice. "They’re great for camping, tailgating and small areas in your backyard such as around a table. But if you need more oomph or have a larger backyard, multiple wired speakers along with an amp are the way to go."

The Good Housekeeping Institute’s Home Improvement and Outdoor Director Dan DiClerico agrees, saying that “if you’re creating an outdoor entertainment space for your home, it’s worth investing in a permanent wired system. These speakers deliver bigger, better sound quality, plus the continuous power means you don’t have to worry about batteries.”

Herd emphasizes that just because your speakers are wired, doesn’t mean you won’t be able to control them wirelessly; in fact, most modern audio brands sell wired speakers that allow you to control your music from your phone. But if you decide to purchase wireless speakers, keep key factors such as battery life and Bluetooth range in mind. Unlike wired speakers, your phone will have to be within a certain distance of the speaker to be able to stream music successfully via Bluetooth.

✔️ Size and placement: While wireless Bluetooth speakers might sound amazing indoors, “the outdoors is a huge environment, and to overcome that, you’ll need big speakers,” says Herd. That said, there are other metrics that are much better at indicating performance than sheer speaker size. “More than size, acoustics and positioning will also matter," says Good Housekeeping Institute Lab Assistant Nik Greenwald. "You’d be better off figuring out where you want to put your speakers, then finding a size that fits into your plan.”

If possible, Herd recommends starting with a pair of speakers with two channels and an amp. By having multiple speakers strategically placed throughout your backyard and playing at a low volume, you can achieve phenomenal sound. And by running multiple amps you can create zones throughout your entire backyard, meaning that you can have the same music playing around the patio, pool, hot tub and firepit while hosting a party, or only in the areas where your guests are.

✔️ Cost: At the end of the day, a Bluetooth speaker will be the most affordable, but DiClerico says that he’s “never met anyone who regretted going the extra distance of wired outdoor speakers." That said, professional installation is usually recommended, and it can get costly if your outdoor space isn’t already equipped with the proper wiring. "Besides running wire, you’ll need to put in an amplifier to power the speakers, so it’s a more complicated and costly project," says DiClerico.

If you don’t have the budget or aren’t ready to invest in wired outdoor speakers, Herd suggests purchasing wireless speakers that are able to be paired together for amplified sound.

✔️ Weather resistance: Opt for an outdoor speaker that’s designed to withstand the elements. One of the key factors to look out for is the speaker’s IP (Ingress Protection) rating, which will indicate how well your speaker can withstand exposure to environmental conditions such as rain, dust, wind and dirt.

The first number refers to solids (i.e., dust) and how durable the product is, while the second is for liquids (i.e., water). If you plan to leave your outdoor speaker outside all of the time, you should opt for a speaker with an IP rating of no less than IPX7, which should be sufficient to protect it from heavy rainfall. (It's also the rating that's recommended for shower speakers.) An IPX7 rating means that the speaker is waterproof based upon a submersion test of up to 1 meter in water for 30 minutes, but the X indicates no testing was done against solids.

“Solid IP ratings go up to 6, liquids up to 9," explains Rothman. "Submersion is the industry standard for testing from 7 on."

While you shouldn't be too preoccupied with wattage — which indicates how much power the speaker consumes — a good rule of thumb is to look for outdoor speakers with over 50 watts. "Often, people equate higher wattage with better or louder output," says Greenwald."But what’s really important to look for is a broad frequency range, especially in the low-end, and a high signal-to-noise ratio, which indicates how loudly your audio will play over the ‘hum’ of the speaker."

You'll also want to pay attention to your speaker's construction, including how many drivers, woofers and tweeters it's equipped with. "A woofer and tweeter are both types of transducers — machines that convert one type of energy into another, in this case, electrical to mechanical," Greenwald explains. "Woofers cover the lower portion of frequencies the human ear can cover whereas tweeters cover the higher portion. Speakers can be all-in-one, meaning that all frequencies are covered by one driver or transducer, but usually this results in a compromise in sound quality."

Most modern speakers have woofers and tweeters housed in a single component, but generally speaking, you'll need a larger driver to more faithfully recreate the low end of audio, so if you listen to a lot of bass-heavy music look for larger drivers. "There are even dedicated drivers for the lowest end of the audio spectrum, called subwoofers, that tend to be larger in order to produce those low frequencies accurately without adding distortion," adds Greenwald.

Media and Tech Reviews Analyst Olivia Lipski has tested and reviewed everything from consumer electronics to travel gadgets and fitness gear for Good Housekeeping, including soundbars, noise-canceling headphones and AirPod alternatives. She admits to using a different speaker for every occasion, whether it's cooking dinner at home, heading out of town on an outdoor adventure or throwing a backyard BBQ.

Testing for this roundup was overseen by Chief Technologist Rachel Rothman, who has a B.S.E. in mechanical engineering and applied mechanics with a mathematics minor from the University of Pennsylvania. She has led the GH Institute's technical and testing protocols for over a decade.