Whether you're hanging out by the pool or just looking to take a long shower while listening to your favorite tunes, a waterproof Bluetooth speaker can take a lot of the stress out of jamming near a body of water. For a truly pool-friendly Bluetooth speaker, you'll want to look for IPX5 for solid resistance and at least IPX7 if you're worried about submersion.
JBL 3 clip
This little speaker from JBL is part of their long-running Clip speaker line, which burst onto the Bluetooth speaker scene a few years ago. It has a full IPX7 waterproof rating, which means it's protected against total immersion in up to three feet of water for up to 30 minutes. So unless you drop it completely in the deep end of the pool and forget about it, you probably won't damage it with water. The integrated carabiner is made entirely of metal and it is equipped with small grooves inside to prevent it from swinging too wildly. It recharges via Micro USB and offers a battery life of 10 hours. It can also work as a speakerphone in case you get interrupted while jamming, and features noise and echo cancellation.
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Bose SoundLink Flex
Bose has long had a reputation as the premier prosumer brand that sits between luxury-priced high-end speakers and the low-end dregs that clog up your Amazon search results. The SoundLink Flex is positioned by Bose and its marketing as a constant travel companion, and that claim is backed up by a rugged IP67 rating. Once charged through its USB Type-C port, it should run for around 12 hours, and it uses Bose's usual mix of high-end engineering and dark magic to pack a ton of sound into a small space. The only downside here is the rather flimsy nylon loop, which functions as a finger loop but is probably not reliably attached to a backpack.
JBL Flip 4
If you've used Bluetooth speakers before, you've probably seen the JBL Flip or one of the many similar-looking speakers that all sport the same tower design. It's equipped with a 12-hour battery (charged via Micro USB), an IPX7 waterproof rating, and passive radiators on the sides for extra bass. It's a solid-sounding speaker that will easily fill a room (or poolside) without breaking a sweat.
Anker Soundcore Wireless
Anker has built a stellar reputation as a budget cable and charger company over the years, and their line of Soundcore speakers follows suit. The Soundcore Wireless has a 24-hour battery, Bluetooth 5.0, and built-in bass boost. It has clearly labeled top-mounted controls, which is rare in the world of Bluetooth speakers, and has an IPX5 waterproof rating. That IPX5 rating means it's protected from jets of water but not total submersion, so it's more suited to being a shower buddy than a lake party machine. But at around $30, it's a solid speaker with a good feature set for not a lot of money.
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Anker Soundcore Motion Boom
Anker isn't just making budget devices these days, as its Soundcore Motion Boom speaker shows. It's a larger boombox style speaker with a full IPX7 waterproof rating, 24 hour battery and Bluetooth 5.0. It also has a customizable EQ in the Soundcore app, so you can tweak it to the exact profile you want if you're not one to use those heavy factory presets. It's also ready to rumble on land or in up to three feet of water with its titanium diaphragms and ability to float. If you want a room-filling Bluetooth speaker with all the bells and whistles but without the sky-high price tag, this is a great option whether you're poolside or not.
Bluetooth speakers have evolved over the years from flimsy and expensive devices that would easily lose connection with your phone to sturdy party machines ready for your next trip to the water park.
For more hardware guides, check out the best AV to HDMI adapters and the best Bluetooth mouse for gaming on Pro Gaming Guides.
