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Mar 19, 2023

Best Outdoor Speakers 2023

Whether you have an expansive yard or a cozy porch, high-quality outdoor

Whether you have an expansive yard or a cozy porch, high-quality outdoor speakers can fill your space with music. The best outdoor speakers—including our pick for best overall, the Polk Audio Atrium 6—have designs conducive for use in the open-air, whether temporarily or as a permanent installation.

The best outdoor speakers can pipe high-quality music throughout your yard.

The best outdoor speakers go beyond the audio range of the typical portable Bluetooth speakers (such as the Bose Portable Smart Speaker, our pick for best battery-powered outdoor speaker and our pick for best Bluetooth speaker overall). An outdoor speaker looks and sounds like a traditional loudspeaker, but it has weather sealing to protect against the elements, so you can mount the speaker outside your home, on your deck or by your pool. Most outdoor speakers require power and use a wired connection to an amplifier or receiver to pipe music throughout your outdoor space. Some use Bluetooth, so you can stream music from the internet via your mobile device or computer.

Based on our extensive research and testing, these are the best outdoor speakers you can buy to create the perfect outdoor entertainment space.

Amazon

Dimensions: 8.8 x 7.8 x 11.8 inches | Driver size: 5.3-inches, 1-inch dome tweeter | Mounting required: Yes (includes hardware) | Waterproof rating: All-weather certified

Best for: Mounting a pair of stereo speakers outside wherever you want to hear audio.

The Polk Audio Atrium 6 outdoor speakers are fully weather sealed and come with a five-year warranty. They’re ideal for playing music anywhere outside—such as on a deck or patio, near a pool or throughout your entire yard. These speakers can mount either horizontally or vertically (at a 45-degree angle facing downward) using the supplied speed-lock mounting hardware.

Once setup, each speaker has a wide dispersion pattern with powerful bass. Each speaker outputs 100 watts of audio power to deliver high-fidelity sound. Audio sounds clear and full-bodied thanks to the speakers’ long-throw, 5.5-inch polypropylene cone driver with rubber surround pumps and 1-inch dynamic balance anodized aluminum dome tweeters. These speakers produce deep bass and practically no distortion, and they can withstand almost any weather in a permanent installation.

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Amazon

Dimensions: 13.5 x 5.8 x 8 inches | Driver size: 2x 2.5-inch full-range drivers, 5.25-inch woofer | Mounting required: Yes (includes hardware) | Waterproof rating: Weather resistant (-22 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit)

Best for: Enjoying high-quality stereo sound outdoors.

The Bose 251 Environmental Speakers’ overall design takes outdoor use into account. They can withstand exposure to snow, rain, salt and extreme temperatures (from -22 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit). Bose's speaker design features precisely positioned drivers that produce a large and consistent sound field regardless of where you sit relative to the speakers. Each speaker has an internal 5.25-inch woofer with a multi-chambered enclosure to output deep, low frequencies with minimal audio distortion, and each has two 2.5-inch "Twiddler" drivers made from a glass composite cone that deliver clear high frequencies consistently, without degradation.

The two speakers come with everything needed to mount the speakers, but you need to supply your own speaker wire and either an amplifier or stereo receiver. The speakers work particularly well with amplifiers around 100-watts, such as the Bose SoundTouch SA-5 Amplifier. These features lack any wireless communications built-in, so any streaming you do will be via the amplifier or stereo receiver.

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Amazon

Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.7 x 6.7 inches | Driver size: 4.5-inch driver and .75-inch tweeter | Mounting required: Yes (includes hardware) | Waterproof rating: All-weather certified

Best for: Spending less for excellent outdoor audio.

The Polk Audio Atrium 4 are affordable speakers which deliver a strong balance of performance for the price. Sold as a pair, the Atrium 4 provide a total of 80-watts of audio power, and they use a steeply angled baffle design that maximizes mid- and high-frequency dispersion so you can hear audio clearly across a large area. Like the Atrium 6, the Atrium 4 includes an easy-to-install speed-lock mounting bracket, so you can mount these speakers either horizontally or vertically. These speakers’ smaller size of makes them ideal for tight or out-of-the way installations.

While all the outdoor speakers in the Polk Atrium lineup look similar on the outside, each offers a slightly different physical size. As the model number goes up, so does the size of the drivers, the power output and the price. The Polk Atrium 4 speakers sit at the lower end of Polk's product line, but they offer good value and impressive overall performance.

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Dual Electronics

Dimensions: 10.1 x 7.3 x 7.3 inches | Drivers: 1.6-inch cone, 0.8-inch midrange driver, 5.25-inch woofer | Wireless audio: Yes | Mounting required: Yes (includes hardware) | Waterproof rating: For use in covered outdoor areas.

Best for: Installing outdoor speakers on an extreme budget.

These indoor/outdoor speakers from Dual Electronics LU53PB cost a $80 for the pair on Amazon. You can mount each speaker either horizontally or vertically using the provided hardware. The speakers use a coating that Dual bills as "weather resistant" and the company says they can withstand rain, but beyond that it's unclear how much extreme weather these speakers can handle.

The speakers have a frequency response of 80Hz-20kHz and normal impedance of 4 Ohms. Sensitivity is 82db. The company recommends mounting the two speakers about 6-feet apart and using 18-gauge speaker wire (sold separately) to connect them to your receiver or amplifier.

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Amazon

Dimensions: 7.5 x 12.9 x 7.9 inches | Mounting required: Yes (includes hardware) | Waterproof rating: IP66

Best for: Homes already using Sonos audio equipment.

The Sonos Architectural Speakers By Sonance can fully integrate with your existing Sonos-based home speakers. This means you can control the audio inside your home and outdoors from a single device. These passive speakers require an amplifier, and speaker wire (sold separately). They work with the Sonos Amp, sold separately for $699 or as a bundle with two speakers for $1,498.

Each speaker has one high-excursion pivoting woofer that produces mid and low frequencies, along with a one-inch tweeter that produces high frequencies. The speakers have an IP66 water and dust resistance rating, making them perfect for permanent outdoor installations.

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Bose

Dimensions: 7.5 x 4.7 x 4 inches | Weight: 2.3 pounds | Wireless audio: Yes | Battery life: Up to 12 hours | Waterproof rating: IPX4

Best for: Robust, 360-degree audio you can carry with you.

The Bose Portable Smart Speaker produces full-bodied, 360-degree sound from a compact package. It has a built-in handle for carrying the speaker wherever you go. This Bose speaker is also safe to use poolside given its IPX4 water resistance rating. It's perfect for group listening, since it produces an immersive sound with impressive bass and reasonable loudness heard in every direction—filling all corners of your space. In our testing, we discovered this speaker actually sounds better when you’re a few feet away from it.

Connect the speaker to Wi-Fi to use voice commands via the built-in Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. You can control the Bose Portable Smart Speaker using the physical controls on the top surface or using the mobile app. The app also lets you pair the speaker with a second Bose smart speaker. Within your home, use the Wi-Fi connection to control the speaker from anywhere. It also works with Apple AirPlay 2, Google Chromecast and Spotify Connect.

Excerpt from our full review: "Out of the 10 Bluetooth speakers I recently evaluated for a roundup of the best Bluetooth speakers, I found the Bose Portable Smart Speaker outperformed the competition time and again. This speaker earns the distinction of the best Bluetooth speaker overall for its well-balanced audio and robust features."

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Best Buy

Dimensions: 9.4 x 4.9 x 6.2 inches | Weight: 6.6 pounds | Driver size: Two Class-D digital amplifiers, one downward-firing tweeter, one midwoofer | Wireless audio: Yes | Battery life: Up to 11 hours | Waterproof rating: IP56

Best for: Booming audio you can take outside.

The Sonos Move weighs 6.6 pounds, making it heavier and less portable than its smaller sibling, the Sonos Roam. At about 10 inches high, it's best to find a place to put the speaker and leave it there. The Move maxes out at 85 dB—plenty loud for most environments.

This speaker uses Sonos’ Trueplay tuning to calibrate audio automatically based on the environment. Built-in microphones measure the audio around you and the speaker adapts accordingly. The Move fits seamlessly into a Sonos household, and it can link up to your other Sonos speakers. On its own, the sound can fill a room or outdoor space with subtle, rich bass, making it more appropriate for an individual or small group gathering. Its built-in microphones mean it has direct voice support with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant when you pair the speaker with a smartphone.

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Amazon

Dimensions: 6.9 x 2.4 x 2.2 inches | Weight: 1 pound | Driver size: 2x 16-watt amplifiers | Wireless audio: Yes | Battery life: Up to 24 hours | Waterproof rating: IPX7

Best for: Listening to tunes outside, without spending a fortune.

Even though the Soundcore 3 by Anker is a single portable Bluetooth speaker, it outputs 16-watts of stereo sound. The speaker runs up to 24-hours on a single charge, and it has a strong IPX7 water resistance rating so you can take it outdoors without fearing poolside splashes or a sudden summer rain.

The speaker uses passive dual radiators and Anker's unique Bass Up technology to output audio with noticeable bass. The PartyCast feature lets you link up to 100 Anker Bluetooth speakers together (wirelessly) to fill an enormous space with audio that's streamed from a single device. While its sound quality does not come close to the quality offered by more expensive speakers, like the Bose Portable Smart Speaker, if you’re looking for a portable speaker at a bargain price, this one is for you.

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Amazon

Dimensions: 17.5 x 13 x 16 inches | Driver size: 1-inch dome tweeter, 8-inch woofer | Waterproof rating: All-weather sealed

Best for: Incorporating a speaker into your landscaping.

This speaker from Outdoor Speakers Direct (OSD) sits hidden inside a rock-like enclosure is an 8-inch, high fidelity speaker you can place near your pool or in a backyard. The outer shell of the rock enclosure uses a multi-layered composite that's designed to withstand harsh weather. It comes in brown, canyon brown, grey or slate, which makes it easier to get a speaker that blend in with your landscaping aesthetic.

OSD sells the speaker individually, but you can use multiple speakers, each placed no more than 30 feet apart. The manufacturer recommends using waterproof cables (such as their CL3 Burial Rated Speaker Wire) and burying the wire connectors. These speakers require an amplifier or receiver that can push out at least 100 watts of power. The speaker outputs up to 200 watts of audio power to produce clear and rich sound covering an area between 120 and 200 feet. It has a frequency response of 28Hz-20kHz, with sensitivity and impedance of 88 db, 8Ohms. OSD also has various shapes and sizes for its enclosures (between 5.25 and 8-inches).

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Amazon

Dimensions: 7.8 x 7 x 11.8 inches | Drivers: 3-inch full-range driver | Wireless audio: Yes | Battery life: Up to 15 hours | Waterproof rating: IP54 | LED Lights: 20

Best for: Adding speakers with colorful lighting to an outdoor space.

The lantern shaped Pohopa Bluetooth speakers come as a set of two. Together, they’re able to generate 20 watts of true stereo sound (10 watts each). As audio plays, each lantern uses 20 individual, color-changing LED lights to display either an animated light show that syncs with the music, or a light pattern that you control via a mobile app. The speakers have an internal battery that lasts up to 15 hours on a single charge.

These speakers work well for a deck or patio, or for a yard. Unfortunately, the speakers only work as a pair; you can't pair them with additional speakers to expand your soundstage. Choose between solid black or faux wood enclosures.

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We combined research with hands-on testing and experience, and we spoke with product experts and industry leaders to help us determine the products that made the cut. We carefully evaluated each speaker's size, design, sound quality, waterproof rating and more. We also paid attention to what sets each speaker apart from its competition.

The Forbes Vetted tech team strives to offer accurate and trustworthy product assessments that are the result of intensive research and hands-on testing. Our writers and editors have years of experience writing about a broad range of consumer electronics and have the background and expertise to help you make the best buying decisions possible.

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