Looking to do some al fresco listening? Outdoor speakers — just like their TV counterparts — are designed to withstand the elements while still delivering great sound. They're equipped with large and powerful audio drivers, which allow them to deliver a stellar sonic experience in open spaces.
Compared to portable Bluetooth speakers with waterproof builds, these kinds of products are more durable, thanks to their wired setup. Another perk? Having no onboard batteries allows them to work in either extreme heat or cold, making them an ideal choice for rocking out to year-round. Outdoor home speakers are also typically larger and capable of producing a more powerful sound with higher fidelity.
To identify today’s best outdoor speakers worth buying, we spent hours researching products from leading audio brands like Bose, Klipsch, Polk Audio, and Sonos, to name just a few. We scrutinized speakers in a multitude of form factors and at various price points.
We picked speakers where the sound offers a good balance in bass, treble, and midrange. In terms of sheer output, all outdoor speakers on this list can produce a powerful audio experience. We focused on speakers with at least two onboard audio drivers — a crucial factor for good sound.
All wired products can survive exposure to water, humidity, heat, and cold weather. They are backed by longer warranties than portable outdoor speakers with onboard batteries.
What to Consider
Installation
The most important thing you need to know about outdoor speakers is that most of them require wiring and wall mounting. Many of these products need a source of audio content (e.g., a media player, computer, tablet, etc.) and an amplifier to work. Before finding the best pair for your needs and budget, make sure you have space for all the necessary equipment.
Some of today’s outdoor speakers are sold in pairs, while others are available as individual units. If the outdoor setup permits, we suggest you opt for a duo of outdoor speakers — the sonic experience will be much richer.
Hardware Specs
Hardware-wise, outdoor speakers with bigger audio drivers usually deliver a more powerful sound. On the other hand, the number of drivers a speaker packs impact its audio fidelity (aka, how true the sound is to its original source).
Polk Audio’s Atrium8 SDI outdoor speakers are our top pick for most consumers. Priced at an incredibly reasonable $200 for a pair, the speakers offer an easy and versatile mounting setup, good sound, and a long warranty. You can order the product in black or white.
Each Atrium8 SDI speaker packs three audio drivers, which combine to deliver powerful and detail-rich stereo sound. You can connect the pair for an even more powerful stereo experience that’s great for bigger spaces.
The AW-650 mountable outdoor speakers by Klipsch deliver the audio brand's legendary sound with exceptional quality. Sporting a higher price tag, they produce higher-fidelity sound than the Polk product we already mentioned, courtesy of a tweeter with the audio maker's signature Tractrix horn tweeter. This means that it'll play higher frequency music much better, so if you like high-pitched sounds in your music, this is the speaker for you!
Klipsch offers the AW-650 speakers in black and white.
Quality outdoor speakers can hardly get more affordable than the compact Yamaha NS-AW150. They deliver a good audio experience — that is, as long as you manage your expectations accordingly.
The speakers are available with black or white housings. Their retail package includes mounting brackets for easy installation.
Sound: 5.25-inch woofer, a duo of 2.5-inch audio drivers
Price includes: A pair of speakers
Warranty: 5 years
The Bose 251 speakers are designed to deliver a wide sound field that is perfect for outdoor listening. Each outdoor speaker in this set packs a trio of audio drivers — more than most similarly priced competitors.
You can order the speakers in black or white. Bose backs the product with an excellent warranty.
The Bowers & Wilkins AM-1 are the best outdoor speakers on this list in terms of sheer audio fidelity. Considering their maker’s long history of making amazing headphones and speakers, that’s hardly a surprise.
Each speaker has a 5-inch main audio driver and a 1-inch tweeter, whose inverted placement (the smaller tweeter sits below the woofer) brings better sound dispersion in an overhead setup. Thanks to a cleverly designed bass radiator, the AM-1 speakers also deliver surprisingly powerful bass, despite having compact enclosures.
Available in black or white, the speakers have durable wall mounts that rotate 220 degrees.
When it comes to sheer bass output, the Definitive Technology AW6500 are the best outdoor speakers worth your attention. In addition to standard audio drivers, each speaker packs a massive radiator, allowing it to deliver an entertaining bass without affecting the treble and midrange.
The AW6500 speakers are also incredibly versatile. Their steel mounting brackets have a 360-degree rotation, so you can adjust the sound direction to your exact liking. Definitive Technology offers the product in black or white.
The Sonos outdoor speakers are designed to blast the audio maker’s powerful, incredibly entertaining sound in any weather. However, you need to connect them to the pricey Sonos Amp in order to fully enjoy them.
The above setup is worth the splurge if you have the means, though, because it will allow you to stream content on the speakers from your favorite mobile device over Wi-Fi. Such ease of use is one of the reasons why Sonos is a leading audio brand.
• Sound: A duo of 4-inch woofers, a pair of 1-inch tweeters • Price includes: A single speaker • Warranty: 1 year
Sony’s SRS-XG500 portable Bluetooth speaker has a fully waterproof build that can withstand any weather. It can blast thunderously powerful sound anywhere you take it, courtesy of two large woofers and a pair of tweeters. Plus, it can deliver visual entertainment via integrated LED ring lights.
Sporting a stylish fabric cover and convenient carrying handle, the outdoor speaker can last up to 30 hours between battery charges. It has standard audio and microphone inputs, and it can even charge your gadgets on the go.
The Sonos Move is a portable and smart outdoor speaker that's compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. The weatherproof gadget can be controlled with voice commands, as long as it’s connected to a Wi-Fi network.
Like all of the brand's products, the Move is easy to set up on its own or integrate into an existing Sonos audio system. It also supports Apple AirPlay 2 and Bluetooth wireless playback.
Best of all, the Move allows you to enjoy it without any wires — it can deliver up to 10 hours of audio playback between battery charges. Although the product’s bundled charging base is designed to be used indoors, you can still power up the Move outside with a compatible USB-C cable and charger.
Sound: 6.5-inch woofer, a pair of 0.75-inch tweeters
Price includes: A single speaker
Warranty: 5 years
The Klipsch AWR-650-SM is the most discreet outdoor speaker worth your attention. Its durable enclosure is designed to look like a rock, and you can order it with a granite or sandstone finish.
Powered by a high-quality woofer and a duo of tweeters, the AWR-650-SM speakers deliver amazing sound that’s in line with the legendary brand’s heritage. The tweeters are arranged to play left and right audio channels, thus allowing users to enjoy stereo sound with just one speaker.
Stefan VazharovSenior Technology EditorStefan is the senior technology editor for BestProducts.com, where he’s been covering the tech industry and testing the latest gadgets since 2015; He previously covered tech products for GSMArena.com and his work can also be found on Popular Mechanics.
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