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Buying guides

Best Outdoor Speakers

The right speaker turns a patio into a party. We researched the leading portable speakers for outdoor use — weighing sound, durability, battery, and price — to find the ones worth taking outside. The big question is premium Wi-Fi sound versus rugged value, so we picked a winner for each kind of buyer.

Reviews

Best Value Speaker

7.4

JBL

JBL Charge 6

The JBL Charge 6 is the rugged value pick for the backyard or the pool: it is IP68 waterproof and drop-proof, runs all day on a charge, doubles as a power bank, and costs a fraction of a Sonos. The trade-off is that it is a mono Bluetooth speaker with no Wi-Fi or multiroom, and its sound is energetic rather than refined — but for the price and durability, very little touches it outdoors.

$180Read report

Best Compact Speaker

6.9

Sonos

Sonos Roam 2

The Sonos Roam 2 is the grab-and-go Sonos: under a pound, IP67 submersible, and able to switch between Wi-Fi at home and Bluetooth on the move. It is the easiest way into the Sonos ecosystem and genuinely poolside-proof. The catches are mono sound and only about 10 hours of battery, so it is a companion speaker rather than the one that fills a backyard.

$179Read report

Best Outdoor Speaker

7.9

Sonos

Sonos Move 2

The Sonos Move 2 is the best-sounding portable speaker for a patio: real stereo from a single cabinet, up to 24 hours of battery, an IP56 weatherproof build, and Wi-Fi that ties it into a whole-home Sonos system. It is heavy for true portability, leans hard on the Sonos app, and is pricey next to a rugged JBL — but for a premium backyard speaker that also lives indoors, nothing matches it.

$399Read report

Comparisons

Sonos Move 2vsSonos Roam 2

For a backyard speaker, the Move 2 wins on sound and battery — but the Roam 2 is the one you actually carry.

See the breakdown

Is it worth it?

Worth It for Some

Are Sonos Speakers Worth It?

Sonos is worth it if you want refined sound and whole-home, multiroom Wi-Fi audio and are willing to live inside the Sonos app. If you mostly want a rugged, loud, long-lasting speaker for the backyard or pool, a JBL gets you there for a third of the price. The premium buys sound quality and an ecosystem — not durability or battery.