Considering a spot of gardening, barbecuing, or hosting a party? If the great British weather is playing nicely, you'll want to make the most of it - and that means finding the best speakers for your outdoor space. Dedicated outdoor speakers are going to enhance your time outside like never before. You can listen to the radio, play gentle atmospheric background music or churn out club classics to suit your mood. Plus, you'll get sound quality that's typically reserved for indoor speaker systems.
An outdoor system will likely require a little bit of DIY to install, depending on whether it's wireless or hooked up to a sound system. And, of course, some long lengths of cable. The components that really make the difference are high-quality, reliable outdoor speakers, ones that can take the best and the worst of the weather. This is true whether you want to listen to The Archers or turn your patio into Glastonbury's Pyramid stage.
The best outdoor speakers at a glance:
• Best overall outdoor speakers: Yamaha NSAW592 All Weather Speakers - View offer on Amazon UK
• Best outdoor speakers with Bluetooth: Herdio 4 Inch Bluetooth Outdoor Speakers - View offer on Amazon UK
• Best budget outdoor speakers: Pyle PLMR24 200W Mini Box Speaker System - View offer on Amazon UK
• Best portable outdoor speakers: W-KING Bluetooth Speaker - View offer on Amazon UK
You do have the option of taking portable Bluetooth speakers into the garden with you, of course. Many of these are waterproof or at least water-resistant, but if you want real power without having to carry anything around, only outdoor speakers will do. And you'll want to pick up a real live wire instead of a damp squib. So, our audio experts have selected the best outdoor speakers below. We've also included a buyer's guide and some FAQs to help. So, get ready to light those garden candles, fire up the new barbeque, and pump up the volume.
The Best Outdoors Speakers
Best overall outdoor speakers
Our expert's choices here wouldn't be complete without these hardy Yamahas. If you're looking to deliver high-fidelity audio with rich, warm bass to your outdoor spaces, the NSAW592 casing is specially treated to withstand all weather types. The subs are waterproof too. That means the whole speaker will maintain its high-quality finish, and those internal components will withstand even the worst of the British weather.
Yamaha has clearly distilled all of their sound design knowledge into these perfectly formed speakers. They'll pump out 88dB of your music through dedicated woofers and coated tweeters. Your outside spaces have just become an oasis of sound.
Pros
- Legendary Yamaha design and build
- Waterproof
- Extremely satisfying sound
- Low profile
Cons
- Bass addicts may want more (but will the neighbours?)
Best outdoor speakers with Bluetooth
These 200-watt speakers push out crisp highs and rich lows, enlivening your outdoor space. They connect up and operate much like the other speakers listed here, but what makes these special is that your smartphone connects via Bluetooth directly to the speaker unit – allowing you to control your music without the need for excessive cables or an external Bluetooth transmitter.
There are 180-degree swivel brackets included. Also - as you'd expect - these are completely waterproof. The grills are rust-proof and removable too, so these Herdio speakers will look great all year round.
Pros
- Wireless Bluetooth connection
- Sturdy construction and mounting
- Versatile swivel brackets
- Waterproof
- Rust-proof grills
Cons
- Some may want more volume
- Power transformer will need a waterproof housing
Best mid-budget outdoor speakers
The Adastra does exactly what you need an outdoor speaker to do. This weatherproof speaker is a good-sized self-contained unit with a 5.25-inch woofer and 0.5-inch tweeter, with a mid-range bass response perfect for easy listening, background music or talk radio. If you are looking for something for more of a party application, these will need supplementing with a subwoofer.
On the rear of the speaker, there is a rotary selector switch for 100V line tapping or 8 ohms operation. They're available in black or white too. One added benefit is the casing is UV-protected, so they'll still look great after a summer of sunshine.
Pros
- Strong swivel brackets
- Gold-plated binding posts
- UV protected casing
Cons
- Design is a little dated
Best hidden outdoor speakers
www.smarthomesounds.co.uk
There's a chance that these won't be fooling anyone – but if you're looking for a discrete sound solution for your garden that delivers rich audio, then these will do the trick. Place them in a flower bed or amongst shrubbery, and given a little grow time, they will all but disappear.
As they are Bluetooth enabled, they can be operated with ease from anywhere within the garden from a smartphone. You do pay a premium for something that looks like a reasonably convincing rock, but they are IP68-rated, so safe to leave out all year round, and they won't be damaged by encroaching greenery.
Pros
- Great discreet choice
- Bluetooth
Cons
- May need some artistry to blend in
Best budget outdoor speakers
These 200W speakers are a simple and effective solution to your outdoor speaker needs. Each speaker is loaded with a 3.5-inch aluminium cone woofer to deliver a powerful bass response -not what you would expect from such a compact package.
There is also a dedicated 1.75-inch dispersion cone for the mid-tones and a 1" super dome tweeter for sweet highs. The sound profile produced by these speakers makes them a good, solid all-round solution, so they'll reliably deliver no matter your event.
Pros
- Amazing value
- Compact
- Powerful for the size
Cons
- Not the prettiest
- Can be prone to rust if left untreated
Best portable outdoor speakers
Transform your outdoor space into a live concert with this high-quality 50W speaker. Boasting high notes and deep bass, you'll be getting true high-definition sound quality even in a noisy outdoor space. The premium Bluetooth technology delivers a 20-metre range, and the convenient fabric strap makes it easy to carry around. The battery lasts up to 40 hours, so you can enjoy music for hours on end without any interruptions. You can pair it with another for even more volume.
Handy additions include two equalizer modes, IPX6 waterproofing, and a power bank function. There's even a built-in mic for hands-free calling. Ideal for poolside calls.
Pros
- True portability
- Rugged and waterproof
- Bluetooth
- Great volume and bass
Cons
- Uses the same buttons for several functions
Best rechargeable outdoor speakers
For a less permanent outdoor speaker system, the Diggit XL offers a high-quality alternative to the other items on this list. This 360-degree Bluetooth speaker is loud and offers a rich sound, and the stake means that it can be safely positioned out of the way. A handy LED downlight will add atmosphere well into the evening too. We recommended connecting up to two together for a marvellous stereo sound.
The battery lasts 24 hours and fully recharges in four. The Diggit is IP55 rated, so you will put up with as much weather as you can – when you've had enough of the outdoors, detach the stake and bring the speaker in with you to keep the music flowing.
Pros
- Removable stake
- LED downlight
- 24-hours playtime
- Multi-connectivity - pairs with up to 100 more
- Amazing value
Cons
- Weatherproof, not waterproof
Best small outdoor speakers
Whether you're on a boat, at a pool party or in your back garden, these compact 100W Herdio speakers will get you through. Their waterproof, corrosion and stain-resistant material make them reliable come rain or shine, and the added bass response will allow you to enjoy the best quality audio. While these aren't the loudest options on the market, they are great for lower background music when entertaining guests. A subwoofer is recommended to enhance sound further. The marine-grade waterproofing is the real star here, as the uses for such small speakers are countless.
Pros
- 100% waterproof
- Compact and well-built
- Excellent value
Cons
- Lacking serious bass
The best outdoor speakers: Buyer's guide
Even some of the best waterproof speakers don't make for permanent or even semi-permanent additions to your garden. When you're looking for outdoor speakers, you'll need to consider more than just their resistance to weather.
Placement
Make sure you plan your sound coverage well. If need be, stake out the locations of your speakers to ensure you'll hear your music in the right places. If you want your outdoor speakers to blend in, you might consider opting for ones at ground level rather than wall-mounted speakers on brackets.
Cabling
Once you've decided on placement, plan your cable runs well. You'll need to bury these, possibly in a metal conduit or pipe, to protect the cable from damage. That said, there are some speaker cables that can be directly buried - like the GearIT 12/2 Speaker Wire that comes on a 100ft spool for floor-level outdoor speakers. And, of course, for those mounted higher up, you'll need to invest in some clips to keep the wire out of harm's way.
If you're going for wireless speakers, don't forget that while you'll forego the speaker-to-amp or speaker-to-speaker wiring, each one will still need power. And that means your power will need to be protected from the elements too. There are plenty of weatherproof electric boxes to choose from.
Sound quality and purpose
Garden or outdoor speakers are really very different from normal speakers, and not just regarding protection from the elements. Unless you live in the middle of nowhere, any outside space is really a public space, or at least it is in terms of noise. Before you leap into buying a dozen powerful speakers for a small garden, you could save yourself time, money (and hassle from the neighbours) by considering how much volume you need. Opt for just the right number of speakers to cover your space. If it's more of a background atmos you're trying to create, some of the smaller speakers we've listed here will be more than up to the task.
Best outdoor speakers: Frequently asked questions
What is an IP rating? What does IPX7 or IP67 even mean?
The IP (International Protection Marking) is an industry classification of a product's protection. The first digit, sometimes marked with an "X" when unclassified, refers to solid particle protection - such as dust; while the second digit refers to liquid protection.
For example, if an item has a rating of IPX7, we know that it is unclassified for particle ingress but has a liquid protection rating of 7. If the item was labelled IP67, we would know that the item has a particle protection rating of 6 and a liquid protection rating of 7. Ratings beyond this point are considered waterproof.
What is Bluetooth?
Bluetooth is a method of carrying information over short-distance, short-wave radio signals. Initially a relatively slow process, Bluetooth has developed into the ubiquitous method for transferring music information between devices - challenged in its quality and usability only by Wi-Fi. As a result, you'll find it built into everything from mobile phones to some of the best surround sound systems.
What are bass, midrange, and treble?
Bass, midrange, and treble are sometimes referred to as lows, mids, and highs. These terms refer to the different sound frequencies found in audio. The best outdoor speakers will handle these in a balanced way for the best effect.
Bass, low or lo, is the boomier sections of sound, the frequencies that people can most often 'feel' - bass drums are an example of low frequencies. Without bass, the audio sounds very empty and 'tinny'. Too much bass and music can sound rumbly, overpowering, and woolly.
Midrange, middle or mid, is all the stuff that happens in the middle - guitars, vocals, and speech. Balancing this with bass really brings audio to life. If you struggle to hear vocals in music or conversation in podcasts, boosting the midrange can bring these out for you without having to play with volume.
Treble, highs, or hi are the highest frequencies. These are important for picking out details in audio, but if they are too high, they can annoy and be painful to listeners – overpowering treble gives audio the dreaded tinny sound.
William Lobley is a Deputy Tech & Fitness Editor and his areas of expertise include technology and outdoors.
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