Outdoor speakers for enjoying quality music in your garden

Whether you're pottering away in the garden, relaxing in the sun, or hosting a fun little gathering in your outdoor space, having outdoor speakers can really help to enhance your experience. Listen to the radio, play your favourite artist or something more gentle to set the garden stage for a relaxing atmosphere to be enjoyed with family and friends.

While the easiest go-to may be to play your radio from the kitchen window or drain the battery on your phone playing your favourite songs, you're never going to get great sound quality. In our experience, the Wi-Fi range to play songs without fault or delay.

The best option? Invest in an outdoor sound system with high-quality, reliable speakers that'll turn your garden into a soundscape even your plants will enjoy. Designed to withstand the elements, work in extreme temperatures, and deliver a more powerful sound fit for open spaces.

We've listed a selection of the best outdoor speakers for your garden.

What do I need to look for in an outdoor speaker?

An outdoor system will likely require a little bit of DIY to install.

The sound system (be it an amplifier or stereo system) needs some long lengths of cable. Don't worry; it won't stand out like a sore thumb, and all of our options will come with clear instructions to help you out.

We've also found there's a lot of technical jargon involved with finding outdoor speakers that may be confusing without explanation. That's why we've included some FAQs to break this all down and to help answer your burning questions about the best outdoor speakers.

The best outdoor speakers UK

A household name in sound design, Yamaha has used their advanced speaker technology in these high-grade weatherproof speakers that are water-resistant, and are not affected by sunlight (UV rays) or high or low temperatures.

They've made it possible to combine high sound quality and long-term durability, playing up to 85dB of your music through dedicated woofers and coated tweeters, delivering high-fidelity audio with rich warm bass. You can choose to have them floor-standing or wall-mounted, but either way, these speakers will blend in with your outdoor décor.

Specifications:

• 13.6 x 17 x 27.3 cm

• Waterproof subwoofers

• 120 Watts

Pros: Waterproof Subwoofers

Cons: Cover when not in use as a precaution.

Customer Review: "Lovely rich sound. Had Yamaha speakers outside for years. They have been great and bought these as replacements - more robust and even better sound. Have cleaned and refurbed old Yamaha speakers which sound good as new after seven years of full-on weather. Get some."

These great outdoor speakers are made of durable ABS material to help them withstand the outside elements for all-weather performance and with marine-grade water resistance.

We also love that you can connect your smartphone via Bluetooth so you can control your music without the need for excessive cables like other speakers on this list.

These 200-watt speakers push out crisp highs and deep bass, and the versatile swivel bracket means you can position them any way you like.

Key specifications:

• 36.5cm x 27cm x 21.8cm

• Full-range stereo sound

• 200 watts

Pros:

• Versatile swivel brackets

• Water-resistant

Cons:

• Bass distortion at high volumes

• Short power lead

Customer Review: "Nice sound, way better bass than the previous version, Bluetooth has really great range. The best thing - it works flawlessly with our Amazon Alexa devices! Also, it withstands the most severe weather conditions. Great value for money!"

Supplied as a single speaker, this weatherproof and UV-protected option is double insulated and available in black or white to suit your outdoor space.

It'll provide high quality and high performance but it does have a slightly limited bass. It's perfectly fine for easy listening or background music. However, if you want more of a party vibe, you may want to supplement with a subwoofer.

The good-sized self-contained unit includes a 5.25-inch woofer and 0.5-inch tweeter, and optional mounting by M6 screw sockets.

Specifications:

• 16.3cm x 16cm x 23.9cm

• 65 watts

Pros:

• Two-way speaker system

• Weather-proof IP35

Cons:

• Grill distortion

• Water ingress potential

• Disappointing bass

Customer Review: "Perfect for your outdoor area. These speakers come with some handy blankets with thumbscrews on top and bottom. The cable connection is a push style one making it very easy to connect."

These 200W speakers come with a 3.5-inch aluminium injection cone woofer for added bass response, giving you audio especially adapted for outdoor near-water environments. While it may be compact, it boasts a one-inch super dome tweeter for sweet highs and performs high-quality sounds with minimal distortion and maximum clarity.

It's super sturdy, durable, affordable, and easy to install, making it a great pick if you're interested in testing the water.

Specifications:

• 9.53 x 13.34 x 7.62 cm

• 200 watts

Pros:

• Waterproof

• Three-way speaker

Cons:

• Lacklustre bass

Customer Review: "Great speaker kit. Ideal for smaller gardens that want a little background music. They are not going to turn your garden into T in the Park, but for some music on a good day/evening, they are perfect. Sturdy, lightweight, it comes with plenty of cables and all hardware. They have seen light rain and seem to be holding up well so far. They are not too big and intrusive either, quite subtle."

This less permanent outdoor speaker solution can be used portably or stuck in the ground using the removable stake. Ideal for outdoor listening, it'll give 360-degree audio. While it looks small, it still packs a punch with two dual-opposing 5W drivers that deliver an immersive listening experience.

It's super affordable, but that doesn't mean it's not weather-resistant - with an IP55 rating, it's resistant to water jets and dust, and you can stick it in the snow if you so wish!

It has eight hours of playtime, attractive LED lighting, and can easily be played via Bluetooth.

Specifications:

19 x 8 x 8 cm

Bluetooth connect

24 hours of playtime

Pros:

• IP55 weather-proof

• Two dual-opposing 5-watt drivers for 360 sound

Cons:

• Connection can be unreliable

Customer Review: "These are excellent quality speakers! They do just as they say and are great to stand up in the garden for parties or on the beach, as stated. They have good battery life, and they let you know when they are getting low, so no need for them to suddenly die on you. The sound quality is better than I had expected and is pretty loud at full volume. I would recommend purchasing these as they are handy and are easy to take to places."

Available in black or white, these Bose speakers are most probably the best sounding speakers on this list, but that fact is reflected in the price tag. The high quality of sound is not only down to Bose's design expertise and dedication to sound research, but also the Articulated Array speaker design which delivers an extremely wide sound field, perfect for larger outdoor areas or gardens.

Designed to be wall-mounted, these speakers have been engineered to withstand harsh weather conditions so they can stay up all year round. They also have an exclusive multi-chambered cabinet design that allows for minimal audible distortion from low frequencies, for a crisp, natural-sounding performance.

This also means that whether you go in the garden, you're going to hear quality, consistent sound with almost no audio distortion.

Specifications:

• 11.4cm x 15.2cm x 31.5cm

• Wall-mounted

Pros:

• Articulated array for wide audio field

• Weather resistant

Cons:

• Cover for longevity

**Customer Review: "**Bought these in the summer of 2014 and they're still going strong. Best sounding speakers I've ever had, the clarity is amazing, the sound is amazing, connect a sub to compliment them even more and you'll really enjoy them. No complaints from me. I even had one issue with the built-in woofer and the Bose team fixed it with no problem and no hassle. Highly recommend."

This four-inch marine outdoor box speaker set has a waterproof design, allowing you to use it during the worst British weather. With an IP66 rating, they've been adapted for outdoor near-water environments and are corrosion and stain-resistant. As such they've been recommended for use everywhere from your back garden to a boat!

These speakers will give you added bass response for better quality audio. Although these are not the loudest option on the market, they are great for lower background music when entertaining guests, or if you live in a terraced home and want to make sure you don't annoy the neighbours. If you're looking to enhance the sound further, buy a subwoofer to give it a little boost.

Specifications:

• 11.2cm x 11cm x 10cm

• 100 watts

• Universal mounting

Pros:

• IP66 waterproof

• Added bass response

Cons:

• Bass disappointing

Customer Review: "For the garden, the speakers are great. The volume is very high for the size. The sound is fine too. Easy and quick installation. Price-performance here is definitely great."

A W-KING outdoor speaker is a fantastic option if you're looking for your speakers to be portable. Conveniently carry with the carrying strap, hang in your garden, or even take it further afield!

Compatible with all Bluetooth-enabled devices, you can play music via your smartphone or directly through the 3.5mm audio cord if your device doesn't have Bluetooth.

The 800mAh battery is rechargeable, delivers 24 hours of music with clear high notes, deep bass, and true HD sound. IPX5 waterproof too, you can even risk having it near the pool in the summer.

Specifications:

• 50 watts

• IPX5 waterproof

• 3.5mm audio jack

• Built-in mic

Pros:

• 24-hour playtime

• Ultra-portable

Cons:

• Speakers fuzzy

Customer Review: "Really amazing speaker. Extremely loud, inside and outdoors. Battery life seems to be extremely good (so much battery you can even charge your phone with it). So if fully charged, it will last you a couple of weeks of moderate usage if you're playing it at around 50 per cent volume (which is still very loud). If blasting it the full volume, it would still last for the duration of six hours, if not longer. Very impressive. The bass seems really good too. It is extremely durable and splash resistant."

Want to truly disguise your speakers into your garden space? These speakers designed as rocks can be placed on your patio, or even in your flower bed or hidden amongst the shrubbery.

Given time, they'll all but disappear amongst the greenery, but with an IP68 rating, you don't need to worry about them being damaged by encroaching foliage.

Made to be super tough and withstand the seasons, you simply need to plug it into an outdoor plug socket and control via your smartphone's Bluetooth.

Specifications:

• 34cm x 24cm x 27cm

• All in one built-in amplifier and Bluetooth

Pros:

• IP56 rating weatherproof

• Works in 120C to 85C temps

Cons:

• Need proper outdoor power socket

• Heavy - not portable

Customer Review: "This is a fantastic speaker. I've used all sorts of different Bluetooth speakers before, and this is hands down the one with the best sound quality and volume. The speaker is really great to listen to. It really brings the garden to life on summer evenings. Its weight - it comes in at several kilos - and the fact it is waterproof means it's designed to be left outside all year round rather than brought in and out for each use. Plug it into an outdoor socket (or use an extension lead), pair it to a Bluetooth device and you're off!"

The LENRUE A15 waterproof Bluetooth speaker is small and compact and would make a good party speaker for indoor and outdoor gatherings. The latest Bluetooth 5.0 provides a greater wireless range and crystal-clear audio. The outdoor speaker is equipped with an IPX7 waterproof level making it weather-proof if caught outside in a rainstorm.

Specifications:

Pros:

• IPX7 rating weatherproof

• 20-Hour Playtime

Cons:

• Great value

Customer Review: "I just needed a cheap Bluetooth speaker for my son. I'm amazed at the sound quality this pumps out considering I paid so low a price. Bass and treble are on point and at full pelt, it's great. I didn't actually realise woofers were inbuilt until after I purchased and re-read the description. Being wireless, it's totally portable; play music wherever you fancy. Battery life is great. For me, a full charge lasted over a week and it's super easy to recharge using the supplied USB cable. A well-built and sturdy speaker which is under-priced in my opinion. One of my better buys."

FAQs

What are bass, midrange, and treble?

Bass, low or lo

Bass is the lowest frequency 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

This is all the stuff that happens in the middle - guitars, vocals, and speech. 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 the volume.

Treble, highs, or hi,

These are the higher frequencies. These are important for picking out details in audio. But, if they are too high, they can be annoying, give a tinny sound and sometimes be painful to listeners.

What is Bluetooth?

You most likely have Bluetooth on your phone, but what is it? Bluetooth is a wireless method of carrying information and exchanging data over short distances and wavelengths. It's been developed into the ubiquitous method for transferring music information between devices, challenged only by Wi-Fi in its quality and usability.

Bluetooth requires low bandwidth and consumes less power in comparison to Wi-Fi and doesn't require access to the internet in order to work.

What is an IP rating?

What does IPX7, or IP67 even mean? IP stands for Ingress Protection and is an industry classification of a product's protection against solid particles and liquids.

The first digit sometimes marked with an 'X' when unclassified, refers to solid particle protection, while the second digit refers to liquid protection.

But, what do these numbers actually mean in the real world?

The higher the number, the better protection your product has.

Here is a short technical explanation of the codes.

First digit: Solid particle protection

X – N/A: No data available to specify a protection rating.

0 – None: No protection against contact and entry of objects.

1 - >50mm: Protected from any large surface of the body, such as the back of a hand, but no protection against deliberate contact with body parts.

2 - >12.5mm: Protected from fingers or similar objects.

3 - >2.5mm: Protected from tools, thick wires, etc.

4 - >1mm: Protected from most wires, slender screws, large ants etc.

5 - Dust protected: Admission of dust is not entirely prevented, but it must not enter in sufficient quantity to interfere with the satisfactory operation of the equipment.

6 - Dust tight: No admission of dust; complete protection against contact (dust-tight). A vacuum must be applied.

Second digit: Liquid ingress protection

X – N/A: X means there is no data available to specify a protection rating.

0 – None: No protection against contact and ingress of liquid.

1 - Dripping water: Dripping water (vertically falling drops) shall have no harmful effect on the product when mounted in an upright position onto a turntable and rotated at 1 RPM. Tested for 10 minutes, equivalent to 1mm rainfall per minute.

2 - Dripping water when tilted at 15°: Vertically dripping water shall have no harmful effect when the enclosure is tilted at an angle of 15° from its normal position. Water equivalent to 3mm rainfall per minute.

3 - Spraying water: Water falling as a spray at any angle up to 60° from the vertical shall have no harmful effect.

4 – Splashing of water: Water splashing against the enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effect.

5 - Water jets: Water projected by a nozzle (6.3mm) against enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effects.

6 - Powerful water jets: Water projected in powerful jets (12.5mm nozzle) against the enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effects.

6K - Powerful water jets with increased pressure: Water projected in powerful jets (6.3 mm nozzle) against the enclosure from any direction, under elevated pressure, shall have no harmful effects.

Ratings beyond this point are considered waterproof.

7 - Immersion, up to 1m depth: Ingress of water in harmful quantity shall not be possible when the enclosure is immersed in water under defined conditions of pressure and time (up to 1m submersion).

8 - Immersion, 1m or more depth: The equipment is suitable for continuous immersion in water under conditions that shall be specified by the manufacturer. However, with certain types of equipment, it can mean that water can enter but only in such a manner that it produces no harmful effects.

So for example, if an item has a rating of IPX7, we know that it is unclassified for particle entry, 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.

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