How to Create the Perfect Outdoor Sound System

Welcome to The Best Summer Ever, your guide to making the most of the sunny season. Whether your idea of ​​the perfect summer is one of epic adventure or a blissful pursuit of doing as little as possible (preferably in a place with good air conditioning), we’ve got you covered, because the best summers don’t just happen. You have to make them happen.

Picture this scene: a summer backyard party. The weather is perfect, and everyone has come. Even Gary from IT has shown up, wearing a Hawaiian shirt. The blender is full of rum and sugar water, the tiki torches are flickering in the breeze, and a full moon is shining over the lawn. You turn on some good old Chaka Khan, back when it was cool , but the music oozing out of the Bluetooth speaker you got for free at a trade show is weak . Tinny. Wind-blown. It sounds like the party is dying. Don’t let that happen to you.

Whether you’re throwing a Red Cup party, lounging on the beach, or just hanging out with the kids by the pool, you need decent sound to live a decent life: A good outdoor sound system doesn’t just make the music louder—it sets the mood and saves the day. So here’s a guide to creating the perfect outdoor sound setup for summer.

How good can outdoor sound be?

Outdoors, even perfectly reproduced sound is compromised by wind, terrain, and other hard-to-control acoustic issues, so speaker placement, volume, and bass response matter more than expensive gear. Good outdoor sound doesn’t mean tube amps, turntables, and acoustic baffles hanging from trees. Instead, consider battery-powered, Bluetooth-powered outdoor speakers that you can control from your phone, then throw in your trunk and take to the beach.

What to Consider When Buying Outdoor Bluetooth Speakers

• Weather resistance and durability : Will it withstand the occasional splash or unexpected summer rain?

• Sound quality: Balanced sound with clear highs, decent mids, and bass that punches. At least a little.

• Battery Life : A speaker that turns off before the second margarita isn’t worth considering.

• Portability : Can it be carried alone and put in the trunk?

• Output (volume) : Is there enough sound for your yard?

• Syncing Multiple Speakers : We’re getting high-level here, but some speakers can be combined together to spread the sound wider. This makes a difference.

• Bluetooth Range : You want to DJ from your phone without being near the speaker.

That’s a lot, but in any price range you can find something that meets all of these requirements (or most of them, at least).

Best Outdoor Bluetooth Speaker: JBL PartyBox Stage 320

Getting down to business, my pick for the best overall Bluetooth speaker is the JBL PartyBox Stage 320. It delivers 240 watts of output power, up to 100 decibels, karaoke microphone support, a guitar input, and a light show. It’s a party in a box. Check out Lifehacker’s full review for more details.

Below are some other options.

The Best Outdoor Bluetooth Speakers Under $100

• Anker Soundcore Motion+ : This speaker is small but powerful enough for intimate outdoor gatherings; it’s waterproof, dustproof, and you can control the EQ from the app. Not bad for $80.

• JBL Clip 4: This speaker is durable. It fits in the palm of your hand, costs less than $40, and sounds great (if you don’t mind a little bass). Best of all, the Clip’s built-in carabiner lets you attach it to your bike handlebars, trees, or anything else.

• Ultimate Ears Boom 3: This waterproof and dustproof speaker sounds amazing despite its small size, and can be paired with another Boom 3 for stereo sound—or paired with another 148 Boom if you prefer.

Best Outdoor Bluetooth Speakers for $100-$300

• it.innovative technology Outdoor Rock Speakers : If you really like rock music, these Bluetooth stereo speakers are for you. Because they look like rocks . They are also solar powered and can be left outside all year round.

• Sonos Roam 2 : For a small speaker, the Sonos Roam 2 sounds great, and of course, it’s compatible with other Sonos gear.

• Marshall Middleton Portable Bluetooth Speaker : These are possibly the coolest looking Bluetooth speakers out there, and they sound exactly like the Marshall name.

Best Outdoor Bluetooth Speakers for $300-$1000

• Sonos Move 2 : This Bluetooth speaker features dual tweeters for near-stereo sound in a single speaker. Of course, it integrates with the rest of your Sonos system. PCMag gives the Sonos Move 2 an Excellent rating.

• Soundboks Go : With a maximum output of 121 dB and 10 hours of continuous playback on battery, the Soundboks Go is a serious speaker. Check out Lifehacker’s review to learn more.

• Brane X : If you like it low, this portable smart speaker with powerful bass will blow you away. It delivers the best bass of any wireless speaker. Check out our full review here.

• Sony ULT Tower 10 Bluetooth Karaoke Party Speaker : It’s not portable, but this power tower will rock your windows with its 1,000 watts of output. It has a karaoke microphone, a light show, and a guitar input.

Other outdoor music additions

Summer isn’t a competition, but it can be won with the little details, so consider going a little overboard with these tips:

• Use a higher-quality streaming service: If you’re just camping, paying a little extra to stream lossless FLAC files from Tidal probably won’t matter, but it certainly won’t hurt.

• Pairing multiple speakers : All of the “$100+” Bluetooth speakers listed above are either already a pair of speakers (Bose, it.innovations) or can be paired with another speaker for true stereo. This makes a huge difference.

• Take your playlist offline : To ensure you don’t run out of tunes due to internet issues, save your playlist to your phone or laptop before the party.

• Power Tip : If things aren’t going well, consider using a portable power station like the Ecoflow 2 or Jackery Explorer 300 .

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