Better weather is upon us so it’s the perfect time to buy a new Bluetooth boombox to use outside—whether at a pool party or simply in your yard.
Each of these Bluetooth boomboxes excels at something different: water resistance, power, design features, and we even found one with a CD player for those of you that still rock out to physical media.
Here’s our pick of the best Bluetooth boomboxes, and why they could be your new favorite beach and garden accessory.
Best For Sound Quality: Marshall Kilburn ($178)
Marshall has the pedigree for being a no-brainer decision when it comes to sound equipment. Its speakers match the same stylings of its famous amps which makes it a stylish fit, whether you’re indoors or outside. The Marshall Kilburn matches those looks with great sound quality.
That’s thanks to its two 3/4″ dome tweeters and 4″ woofer. It has slightly lower powered amps compared to the Marshall Acton, but that simply means its battery life is competent when taking it out and about. You should be able to play music through it for up to about 20 hours with a choice of Bluetooth connectivity, or via the 3.5mm input. Expect clear midranges and extended highs so even the most dedicated audiophile should be happy with the results.
Best For A Pool Party: JBL Boombox ($349)
Particularly appropriate for when you love to throw pool parties, the JBL Boombox is rugged enough to deal with a few knocks and scrapes, as well as IPX7 waterproof. That means you can toss it into the pool and it’s fine. It’ll even float in the water if you need it to.
The speaker has four active transducers and two bass radiators so it sounds suitably meaty and powerful at all times. That’s not at the expense of the battery life either. Its 20,000mAh battery will keep it playing music for 24 hours without any difficulty. You can also it to charge external devices if you like.
Connectivity is limited to Bluetooth only but that should serve well for the majority of its users.
Best For Power: Aiwa Exos 9 ($450)
For those who want the serious wattage in a boombox form factor, you can’t go wrong with the Aiwa Exos 9. It’s expensive compared to others here, but it’s perfect for those times you want a lot of volume in a portable package. Its 5 powered drivers, 6.5″ subwoofer, and 200 watt output are as powerful as they sound, promising to be the loudest portable Bluetooth speaker out there.
