Whether you're currently stuck in winter weather or enjoying sunny outdoor afternoons, the best outdoor speaker can make any outside gathering even better. These unique speakers are often big, loud and can blend in with your yard and patio, and many even sport smart features such as Alexa and Google Assistant.
Our pick for the best outdoor speaker overall is the Polk Atrium 4, which combines quality audio and a sturdy design for a good price. If you're on a budget, the Dual LU53 delivers excellent sound.
But there are plenty of great options out there — ranging from wireless Bluetooth setups to speakers mounted up high, to units that can blend seamlessly into your garden.
Whether you want to enjoy some NFL games or NBA games outside or want to have outdoor viewing parties for your favorite Netflix shows or Prime Video movies, here are the best outdoor speakers to buy right now.
The best outdoor speakers have to withstand the elements and deliver robust bass, crisp treble and full midrange with enough power to be heard over both the wind and the chatter of a party. These Polk speakers check all the boxes and are a great budget choice.
At 8.6 x 6.7 x 5.7 inches, the Atrium 4s are small enough so that they won't dominate your landscape and big enough to deliver full sound. With a 4.5-inch mid-woofer/tweeter and a 0.75-inch tweeter inside each speaker, the Atrium 4 aptly handled both the distorted guitars of classic rock and the thumping bass of hip-hop while producing clear vocals.
If you want more bass and have space (and some extra cash), consider Polk's Atrium 5, which comes with 5-inch midrange woofer/tweeters.
With big bass and full vocals, the Dual LU53 speakers are a steal. The 10.1 x 7.3 x 7.3-inch three-way speaker houses a large 5.25-inch woofer, a 1-inch midrange driver and a 0.8-inch tweeter. The drivers help it produce enough bass to be heard outdoors while the vocals remain prominent in the mix.
Although not as crisp or as detailed as the Atrium 4s, the Dual LU53's bigger size creates a wide soundstage that can entertain the crowd at your next barbecue. Don't mix up the LU53 with the cheaper Dual LU43 — there's a world of difference between the sound of the two models.
If you subscribe to the "go big or go home" school of outdoor entertaining, the AW-650 speakers are some of the best outdoor speakers you can buy. These monsters of rock measure 15 x 11 x 9.5 inches and feature a 6.5-inch woofer and 1-inch tweeter. The result is thunderous bass and crisp, full vocals that can easily overpower the ambient noise of the outdoors when you want.
The AW-650 speakers are built like a tank, with a UV-resistant ABS plastic polymer enclosure that's backed by Klipsch's lifetime warranty. And at 9 pounds each, you'll want to make sure you securely mount them if you choose to place them up high; they would also work well at floor level.
Give the folks at Klipsch credit: When they promise a speaker that looks like a rock and can seamlessly blend into your backyard surroundings, they really deliver. The AWR-650-SM is more than part garden decor and part undercover agent; like our premium pick, the Klipsch AW-650, it also delivers spectacular sound.
The housings of these ingeniously designed speakers are made to resemble 17-inch-high hunks of either sandstone or granite, depending on the overall aesthetic of your patio or garden. The undersides are slathered with sealant, and the wiring is thick and waterproof. But on the inside, Klipsch has packed these faux boulders with a punch: Dual 0.75-inch tweeters and a 6.5-inch woofer deliver superior sound quality, with brass that pops and bass that comes in heavy and authoritative.
Need an outdoor speaker that also doubles as a portable Bluetooth speaker? The Sonos Move will fit the bill and then some. This beefy Bluetooth speaker offers Sonos' signature high-end soundscape on top of a 10-hour battery that should last through all of your backyard festivities.
On top of offering rich bass and crisp dialogue, the Sonos Move is pretty smart. The speaker supports both Alexa and Google Assistant for voice controls, and can switch from Bluetooth to Wi-Fi on the fly, making it ideal for just about any outdoor setting. Pair that with automatic TruePlay tuning and support for all major streaming services, and you have the ultimate outdoor portable speaker.
