Best Weatherproof Bluetooth Speakers
While summer is winding down, Covid-19 is not. We are naturally worried about social gatherings and infection rates as we head into the holiday season. One solution is to hold gatherings outside. But if you are outside, how are you going to enjoy some sweet tunes while chillin’ with your homies? (I don’t know how the kids talk these days.) A weatherproof Bluetooth speaker is a great solution. We took a look at three of the most popular ~$50 offerings at Amazon.
Best Weatherproof Bluetooth Speaker Overall
Altec Lansing IMW577 Lifejacket
The Altec Lansing IMW577 looks as rugged as it claims to be. It sports a claimed IP67 rating. The IP rating tells us the conditions the speaker can survive. The two numbers after the IP indicate the dust and water rating respectively. In this case, the “6” means it is dust-tight and the “7” means it is watertight up to 30 minutes at 1-meter depth. When Altec Lansing claims “everything proof”, they mean it. The speaker is small – 7.5 x 3.125 x 2.825 inches and weighing just 1 lb. Altec Lansing describes the IMW577 as “not much bigger than a wallet.” Reportedly, the speaker actually floats! If you are looking for a truly weatherproof Bluetooth speaker, you’ve come to the right place.
The IMW577 purports a 16-hour battery life, it can be paired via NFC, and it has a 3.5mm jack for a wired connection. As a bonus, it comes with a mount that can mount the speaker to cylinder-shaped objects like a bike frame so you can be that guy. Dual 2.0″ neodymium drivers provide the sound. It sports an integrated mic and can accept voice commands.
Some downsides to the IMW577. It is small so don’t expect it to blow you out of the water it is floating in with sound. The IMW577 powers itself off after a period of inactivity making it impossible to use with an intermittent audio source like an Echo Dot. Lastly, there is no way to use the speaker to charge your phone or other devices. There are also reports that there are two versions of this speaker on the market. One can pair with another to make a stereo pair. A second version cannot. It seems there is no way of telling which version you are getting when you order.
Price: $49-$99 depending on color
Best Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker for Runtime and Output
AOMAIS Go
The AOMAIS Go Bluetooth Speaker sports an IPx7 rating. IPx7 indicates that the Go isn’t rated for dust (the first number which is omitted with an “x”), but can survive 30 minutes underwater at 1 meter. The AOMAIS Go has a larger battery (up to 40 hours). The unit is larger at 13.39″x3.94″x6.69″ and nearly 4lbs. It has a handy carrying handle and sports all the latest Bluetooth connectivity.
AOMAIS Go weatherproof Bluetooth speaker has two 15 watt full-range drivers & two 10-watt tweeter, and two passive radiators. It’s unclear the exact driver complement because the website contradicts itself. Based on our observations, we think there are two, full range “tweeters” in there and two passive radiators for increased bass extension. Two AOMAIS Go speakers can be paired together to create stereo sound and the battery can be used to charge external devices.
There is very little not to like about the AOMAIS Go. Of the speakers we’ve examined, it’s the largest and, arguably, the least attractive. The handle may be convenient, but it gives the unit a dated look. One curious omission is the lack of an integrated microphone. Most of these speakers allow hands-free calling from the speaker. This one requires you to use the microphone on your phone. They have a microphone port but, honestly, who has a mic lying around to plug in? Not us. Users report that the battery life is rated at a reduced volume, and the recharge time is…optimistic.
Price: ~$55 depending on color)
Best All-Around Weatherproof Bluetooth Speaker
TREBLAB FX100
The AOMAIS Go has the largest battery promising the longest run-time. It also had the most output with nearly every user complimenting the unit on its bass. If you don’t mind the larger size and the lack of a microphone, this is a great choice!
The TREBLAB FX100 weatherproof Bluetooth speaker earned IPx4 rating. That means no dust rating and only safe from water splashes. The TREBLAB FX100 has a carabiner for clipping the small (2.75″x2.75″x7″, 1.34lbs) speaker to your belt or bag and claims up to 35 hours of playtime at moderate volume. Unlike the other two speakers, the TREBLAB FX100 seems to make the most honest claims in their material giving us a little more faith that they are accurate with their numbers.
The TREBLAB FX100 has a built-in, noise-canceling mic for calls, a large battery that can be used to charge other devices, and a 3.5mm port to connect your devices physically.. It can even receive an FM signal by using the included 3.5mm cable as an antenna!
The biggest downside to the TREBLAB FX100 is the size. It is smaller (though not lighter – likely because of the size of the battery) than any of the others on this list. There is just no way to get a ton of sound out of this thing. It claims two drivers with 5 watts each and does have a bass boost mode. This may help but this is a speaker you’ll want to keep nearby if you want to really hear your music. It also has the least weather resistance of any of our speakers. The TREBLAB cannot be paired with another FX100 for additional output.
Where the TREBLAB FX100 falls short in hardcore weatherproofing, it makes up in convenience features. Integrated mic, oversized battery for the size that can be used to charge your phone, and a form factor that lends itself to versatility, this is a speaker that can’t do it all, but it can do most very well.
Conclusion
When shopping for a weatherproof Bluetooth speaker, there are a lot of considerations. How are you going to use it, where are you going to use it, and what sort of weather are we talking about? All of these speakers are great choices for some and awful for others. If you are mostly concerned about output, the AOMAIS Go is for you. Care most about weatherproofing? The Altec Lansing is an easy choice. If you are looking for something small with tons of functionality and you don’t need it to be that loud, the TREBLAB is a fine alternative.
Got a favorite weatherproof Bluetooth speaker? Let us know in the comments below!
