How to choose the perfect outdoor speakers for you
Well, Summer is nearly upon us and it’s time to get Summer-ready. That means it’s time to take the speakers outside! As I’m sure you’ll agree, music is an integral part of any BBQ, outdoor party, and garden gathering, and with so many options available, it’s hard to know where to start.
A good outdoor speaker should be one that, most importantly, can withstand all the elements of British weather, while also retaining the excellent sound quality that is far-reaching and loud enough to be heard over background noise.
We’ve collated some of our best outdoor garden speakers below but before we start you will need to ask yourself if you want a portable outdoor speaker (usually battery powered) or a more permanent outdoor audio solution that is always set up & ready to play.
Portable garden speaker option
Sonos Roam - Sonos' compact, portable outdoor speaker solution £159
The brand new Sonos Roam is not only small enough to tuck away into a backpack but also boasts a massive 10-hour battery life and an impressive, dynamic sound for such a small speaker unit. Designed to be used as part of your home Sonos ecosystem, the Sonos Roam will facilitate both Wifi and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity meaning you're equipped to play music wherever you are.
One of the most exciting new features announced with the Sonos Roam is its innovative Sound Swap feature. When connected to your home Wifi network, you can wirelessly cast this audio onto your nearest Sonos speaker in the home, meaning you can keep the party going inside when you've come in from the garden. The Sonos Roam will appear in the Sonos App even when in Bluetooth mode, meaning you'll also be able to group the Roam with other Sonos speakers even if connected to a Bluetooth source.
Equipped with an IP67 weather rating, you won't need to worry about getting this product wet or dusty when taking it out and about. Wireless Qi charging capability also makes for easy charging on the go, making the Sonos roam a perfect choice for travellers, adventurers, and sun-lovers alike.
- Will work both indoors and outdoors, over either Wifi or Bluetooth
- Sound Swap allows you to share music from the Roam to other speakers in your system
- Wireless Qi Charging and 10 Hour Battery Life
- IP67 Weather Rating
SHOP SONOS ROAM
Sonos Move - Performs equally as well indoors & outdoors £399
The Sonos Move is the first smart speaker from Sonos to include a battery & both WiFi & Bluetooth connectivity options. This is not a cheap portable speaker and offers premium audio with additional features that make it the perfect dual-use home & outdoor speaker.
The Move is great for customers looking for a premium home speaker that they can also easily take outdoors. Battery life is around 10hrs at 50% volume and Move is also IP56 rated meaning it can deal with snow, rain, dust, extreme heat or cold & strong UV rays.
Another great feature of the Sonos Move is its Auto Trueplay function. The speaker can detect when it is placed somewhere new and will calibrate to provide the best audio experience for its new space.
- Great for inside & outside the home
- Long battery life
- Premium sound with Auto Trueplay functionality
- WiFi & Bluetooth options for music everywhere
- IP56 Rated to withstand the elements
VIEW SONOS MOVE
Fixed garden speaker options
These options offer a more permanent solution and allow for a whole garden space to be filled with evenly spread audio.
With a vast array of outdoor speaker options available, you should find the perfect option for your garden. Most passive outdoor speakers will be powered by an amplifier located in a dry safe place. This then will power the external speakers.
Our recommended choice of Amplifier is the Sonos Amp as it offers maximum flexibility as well as being part of a whole-home audio system.
View our Sonos AMP & outdoor speaker Bundles
1) KEF Ventura 4 - Small Outdoor Areas - £239 a pair
KEF is a fantastic heritage brand that excels over its competition with their knowledge, unique drivers and build quality, which is why they have made strong ground in the outdoor speakers market.
The Ventura 4 is KEF’s entry-level, passive weatherproof speaker and certainly, doesn’t disappoint.
They’ve been salt spray tested for over 1200 hours and are IP65 rated. The powder-coated aluminium grille means they will never rust either, so no need to worry about them losing their aesthetics in years to come.
We would recommend these highly if you have a small-medium sized patio area which can perch on the wall (mounting system supplied) next to some outdoor furniture.
- Passive speakers. Ideal for use with the Sonos Amp
- IP65 rated
- Sold as a pair (left and right)
- Choice of black or white
View KEF Ventura 4 Speakers
2) Sonos Outdoor Speakers - Hi-fidelity sound for large, outdoor areas - £799 a pair
Recently released only in February 2019, as part of Sonos’ all-new architectural range of speakers, these outdoor speakers offer Sonos users the ability to enjoy music al-fresco.
Collaborating with US speaker brand, Sonance, these speakers can fill larger spaces quite easily with impressive stereo sound.
Install up to 3 pairs of outdoor speakers on the Sonos Amp to fill multiple outdoor areas at once, for example, the garden, gazebo and even swimming pool!
These have been optimised for use with the Sonos Amp, so if you’re a Sonos lover already, these speakers will give you a high-quality outdoor zone, which can be grouped with your wider Sonos system.
- Passive speakers. Ideal for use with the Sonos Amp
- IP66 rated
- Sold as a pair (left and right)
- Supplied in white only
View Sonos Outdoor Speakers
3) Lithe Audio Outdoor Bluetooth Rock Speaker - discreet, budget option - £199
If you've put a lot of work into getting your garden's landscape looking fantastic, you may want to consider a more discreet outdoor speaker option that can blend in with your garden’s architecture. This rock speaker from Lithe Audio might be right for you.
What we love most about this particular rock speaker is that it doesn’t require speaker cable from an amplifier. All you need to do is plug it in to mains power from an indoor or outdoor power socket and connect to it in seconds using Bluetooth on your preferred device.
This can save a lot of installation time, without compromising on sound quality.
It’s made from an IP56-rated fibreglass outer covering and an IP68-rated transformer so you can keep this exactly where it is, even in the most extreme weather conditions.
At £199, it’s a budget-friendly, permanent outdoor audio solution which is so easy to install, it simply had to feature in our list of best outdoor speakers.
If you want a stereo pair, you can save and pick them up for only £299 a pair. View Lithe Audio Rock Speaker (Pair)
Let the good times "rock"!
- Plug and play with mains power
- IP68 rated
- Use singularly or as a pair
View Lithe Audio Bluetooth Rock Speaker
4) Monitor Audio AWC265 Outdoor Ceiling Speaker - £225 each
Maybe you have an outdoor sheltered space or room to install outdoor ceiling speakers in the soffits of your home.
Ceiling speakers are completely discreet and don’t consume any space on your wall or floor and would be wired back to an amplifier via speaker cable.
This Monitor Audio AWC265 is an all-weather (not just waterproof) 6.5 inch ceiling speaker designed to be used as a left and right stereo pair.
The aluminium grille will never rust or corrode and as such, we have seen these installed in pool rooms, boats, bathrooms and saunas with excellent performance, housing its famous C-CAM bass and high frequency drivers.
If the space will be for outside background listening and you want a sound that’s clear and distinct, these are a perfect choice.
- Passive ceiling speakers. Ideal for use with Sonos Amp.
- IP55 rated
- Use as stereo pair
View Monitor Audio AWC265
5) Bowers & Wilkins AM1 Weatherproof - High performance - £499 a pair
The AM1 weatherproof speakers are Bowers & Wilkins’ entry-level outdoor speaker offering, but far from entry-level sound quality!
Bowers & Wilkins engineering is prestige and well-respected in the wired speaker space. Traditional outdoor speakers struggle with bass output as the enclosure needs to be completely sealed to maintain their weather resistance. The AM-1’s cleverly designed bass radiator means you can still feel the bass, even over harsh weather climates.
We’re also impressed by the wall-mounting fixing system. Simply, wire the speaker cable into the wall mount itself instead of the speaker. The arm can then rotate 220 degrees to your chosen position, whether that’s horizontal or vertical.
We feel that these are the ultimate all-rounder outdoor speaker, hitting the sweet spot between great sound and overall value for money. They look stunning too!
- Passive speakers. Ideal for use with Sonos Amp
- Use as stereo pair
- Colour choice of black or white
View Bowers & Wilkins AM-1
Which speaker is right for you?
Lithe Audio Bluetooth Rock Speaker
