Beach, swimming pool, camping, or whether you are going on vacation, the music accompanies you thanks to these portable speakers. Sand and electronics don’t mix, that’s why we have selected IP67 certified models, able to resist water, dust and sand. Discover the best waterproof speakers to go on vacation.
At the beach, by the pool, as an aperitif, summer is still more fun with a little music. The problem is that in summer, we are often near water and the speakers and the water do not get along very well. To avoid accidents, it is therefore better to invest in a waterproof enclosure.
A portable speaker that you are going to take on vacation must also be… portable. No one wants to clutter their suitcase with a huge object, especially since the bigger it is, the heavier it is. It will therefore be necessary to find a compact speaker.
It is on the basis of these two criteria that we have selected four loudspeakers to accompany you on vacation this summer, and also next summer, and the following summer, and during your weekends, or just if you have a pool. If you don’t fit in any of these boxes, it will also work great in the shower.
Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3: the best little speaker for going on vacation
Small but powerful, the UE Wonderboom 3 also has the luxury of a cute all-round design. It fits in the palm of a hand and delivers 360° sound thanks to its four transducers. Robust, it resists falls and its IP 67 certification makes it resistant to water and sand. Essential qualities for listening to your favorite songs on the beach. Once wet, the fabric dries quickly, which is pretty handy for slipping it into a bag without getting the rest of your stuff wet.
The sound reproduction is impressive considering the small format of the Wonderboom 3. The mids and highs are fair and soft while the bass will be a little more discreet, nothing bothersome or surprising with this size of speaker. On the other hand, avoid the “outdoor” mode. Poorly balanced, the sound reproduction is not the most pleasant, especially since its basic mode is perfectly suited to outdoor use as long as you don’t try to organize a garden party with it.
With 14 hours of battery life, Ultimate Ears’ small travel speaker improves its endurance by three hours over the previous model. Little more appreciable, the brand is doubling its efforts to use more recycled materials for the design of its speaker. Multipoint Bluetooth allows multiple devices to be paired. Finally, its 400 g will have little influence on the total weight of your luggage.
JBL Clip 4: the travel speaker to clip anywhere
If you are looking for a minimal footprint, JBL offers a well-balanced solution with the Clip 4. Its size is even a little smaller than on the Clip 3 with dimensions of 13.4 x 8.6 x 4.6 cm for only 220 grams. It will go completely unnoticed in luggage. It abandons its circular shape for a kind of square with rounded edges. Inevitably, it develops a volume and an audio quality lower than the larger models, but it remains sufficient to put a little sound atmosphere everywhere.
Certified IP67, it is waterproof and has the merit of being equipped with a kind of carabiner – which gives it its name – to hang it where you want. Convenient for walks off the beaten track or by bike. JBL announces 10 hours of autonomy: you will do a little less in practice, but you will have a day of use without any worries. It is available for less than 50 euros. It is therefore also an economical solution.
JBL Flip 6: the efficient compact speaker you need to have in your luggage
Let’s stay with JBL, but this time move on to a more substantial model. The Flip is the ultimate compact speaker that can be taken anywhere. Compact, effective, it is a must. However, the JBL Flips are known to quickly reach their limits as soon as the volume is pushed a little. It’s history with the recent JBL Flip6.
The brand revisits its acoustic formula and adds a loudspeaker and an amplifier for a more musical sound reproduction, even at full power. In fact, the sound remains of good quality up to 95% of its maximum volume. Which is, in principle, more than enough for most particular uses if you don’t want to enjoy the whole range of your music.
Just like the Flip 5, the Flip 6 is waterproof thanks to its IP67 certification and it is also possible to take it to the hot sand. The build quality is always there. The design also remains faithful to the previous model with a tubular shape with a diameter of 8 cm, easy to hold and store. Note that it weighs 550 g, a reasonable weight that is easy to fit in a bag without weighing it down too much. A wrist strap is supplied with the speaker which allows it to be hung quite easily. Multipoint Bluetooth and the application with equalizer are included. The JBL Flip 6 allows 12 hours of listening and two and a half hours are needed to recharge its battery.
Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3: to initiate Garden Parties
If you are looking for more power, you will have to make concessions on the size. We recommend that you return to Ultimate Ears with the Megaboom 3 this time. It weighs just under a kilo, the tolerable limit in our opinion for a speaker that you want to be able to take easily on vacation. Attention, it still measures 22 centimeters long. It’s important, but it will fit in width in all cabin baggage.
The speaker being larger, it delivers more bass and above all an impressive sound volume: 90 dB (A) according to the manufacturer. Even if you have a very large swimming pool, you will hear your music perfectly. Like the Wonderboom, it is waterproof and will withstand sand as well.
This is something to delight lovers of big sound, and this for 20 hours. At least that’s the autonomy announced: in reality, you won’t last 20 hours at full volume, so don’t be under any illusions. More powerful, it is logically more expensive than the others. Its recommended price is 199 euros, and it is generally found today around 170 euros.
The links in this article are affiliated: if you find your happiness thanks to us, we receive a small commission. We’ll explaine everything here.
If you liked this article, you will like the following ones: do not miss them by subscribing to Numerama on Google News.