best portable speakers for a boat

The Top 11 Best Portable Speakers for Your Boat The challenge that you face with portable speakers is that many of the places that you would want to use them actually tend to be unfriendly to your electronics. Like boats, for example. It's tough to have a good time when you're constantly worried that the kids are going to splash your expensive speakers. So what kind of speakers should I get for my boat? The obvious answer is that you want your speakers for the boat to be waterproof. Ideally, you also want them to be dustproof and shockproof. In addition, you want a speaker that can play at a loud enough volume to be heard on the boat. But those aren't the only things that you should look for in the best portable speakers for your boat. In a moment, we're going to recommend 11 different speakers that would work great on your boat. But before we get to the speakers, let's discuss a little more about what you should look for. What Should I Look for in the Best Portable Speakers for the Boat? It seems obvious that you will want waterproof portable speakers if you plan to use them on your boat. But there are also several other features that you should look for. Waterproof rating of at least IPX7A long-lasting battery lifeIf you want to use the speakers on the water look for floating capabilitiesClear sound quality that can be heard on the waterA rechargeable battery that comes with a chargerPortabilityLoud enough volume to be heard over the water and engine noise What Do the IP Ratings Mean? When it comes to portable boat speakers the Ingress Protection (IP) rating tells you how waterproof the speakers are. In the U.S., we use an international standard (IEC 60529) to measure how well devices are protected from solid objects and liquids. The IP rating uses two numbers, on a scale from zero to eight. The first number tells you how well the device deals with solids. The second number tells you how well the device repels liquid. An X is used when there is no rating available for one of the two criteria. So, for example, a common IP rating for boat speakers is IPX7. That means that the device has no protection from solids, and it rates seven out of eight in how waterproof it is. It's important to note that IP ratings are created by the manufacturer, not an impartial group. Here are the IP rating standards: IPX0: The device offers no protection or resistance to waterIPX1: The device protects against small verticle drops of waterIPX2: The device offers protection from water dripping from a 15-degree angleIPX3: The device provides protection from finely sprayed waterIPX4: The device offers protection from splashing waterIPX5: The device will protect against low-pressure jets of water coming from every directionIPX6: The device provides protection from strong jets of water, ideal for use on ship decksIPX7: The device is waterproof when submerged in water up to 1 meterIPX8: The device is waterproof when submerged for long periods of time at depths greater than 1 meter The Top 11 Best Portable Speakers for Your Boat In no particular order, here are our favorite portable speakers of the year. 1. Fugoo Style XL Portable Rugged Waterproof Wireless Bluetooth Speaker Our first contender for the best portable speaker for your boat is the Fugoo Style XL. This speaker offers 360-degree sound with 8 symmetrically placed drivers. That means that this little beauty will produce clear highs, midrange punches, and deep, bellowing lows. This speaker comes with four tweeters, two mid/sub drivers, and two passive radiators. With an IP67 rating, this speaker is totally waterproof. You can submerge it in 3 feet of water for up to 30 minutes. However, this speaker will also float so you can use it right in the water. The Fugoo speaker has an incredible 35-hour battery life. That means that you can jam out for more than a day and a half on one battery charge. No other portable speaker comes close to that! Another thing that we love about this speaker is that it comes with a portable power bank. You can use the USB port to provide a quick charge to just about any device with the internal fast charge power bank. This Bluetooth speaker can also use Apple's Siri and Android's Google Now. So you can use voice command for unlimited searches while you're out on the boat. In addition, it also comes with a full-duplex speakerphone. [Read More Reviews] 2. Tribit XSound Go Bluetooth Speakers Now, if you are looking for some killer audio with crystal clear highs, crisp mids, and rich bass, then you should check out the Tribit XSound Go Bluetooth Speakers. This incredible speaker will give you an immersive listening experience unlike anything else. It comes with state-of-the-art bass radiators and dual 6W power drivers. That means that it will produce pure sound without distortion even at the maximum volume. With an IPX7 rating, this speaker is waterproof and perfect for all sorts of boating and summer fun. We also really like the look of this speaker. It's sleek and sophisticated with its curved edges and matte finish. And the compact design makes it extremely portable. Just throw it in your bag or carry it around with the attached strap. The powerful lithium-ion battery will provide up to 24 hours of continuous play. Another thing that we liked about this portable speaker is that it offers a wireless Bluetooth 4.2 connection. It works with a 66-foot range. This speaker will also work with Siri and Google Now. 3. Sony XB40 Portable Wireless Speaker Our next contender for the best portable speakers for your boat is the Sony XB40. The first thing that you'll notice with this speaker is the killer bass. You just hit the "extra bass" button to get the party started. The dual passive radiators work together in this device with two full-range speakers to really enhance the low-end response. With the Sony speaker, you can connect and stream music easily with LDAC, NFC, and Bluetooth. This compact speaker also comes with a multicolored line light, speaker lights, and a flashing strobe. And you can use the Wireless Party Chain to connect and add more speakers to your setup for stereo sound. With a rating of IPX5, this speaker is water-resistant. However, you should note that this speaker isn't totally waterproof. One battery charge will give you about 24 hours of non-stop listening time. You can also use the voice feedback function to tell you how much battery charge you have left. And it will tell you when it's time to recharge. 4. Braven BRV-X Portable Wireless Bluetooth Speaker The next spot on our list goes to the Braven BRV-X. This portable wireless Bluetooth speaker is designed for outdoor and boating enthusiasts. One battery charge will provide you with 12 hours of music play, perfect for any day out on the boat. The BRV-X is certified to be waterproof with a rating of IPX7. It's also shock absorbent with its shockproof rubber exterior. This speaker comes with a built-in noise-canceling microphone, so you can easily enjoy hands-free phone calls. Another cool feature of this speaker is the built-in 5200mAh portable power bank. This power bank will quickly charge your smartphone and any other USB device. You can customize your listening experience for any environment too. You can choose either an indoor or outdoor mode. And for a truly immersive stereo experience, you can pair two speakers together using TrueWireless. 5. Bose SoundLink Revolve+ Portable Bluetooth Speaker No conversation about the best portable speakers would be complete without discussing Bose. The Bose SoundLink Revolve+ is Bose's best-performing portable speaker. This incredible speaker delivers loud, deep, extraordinary sound with true 360-degree coverage. The Bose speaker isn't totally waterproof, but it is water-resistant with a rating of IPX4. The rechargeable lithium-ion battery offers up to 16 hours of continuous play. And it has a wireless range of up to 30 feet. The Bose speaker also responds to voice commands, so you can easily take phone calls hands-free or use Siri or Google Now. If you want a stereo sound, you can pair two speakers together. You can also use SimpleSync technology to match your speaker with a member of the Bose Smart Home Family to play in sync. The universal thread will also allow you to attach SoundLink Revolve to just about any tripod. 6. Bose SoundLink Micro Portable Speaker Bose takes another spot on our list with its SoundLink Micro Portable Speaker. The SoundLink Micro offers a crisp, balanced sound with a bass that is unmatched for any Bluetooth speaker of this size. It plays clear and loud enough to be used outdoors or even on your boat. This speaker is waterproof with a rating of IPX7. The soft, rugged exterior is also dent-, crack-, and scratch-resistant. The Bose SoundLink Micro has a rechargeable battery that offers six hours of playtime on a single charge. The wireless Bluetooth range goes up to 30 feet. This speaker is easily portable too. Just use the tear-resistant strap to bring it with you anywhere you go. We also really liked the built-in speakerphone that allows you to take phone calls or use Siri or Google Now hands-free. To play in stereo mode or party mode, you can pair two speakers together by using Bose SimpleSync. You can also pair it with a member of the Bose Smart Home Family to play your music in sync. 7. JBL White Pulse 3 Wireless Bluetooth Speaker Our next contender for the best portable speaker for your boat is the JBL White Pulse 3. This incredible little waterproof portable Bluetooth speaker is unique because it combines 360-degree sound with a 360-degree light show. With a rating of IPX7, this speaker is waterproof. So you can confidently use it on the boat, or even out in the water! The built-in rechargeable battery offers up to 12 hours of non-stop playtime. Do you want to amplify the party? No problem! Just use the JBL Connect+ technology to wirelessly link more than 100 JBL Connect+ enabled speakers to kick it up a notch. You'll also like the noise and echo-canceling speakerphone that will allow you to take calls with just a touch of a button. If you really want an amazing experience, you can even customize the light sequences with the JBL Connect app. 8. JBL Flip 5 Waterproof Portable Bluetooth Speaker Another of our favorites from JBL is the Flip 5 Waterproof Portable Bluetooth Speaker. This lightweight speaker can go anywhere. Is it a rainy day on the boat? No problem. This speaker is waterproof with a rating of IPX7. So you can rock out no matter what kind of weather you encounter. The Flip 5 offers more than 12 hours of continuous playtime on one charge. This speaker also comes with USB-C Quick Charge. If you really want to have a party, try pairing two JBL PartyBoost-compatible speakers together for stereo sound. You can link multiple speakers for an even bigger party. You'll also love the look of this compact speaker. It comes in 11 different vibrant color options. And you can stand the speaker either vertically or horizontally. But the best thing about this speaker is the premium JBL sound quality. 9. JBL Clip 3 Portable Waterproof Wireless Bluetooth Speaker The JBL Clip 3 is another outstanding speaker that you should check out. The Clip 3 is super portable, ultra-rugged, and waterproof. It's unique in that it is extremely small in size. However, it produces a surprisingly big sound. You can use the upgraded durable and fully integrated carabiner clip to attach this tiny speaker to your clothes or bag, so it can go with you anywhere. The Clip 3 is totally waterproof with a rating of IPX7. And the 1000mAh rechargeable Li-ion battery offers 10 hours of non-stop playtime. Like many of the other speakers on our list, this one comes with a built-in noise and echo-canceling speakerphone. That means crystal clear calls at the touch of a button. With wireless Bluetooth streaming, you can get high-quality sound from your tablet or smartphone too. One of the things that we liked about this speaker is the fully integrated metal carabiner. This feature will protect your speaker from damage, and you can easily hook it anywhere. 10. Anker Soundcore 2 Portable Bluetooth Speaker Anker makes another excellent portable speaker that you can use on the boat. The Soundcore 2 produces some outstanding sound. And it comes from an astonishingly tiny speaker. The two upgraded 6W drivers will give you rich, clear sound. Another thing that we love about this speaker is the brilliant bass. With Anker BassUp technology, you will get deeper bass, and that means you get a wide, balanced audio range. This little speaker has an incredible battery life too. You can play music continuously for 24 hours on one battery charge. That's about a 500-song playtime! It's important to note that your playtime may vary depending on volume and audio content. The Soundcore 2 is not totally waterproof, but it is water-resistant, with a rating of IPX5. Bluetooth technology will give you a range of 66 feet with this speaker. That's longer than any of the others on our list. No Bluetooth? No problem. Just use the aux port to plug it in. Anker really stands behind this product too. They offer an 18-month warranty on the speaker, and they have excellent customer service. 11. Ultimate Ears Boom 3 Portable Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker The last spot on our list of the best portable speakers goes to Ultimate Ears. The first thing that we loved about the Boom 3 was the incredible sound quality. The Boom 3 offers loud and immersive 360-degree sound that features deep and accurate bass. The sound is so balanced on this speaker that you can hear every single note. The rechargeable battery will allow you to rock out for 15 hours non-stop. You can also add the Power Up charging dock to charge your speaker wirelessly. Please note that the charging dock is sold separately. Not only is this speaker portable, but it's also very durable and waterproof. The Boom 3 has a rating of IPX7. That means that you can totally submerge the speaker in up to 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes. This speaker is plenty loud enough to use on the boat too. It produces a maximum sound level of 90dBA. The Boom 3 also features a new magic button that allows you to play, pause, skip, and control all of your streaming music directly from the speaker. For the ultimate sound experience, try combining more than one speaker. This speaker will work well with any generation Boom and Megaboom speakers. We also love the look of this speaker. The Boom 3 is covered in a beautiful shimmering two-tone fabric that is engineered for extreme applications like fire equipment and motorcycle jackets. The Bottom Line We highly recommend all of the speakers on our list this year. But if you twisted my arm and forced me to pick the overall best, I would have to go with the Fugoo Style XL Portable Rugged Waterproof Wireless Bluetooth Speaker. The Fugoo Style XL is totally waterproof, it offers an incredible 360-degree sound experience, and it offers the longest battery life of any of the speakers on our list. But honestly, you can't go wrong with any of them. Happy boating! The Top 11 Best Portable Speakers for Your Boat