The sheer delight of summer – be it at the beach or hosting a backyard bonfire – lies in making the most of the balmy weather. Chilling out, sipping on some beers, and sharing laughter with friends contribute to half of the equation. The other half relies on creating the perfect ambiance to transform a casual gathering into a memorable party.
Incorporating music plays a crucial role in setting the mood for a party while masking some outdoor distractions, such as noisy neighbors or nearby traffic. In such cases, more than an iPhone alone will be required. Instead, you need a louder sound system that complements the evening’s energy and is durable enough to withstand mishaps. After all, accidents are bound to happen – drinks may spill, and unexpected rain showers may occur – but the party must continue regardless.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Portable Outdoor Speaker
When selecting an outdoor portable speaker, it’s essential to consider various features that ensure its longevity, compatibility with your phone, and resistance to weather elements. Some key factors to keep in mind include:
- Durability: A high-quality outdoor speaker should be robust enough to endure weather conditions and physical impacts. It needs a sturdy, waterproof design to safeguard the internal components against moisture and dust. It should also offer shock-resistant features to minimize damage from accidental drops or impacts.
- Sound Quality: Excellent sound quality is crucial for an outdoor speaker. It should deliver clear, balanced, and powerful audio that helps drown out unwanted background noises, maintaining a lively atmosphere without distractions from the outdoor environment.
- Battery Life: Long battery life is critical for an outdoor speaker. Whether it operates on batteries or is rechargeable, extended battery life prevents you from worrying about finding a power source when the speaker runs out of charge during outdoor fun.
- Wireless Range: Seamless connectivity with your phone is essential. Select a speaker with Bluetooth 5.0 technology or higher, which provides faster data transfer rates and a more extended range than older versions. This ensures a stable connection that won’t interrupt your carefully curated playlist.
- Weight: A lightweight speaker is more convenient, especially if your outdoor space has multiple hangout spots, such as a hot tub and fire pit. A portable design also makes it easy to bring the speaker along for camping trips, beach outings, or any summer adventure.
We recommend these outdoor portable speakers, which provide excellent value and performance.
Sonos Roam
The Sonos Roam is a compact and portable smart speaker designed to deliver high-quality audio and seamless connectivity at home and on the go. With its impressive features and user-friendly design, the Roam offers a versatile audio solution for various listening environments. Here are some of the key features and benefits of the Sonos Roam speaker:
- Portability: The Sonos Roam is lightweight and features a compact design, making it easy to carry around and enjoy music wherever you go. Its sleek form factor fits comfortably in bags or backpacks, allowing you to take it to the beach or park or move it around your home.
- Durability: The Roam is built to withstand outdoor conditions, featuring an IP67 rating, which means it is dustproof and can be submerged in water up to 1 meter deep for 30 minutes. This rugged design ensures the speaker remains functional and durable even when exposed to the elements.
- Superior sound quality: Despite its small size, the Sonos Roam delivers rich and balanced sound thanks to its custom-designed drivers and advanced tuning capabilities. The speaker also uses Trueplay technology, automatically adjusting the audio output based on the environment and speaker’s position, ensuring optimal sound performance.
- Smart features: The Sonos Roam is compatible with popular voice assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, enabling you to control the speaker using voice commands. Additionally, you can use the Sonos app to manage your music, and access streaming services such as Spotify, Apple Music, and more.
- Multi-room audio: When connected to Wi-Fi, the Roam can be integrated with other Sonos speakers in your home, allowing you to create a multi-room audio system. You can play the same music across all speakers or choose different audio sources for each room.
- Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity: The Sonos Roam offers Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity options, providing flexibility for different listening scenarios. While connected to Wi-Fi, you can enjoy the full range of smart features and multi-room audio capabilities. When Wi-Fi is unavailable, you can switch to Bluetooth mode to stream music directly from your smartphone or tablet.
- Battery life: The Sonos Roam features a built-in rechargeable battery that provides up to 10 hours of continuous playback on a single charge. It also supports USB-C charging and can be charged wirelessly using any Qi-compatible charger or the Sonos Roam charging base (sold separately).
In summary, the Sonos Roam speaker offers a combination of portability, durability, superior sound quality, smart features, multi-room audio capabilities, and versatile connectivity options. These features make it an excellent choice for those seeking a high-quality and flexible audio solution for various listening environments, both indoors and outdoors.
Sonos Move
The Sonos Move is a versatile, portable smart speaker that offers a high-quality audio experience indoors and outdoors. This speaker is designed to deliver robust and balanced sound while being easy to use and integrate into your home setup. Here are some of the key features and benefits of the Sonos Move speaker:
- Portability: The Sonos Move has a built-in rechargeable battery and an ergonomic handle, making it easy to carry and move around. This allows you to enjoy music or podcasts in different areas of your home, backyard or even take it on the go.
- Weather-resistant design: The Move is designed to withstand various outdoor conditions, including humidity, rain, snow, dust, and extreme temperatures. Its IP56 rating ensures the speaker remains functional and durable even when exposed to the elements.
- Superior sound quality: The Move features custom-designed drivers and a downward-firing tweeter that produces clear, rich, and room-filling sound. The speaker also incorporates Trueplay technology, automatically adjusting the audio output based on the environment and speaker’s position, ensuring optimal audio performance.
- Smart features: The Sonos Move is compatible with popular voice assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, allowing you to control the speaker using voice commands. You can also use the Sonos app to easily manage your music, create playlists, and access streaming services such as Spotify, Apple Music, and more.
- Multi-room audio: The Move can be seamlessly integrated with other Sonos speakers in your home, allowing you to create a multi-room audio system. You can play the same music across all speakers or choose different audio sources for each room.
- Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity: The Sonos Move offers Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity options. While connected to Wi-Fi, you can enjoy the full range of smart features and multi-room audio capabilities. When Wi-Fi is unavailable, you can switch to Bluetooth mode to stream music directly from your smartphone or tablet.
- Easy setup and updates: Setting up the Sonos Move is simple and quick, thanks to the intuitive Sonos app. The speaker also receives regular software updates, ensuring it stays up-to-date with the latest features and improvements.
In summary, the Sonos Move speaker offers a combination of portability, weather-resistant design, superior sound quality, smart features, multi-room audio capabilities, and versatile connectivity options. These features make it an excellent choice for those seeking a high-quality and flexible audio solution that can be used both indoors and outdoors.
To Conclude:
Both Sonos speakers are functional and flexible. The Move provides a much bolder, richer sound but, inherent to its larger size, is more difficult to carry around. However, we suggest the Sonos Move if sound quality and output level are essential. Please stop in the shop and give it a listen.