7 Best Pool Speakers (+ 20 More!) – A 2023 Buyer’s Guide

There’s nothing quite like hanging out at the pool and listening to music on great speakers.

Whether you’re having a big blowout party, working out or training, or just relaxing and hanging out with some friends, a great waterproof speaker with big, clear, clean sound can bring things to a whole new level.

So I thought it would be a lot of fun – and hopefully a lot of help – to assemble a list of the best fully waterproof speakers for swimming pools on the market today – some are fun and whimsical, some are practical, but they are all well made, sound great and love the water as much as we do!

If you just gotta get back to the water, and don’t have time for the whole article, here are some of my top picks:

• Best Pool Speaker Overall JBL BoomBox 3 Portable Waterproof Wireless Bluetooth Speaker
• Best Value Pool Speaker Ultimate Ears Boom 3 Portable Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker
• Best Pool Speaker – Budget OontZ Angle 3 Waterproof 10 Watt Bluetooth Speaker
• Big, Cheap and Bumpin’! Monster Sparkle 80W Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker with Full Screen Colorful Lights
• The Best – and Most Affordable – Speaker for a Pool Party EcoXGear EcoBoulder+ Waterproof Floating 100 Watt Speaker and PA System
• A Large, Illuminated Duck Acoustic Audio by Goldwood Rechargeable Bluetooth Floating Duck Pool Speaker

Who Makes the Best Speakers for Pools?

In order to answer this very question, and to make this buyer’s guide to the best waterproof pool speakers a bit easier to use and more directly helpful, I’m going to organize things a little differently.

What I mean is that in the big list below I will include all kinds of odd, fun and unusual speakers for swimming pools,all fully waterproof and all great sounding – including big lighted ducks and silly fish, serious underwater sound systems, floating speakers with fancy light shows and water fountains, and even a few simple and straightforward speakers with particularly good sound quality – 20 choices in all, and a bit of an intimidating read…

But it is my experience, based on my own pool time as well as on people I’ve talked to, that what folks really want and need for maximum pool fun is that last type – just a good basic speaker system, with nothing spewing forth from it and not shaped like a duck or a fish, but just, you know, a speaker.

In other words, lights, fancy light shows and all of that may not be quite as important as toughness, durability and extreme waterproofing, intelligent design and excellent sound – powerful, detailed, dynamic and musical, and with fantastic bass, naturally!

So I want to start out by looking at a few of the best basic Bluetooth wireless speakers I know for use by the pool, in the pool, or anywhere else for that matter – fully waterproof, super-tough, smartly designed, and with amazing sound.

In particular I would like to focus on my two favorite companies – JBL and Ultimate Ears – which are maybe a little bit more expensive than some of the competition, but offer superb products with the most advanced technology, incredible material and build quality and easily the best sound.

Best JBL Speakers for the Pool

My favorite company for Bluetooth wireless speakers, JBL is known for extreme toughness and extreme waterproofing, simple operation and smart, stylish designs, great technology and that big, bassy, dynamic and hyper-fun JBL sound. Even their smallest, least expensive speakers have oversized sound, and they all are as durable and abuse-proof as it gets.

JBL Clip 3 Portable Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker – My favorite small portable, and one of the most popular and highly rated Bluetooth speakers in the world, the Clip 3 is fully waterproof and tough as nails, and has amazing sound!

JBL Flip 6 Portable Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker – With even bigger sound, from a still quite small package, and bass you have to hear to believe, the Flip 6 is one of the best values on the market, and will fill even larger spaces with energy.

JBL CHARGE 5 Portable Bluetooth Speaker with IP67 Waterproof – A bit more expensive, the JBL Charge 5 has a sound that is even more accurate, open and musical – though still enormously fun – and really big bass for its size, and is fully waterproof and dustproof and incredibly strongly built.

JBL BoomBox 3 Portable Waterproof Wireless Bluetooth Speaker – There’s a big price jump from the Charge to the BoomBox, but this is one of the finest portable Bluetooth speakers on the market today, with enormous bass, tons of power and an amazingly open, effortless sound overall – and incredibly strong and durable construction, even by JBL’s high standards.

The Best Ultimate Ears Speakers for the Pool

I’ve long been looking for a speaker company I could recommend with real enthusiasm as an alternative to the wonderful JBL line of portable wireless speakers, and Ultimate Ears is definitely just that. With beautiful designs, premium fit and finish, intuitive user interfaces and the very best features and technology, these are seriously overbuilt and fully waterproof speakers that may even be a tiny bit more accurate than JBL, and nearly as fun!

Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 Portable Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker – Completely waterproof and dustproof, the Wonderboom 3 can handle anything the pool can throw at it, and in fact can even be thrown into the pool. This is a tiny speaker, though you would never guess based on its sound, and it is as well made – and as beautiful – as any of its more expensive Ultimate Ears line-mates.

Ultimate Ears Boom 3 Portable Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker – Built like a tank, fully waterproof and ready for any party, the Boom, despite its dramatic name, has a gentle side too, and is just as comfortable with Classical or Jazz as it is electronica, hip hop or pop. Fast becoming a bit of a legend, the Boom is a perfect affordable pool speaker and a fantastic value.

Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3 Portable Wireless Bluetooth Speaker – With seriously powerful sound, including deep, fast and strong bass, the Megaboom is as highly refined in sound as it is in looks, but still a super-fun listen. Fully waterproofed, strong and durable, this is a premium portable, if not at such a premium price.

I really believe that any of the above speakers would be about the best pool speaker you could possibly get for the money, and they are all fun and exciting, flawless in operation and built to last for years and years. 

That said and out of the way, if you still want to swim all over the pool and check out the ducks and dolphins, the fountains and the fun floating thingies with flashing lights, or even swim to the bottom and try to figure out what that mysterious object is down there that’s making such incredible sounds, please feel free, as we dive into the rest of the list!

The Best Pool Speakers in 2023 – The Rest of the List

The Best Super-Budget Pool Speaker

LENRUE Waterproof Bluetooth Stereo Speaker

The least expensive fully waterproof speaker I can heartily recommend, the Lenrue is more than that – a surprisingly advanced and well made product with big, clear and open sound and even a good measure of bass. For this low money, nothing else even comes close!

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Lovely Lights and Surprising Sound

Blufree Bluetooth Speaker with Colorful Lights IPX7 Waterproof Floatable

This super affordable Blufree fully waterproof speaker has surprisingly clear sound, with great projection and very little distortion, and a warm and musical quality overall. But the light show is the real draw here – bright, fun and pretty, it will light up the whole pool, while filling the space with music, and still go for up to 8 hours!

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It’s a Fish!!!

FineBud Bluetooth 5.1 Pool Floating Fish Speaker

Yes, it’s a fish. But in case that’s not enough, it makes dolphin sounds, has a lovely night light, has surprisingly clear and musical sound, seems very well made, and kids love it. But mainly and most importantly it is a musical fish that floats around your pool, making every party a hit and your life complete.

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Big Beautiful Sound on the Cheap

OontZ Angle 3 Waterproof 10 Watt Bluetooth Speaker

For a few dollars more than the already quite nice Lenrue above, you can get significantly bigger and better sound in an understated package that is tough and fully waterproof, with excellent battery life, the latest Bluetooth and a fantastically simple user interface. The OontZ is a brilliant little speaker that is among the most popular and highly rated of its type, and a great choice for sound as well as durability and reliability.

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Great Value in a Waterproof Portable Speaker

DOSS  E-go II Portable Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker

A reasonable alternative to something like the JBL Flip 6 featured at the beginning of this article on best swimming pool speakers, the Doss E-go II is less than half the price, and while it might not offer the same power or refinement, it actually sounds just amazing for the money, and is tough, fully waterproof and very well designed – a great value!

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It’s a Duck!

Acoustic Audio by Goldwood Rechargeable Bluetooth Floating Duck Pool Speaker

Would I lose all credibility as a recommender if I tell you that this big, lit-up duck is my favorite pool speaker of them all? Sure, some of the others sound a bit better, and/or make better general use speakers – say at the office, or anywhere else where you care what people think of you. But none of them are ducks, and this one is! In fact, quite a pretty duck, and pretty big too! I should also say that it is actually a well made product, and has pretty darn good sound, and is as waterproof as you would expect a duck to be.

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Inexplicably Compelling

Speaqua Barnacle Pro Bluetooth Waterproof Speaker w/Built-in Storage

I can’t explain it, but there is something about this very high quality but very affordable waterproof wireless speaker that people – me included – absolutely love. Yes, it sounds great, and is not only fully waterproof but also very tough and overbuilt, but it is also just so nice looking and so likable, with a chunky and satisfying feel, a jaunty stance and a smart design overall. A great gift, though you might not want to give it away!

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It’s a Fountain!

Maraawa Fountain Waterproof Floating Bluetooth Speaker

It’s a fountain, and that’s really enough – I mean, the nice water shower and the pretty, colorful lights are sufficient for the Maraawa to make its place on the list, but the sound quality is also pretty amazing – a big, clear and energetic sound, with surprising bass and lovely warmth, that really fills the space. Latest Bluetooth wireless technology, true waterproofing and great battery life complete the picture, and make this a fantastic wireless speaker for pool parties.

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Bass and Power for Hours and Hours…

Houl Zallee IPX7 Waterproof 40W Portable Bluetooth Wireless Speaker

Another nice basic fully waterproof Bluetooth speaker, and another great alternative to the fantastic but pricier JBL or Ultimate Ears speakers, the Houl Zallee is a bit of a brute, with two big, strong woofers and a passive radiator complementing the beautifully clear and detailed tweeters and offering almost overwhelming bass and musical impact. No water fountains or flashing lights, and it is shaped like neither fish nor fowl, but this is a wonderful speaker nonetheless, built beautifully and with great tech and features and a smart, simple design – and did I mention the big boatloads of power?

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A Big Party Speaker and an Even Bigger Value

Monster Sparkle 80W Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker with Full Screen Colorful Lights

When a real audio company, known for decades for their superb sounding products, turns their attention to a party speaker, we can expect it to sound as amazing as the Sparkle, with huge, clear and low distortion sound that is well balanced and accurate but still with a fun ton of bass. What is a real surprise, though, is that this big, 80 watt system, with a fantastic full-screen light show, such amazing tech and such high levels of material and build quality, is so very affordable – cheap, even! One of the best values on my list of top pool speakers, and very highly recommended.

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A Bose That Floats!

Bose SoundLink Flex Waterproof Bluetooth Wireless Speaker

I gave a lot of love to JBL and Ultimate Ears speakers earlier, and am pretty amazed by both companies and their entire lineups of Bluetooth speakers. But some will claim that the best of them all is Bose – and I’m not sure I would argue much, and certainly agree that the SoundLink Flex is an amazing waterproof speaker, with that smooth, rich and wonderfully musical Bose sound, enormously satisfying, deep and powerful bass and real projection of sound into large spaces. Not the cheapest choice on our list, the Flex is nonetheless surprisingly affordable for a Bose, and IMHO much better than pretty much anything else at this price level, all things considered.

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It’s a Party!

EcoXGear EcoBoulder+ Waterproof Floating 100 Watt Speaker and PA System

With so much amazing and advanced functionality – Bluetooth wireless, 100 watts of power, AM/FM stereo radio, incredible battery life, microphone input, true stereo pairing, fully floatable and waterproof construction, stunningly clear and dynamic sound and awesome bass, among a lot, lot more – it’s easy to look past the Boulder’s most important feature – the built in cup holders! A fantastic party center for any pool party, or really any party anywhere, the EcoBoulder+ is very well made and reliable, and should provide years and years of fun at the very highest level!

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A Fresh Take from a Legendary Company

Altec Lansing ROCKBOX XL Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker with LED Lights

Few companies can claim the history or reputation enjoyed by Altec Lansing, who has made some of the most breathtakingly beautiful and powerful loudspeakers in the history of audio. By look and feel alone, you might think that’s all out the window with this brash, bright and incredibly loud RockBox XL, which is fully waterproof and floatable, has 5 LED light modes and is available in, among other colors, a red so bright it can be seen from space. But just listen to the XL and you will instantly know it’s an Altec, with that rich, full, superbly accurate and intensely powerful sound that is at once both bright and warm, and always so very musical. A great product and very highly recommended – for the pool or for anything or anywhere else!

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It’s a Turtle! No, It’s a Tank!

Turtlebox Gen 2: Loud! Outdoor Portable Bluetooth 5.0 Speaker

Ok, it’s not really shaped like a turtle, or a tank, but the TurtleBox gen 2 is absolutely legendary for its virtually indestructible build, as much as for its rich, detailed, dynamic and incredibly big sound – easily one of the loudest Bluetooth portable speakers on the planet. It is fully waterproof and dustproof as well, and if it’s a bit ugly and unrefined in looks, the Turtle actually has surprisingly refined, smooth and low distortion sound, even at full volume. One of the highest quality products on this list of best speakers for swimming pools, the TurtbleBox II is made for a lifetime of use, and even a bit of dunking, splashing abuse!

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A Remarkable Underwater Speaker with Brilliant Sound!

Clark Synthesis AQ339 Aquasonic Underwater Speaker

A fish of a wholly different feather, or something like that, the Clark Synthesis AQ339 is one of the most remarkable products I’ve come across in a long time. A temporarily placed unit, that requires no pricey installation or changes or alterations of any kind to your swimming pool, this speaker rests at the bottom and fills the pool with unbelievably clear and detailed sound, with actual dynamic energy and expressiveness and real bass. Seriously, you have to hear it to believe it, and after you do you’ll never want to leave the pool!