I should start out this article by saying something like how in today’s busy world being able to take care of two tasks at once – in this case, listening to music and personal hygiene – is a real blessing.
But really, at the end of the day (or at the beginning, more likely) having a speaker in the shower is not a time-saver, or a boon for the hyper-efficient or overly busy, as much as it is just good, clean fun!
A good quality shower speaker makes a brilliant birthday or Christmas gift, a somewhat weird and wonderful wedding present (or, of course, a wedding shower present), or a special treat just for you – and one you’re sure to use every day.
So let’s grab a towel, a shower cap, and a loofah and pull the curtain back to reveal 9 of the best shower speakers on the market today (with a few other great choices thrown in as well) in this all-new 2023 Speakergy special buyer’s guide!
Just in case you haven’t had your coffee yet, and your eyes may not be open enough to read a full article, here are my top picks:
- Best Shower Speaker – Super-Budget – Insmy C12 IPX7 Waterproof Shower Bluetooth Speaker
- Best Shower Speaker – Affordable – JBL Go 3: Portable Waterproof Bluetooth Wireless Speaker
- Best Shower Speaker Overall – Bose SoundLink Flex Bluetooth Portable Speaker, Wireless Waterproof Speaker
- Best Shower Speaker for Kids – eKids Harry Potter Waterproof Shower Speaker for Children
Who Makes the Best Shower Speakers?
There’s nothing like really good sound while you’re showering, especially from a speaker that you don’t have to worry about getting a little (or a lot) wet, and one you can use easily – even if your hands are wet and your eyes are full of suds!
There are a few companies that make really great Bluetooth wireless speaker systems designed specifically for the shower – companies like Insmy and Eboda – speakers that not only sound great but are fully waterproof and easy to hang or mount in the shower.
But if we limit ourselves to just shower-specific speakers we will miss out on some really excellent choices – in fact, some of them are far better speakers.
Some of the most popular loved and respected companies on the market – especially JBL and Bose – offer fantastic waterproof wireless speakers that have fantastic sound as well as incredible toughness and durability. And while they may not be designed with a shower in mind, they work great for the job and make wonderful all-around speakers too – from bedside to shower to breakfast table to bicycle to cubicle to poolside, or wherever else you want to take them.
So my buyer’s guide to the best speakers for showers will include both shower-specific speakers and these often even better all-purpose waterproof speakers, and at the end of this article, in my Bonus Section, I will talk a little more about some fantastic choices from Bose and JBL in particular.
Best Waterproof Speakers for Showers – Our Top Ten Choices
Best Shower Speaker for Kids
eKids Harry Potter Waterproof Shower Speaker for Children
The eKids Harry Potter waterproof speaker is the perfect shower speaker for any kid.
Small and light, the eKids speaker has a big sound – loud, very clear, and detailed, with surprising bass and very low distortion.
It is also really strong and durable and has a soft, slip-free casing that is impact resistant, easy to get hold of, and hard to drop. There is no wired connection, which doesn’t really matter to kids anyway, but the wireless Bluetooth pairing works flawlessly and stays connected.
With decent battery life, the eKids Harry Potter waterproof speaker really is not just a great speaker for the shower, but speaker kids will use all the time and take with them everywhere they go – and it’s definitely tough enough to handle it.
And just in case there are any kids anywhere in the world who aren’t deeply into all things Hogwarts, eKids also makes their wonderful children’s shower speaker featuring other characters, including Trolls World Tour Poppy, The Joker, and Gudetama The Lazy Egg – I’m not sure who, or what, that last one is, but it sure is cute!
What I Love:
- Fantastic Sound
- Small and Light
- Very Durable and Tough
- Cute as a Button
Any Downsides?
- There’s No Volume Control – volume only controllable through phone, PC, or other devices.
Before I move on to the darling little Tribit shower speaker, I want to mention the JBL JR POP, which is a little more than twice as expensive as the eKids speakers but a really amazing value – actual JBL quality in every way and a fuller richer sound than the already excellent eKids. If your kids are a little older, or a little too cool for cartoons, the JBL JR POP might be just the ticket.
Really Big Sound for Very Little Money
Tribit XSound Surf IPX7 Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker Ultra-Portable 12W
The Tribit waterproof wireless speaker is not specifically designed as a shower speaker, but it offers some real advantages over any of the purpose-made products in this low price range.
I should emphasize the price range because this little Tribit has absolutely amazing sound quality for the price. There’s not tons of low end, obviously – it’s not even six inches long – but the bass is strong, fast, and well-defined, and never overwhelms the smooth, open mids and the sparkling high frequencies. And the Tribit plays really loud, and without a touch of harshness or strain.
With the latest 5.0 Bluetooth tech, the Tribit has superior range – up to 100 feet, which is great if you don’t want to bring your phone into the steamy bathroom – and if you are one of those shower-stall audiophiles, you can pair two Tribits together for even better stereo imaging.
Great battery life, an excellent microphone (‘are you calling from the shower?’) and even a wired auxiliary input make this a very, very usable speaker, as do the small size and excellent material and build quality.
The Tribit XSound Surf isn’t designed to hang on a showerhead or stick to the tile wall, but it is small enough and waterproof enough – IXP67 rated – that you can put it anywhere and not worry about it. Anyway, there are about a gazillion shower radios you can get for this price, but I don’t think any of them will sound as good.
What I Love:
- High-Resolution Sound
- Very Well Made
- Top Level Waterproofing
- Plays Really Loud
- Usability Beyond the Shower
Any Downsides?
- Not Specifically Designed for the Shower
Best Cheap Shower Speaker
Insmy C12 IPX7 Waterproof Shower Bluetooth Speaker
There are a lot of shower speakers priced right around 30 dollars, and a few of them are really popular and pretty well rated – The SoundBot SB510, for example, is an overwhelming customer favorite, and the very high-quality XLeader SoundAngel has a really smart and really beautiful design.
So why have I singled out the Insmy C12 waterproof wireless speaker as the budget shower radio? I mean, it’s sharp looking, and comes in six nice colors, but not as pretty as the SoundAngel, and while it’s immensely popular it can’t compete with the SoundBot for total sales.
Well, this is Speakergy, after all, and here we’re all about the sound – and the Insmy C12 sounds simply fantastic!
It is also a tough and very well-made speaker, with full IPX7 waterproofing, an ultra-strong frame, and a durable finish, and has all the best tech – 12 hours of battery life, 5.0 Bluetooth, Google Assistant, and Siri compatibility, an excellent microphone, and even a slot for an SD memory card.
Ok, maybe it isn’t just about the sound… When you really add it up, the C12 is quite possibly the most advanced, best-designed, and best-made shower speaker at this ultra-competitive level. That said, the sound is special, with bass that is surprisingly deep and impactful but well-balanced, detail and tonal accuracy in the mids and well-extended high frequencies, and a warm, sweetly musical quality overall.
And it’s really inexpensive, even if it doesn’t look or sound like it.
All things considered, though you have a lot of choices, to me the Insmy C12 is easily the best budget shower speaker you can get, and highly recommended.
Flashing Lights, Bright Colors – Good Morning!
Eboda Waterproof Bluetooth Shower Speaker with LED Lights
If you pulled up the product page for the Insmy C12, just above, or the SoundAngel or SoundBot I also mentioned, and immediately thought “BORING!” the Eboda B18 may be just the product for you.
Coming in a ton of really bright colors, and with a flashing LED light show I, for one, would find a tad overwhelming first thing in the morning, the Eboda definitely is not boring. It’s a wee bit obnoxious, even, but in a very fun way.
It is also really fun sounding, with a sound signature that is bright, energetic, and wide open, with lots of punchy bass for its size and bright, bracing highs. Between the excitement of the sound and the colors and lights, the B18 might be more effective than coffee!
It also ticks all the boxes in terms of tech, design, and usability, with the latest Bluetooth 5.0 wireless codecs, fully IP67 waterproof rating, a long-lasting rechargeable battery, stereo pairing if you have two B18s, a good microphone and hands-free calling, a very well-made rubberized casing, and a cool, high-tech look.
One of the most highly rated shower speakers at any price, the Eboda B18 isn’t all flash – it is a rugged speaker that should last for years, with great tech and a big, fun sound.
What I Love:
- Fun Looking and Fun Sounding
- Great LED Light Display
- Tough and Nice Feeling
- Fantastic Battery Life
- Good Mic and Hands-Free Calling
Any Downsides?
- I Prefer Coffee to Wake Me Up
Premium Quality and Next-Level Sound
JBL Go 3: Portable Waterproof Bluetooth Wireless Speaker
It’s only ten or twenty bucks more than the other shower speakers we’ve been talking about so far, but the JBL Go 3 feels like it’s on a whole new level, and sounds like it too.
The Go 3 is not just fully waterproof and dustproof, with a top-level rating of IP67, it is obviously an amazingly tough and well-made little speaker, strong, durable, and much heavier in the hand, which makes it more stable on shelves and rack and also helps with the sound as well. But don’t worry – this small speaker is still light enough that you can throw it in a bag and not even notice it’s there.
The Go is not really called a shower speaker, but the full waterproofing, the handy hanging loop, and the easy-to-feel and locate buttons make it an ideal candidate for the job, as does the impressive volume that comes from the speaker, which can easily rise above the sound of even the most intense showerheads.
And that sound! Powerful and punchy, much bigger than you’d expect, and much clearer and more accurate than anything I’ve found at this price level, this is the real JBL sound, with a warm, musical quality that sounds great with any kind of music and enough low end to serve EDM nuts and bass heads well.
But this is JBL, after all, so the sound – and the bass – is just better than other brands, and more fun as well. We also expect better tech from JBL, and the Go 3 delivers 5.1 Bluetooth circuitry, a true 4.2 watts of output power, and superb electronic and digital circuitry.
If you don’t mind rooting around in the junk drawer for a suction cup with a plastic hook, the JBL Go 3 is the best affordable shower speaker by far, and would definitely be my choice at this level.
What I Love:
- Next Level Sound Quality
- Superior Construction and Long-Term Durability
- Verifiable Waterproofing
- Great Bluetooth with a Great Range
- A Great General Use Portable Speaker All Day Long
Any Downsides?
- No Microphone
Loud and Proud
OontZ Angle 3 Ultra Waterproof 5.0 Bluetooth Speaker
Do you know how all your dogs gather around the bathroom door and howl madly every time you start singing in the shower? Ok, maybe it’s just me, but as much as I love my mutts they have a terrible pitches and really throw me off.
So if this happens to you too, the perfect solution is – MORE VOLUME! Sure, this may make the dogs – and possibly your family – howl even louder, but who cares? You won’t hear them anyway!
The OontZ Angle 3 plays significantly louder than any other waterproof speaker I’ve found under fifty dollars, and even at max is remarkably smooth, warm, and relaxed in sound. It may not have the bass, or the fun, punchy, dynamic sound of the JBL Go 3, just above, but it may actually be a bit more accurate.
And in fact, the bass on this wee speaker is actually a lot deeper and better than you might imagine, and it can be equalized to pretty high levels, for you eletronica fans and bathroom karaokists. But to me, even just as it comes out of the box, the Angle 3 has a very rich, natural, and satisfying sound – whether playing whisper soft or louder than even your dogs.
A very well-made speaker, and equally well-designed, the OontZ Angle 3 is not nominally a shower speaker, but with IPX7 waterproofing it can take the full blast of a showerhead or even submersion in a tubful of water with no problems at all. It also has the latest gen 5 Bluetooth and over 100-foot range, the ability to link two or more Angle 3s together, up to 20 hours (!) of battery life, a built-in microphone, and more.
Plus, the blue OontZ Angle 3 has pretty waves across the front – what more could you ask for?
What I Love:
- Highly Accurate and Musical Sound
- Plays Really Loud
- Excellent Material and Build Quality
- Fantastic Battery Life – you know, for those really, really long showers…
- Multi-Speaker Linking
Any Downsides?
- The JBL Go 3 is a bit more fun sounding – bassy and punchy – though the OontZ may be the more accurate speaker
- OontZ is a difficult brand name to repeatedly type. OontZ. OontZ.
Best Shower Radio
Sangean H201 Portable AM/FM/Weather Waterproof Shower Radio Turquoise
Let’s make it clear right from the beginning here that this is not a normal Bluetooth wireless speaker – the incredibly high-rated Sangean H201 is fully waterproof and can be fully submerged in water or placed right in a full shower stream, but it is actually an AMFM stereo radio, which just happens to have a really fantastic sounding speaker.
So the Sangean H201 is not for streaming from your phone – it doesn’t even have the wireless capability – but for listening to the radio in the shower, with the best possible sound quality, it is unrivaled. Plus, it has emergency weather radio bands as well, letting you know as early as possible that there’s a blizzard coming and you might as well dry off and go back to bed.
Sangean is a legendary company, making the very finest and most optimally designed radios and other consumer electronics products for a half-century now, and the H201 is one of their finest products yet – it doesn’t do all the fancy stuff some of the wireless smart speakers do, but what it concentrates on it does with extraordinary effectiveness and quality. This quality, as well as the perfect layout and user interface, and the stunning sound, make the H201 a joy to use – in the shower or anywhere else.
The above link is for the Turquoise model, which just seems right for the shower, but Sangean also makes the H201 pretty in Pink.
What I Love:
- The Best Shower Radio I Know
- Truly Premium Quality on All Levels
- Surprisingly Rich and Musical Sound
- Emergency Weather Channels in Addition to AM/FM
- Seriously Waterproof
Any Downsides?
- No Wireless
- No Rechargeable Battery – though it has super-long battery life, even with continuous use
Best Shower Speaker Overall
Bose SoundLink Flex Bluetooth Portable Waterproof Speaker
The best of the best, and my choice for the best shower speaker you can get, the Bose SoundLink Flex is not actually designed for the shower – it is completely waterproof, and you could let it float beside you in the tub if you want, or hold it in the shower’s stream as long as you like, and it will be perfectly fine, but it is really just a normal, everyday portable Bluetooth speaker.
No, that’s not true – there is nothing ordinary about the Flex, which for a Bose is a lot less expensive than you might imagine, and yet has that superb Bose sound, truly premium build quality, fit and finish, and the very best tech and internal components available.
The Bose SoundLink Flex is about 9 inches long, and so a bit bigger than almost any other choice on this list of best shower speakers, but it has a nice strap built in which makes it easy to hang – or you can place it on a rack or shower shelf. And in the too cool-to-be-true department, wherever you set it – hanging, upright, on its side, upside down, on its back, or on its belly – the Flex determines its relative position/orientation using PositionIQ technology and automatically adjusts its sound for optimal listening.
This auto-tuning may be the most obviously brilliant and fascinating technology, but the Flex also has huge battery life – up to 12 hours – latest-gen Bluetooth for the best sound, the most reliable connection, and the longest wireless range, exceptional waterproofing and so much more – most notably the ability to connect with other Bose speakers and systems, a top-tier microphone, Google Assistant and Siri compatibility, a great app – wow, I could just go on and on.
But bottom line is that the Bose SoundLink Flex is the most advanced, best-sounding shower speaker you can get, and is also the best built and toughest, and will double as a superb all-purpose portable Bluetooth wireless speaker. It is also a bit of a jump up in price from my previous recommendations, but still remarkably affordable and, for what it is, a supreme value.
What I Love:
- Everything… Ok, more specifically
- Truly accurate, engaging, and richly musical sound
- Incredibly Tough and Durable
- Completely and Reliably Waterproof
- Very Long Battery Life
- PositionIQ
Any Downsides?
- Not a one
It’s a Speaker, It’s a Shower Head, It’s a Kohler – Brilliant!
Kohler Moxie Bluetooth Showerhead
With my last recommendation in this 2023 buyer’s guide to the best speakers for showers we’re jumping way up to a pretty premium range – ok, not absurdly expensive, and it seems to me that Kohler products have always been known for true excellence at prices that aren’t impossible.
But yeah, the Kohler Moxie is substantially more than any of the best shower speakers I’ve listed above, but it is not just a speaker, but also a shower. Well, at least a shower head – and a Kohler shower head, is a no brainer.
Well, let’s use our brains for a moment longer, before we get all click-happy. The showerhead itself is a premium quality, of course, but we’re really interested in the speaker, and I can happily tell you, from personal experience, that it too is an absolute gem.
The speaker is tuned by Harman Kardon to be not just strong and clear, accurate and musical, but to be especially effective and engaging in this most challenging of acoustical spaces. And the Kohler Moxie definitely is, with a sound that is so vivid, so powerful and so beautiful that you may not want to leave the shower. Surprisingly deep bass supports a silky smooth midrange and shimmering highs, with real dynamic energy and expressivity and amazingly accurate, warm, and open overall sound – and over that water noise!
When I got to check the Moxie out, in a home improvement store, I was blown away by the sound, and realized that if there is any downside, it’s that it sounds so good you’ll want to take it with you – but you can’t. But wait! I looked closer and realized that actually you can, because the speaker itself, while it looks seamlessly integrated, is attached magnetically, and can be easily snapped off and taken anywhere, offering the same superb sound and the same complete waterproof protection.
The Kohler Moxie is the most expensive shower speaker on our best-of list, but once you experience it – with all of your senses – I’m sure you will think it was an absolute steal. A truly premium product with top-level sound, the Moxie is an easy choice for the best premium shower speaker.
And for the karaoke fans among us, Kohler also makes the Moxie Bluetooth Handheld Showerhead, also tuned by Harman Kardon, for superb sound, and of course made by Kohler, for superb, well, everything else.
What I Love:
- The Best Sound Quality
- Stunning Material Quality, Fit and Finish
- Excellent Showerhead As Well
- Emergency Weather Channels in Addition to AM/FM
- Seriously Waterproof
Any Downsides?
- No Microphone
Bonus Section: Do You Need a Speaker in the Shower?
If this question is taken one way it is absolutely ridiculous – yes, of course! Everybody needs a speaker in their shower! If you’ve ever had a single shower with music – especially coming from a great speaker – you wouldn’t even ask.
But let’s get back to a different way of looking at this question, which I already briefly touched on earlier – is a shower speaker the best shower speaker? Or, perhaps more plainly stated, do you need a speaker that’s specifically made for the shower? Well, no.
I mean shower speakers are not really that different than normal waterproof speakers, except that they might come with a nice, high-quality silicone suction cup, or some other more or less clever way to secure them.
But in terms of sound, no – as long as a speaker is really, truly waterproof, and as long as it plays loud enough to clearly assert itself over the sound of the shower (and, as we discussed earlier, the howling of your dogs) it will sound great.
When Is a Shower Speaker Not a Shower Speaker?
I know, it sounds like one of those Zen Riddles or something, but actually I’ve already mentioned a couple of really great shower speakers that don’t actually shower speakers – or at least aren’t designed specifically for use in the shower, from JBL, Bose, OontZ and Tribit, which are as waterproof as it gets, and just fantastic choices at their price levels.
And to close I would like to mention a few other choices from the first two companies – JBL and Bose, who are two of my very favorite brands and make possibly the two finest lines of Bluetooth wireless speakers on the market today.
To generalize – probably unfairly – I might say that JBL has a sort of bigger, more fun sound, with more bass, more bite, and more energy overall, and is better for popular music – JBL wireless speakers are often the default choice for electronica, rock, R&B, rap and hip hop.
And Bose speakers are often thought of as having a bit more refined of a sound, with less bass – if just as deep and perhaps even more defined – and a warmer, more polite quality. They aren’t always cheap, but Bose wireless speakers offer, for the money, exceptional accuracy and musicality, and are truly beloved by pretty much anybody who is lucky enough to have one.
But everybody loves their JBL speakers too, and they are amazingly accurate and musical for the price, just as Bose speakers are fun and exciting – so yeah, generalizations, go figure.
One thing I can say for sure is that these speakers – from either company – sound much, much better than 99 percent of the shower-specific speakers from other companies – they’ll play louder with less strain, have more detail and dynamic energy and an open, honest and present quality that moves towards the world of hi-fi audio gear.
And another thing I can say is that they are really, really waterproof, and really, really tough, and will work perfectly in any shower – or bathtub, or whirlpool, sauna, swimming pool, great lake, ocean, monsoon…
I’m going to list what I feel are the best choices from these two companies, first JBL and then Bose, simply ordered by price, from least to most expensive. Any of these might well be the very best shower speaker you can possibly find, whether they claim to be or not, and, as I guess you’ve already surmised, pretty much the best general-use portable waterproof speakers as well.
The Best Shower / General Use Speakers
JBL Waterproof Speakers
JBL JR POP – Waterproof Portable Bluetooth Speaker Designed for Kids – with surprisingly full and rich sound specially tailored for kids, the POP is a tough and fun speaker that will have your kids wanting to take showers.
JBL Go 3: Portable Waterproof Speaker with Bluetooth – My choice for the best affordable shower speaker, the Go 3 will definitely go with you everywhere else – and you’ll both arrive all fresh and clean!
JBL Clip 4 Portable Waterproof Speaker with Bluetooth – remarkably big full-range sound from a very small package at a still nicely affordable price, the Clip 4 definitely looks like it was made for the shower (even if it wasn’t) and works perfectly there – and everywhere else.
JBL Flip 6 Portable Bluetooth Waterproof Speaker – maybe a bit too big as a shower companion, at least for some people, the Flip is incredibly powerful and as tough as it gets – and one of the most popular speakers in the world. I for one would be happy to get rid of half my hair products to make room for it.
Bose Waterproof Speakers
Bose SoundLink Micro Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker– incredible sound and true waterproofing from this premium hi-tech speaker. More expensive than most speakers its size, but widely considered an almost unbelievably good value.
Bose SoundLink Flex Bluetooth Portable Waterproof Speaker – my choice for best shower speaker overall – see above – the Flex, unlike other Bose models, seems almost too inexpensive. Tough and premium quality, brilliantly designed, with the best tech and features, the Flex is, above all else, a beautiful-sounding speaker.