Stop belting out your favorite tunes in the shower a cappella. These shower speakers are reliably water-resistant to take in the bath or on a trip to the beach, with enough oomph to cut through flowing water for a clear melody. Choose between versatile speakers with built-in speakerphones and voice assistants, lightweight speaker balls that can float in the bathtub, or powerhouses like the JBL Charge 4 with long-lasting battery life and beautifully rich sound.
Best Overall: JBL Charge 4
JBL makes some of the most reliable and robust Bluetooth speakers available, though they also tend to be more expensive as a result. If you’re looking for a speaker that can handle being physically inside the shower without an issue and have the budget for it, the JBL Charge 4 is an obvious choice for music at home or anywhere else.
The Charge 4 is IPX7 resistant, which means it can dip up to one meter below the surface of the water for 30 minutes without sustaining internal damage — a useful reassurance for whenever you place it near water. It has an above-average 20-hour battery life, which is also useful since you can use some of its charge to power other devices via USB port, such as your smartphone.
This speaker is fairly large for a portable device, which allows its drivers and 30W output to produce blaring audio with fantastic bass. This will make it more cumbersome to carry around than other smaller, quieter speakers, but the trade-off for better sound is arguably worth it.
Pros:
- IPX7 water-resistant
- Built-in power bank charges devices
- 20-hour battery life
- Connect two phones at once
- Lots of color options
Cons:
- Heavy to carry around
- Expensive
- Has trouble with higher notes
- No speakerphone
Best Overall
JBL Charge 4
- $180 at Amazon
- $180 at Best Buy
- $180 at Walmart
Strong performance on the go
Thanks to its 7,500mAH battery, the Charge 4 plays rich audio all day and can keep your phone and other devices charged.
Best for Compact Power: Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2
The Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2 is light, waterproof, and buoyant. It does just as well floating in a pool or sitting on the beach as it would in your shower. With true omnidirectional sound, it can be placed anywhere without you having to angle it a certain way, including submerged underwater. Plus, it has up to 13 hours of battery, recharges in about 2.5 hours, and can survive a five-foot drop, so you’ll rarely have it die on you. Just don’t recharge it while it’s still wet.
The greatest strength of the Wonderboom 2 is its performance. Despite its cutesy shape and colors, it lives up to its namesake and blasts out music at high volumes without detracting from the quality. Our Wonderboom 2 reviewer explained that he never raised its volume beyond 50% for fear of angering his neighbors. But if you take it outside, you can activate Outdoor Boost mode and achieve an even louder volume that improves the vocals along with the bass. Or you can buy a second Wonderboom 2 and pair them to form a stereo speaker set.
The main negative of this speaker is that it isn’t particularly “smart”. There’s no mic for a speakerphone, no voice assistants, and no app support, so you’re solely paying for solid music via Bluetooth. But these quibbles didn’t stop the Wonderboom 2 from being Android Central’s best Bluetooth speaker, waterproof or otherwise.
Pros:
- 13 hours of battery life
- Booming sound with Outdoor Boost mode
- IPX7 water/dust resistance
- Pairs with another Wonderboom for stereo
- Weighs less than a pound
Cons:
- No integrated mic for calls
- No smart assistant
- No app support
Best for Compact Power
Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2
- $100 at Amazon
- $100 at Best Buy
- $80–$100 at Walmart
Big sound in a small package
The Wonderboom 2 hits up to 87 dB in a 360-degree circle. It’s light and durable enough to take its bass blasts anywhere.
Best Bargain-Priced Speaker: OontZ Angle 3
High-quality audio and full water resistance often sell for triple-digit prices, but not every shower speaker needs to break the bank or float in your tub like a rubber duck. The OontZ Angle 3 has an IPX5 rating, meaning it will handle gentle splashes and jets of water but shouldn’t be submerged or held under a showerhead. Clear that low safety bar, and you have an affordable shower-adjacent speaker that doubles as a hands-free phone.
The Angle 3 is convenient to carry around, weighing just 9 ounces, but it also lacks the powerful drivers you’ll find in heavier, more expensive speakers. Cambridge SoundWorks delivers clear-sounding music by limiting the maximum volume so its drivers and bass radiator are never overtaxed. That means this speaker will work well in your bathroom but may not do as well in an outdoor or party setting as most of the other devices on this list.
Pros:
- Very lightweight, can play standing up or on its side
- Doubles as a hands-free phone with mic
- ~14 hours of battery life
- Distortion-free audio
- Low price compared to market averages
Cons:
- Not fully water-resistant
- Small speaker equals small sound
Best Bargain-priced Speaker
OontZ Angle 3
- $26 at Amazon
- $35 at Walmart
Affordable IPX5 water resistance
With a limited volume but a crystal-clear radius of sound, the OontZ Angle 3 makes shower-time playlists simple and affordable.
Best Battery Life: Anker Soundcore 2 Portable Bluetooth Speaker
Battery estimates for Bluetooth speakers rarely live up to the marketing, and their batteries usually get worse over time. You can overcompensate for this by choosing the Anker Soundcore 2, one of the most popular and reliable Bluetooth Speakers of the past few years thanks to its 24-hour battery life. That too is an estimate, but our reviewer was able to use it over a long weekend without ever charging it; the Soundcore 2 matches its reputation.
Unless you take very long showers, you’ll get your money’s worth if you take this speaker with you on the road. Its brick-like shape isn’t particularly attractive, but at less than a pound and only 2.2 inches wide by 1.8 deep, it’ll slide easily into your pocket. Bluetooth 5.0 support lets your phone connect from over 60 feet away, and the Soundcore 2 doubles as a speakerphone. Plus, it’s very reasonable price allows you to purchase two for paired stereo sound and still pay less than you would for a more advanced speaker.
Like the Oontz Angle 3, this speaker must overcome its small size to produce quality sound, and mostly succeeds. Its 12W power and dual neodymium drivers produce good sound for smaller spaces, but it lacks a strong bass. You can upgrade to the thicker, 20W Anker SoundCore Boost to improve performance, but that model is only IPX5-resistant and is far less portable.
Pros:
- 24 hours of nonstop music
- Low price
- Lightweight
- IPX7 rating
- Pair two for stereo sound
- Bluetooth 5.0 for long-range pairing
Cons:
- Boring square design
- Not as loud or rich in bass as other speakers
- No auxiliary port
Best Battery Life
Anker Soundcore 2 Portable Bluetooth Speaker
- $40 at Amazon
- $50 at Walmart
- $44 at Newegg
24 hours of melody
The Anker Soundcore 2 won’t win any beauty contests but gives you solid audio performance without needing constant recharges.
Best Connected Speaker: Tronsmart Force
The Tronsmart Force is a compact speaker that features instantaneous NFC pairing, long-distance Bluetooth 5.0 pairing, a microSD card slot, and an AUX cord port — more connectivity options than most Bluetooth speakers give you. You also receive a built-in microphone for making calls and a voice assistant.
Connectivity aside, this Tronsmart Force is also one of the toughest speakers out there, able to survive a four-story drop into a pool with no damage thanks in part to its IPX7-class resistance. While we don’t recommend you recreate the experiment, you can safely take this in the shower or on trips without ruining it.
In terms of performance, the Force creates plenty of volume thanks to its two 20W drivers, and you can tweak the performance to your liking thanks to its three different EQ modes. Our reviewer did notice a tinny sound at higher volumes, and the standard EQ setting just doesn’t sound rich unless you buy a second Force speaker for stereo sound.
Pros:
- IPX7 resistant
- Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, and 3.5mm aux connectivity
- Fast USB-C charging of 15-hour battery
- Reasonable price for great performance
- Built-in mic for calls and voice assistant
Cons:
- Somewhat tinny audio
- Buttons are difficult to see
Best Connected Speaker
Tronsmart Force
$59 at Amazon
No force can damage it
Easy pairing via NFC tap, rapid USB-C charging, and a durable exterior make the Force safe to take in the shower or anywhere else.
Best for Parties: JBL Pulse 3
Most speaker companies slap different colors and patterns on the same cylindrical or rectangular shape, but JBL built a lava lamp-style speaker that shouts “LOOK AT ME!” with a flashing light show that’ll encourage you to dance in the shower as well as sing. The JBL Pulse 3 uses LEDs filtered through a plastic casing to emit multi-colored lights in all directions, while also generating 360-degree sound, making it a great party centerpiece.
The Pulse 3 is IPX7-certified water-resistant, making it safe to bring anywhere, though it is fairly large and heavy, which makes it somewhat inconvenient to lug around. That weight doesn’t just come from the LED though. The speaker also includes a speakerphone for Bluetooth-enabled calls and uses the mic to let you use Google Assistant commands. Unless your phone is also water-resistant, having hands-free options to change the music while in the shower is a useful addition.
JBL is one of the top speaker brands, and the Pulse 3 mostly lives up to that expectation of solid performance beneath its flashy exterior. It generates a well-balanced sound level with particularly effective bass, and can perform well at a high volume for an LED dance party. It’s also fair to say, however, that other JBL-branded speakers can do slightly better. Also, there is a new JBL Pulse 4 that has better lighting and audio performance but comes at a higher price while lacking hands-free calling and voice assistance.
Pros:
- Colorful 360º LEDs
- 12-hour battery life
- Built-in speakerphone and Google Assistant
- IPX7 rating
Cons:
- Battery drains quickly when LEDs are active
- Not very loud
- Not easy to carry around
Best for Parties
JBL Pulse 3
- $150 at Amazon
- $150 at Walmart
Lighten things up
Brighter, larger, and heavier than most Bluetooth speakers, the JBL Pulse 3 doesn’t just play music: it makes a bold statement.
Best Speaker/ Radio Combo: Sbode M400
Most folks nowadays listen to their own playlists, music services, or podcasts, but some people still prefer the classic radio stations they grew up with, or want access to music when they don’t have Wi-Fi access. The Sbode M400 fits that bill; along with a microSD card slot and AUX port, it comes with an FM radio tuner.
An IPX6 speaker, the Sbode M400 can handle getting sprayed with water but shouldn’t be submerged. You can have it nearby as you shower, then take it with you camping to listen to radio broadcasts and get your fix of sports, news, and music. Our Sbode speaker review noted that it hits a good range of sound with minimal sound distortion, and is easy to hang from a shower hook or fit inside a backpack’s water bottle pouch.
Pros:
- FM radio tuner
- MicroSD slot for MP3/WAV/FLAC files
- 3.5mm AUX port
- Large buttons for easy song skips
- Surprisingly loud audio
Cons:
- Only 8 hours of battery life
- Not fully water-resistant
- No fun color choices
Best Speaker/ Radio Combo
Sbode M400
$45 at Amazon
FM radio included
This semi-waterproof speaker plays via Bluetooth, FM radio, 3.5mm aux, or microSD card, but sounds great regardless of the source.
Bottom line
This may be our guide for the best shower speakers, but we tried to find devices that aren’t just defined by being waterproof, or that are well-suited to other water-adjacent activities. Some of the more affordable Bluetooth speakers may be suited to stay indoors, but the JBL Charge 4 is useful on the go because it will keep your phone charged. Most of our recommendations may have 10+ hour batteries, but if your phone battery is getting drained by streaming music and then transmitting it over Bluetooth, then your speaker becomes useless the moment your phone dies. With the built-in power bank, you avoid that potential problem.
The Charge 4 comes in 10 different color options, giving it some character compared to the somber black monochrome of most speakers. Other shower speakers are smaller, making them more suited to hang from a showerhead, but these also lack the space for large drivers and booming bass. JBL makes no compromises with this model and delivers a sound you’ll have no trouble deciphering through the sounds of water falling around you.
Credits — The team that worked on this guide
Michael Hicks got his tech journalism start in 2016, covering emerging tech like VR and self-driving cars before expanding to all things tech. When he’s not gaming or reading SFF novels, he writes freelance for Android Central and Windows Central.
