Items14The creator’s order
  1. 1JBL Go 5JBL Go 5One of the cheapest ways into a properly sealed speaker. At about half a pound, the Go 5 disappears into a hip belt or a dry bag pocket, and its IP68 rating plus drop-proof build means a rainy portage or a tumble off a picnic table is no drama. Expect 8 hours of play, or 10 with Playtime Boost,…0
  2. 2Tribit StormBox Micro 2Tribit StormBox Micro 2The budget pick for strapping to a bike or pack. The StormBox Micro 2 has a strap built into its back that cinches around handlebars or a shoulder strap, and at about 11 ounces it barely registers once it is on. It is IP67 sealed, rated for up to 12 hours, and its 4,700 mAh battery can give a…0
  3. 3Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4The small speaker to take on the water. The Wonderboom 4 floats, so a slip off the dock or out of a canoe ends with it bobbing on the surface rather than resting on the lake bed, and it is drop-tested from 5 feet as well. The Outdoor Boost button tunes it for open air, where sound spreads out with…0
  4. 4JBL Clip 5JBL Clip 5Built for hanging rather than standing. The Clip 5's carabiner is part of the frame and opens wide enough to go around a pack strap, a tent pole or a branch over the picnic table, which gets the sound off the ground and up where people can hear it. It is IP67 sealed and weighs about two-thirds of…0
  5. 5Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen)Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen)The best-balanced sound in the small class, and the one to pick if you care more about clear vocals than thumping bass. PositionIQ senses whether the Flex is standing, lying flat or hanging from its nylon loop and adjusts the tuning to match, which matters outdoors, where you rarely get a flat…0
  6. 6JBL Flip 7JBL Flip 7The toughest speaker you can still slide into a water bottle pocket. The Flip 7 steps up to IP68, rated for about 1.5 meters of fresh water for 30 minutes, and JBL rates it to survive a 1-meter drop onto concrete, which is about as unforgiving as a boat ramp gets. At about 1.2 pounds it is a clear…0
  7. 7Marshall Emberton IIIMarshall Emberton IIIThe battery champion of the small speakers. Marshall rates the Emberton III at more than 32 hours, which is a long weekend in the backcountry without hunting for a charger, and 20 minutes plugged in buys about 6 more hours if you do find one. Its multi-directional sound spreads around a picnic…0
  8. 8Beats PillBeats PillA long-haul travel speaker that doubles as a phone charger. The Pill runs up to 24 rated hours, and the included USB-C cable lets it top up your phone at a campsite with no outlet, so one battery covers both music and navigation. It is IP67 sealed, weighs 24 ounces and carries on a removable…0
  9. 9Ultimate Ears Boom 4Ultimate Ears Boom 4A step up in size that still floats. UE rates the Boom 4 as IP67, floatable and drop-proof, so it can ride along on a raft or sit at the edge of a lake swim without anyone guarding it, and it is loud enough to cover a small group around a fire ring. Rated battery is 15 hours, enough for a full day…0
  10. 10Sony ULT Field 1Sony ULT Field 1A bass-forward mid-size speaker built to be knocked around. Sony rates the ULT Field 1 IP67 and shockproof, with the seal counting only when the port cap is closed, and its detachable strap lets it hang from a tent loop or a tree branch. The ULT button adds bass on demand, the rated battery is 12…0