Soundcore Boom 2 by Anker, 80W Outdoor Bluetooth Speaker, 24H Playtime

Why it's worth it

The Boom 2 is built for backyards, pools and campsites. Eighty watts with a dedicated subwoofer, 24 hours of playtime, an IPX7 rating with a shell that floats, RGB lights on both ends, and a built-in power bank for a dying phone.

Take this to the pool and forget about it. It's IPX7 rated and it floats, which means the worst-case scenario is fishing it out of the deep end and drying it off. Rain on a patio is a non-event. That single design choice is what separates an outdoor speaker from an indoor speaker that happens to be portable, and it's why this is our pick for anyone hosting outside.

Open air swallows bass, which is why most portable speakers sound thin at a campsite. The Boom 2 fights back with a dedicated subwoofer and BassUp 2.0, and owners consistently report it fills a backyard or a patio without turning to mush at high volume. It's not a Bose in a living room. Outdoors, where it's meant to live, it holds up well.

From our review of 7 soundcore headphones and speakers

What we like

• +Take this to the pool and forget about it
• +Open air swallows bass, which is why most portable speakers sound thin at a campsite
• +Twenty-four hours of playtime covers a full day at the beach with room to spare, and the built-in power bank means the speaker…
• +It also supports PartyCast, so if you or a friend owns another compatible Soundcore speaker, you can link them for a bigger,…

What to know

• –It's not as loud as its wattage suggests
• –At over three and a half pounds and nearly a foot long, this isn't a speaker you slip into a day bag