1. Sangean LB-100 Compact AM/FM Ultra Rugged Radio Receiver
When we tested this radio we were surprised with its durability. It’s not the best designed radio we have, but it gets the job done in terms of functionality.
It reaches number 1 on our list because of its durability and its sound quality. From our perspective, we believe these are the 2 most important qualities of an outdoor radio.
Its both dust-resistant and shock-resistant. But what we’re looking for is if it’s water-resistant. And guess what? It is water resistant.
You know something is durable when it’s used in construction workplaces. This radio is popular among construction workers because of its durability.
An interesting feature which ensures value to users is its rugged tuning knobs. You know how buttons start to wear out with lots of use? A rugged tuning knob has your back because it won’t wear out on you. Just don’t go crazy thinking it can withstand anything.
Now that you’re convinced of its durability, let’s talk about its sound quality.
This outdoor radio comes with a 5-inch speaker projecting sounds on the whole spectrum. Another way to phrase this is it’s a full-range speaker. This means this radio can go from high to low with ease.
The Sangean LB-100 also comes with a flexible antenna suitable for anyone who has trouble receiving reception. In addition, if you’re a camper, an antenna of this reliability makes it an easy choice to bring with you on your camping trips.
Last but not least is the AM/FM tuner. Every radio has a tuner, but what makes this one different is it comes with an LCD display to make it easy to see. Useful for those camping trips at night.
Overall, this outdoor radio is number 1 because of the overall package. From durability to sound quality, you get an outstanding outdoor radio for the price you pay.
2. Sbode Bluetooth Speakers Portable Waterproof Outdoor Wireless Speaker
This speaker is very similar to the JBL in terms of design on first glance. One advantage it has over the JBL is the purchase price.
It’s definitely not as expensive as the JBL Flips, but if we’re being honest, it’s not as high quality either. You get what you pay for and we won’t argue that until proven wrong!
The Sbode Bluetooth speaker is all kinds of proof. We have the dustproof, waterproof, snowproof, sandproof, and more. Its woven mesh material keeps it tightly-sealed keeping out those pesky particles.
Our only gripe with this outdoor radio is its inability to be submerged. We wish more outdoor radios had this ability, but it’s not the case.
Either way, it’s still one of the best outdoor radios. Another part of its greatness is the sound quality of course.
Imagine having this around a party and playing the volume to its max potential. Once you do that it can go 1 of 2 ways. Either it sounds distorted, or it actually sounds audible and sets an atmosphere.
For this outdoor radio, you get the latter. To nitpick a little bit, there is some noteworthy criticism we have of its range.
On the upper-frequency range is a little hitch in sound. Although the hitch isn’t significant, it’s noticeable if put on full volume. Another thing we noticed with this radio is its lower frequency. It doesn’t provide that extra oomph we would like, but it gets the job done.
The design of the Sbode makes it easy to navigate. Labels are literally everywhere and they’re not confusing which is half the battle at times.
Unlike the Sangean, this one can also act as a speakerphone. Just in case you wanted to take a phone call while you’re in the pool, guess what? This makes it possible.
3. Bluetooth Speakers Portable, UZOPI 5W Wireless Outdoor Speakers
Listening to this speaker while on vacation might skew our bias but we’ll try to be objective. The speaker from first glance is unique because of its color.
We didn’t want to blast it in the area we were relaxing in because we didn’t want to be rude but, the volume we had it at was loud enough for whoever was in the area.
What we noticed while playing it at full volume was this speaker is deceptively loud. For its size (1 pound give or take), it packs a punch.
Judging from its weight you can already tell it’s small even if you’ve never seen the speaker. Besides it size and color is the material it’s made of. The speaker itself is covered by a removable rubber which protects the speaker from damage.
In total, the speaker is made up of materials such as silicone, metal, and ABS which is similar to other durable speakers.
On top of the materials is the portable carrying handle. Not only does it make it easy to carry, but it helps protect it. It makes it easy to carry instead of holding it in an awkward way. This is why we drop our phones a lot. If there was a more convenient way to hold it then there wouldn’t be as many drops.
On top of portability is the 3-in-1 feature. Although this is a radio, you get a radio that can project audio from a tablet, phone, or computer. You’re not limited to 1 option, and versatility makes it more applicable to different situations.
This radio reminds of us of the Sangean because of its unique look. But that isn’t the only reason. Other comparable features are its quality reception, sound quality, and portability. All of these qualities makes it one of the best outdoor radios.
4. STARQUEEN 12″ Wireless Bluetooth Portable Speaker
The design of this outdoor radio makes it look like travel luggage. It looks kind of funky in that way but that’s okay.
The travel luggage look is on purpose because in addition to its handle are its wheels. You can literally move it around like its luggage. No other radio here has this type of design. In terms of portability, this one might take the cake.
A downside to its portability is it’s weight. It’s the heaviest one by far coming in at 27.8 pounds. No wonder why they threw on wheels!
Playing the STARQUEEN outdoors made us realize how good the bass is. Having good sound outdoors is a great benchmark on testing sound quality because sound can’t bounce back. If it can handle being outdoors, then it can obviously do well indoors.
Considering what speaker size you get, wattage varies. A 12-inch speaker generates 60 watts of power while a 15-inch speaker gives you 80 watts. Both are relatively good for their size and won’t let you down, hence playing it outdoors.
If you do purchase the STARQUEEN, you’ll also get a microphone as part of the package. What better additional equipment is there? You can make public announcements and sing karaoke outside.
A big problem we have is the exposure its backside has. If you were to play this outside then you risk damaging your speaker because all of the knobs and buttons are open.
It also doesn’t have any extra protection like rubber surrounding it. While there is encasing protecting the amplifier, it’s always reassuring when there is more protection. We’re sure potential consumers won’t mind.
What it lacks for in durability it makes up for with its battery. It can provide 4-5 hours of battery at full power. The catch is you have to charge it for 12 hours to get it to full battery. All in all, the selling point for this radio is its sound quality and features.
5. Emergency Weather Solar Crank AM/FM NOAA Radio
The title says it all. If you didn’t know which radio to pick in a natural disaster situation, all you have to do is look at the title.
The Emergency Weather Solar Crank warns you of tornadoes and hurricanes. It also tells you the best places to stay safe. What else can you ask for?
Unlike the radio before, you get a radio which looks like a tank. With a radio as sturdy as this one you need to bring this on an emergency run.
What makes it even more reliable in an emergency is its simplicity. We first got the product and figured out the essentials in 5 minutes. In a true emergency you don’t have time to tinker. Besides the simplicity, there’s 2 more useful features.
If you’re stuck inside your house when electricity is down, you can use the flashlight or reading lamp that comes with this.
Another useful feature is the micro USB charging port. If you’re running low on battery plug it into the charging port.
What we would complain about is how it handles both the upper and lower frequency. It definitely fits the billing as a weatherproof portable radio, but the sound quality suffers because of it.
With all the emphasis on durability, the sound quality suffers because off everything covering it. It’s built like a tank but doesn’t focus much on its internal components.
The upper frequency isn’t as high as we’d like and the lower frequency doesn’t provide as much bass as we’d prefer. Keep in mind it’s still great at providing sound, it’s just not as high as we’d like.
We know one thing though, if you’re looking for a speaker in dire times, this is a top choice. One of the best outdoor radios ready for disasters.
6. BassPal Shower Speaker, IPX7 Waterproof Portable Wireless Bluetooth Speaker
You can classify this speaker as a pool speaker if you’re not keen on it as a radio. We say this because it can float on water and its aesthetics support that.
Its waterproof rating is IPX7 which is the highest. This means it can be 3 feet underwater for 30 minutes without damage.
If that wasn’t incentive to bring it around with you in the pool, then maybe you can bring it with you in the shower. With its suction ability you can stick it on slippery surfaces. A wet surface like the shower wall is one example, but another example is the sauna.
If you haven’t noticed yet, the BassPal is small. Its size makes it great for portability so even if you’re not sticking it anywhere, it’s easy to move around.
But don’t expect much power from it as its size limits it to 5 watts. Relative to its size though is the amount of bass it brings. It’s solid when you compare it to other small radios.
One critique we have of this radio is its vocals when the volume is high. Once you raise the volume up to a certain point the vocals distort a little bit. But that’s expected at a radio this size.
7. Bluetooth Portable Waterproof Shower Radio – HB Illumination
The design of this speaker looks exactly like the speaker above. We actually were confused at first because of their similarity.
Thankfully, we looked at the logo to differentiate between the two but it’s crazy how similar they are. If the logo wasn’t there, then we wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.
Miscellaneous features worth noting are its built-in microphone and multi-colored LED lights. The built-in microphone is convenient for talking hands-free when you’re in the pool or shower. LED lighting on the other hand sets the mood for the atmosphere you want.
Combining the lighting with the music is a powerful combination. Especially for a date!
When we tested the sound, we noticed this outdoor radio had the same problems with sound as the BassPal shower speaker.
It doesn’t do as well as we’d prefer on both end of the frequencies. Its bass is not as strong and the vocal clarity isn’t as clear as we’d like when pushed to its max.
Another similarity is its durability. The HB Illumination has a waterproof rating of IPX7.
There’s a lot of similarities between this speaker and the BassPal speaker. But still, this makes for one of the best outdoor radios.
8. Kello TK-669G Emergency Solar Hand Crank Weather Alert Radio
This multi-functional emergency radio does a lot. We were torn on whether this should take the place of the Solar Crank because of all its features.
But like we said on the first outdoor radio we reviewed, it’s not the features we’re looking for, it’s sound quality and durability.
Every outdoor radio here is suffering in either of these qualities which is why they’re ranked lower.
One attractive feature is all the stations you can navigate. You have the FM, AM, SW, and NOAA. We didn’t even know SW and NOAA exists, but you learn something everyday.
In a time of emergency this feature proves useful. You have the ability to switch to more stations to find out news or find safe havens in an emergency.
Another useful feature in an emergency is the “weather alert mode.”
During this mode, your radio is silent until there is something to report, such as a statement or warning from news outlets. One other tidbit we’d like to add is it can be powered 4 different ways. We know anxiety kicks in when anything you use has lower battery.
As for sound, we don’t think it’s the greatest, but it does provide value for its price range. We won’t say it provides warm sounds, but it does provide sharp vocals when turned up.
The bass for this radio is average for its size. We would estimate this speaker generates 4-8 watts which means a decibel range of 80-90 decibels.
If you’re looking for something else then get a bigger speaker.
On the flip side is durability. We don’t have any specifications but we know for sure this radio is drop-proof. We dropped it on purpose to see the reaction and it came out fine.
We wished there was a rating for water, but we couldn’t find any info. Just a word of caution and is one of the reasons why it’s lower on our durability scale.
9. Xeneo X21 Portable Outdoor Wireless Bluetooth Speaker Waterproof With FM Radio
Ranking this outdoor radio higher isn’t out of the question. Its rich sound and durability is great enough to rank higher.
The reason we didn’t want to is because this is a new speaker. We want to give it time to prove itself before we bring it higher.
Testing out the sound we were surprised to see how good the sound was. Playing it at maximum volume, both the bass and vocals were crisp. There was no distortion in sight.
What makes it stand out is its passive radiator. This allows it to balance both frequencies and give it an all-around sound.
Durability covers water and drops but doesn’t have much else going on for it. It’s still valuable to have, and won’t break on you easily, but we don’t see it as a pool speaker. This is more of a picnic speaker.
If you want more sound this radio can do wireless stereo pairing. But the catch is it has to be another X21 speaker.
10. Ancord Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker with FM Radio
What it has going for itself is its simplicity. The design on this outdoor radio is easy to use.
Its Bluetooth connectivity allows you to be 33 feet away and still play quality music. If you’re out hosting and have to run around, this Bluetooth connectivity is convenient.
One caveat is the speaker isn’t that strong. Projecting out 33 feet with clear audio might not be a problem, but keep on going a little and you’ll have problems.
Another impressive feature is the 12-hour playback. It’ll play for 12 hours straight as long as it’s at 80% volume.
Last but not least is its durability. Its water-resistance is an IPX6 which is solid. We always want more when it comes to protection but this’ll do.
