What Is The Best Waterproof Rating For Bluetooth Speakers?

The wireless nature of Bluetooth speakers makes them perfect for any on-the-go trip, whether that’s an overnight stay or a beachside vacation. However, while you can take precautions to keep your speaker from getting wet, you can never be too sure. Whether you’re on a trip near the sea, may experience a sudden spell of rain, or have a leaky water bottle, it’s worth keeping an eye on how good the waterproofing is on any given speaker when shopping for a new one.

Bluetooth speakers have an Ingress Protection (IP) rating. An IP rating measures how resistant hardware is to dust and water, with the first number representing dust resistance (on a scale of 0 to 6) and the second number representing water resistance (on a scale of 0 to 9). For example, an IP rating of IP56 would translate to high dust resistance and protection from powerful jets of water.

The highest feasible rating for a waterproof Bluetooth speaker, then, would have a 9 in the second numeral, and the best all-around protection would come from an IP69. Unfortunately, this rating is pretty seldom seen outside of a few hyper-specialised examples; luckily, the more common ratings will still get you far. For big-name, high-quality speakers, IP67 or IPX7 (“X” meaning that the manufacturer didn’t test for dust protection) are the most common ratings. These speakers can survive not only droplets or jets of water, but can survive submersion in water (though only for a small window).

Despite the rarity of IP69, though, IP68 isn’t out of reach when balancing quality and reputation. One of the highest-rated Bluetooth speakers, the JBL Charge 6, reaches that fabled IP68 rating. IP68 is essentially a more potent version of the IP67, meaning that speakers with this rating can survive submersion under harsher conditions and for a longer period of time. However, it’s worth noting that even an IP68-rated device isn’t fully waterproof.

A 7 or 8 rating will go pretty far when it comes to keeping your tech safe from water. For reference, swimming headphones are typically within this same range — so you can bet that both ratings are built for decent submersion. There are plenty of high-end devices all the way down at the 2 rating, though, so if you want to invest in waterproofing, it’s worth knowing what you plan to do with your device.

For instance, if you want to bring your speaker into the shower, you’ll want at least an IPX6, though a 7 rating is preferable. When it comes to dealing with the rain, IPX5 will do, but as low as IPX2 can survive brief contact with rain. Overall, a 7 rating on the waterproof end will get you far enough for most cases, and it’s pretty common among high-end speakers.