Imagine you are asking someone for a quick meeting this week and the person answers you with: “Wait, I’ll have to check that with my assistant first.” That definitely sounds like either this person is a big shot or someone who is really busy and needs an assistant to arrange a hectic schedule ahead. In today’s world, however, that could simply mean quick access to “Hey Google” or “Hey Siri,” depending on the type of smart speaker one owns.

Indeed, to many users, speakers have evolved to be indispensable nowadays with their multiple innovative features that add zest to otherwise ordinary speakers. The proliferation of portable outdoor speakers, at the same time, further intensifies people’s interest in sharing great music anywhere, anytime with anyone.

Market potential of outdoor speakers

Nowadays, outdoor speakers are synonymous with portable speakers even though portable speakers may cover both indoor and outdoor usage. Consumer preferences over portable outdoor speakers rather than the traditionally bulky, stationary outdoor speakers are evident especially with the rise of wireless speakers, which connect via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, or both. The popularity of these wireless speakers is perceptible in their steadily rising statistics.

The global market for portable Bluetooth speakers is anticipated to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.9% during the eight years forecast period between 2017 to 2025, hitting close to US$ 8,530 million by the end of 2025. On the other hand, the global portable speaker market with both wireless and wired speakers included is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 18.28% from 2022 up to 2026 and increase by at least US$ 16 billion throughout the forecast period.

Key features of outdoor speakers

The evaluation criteria for outdoor speakers can be quite different from those of indoor speakers. There are several fundamental key differences that one must take note of when it comes to the consideration of outdoor speakers. Among them, durability stands out as the most crucial point that separates a speaker’s suitability for indoor usage or more for outdoor use.

While one may also get an outdoor speaker for home use, it is mainly for outdoor activities such as a summer outing in the garden or by a pool. With all the potential heat and humidity exposure in an outdoor environment, weather-resistant speakers are certainly preferred. On top of weather resistance, most of the key players in the market of outdoor speakers also introduce a water resistance or even waterproof feature, aiming to make the speaker completely impermeable to water.

Another much-needed feature for outdoor speakers is the portability that most outdoor speakers are equipped with now. Long gone are the days of outings with the wired, distance-constrained outdoor speakers. An outdoor speaker’s rechargeable battery has to be able to support long standby hours in order to operate for at least half a day without the need to recharge. Thankfully, the evolution of lithium-ion batteries has incredibly increased the battery life of most outdoor speakers; some may even be able to stay functional for a remarkable 24 hours!

Battery standby hours are not only indispensable for operational reasons but also highly related to connectivity. This is because the increasing Bluetooth usage and Wi-Fi connectivity for portable outdoor speakers will inevitably drain the battery, especially when the signals are weak. Strictly speaking, however, Bluetooth technology is still consuming much lower battery power compared to Wi-Fi connection. Hence, pure Bluetooth speaker usage may provide more savings in terms of power.

Apart from all the above major features that clearly distinguish outdoor speakers from their indoor counterparts, the sound quality requirements are also different. From a loudness and bass quality point of view, for instance, outdoor speakers tend to require a “loudspeaker” kind of volume capacity, since the last thing people want for outings is for their favorite music to be drowned out in a cacophony of activities.

Ultimately, there are also a great variety of added features that people may love to consider, such as applications offered by Smart speakers that support easier controls, built-in amplifiers and subwoofers, or other creative new features that one may find useful from time to time.

Top budget outdoor speakers in 2023

Mini outdoor speakers

The rise of portable devices also signifies the growth of hand-held devices, and those who labeled themselves as “mini” are definitely in rising demand in line with the affordable prices and conveniences they can provide.

One of the common concerns over mini Bluetooth outdoor speakers is their standby time. Judging from their perceived diminutive sizes with even smaller batteries, no wonder people are skeptical about this. Fear not, for a mini palm size speaker may support up to 12 hours standby time. In fact, even the finger-sized micro outdoor speaker featured in the picture below can support up to 4 hours of standby time.

And of course, another regular concern among the audio industry for the mini speakers is their audio quality, especially in terms of loudness and clarity. While no doubt one should not compare a mini speaker with those specialized for the loudspeaker market, it is certainly possible for mini speakers to play reasonably loud, clear, and high-quality music too. For example, this mini portable outdoor speaker with a built-in subwoofer, or better still, a mini outdoor speaker with a subwoofer integrated offer clear, high-quality sound and 12 hours of standby time.

Smart outdoor speakers

Based on product demand as well as affordability, smart speakers are indeed another well-liked category of outdoor speakers. The market prospects for smart speakers are expanding so fast that while its market growth was previously projected at a CAGR of 17.1% from 2021 to 2025, the CAGR prediction up to 2028 has nearly doubled, hitting 32.75% instead.

The popularity of smartphones globally, especially for markets in fast-growing countries such as China, South Korea, and the United States, is deemed as highly associated with the growth of the smart speakers market. This is certainly understandable since almost every single smart speaker starts with an application setup via smartphone or tablet. It is only then that the users can start “talking” to their digital assistants, or what is normally known as intelligent personal assistants for smart speakers. Hence, aside from the applications and all the must-have durable features, a smart outdoor speaker must also be physically built-in with a microphone for voice recognition and a voice control system.

Depending on the type of smart assistant a smart speaker supports, it could act as a smart home assistant as well. For example, a Google Assistant-supported smart outdoor speaker or an Alexa-supported smart outdoor speaker, such as the one featured in the above picture, typically works with a variety of third-party control devices. In other words, they may allow access to TVs, lighting, and other standard home appliances too. Apart from these, Android smartphone users may also enjoy access to other smart assistants such as Xiao Ai, the virtual assistant of Xiaomi mobiles.

Multi-functional outdoor speakers

Some may associate multifunctional with higher costs since they are often packed with many more functions, even those we have never thought of. While this may hold some truth, the outdoor Bluetooth speaker shown in the picture below may seem worth its offer since it is an outdoor speaker that doubles as a power bank, with up to 30 hours of standby time yet also supporting wireless charging.

Alternatively, one may also consider an outdoor speaker with colorful LED rotating lights that also serves as an entertainment product highly suitable for outdoor party events, gaming events, or even Karaoke sessions.

Let the voice be heard

The growth of the outdoor speaker market is a trend that is going to stay for quite a while given the availability of more affordable options and the flourishing of smart home devices that inevitably promote the demand for virtual assistants. In 2023, mini outdoor speakers, smart outdoor speakers as well as many creatively equipped multifunctional outdoor speakers are the three most popular outdoor speaker categories that any electronic devices wholesaler should pay attention to.