Tailgate & Grill · Best of
Three speakers that survive a truck bed, a cooler lid, and a boat deck and still sound like something. One for most people, one that sounds the best, one for the middle of the tailgate.
A tailgate speaker gets rained on, kicked over, and set on a hot truck hood. Sound quality matters, but third. First is whether it still works in November. Second is whether the battery makes it from the lot to the fourth quarter. We ranked on those, in that order, and all three here are IP67, which means dust-tight and good for half an hour under three feet of water.
Best overall
| Battery | 12 hours; 2.5 hours to charge |
|---|---|
| Rating | IP67 |
| Weight | 1.2 lb |
| Output | 30 W, Bluetooth 5.1 |
| Pairing | PartyBoost links two or more JBLs together |
The one most people should buy. It is the loudest of the three, it has been dropped off more tailgates than any speaker made, and when the crowd grows you pair a second one instead of buying a bigger speaker. The strap loop clips to a cooler handle.
See it on AmazonBest sound
| Battery | 12 hours |
|---|---|
| Rating | IP67, and it floats |
| Weight | 1.3 lb |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 |
| Smarts | PositionIQ senses whether it is upright, flat, or hanging and tunes itself |
The best sound of the three, and the one built like a tool: powder-coated steel grille, silicone body, a utility loop, and a body Bose says shrugs off drops, crushing, and rust. It senses how it is sitting and adjusts, so it sounds right flat on a tailgate, standing on a cooler, or clipped to a pack by the loop. It is right at the top of the budget, and worth it if you listen more than you haul.
See it on AmazonBest for the tailgate
| Battery | 13 hours |
|---|---|
| Rating | IP67, and it floats |
| Weight | 0.9 lb |
| Sound | 360 degree, with an Outdoor Boost button |
| Range | about 100 ft; pairs with a second Wonderboom |
It is round and it does not care which way it is pointed, so set it in the middle of the tailgate and everybody around the truck hears it the same. It floats, so the boat and the cooler full of ice do not scare it. Smallest and lightest of the three, with the longest battery, and it pairs with a second one when the lot fills up.
See it on AmazonYou want to fill a backyard for forty people. Nothing at this price does that honestly. Save for a real party speaker, or buy two of the overall pick and pair them.
Prices and stock change; check each product page.