While some love singing in the shower, others like blasting tunes through speakers. In fact, listening to music in the shower can help with anxiety and even lower your blood pressure.
But bringing your favorite music into the bathroom has always been a problem. That, and your smartphone can only get so loud. But, there’s an easy and often affordable solution to this problem: buying an in-shower or portable speaker.
Nowadays, bathroom-safe speakers are more than good enough to play over even the loudest of showers. Also, a good amount of them operate via Bluetooth—so that means no more messing around with wet audio cables.
So, are looking to play your favorite music while you rinse off? Keep on reading our detailed buyers guide that’ll help you choose the best shower speaker for you.
What is a Shower Speaker?
A shower speaker these days can mean quite a bit. It could be an installed audio system in your bathroom, or a portable Bluetooth speaker you carry with to the bathroom. Either way, each shower speaker (or speaker system) has a few things in common:
These days, most shower speakers are operated via wireless technologies like Bluetooth. Also, to ensure they’re water-resistant, many don’t have CD players.
How Do Shower Speakers Work?
Shower speakers work much in the same way regular speakers do: They translate an electrical signal into an audible sound. The only difference is that shower speakers can withstand moisture and water. This means that shower speakers use waterproof or water-resistant materials. These design characteristics to make sure they’re also safe for bathroom use, and won’t cause electrocution.
In fact, many shower speakers can even be submerged entirely without breaking or causing dangerous side effects.
Best Shower Speaker Buyers Guide
The market has been flooded with portable speakers in recent years. Many are great for outdoor purposes, but might not make for the best shower speaker.
Things to Consider When Buying a Shower Speaker
Not every shower speaker is perfect for every household. When buying a shower speaker, you’ll want to consider the following before purchasing:
Also because of the pressures a shower speaker will be put under, make sure it has a warranty. Most companies who sell shower speakers provide a year or two warranty, free of charge, that starts from the time of purchase.
Benefits of Shower Speakers
Why wouldn’t you just bring a speaker system you already have into the bathroom?
Well, for one, the one you already have at home probably isn’t waterproof. Even if it never does come into contact with water, the steam from the shower can ruin it.
A wireless shower speaker is designed from the get-go to withstand water and moisture. And if your shower speaker is portable, that means you won’t have to worry about taking it to the pool or lake either.
These shower speakers are great alternatives to bringing your smartphone into the bathroom, which may cause it to suffer water damage. Many shower speakers these days use a Bluetooth connection to pair with music-playing devices.
This means that you can leave your phone in one room and have it synced to your shower speaker to play music in another. Consider putting your music on a playlist or loop, if you can't remotely operate your speaker.
But thankfully, most shower speakers come with wireless remotes that let you change the music.
The Design of Your Bathroom Might Dictate Your Shower Speaker Selection
How your music sounds isn’t only dependent on the speakers. The acoustics of where you’re playing your tunes also has a great impact on how your music sounds. And bathrooms are notorious for having not-too-great acoustical qualities.
In most cases, you’ll want to make sure your bathroom speaker (or speakers) can emanate sound in all directions. Shower speakers that project music in one direction should only be used in the actual shower, facing you. For speakers you don’t want to lug with you into the shower, make sure they offer surround sound.
In bathrooms that are heavily tilled, make sure your speakers aren’t flush against the wall. This placement can cause unwanted echoes and distort how your music sounds. Always make sure there are at least a few inches of wiggle room between the shower speaker and the wall.
Shower Speakers Can Go Beyond the Bathroom
Many shower speakers nowadays can double as portable outdoor (or anywhere) speakers. These waterproof Bluetooth speakers are popular with people who want to take the music or radio with them...no matter where that might be.
Unlike the optimistically portable speakers of yesteryear, these mobile speakers are compact. No longer will you have to balance a boombox over your shoulder, just to play music in the backyard.
But just because they’re small doesn't mean they don’t pack a punch. Speaker technology has improved tremendously over the past few years. This means that speakers have not only gotten smaller and louder, but more affordable. Even today’s budget waterproof portable speakers offer high-quality sound.
Battery Life is Key
If you’re looking for a portable Bluetooth shower speaker, you’ll want to pay attention to battery life. Mose shower speakers have battery lives north of eight or more hours. Some even can play for up to twelve hours without needing a charge.
Also, it’s a good idea to pay attention to recharge times. A handful of shower speakers can charge from dead-flat to fully charged in as little as an hour. Others that lack fast chargers can take upwards of three hours to completely charge.
Pairing Your Speaker to Alexa and Google Home via Bluetooth
Modern-day “smart speakers” and AI (Artificial Intelligence) home assistants are more popular than ever. Most of these, too, can be paired with your shower speaker.
For both Amazon Alexa and Google Home products, syncing them up is simple. Each smart speaker will have the option to connect to a Bluetooth device.
Follow these steps to pair your speakers with an Alexa device:
Put your Bluetooth speaker into pairing mode
Open up the Alexa app on your smartphone or tablet
Go to “Settings”
Tap your Echo device name
Select the “Bluetooth” icon
Click “Pair a New Device”
Your Bluetooth speaker should now show up within the app
Tap it to connect
Wait for Alexa to confirm
Once confirmed, your shower speaker will be able to play music from your Amazon Alexa
Follow these steps to pair your speakers with a Google Home device:
Switch on your Bluetooth speaker of choice, leaving it in “pairing mode”
Open the “Google Home app
Go to the “Devices Page” by tapping on the icon in the top right corner
Find the “Google Home speaker” you want to sync
Tap on the three dots icon in the top right corner of that squat
Select “Settings”
Scroll down to “Paired Bluetooth devices”
Add your Bluetooth speaker
Go back to the Device settings menu, select “Default speaker”
Pick your newly added Bluetooth speaker
Once added, your Google Home device will work with your shower speaker
Setups to Consider
Odds are you’re going to want to set up your shower speaker after purchasing it. But depending on how you’ll use it, how you choose to mount it will vary.
If you want to temporarily use your shower speaker, consider mounting it using suction cups. Most will have these included, but you can easily find them at local hardware stores or online. These work great, especially if you want to mount the speaker for only a short time. Once you’re done showering, you can detach it from the suction cups and take it with you.
Many portable speakers come with clips that allow the speaker to be clipped onto things like curtain rods, as well.
For those looking for more permanent installations, invest in high-quality wall mounts. This can be either a water-resistant shelf space or cubby for your speaker. However, before you start drilling, make sure your shower walls can be pierced. Tiled walls can easily crack and cause costly repairs if drilled into incorrectly. We’d recommend professional installation for such a job to avoid any future headaches.
Water Resistant Ratings
Shower speakers and portable waterproof Bluetooth speakers generally come with a water-resistant rating. IPX ratings are the industry standard for speakers. These are the rating you’ll mostly find splayed across product descriptions.
The scale goes from an IPX of 0 to 8. Items that have no water resistance fall in the IPX0 category. Those that have an IPX rating of 7 or 8 means that the device can be submerged in up to 3 feet of water for at least 30 minutes. For shower speakers, only buy ones that have an IPX rating of 7 or above.
Other Features to Consider
There are still more items to consider before purchasing a shower speaker. Here are more features to consider:
Best Shower Speaker Reviews
Now that you know what to look for in a shower head, you can start shopping around. But we’ve already done a bit of the leg work for you.
Here are our recommendations based on certain shopping criteria:
1. Best Overall Shower Speaker
About: The Ultimate Ears Wonderboom blends practice and quality into a seamless, waterproof design. The speaker itself only measures 4.6in x 4.2in x 5.24in in size and weighs just 1.3 pounds. But it packs a wallop of sound, and can even pair with a Bluetooth device from 100 feet away.
Also, this speaker can withstand a drop of over 6ft, so that’ll give you a bit more peace of mind. It, too, has an IPX rating of 7.
Offered in six colors, from “subzero blue” to “stone gray,” you don’t have to settle for just the standard black speaker.
Pros
Cons
2. Best Budget Shower Speaker Under $30
About: This budget-friendly portable speaker isn’t only affordable but also delivers high-quality sounds. The BasPal Portable Wireless Outdoor Bluetooth Speaker is incredibly compact. The entire device measures just 3.23in x 3.23in x 2.56in in size and weighs less than a half-pound.
This BassPal speaker has an IPX rating of 7, which means it can withstand being submerged in 3 feet of water for up to 30 minutes. Unlike other devices, it comes with a built-in microphone.
Complete with “Mood LED lighting,” finding this speaker in the dark is a snap. Also, it can help give your shower time a splash of color.
It’s also worth mentioning that VicTsing also produces good budget-friendly shower speakers. But unlike those from BassPal, they only have an IPX rating of 5, which means they can never be submerged below water.
Pros
Cons
3. Best Shower Speaker With Radio
About: The Bose SoundLink Micro speaker is great for those who want to tune into their favorite radio stations while washing up.
Using the device with the Bose Connect app, you can chime into your favorite local broadcasts. In fact, the Bose Connect app also allows you to listen to other national broadcasts, as well.
Aside from the radio connectivity, the Bose SoundLInk Micro Speaker can also pair with other Bluetooth devices. In fact, it can even pair with devices from a few rooms away.
This shower speaker is also incredibly light and compact. And with a 6-hour battery life, a single charge can last you threw a few week’s of shower jam sessions.
For audiophiles looking for an upscale radio for their showers, look no further than this portable speaker.
Pros
Cons
4. Best Shower Head Bluetooth Speaker
About:
This Bluetooth speaker from YOO.MEE kills two birds with one stone: It doubles as both a Bluetooth speaker and a fixed shower head.
The YOO.MEE Bluetooth Fixed Shower Head with Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker has a great sound quality that can quickly blast over shower noise. Complete with a rainfall showerhead, it’s a great all-in-one device.
For easy charging, the unit’s Bluetooth speaker is removable. Simply twist the center speaker out, and the entire compact unit can be removed with ease. Once taken out, charging is easy and quick. On a single charge, expect a play time of between three or four hours.
And to make playing your favorite music easier, the device can sync with a Bluetooth enabled device from over 30 feet away. Also, the nozzle is self-cleaning, so there’s no need to worry about water or mineral buildup in the shower head itself.
Pros
Cons
5. Best Light Bulb Speaker For Bathroom
About: If you’re in the market for a “smart bulb” for your bathroom, then give the Flux Melody Bluetooth Speaker Light Bulb a look over.
The Flux Melody Bluetooth Speaker Light Bulb is a smart bulb that can also play your favorite music.
It’s usable with any light socket in your house, including the ones in your bathroom. The design can withstand moisture, so you don’t have to worry about stream breaking it.
The bulbs center-mounted 3W speakers delivers exceptional highs and crisp, clear sounds. Also, you can choose which color (or colors) you want via the Flux app. The bulb is compatible with iOS 7.0 or higher devices, as well as Android ones with Android 4.3 or newer.
Pros
Cons
6. Best Shower Speaker With Bass
About: The UE (Ultimate Ears) Boom 2 wraps incredible speakers that can blare bass notes into a waterproof design.
This shower speaker by Ultimate Ears can last upwards of 15 hours on a single charge.
The Bluetooth range on this device is also incredible, pairing with drives as far away as 100 feet. It's also compatible with both Amazon Alexa and Google Home devices. And like any good, high-quality speaker, it projects sound in 360 degrees.
Aside from being waterproof, the UE Boom 2 is also shockproof. Even if you were to drop it from six feet high, your speaker would still work afterward.
Pros
Cons
7. Best In Ceiling Shower Speaker
About: Not every shower speaker is suited for ceiling installation. But this offering from Mr. Steam sticks out above the competition.
Unlike other shower ceiling speakers, the Mr. Steam MS SPEAKERS RD-BK is “marine grade” proof.
This means that it can withstand years in a high-moisture environment. It can even be mounted above your shower without worry.
This speaker can be mounted flush against the ceiling and also come in either white or black. However, they’re not Bluetooth capable, which means playing your music will have to be done a weird way.
Pros
Cons
Final Thoughts on Finding the Best Shower Speaker
Buying a speaker for your shower has never been easier. But that doesn’t mean every speaker on the market is suited for your needs.
If portability and functionally are essential, then the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom is likely the one for you. But still: even budget portable speaker options from makers like BassPal and VicTsing are great for shower use.
Ultimately, you'll know which shower speaker best suits your needs, budget, and whichever considerations you’re making. We hope that this guide to the best shower speakers on the market helped narrow down your options and will help you make the best choice possible.
--RELATED POSTS--
Echo Vs. Google Home
Best Bookshelf Speakers
No Comments