If you are in the market for a shower speaker, there has never been a better time to buy. While major brands have all made entries into the waterproof category, hundreds of cheap knockoffs and scammy internet sellers also pervade Amazon and other platforms. Fear not! We weed through the rubbish so you don’t have to.
Our testing process is simple: We check features, sound quality, overall usability, and after purchase care before creating a short list of products you should know about.
Sonitrek Sling: Editor’s pick for the best shower speaker – $54.99 at Mifo.com.au
Where to buy the Sonitrek Sling wireless shower speaker in Australia
The best wireless speaker for shower time comes from a brand that has emerged over the last two years as a major player in the portable audio space. But don’t let that scare you off, as this tiny speaker is easily one of the best we have ever tested. The top value with local inventory can be found at Aussie electronics retailer Mifo linked below.
BEST VALUE
- $54.99 shipping inclusive at Mifo.com.au- 2-4 day delivery
- OF NOTE: Go Edition $84.99 shipping inclusive at Mifo.com.au- 2-4 day delivery
So what makes the Sonitrek Sling wireless shower speaker the best all around waterproof speaker?
The best speaker for the shower, period. The Sonitrek Sling comes with a bevy of features that improve the shower experience immensely, beginning with its rugged form factor. Incredibly light and sleek, the speaker includes large buttons for volume, power, and pairing that depress easily, yet feel rugged and unbreakable. The included nanofiber lanyard works to easily attach the Sling to any shower configuration and height.
Big, resonant sound with dual drivers you have to hear to believe. The Sonitrek Sling packs some of the best bass in any small format wireless speaker we have tested. That’s particularly helpful if you prefer energetic tracks when showering. Mid and high tones are crisp and clear, even against the roar of the shower and echo of an enclosed space. That is absolutely key if you listen to podcasts, where voices are clear and easy to hear.
Absurd battery life with USB-C rapid charging. The Sonitrek Sling itself will play continuously for 6+ hours, a feat we tested over several days. Not only that, but the included USB-C charging cable offers a full charge in under 30 minutes. The update to cutting edge tech and this price point is key, and makes us wonder why shower speakers from other brands costing 3-4 times more have a third of the battery life and still rely on micro USB.
Party mode enables two speakers to combine for extra power. Should you feel the need to own two Sonitrek Sling speakers, you may pair them together to create a left and right channel. Handy onboard software automatically does the trick at the touch of a button, and produces a wonderfully raucous effect.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Sonitrek have released a larger, equally waterproof Go edition, designed with bigger sound in mind. It carries with it substantially louder speaker drivers and battery life for $84.99.
US-based warehouse and customer support. We have been continuously disappointed with wireless speakers in the past, even from tech giants like JBL. Part of that disappointment comes with poor or absent customer service and delayed shipping from Asia. We tested Sonitrek on several occasions with questions and every time received proper replies within an hour. That demonstrates commitment to the Australian market and contributes greatly to our award of Editor’s Pick.
JBL Clip 2: Solid but pricey Bluetooth shower speaker – $104.00 at Amazon.com.au
Where to buy the JBL Clip 2
Though it is an older model, the Clip 2 is JBL’s best effort at shower speakers to date. This wireless shower speaker comes with fewer bells and whistles than the Sonitrek Sling, and some strange choices that may hamper durability over the long term, but is a solid contender and should be considered.
BEST VALUE
Why JBL makes the list of shower speaker winners
Good overall quality for a wireless speaker. Since wireless speakers were invented, we have lamented at poor sound quality, weak bass reproduction, and tinny high note fiascos. JBL has included top quality audio components, and we were pleased with the overall experience even with the shower on full blast. The carabiner-inspired hanging mechanism looks great, but in practice is harder to use thanks to various unique shower setups.
Overall sound quality is excellent with one exception. While bass isn’t as rich as the Sonitrek Sling, the overall high and low tones of the Clip 2 are quite good, even when factoring reverberation in an enclosed shower environment. Lower tones are washed out and fuzzy, which may not bother most and is a common issue with smaller portable speakers. We’ll leave it to you to determine if it sounds $70 good.
Poorly designed user interface and ancient technology. Unfortunately JBL’s big weakness centers around its user interface and controls. Buttons are anemic and hart to locate. Once you do, you’ll immediately find the rubber to be flimsy. It feels as though the buttons could break at any moment. This is a particular peeve of ours as we have seen this same issue on speaker after speaker from many brands. JBL has not updated to Bluetooth 5, which is particularly annoying and causes stuttering or interruption when signal has to pass through walls or water.
Strange feature choices that may reduce product lifespan. While JBL does an excellent job with overall build, we have concerns about longevity in harsher environments. The inclusion of a 3.5mm jack as a legacy throwback to when smartphones and MP3 players had actual audio connectors is really strange, and offers a way for water to corrode components. It’s unnecessary and a little weird for a shower speaker.
Bose SoundLink Micro: A shower speaker that lives up to the Bose name – $145.00 at Amazon.com.au
Where to buy the Bose SoundLink Micro shower speaker
Bose has delved into the shower speaker category by focusing on sound quality. And while the SoundLink Micro is an excellent first product, it suffers from an aging Bluetooth chipset and mediocre battery life, costing Bose a higher position in our list.
BEST VALUE
Why Bose makes the list of waterproof speaker top picks
Great sound that comes at a cost. While Bose has engineered a product that is indeed worthy of the name, it does come at a cost. Reduced battery life and Bluetooth 4.1 instead of 5.0, and micro USB instead of USB-C hurt the product and age it to the first generation of shower speaker product.
Feature-rich, but does not excel in any one area. Of note are the options to use voice commands, and pair two SoundLink speakers together for double the output. That said, controls are difficult to operate, and voice commands fail to register more often than not. Should you have a home with Bose technology, the SoundLink Micro is compatible with the Bose Smart Home family.
Built for portability, but may not work for you. While the SoundLink Micro is made for portability, we found it a bit bulky. Figuring out where to position the awkward brick design in the shower is not exactly ideal, and laying the speaker on the shower floor is a little gross. Worth noting: The SoundLink Micro is not rated shock proof. That’s not particularly comfortable when you are in an environment where slipping or knocking about is likely.
Runners-up: Best Shower Speakers
There are many, many shower speakers in the market. And while we attempt to test as many as possible for our readers, some units simply don’t make the cut. Here’s a quick peek at Bluetooth shower speakers that didn’t make the list.
Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2 – $119.00 at Amazon.com.au
Ultimate Ears has become known for decent quality and durability, but the Wonderboom 2 is a halfhearted attempt at a shower speaker with a price tag that seems more appropriate for larger product. Missing is the deep, thumping bass and clear, crisp, unrestrained highs found in their larger speaker products and feels more like a land grab for the growing shower speaker category than a custom made product for the shower.
Boompods Aquablaster – $95.00 at Amazon.com.au
The Aquablaster is aptly named, but unfortunately fails to live up to its namesake in both sound quality and loudness. The minimalist pancake shape with carabiner is decent, but controls are impossible to use. Poor Bluetooth signal quality results in music stutter, and lackluster speaker drivers don’t pump out enough of anything to be notable. That’s a disappointment, and unacceptable at this price point.
JBL Clip 4 – $113.00 at Amazon.com.au
The updated JBL Clip 4 includes improvements like USB-C charging and easier to use buttons, but somehow manages to create a more awkward design that is anything but simple to set up in the shower. The carabiner handle is completely inflexible, meaning if you don’t have a way to fit something through the space of the product, you can’t hang it in your shower. That’s quite annoying and something we hope JBL improves in future editions of the Clip.