Solar-powered Bluetooth speakers allow you to cut loose and get real freedom from wires. Unlike a regular Bluetooth speaker which is still tied down by the power cord every time it has to be charged, these solar-powered speakers charge under the sun while you have fun.
Perfect for adventurous fun-lovers, these speakers will not only recharge while they play your music, but they can also double up as a USB charger for your phone.
Portable, wireless and long-lasting, solar-powered Bluetooth speakers are not only convenient but also good for the earth. This is a gadget that no self-respecting outdoors person should ever be caught without! Whether you’re on the beach or going camping or hiking, these speakers will stretch your days and bring you more fun.
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OUR PICK: Lemon – California Roll
This portable wireless speaker is waterproof and comes in 5 colors. It stands head and shoulders above the competition for a variety of reasons.
The speaker is designed for outdoor and music enthusiasts and combines the best of sound and solar technology. It has sophisticated NASA-grade solar cells and a lot of enjoyable functions. It’s simply the greatest in its category. A lot of power was packed into this relatively small speaker, and it’s no surprise that it has an endless list of 5-star reviews, and was crowned first on our list.
Design and Features
This Bluetooth speaker from Lemon has 33 built-in solar panels for maximum power and performance. It combines the unique 3D sound with voice recognition. It has a cloth grill, advanced Bluetooth profiles, and a convenient hands-free function which makes taking calls on it a breeze.
The speaker system has integrated components like the microphone, and it’s unique, as far as solar-powered Bluetooth speakers go, because it is the most complete outdoor portable speaker on the market right now.
Audio Quality
The California Roll solar-powered speaker delivers 90 Decibels of rich, loud, and truly immersive sound without distortion. It has a frequency response of 65 Hz to 22 kHz. Amplify the sound by pairing two speakers together for stereo or party mode playback. The audio quality of this speaker is second to none. It doesn’t just produce loudness, it distributes the highest quality sound of any portable wireless speaker.
What we like:
- 7 hours of sunshine gives about 15 hours of sound
- It has a power bank to charge up to 3 smartphones and you can take calls on it!
- Thanks to the noise and echo canceling speakerphone, you can activate Google or Siri
- 30m Bluetooth range and is both shockproof and waterproof
- Instead of being rectangular, square or round, the Lemon speaker is oval to make it easy to grip for those with smaller hands
Not so much:
- Using the solar panel to charge takes about twice as long as charging through the micro-USB port, but if you’re out somewhere where there isn’t any electricity, you won’t be complaining, right? That’s just about all that counts as a ‘con’ for this speaker
CHEAP OPTION: Eton Rugged Rukus
This speaker generates massive amounts of power so you can play your tunes all day long and even charge your phone while streaming music from any Bluetooth-enabled smartphone, tablet, or computer.
This is a great option that also allows you to control your music from the device. It boasts two stereo speakers and has the ability to fully charge in just 5 hours of direct sunlight, giving you 8 hours of continuous playback. It’s great for light-duty outdoor use.
Design and Features
This speaker has a high-efficiency solar panel with an internal lithium-ion battery which provides over 8 hours of playtime even after the sun goes down. It charges your smartphone while your music is playing.
Going indoors? No need to go without your music. You can charge your speaker the old-fashioned way via micro-USB so you can keep the party going. After all, what’s the use of technology if you can’t fall back on the old ways once in a while?
Audio Quality
With an all-out stereo sound, you’ve got a party as long as there’s sunlight. The Rukus has two full-range speaker drives and delivers crystal clear audio.
It has great sound quality and volume when compared with other similar speakers in its category.
What we like:
- Charge other devices while playing music
- Run on solar power directly
- Lightweight design and comes with carabiner-ready loops for easy use on those back-country adventures
- Water resistant (IPX4 rated)
- For non-Bluetooth devices, there is aux-in (cable not included
Not so much:
- Not completely waterproof, which is a major concern for a lot of outdoors people who love to spend their time on boats, next to pools or on the beach where there is a possibility of the speaker falling into the water
- Also, the plastic used in the case is not very durable, so there are some concerns about dropping the speaker from a substantial height
- There is no automatic function, and there are battery longevity issues
- Overall, the build and quality of this speaker could use a lot of improvement
ALSO GREAT: MacroBoom by RoamProof
The MacroBoom is another feature-rich premium speaker perfect for the outdoors. With a rating of IP67, it is waterproof, dust-proof, and shockproof. Basically, judging by its build and quality, it’s nothing short of bulletproof!
It also comes in a huge package, filled with accessories including lightning and micro-USB charging cables and an aluminum case. This solar speaker is perfect for pretty much any outdoor activity you could think of.
Design and Features
The MacroBoom has some truly impressive design features. It has a long-life battery, solar charging, and external charging for most USB devices so you never have to go without your music or phone.
You can take it everywhere – the pool, beach, hiking, canoeing, kayaking, biking – heck, you can even take it in the shower! It comes with tons of accessories including two mounts and a carabiner for easy toting!
Audio Quality
This Bluetooth speaker by RoamProof gives very good sound quality with no distortion. It offers rich, crystal clear sound – something that a lot of customers are raving about.
The portable speaker gives superb sound quality and is a great buy for yourself or as a gift. It’s a top-shelf product that is easy to use and charges quickly. Totally worth every penny.
Excellent audio quality, and you can pair it with other MacroBoom speakers for party-mode sound.
What we like:
- Heavy duty build quality makes this amazing piece of audio technology virtually indestructible
- Dual pairing for 2-speaker surround sound gets the party started the right way
- An aluminum carabiner for your convenience
- Comes with charging or data cables, a clamp mount, and an action-cam compatible mount
Not so much:
- The positioning of the power switch and USB ports could have been better, but otherwise, there aren’t any negative aspects to this speaker
ALSO GREAT: Ecoxgear Sol Jam Solar-powered Waterproof Speaker
As long as you can take your music everywhere with the portable, solar-powered, waterproof, dust-proof, drop resistant, mountable Sol Jam Speaker, who cares where your next adventure takes you?
This speaker is designed to travel anywhere and everywhere you go. The ultra-efficiency solar panel makes this the ideal speaker on a boat or in a car, with a reliable power source to recharge hand-held devices like your tablet or smartphone.
The long battery life means that your music will play for as long as you want to hear it!
Design and Features
With an IP67 rating, you don’t need to worry if you spill something on your speaker or drop it into the pool because it’s not only shock-resistant and waterproof, it floats too, so it won’t be lost if you drop it while surfing or boating.
This speaker has integrated solar panels which creates more power than speakers use at normal listening levels. Although it has a USB port and aux input for charging your smartphone, you will probably never have to plug into a power outlet again.
There is a lot of really positive feedback from customers about this product.
Audio Quality
You don’t have to settle for that standard portable speaker sound with the Ecoxgear speakers because two integrated full-range stereo speakers and a large passive sub-woofer provide rich, high-quality sounds.
As far as sound is concerned, Ecoxgear is considered to be among the better speakers, even though they do focus on building weather-proof (or weather-utilizing) speakers as opposed to sound quality.
What we like:
- Built-in 1.5Watt solar panel and LED meter to optimize sun angle, which helps you get continuous playtime in sunlight
- Portable, waterproof and provides great sound – something that most customers have come to expect from Ecoxgear’s product line
- Charges within 3 hours in the sun and will give you 15 hours of playtime on a full charge
- LED lights indicate a mode of charging, as well as how much sunlight the solar panel is getting
- Bluetooth-enabled device up to 30 feet away
Not so much:
- Although the sound is still good compared to other speakers, it could be better for its price
ALSO GREAT: Eton Rukus
The Rukus Bluetooth speaker has few architectural differences from its cousin, the Rugged Rukus. Although the audio quality feels degraded as compared to the Rugged Rukus, all in all, the features are pretty much the same, and that’s why the Eton Rukus speaker gets a spot on our list as one of the best solar-powered Bluetooth speakers on the market right now.
Most customer reviews of this speaker are good, with a lot of buyers marveling about the sturdiness and durability of the speaker when putting to the test.
Design and Features
The Eton Rukus has a USB output that can charge most hand-held devices, and its storage net protects your speaker during transport. It uses minimal power and is virtually indestructible.
This solar-powered speaker has an internal rechargeable Li-ion battery which charges fully in less than 6 hours using its built-in high-efficiency monocrystal solar panel. This amazing technology means that you get over 8 hours of music playtime from a single charge.
The Eton Rukus has lots of good things going for it – there is even an elastic band on the underside to hold your smartphone!
Audio Quality
This speaker has two full-range speaker drivers, which means that you will be able to enjoy audio that is superbly clear and crisp with bass boost and stereo sound.
The Rukus Solar-powered Bluetooth speaker focuses more on design than the audio, which could have been made even better!
The speaker can only produce so much bass, but you definitely do get agreeable sound from the speaker at moderate volumes. There is no distortion whatsoever.
What we like:
- Integrated handle and speakerphone
- Acts as a power bank
- Mellow sound for a speaker of its size
- Bluetooth connectivity is so easy even a 6-year-old could do it without much instruction
- Solar power and/or AC power, aux-in jack – there’s always an option for power
- Listen to any audio device, Bluetooth or not
- Bluetooth connectivity with AVRCP and A2DP, the high-quality audio streaming
- Stream your music from any Bluetooth-enabled source with super quick one-touch pairing
Not so much:
- Audio could do with some improvement, and for some, the sound volume may be an issue – especially since this product was designed to be used outdoors.
How does a solar-powered Bluetooth speaker work?
The way these speakers work is a simple enough process.
Sunlight is made of energy particles called photons. A solar panel is made up of a framework of cells known as photovoltaic cells, which convert solar energy into electricity. Inside these photo-voltaic cells are semiconductor plates like Silicon. When the photons from the sun hit these plates, electrons get knocked off by the atoms, and they are then collected via metal plates and converted into electricity.
That’s the process for creating continuous power for your speakers from the sun – which is all well and good, but how do you go about picking the best speakers?
How to choose the best solar-powered Bluetooth speakers
There are a few things that you need to consider when buying solar-powered wireless speakers.
Audio
For obvious reasons, this is first on the list. Some manufacturers put most of their focus on integrating the solar panel to the body of the speaker, and so they compromise on audio quality. The audio capacity of this kind of speaker varies wildly.
Charging Capacity
Your Bluetooth speaker should be able to charge other devices using a USB slot provided on the speaker. This is incredibly useful when you’re out hiking, camping, fishing, or anywhere else where you have less chance of getting electricity.
High Capacity Battery
Now that you know how solar-powered speakers work, you understand that the bigger the panel, the better. Although it may take a little longer to charge, it gives the added advantage of longer playback time, especially when you have no idea when the weather might change.
Weather Resistance
This is another very important factor to consider when deciding which solar Bluetooth speaker to get. They are obviously supposed to stay out in the open, especially when charging, but what happens if it suddenly starts to rain? Or even if you accidentally drop the speaker into the pool?
Well, the best speakers are made to be waterproof and they are physically strong and resistant to natural elements like heat and water.
Budget
How much you are willing to spend is also something to think about when choosing which speaker to buy. Solar-powered Bluetooth speakers are surprisingly affordable these days, but they are still luxury items. Make sure to select one that is not only high in quality but also gives you the best value for money.
Extra Features
There are a few extra things to consider like the speakerphone, battery bank, flashlight, and radio. Although some of these may be unnecessary for one person, they could make life easier for someone else.
We’ve done most of the hard work for you by going out and researching scores of speakers on the market right now. We picked out the best ones in an effort to make it really easy for you to choose the best solar-powered Bluetooth speakers with ease.
Conclusion
The benefits of solar Bluetooth speakers are immense, not least of which is the ability to keep other devices charged while you’re out on your adventures so that you’re never without a phone or tablet for calls, internet surfing, or reading your favorite eBook.
Even when there’s no electricity around on your long hikes, weekend camping trips or multi-day fishing trips, you never have to worry because as long as you have the sun, you will be able to charge not only your speaker but also your phone and tablet – all the while listening to your favorite tunes or podcasts. This is a must-have item that you will cherish for years to come.
Image by Lemon California, Modified by Author.
Last update on 2022-03-01 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
