ZDNET Picks 5 Memorial Day 2026 Bluetooth Speaker Deals With Up to 28 Hours of Battery
Updated
Updated · ZDNet · May 23
ZDNET Picks 5 Memorial Day 2026 Bluetooth Speaker Deals With Up to 28 Hours of Battery
3 articles · Updated · ZDNet · May 23
Five portable Bluetooth speakers made ZDNET's Memorial Day 2026 deal list, led by models from Bose, JBL, Sony, Beats and Soundcore for pool days, cookouts and backyard use.
28 hours of playtime on JBL's Charge 6 was the longest battery claim among the picks; Bose's SoundLink Plus offered 20 hours, Beats Pill 24 hours and Sony's Ult Field 1 12 hours.
IP67 to IP68 water resistance was a common theme, with Bose, Sony and Beats rated IP67, JBL rated IP68 and Soundcore's Boom 2 carrying IPX7 protection.
Several picks added outdoor-friendly extras beyond durability, including floating designs on Bose and Soundcore, USB-C reverse charging on Bose and JBL, and Find My support on the Beats Pill.
As competitors add Wi-Fi, are pure Bluetooth speakers becoming obsolete for a seamless indoor-outdoor audio experience?
What hidden drawbacks or common user complaints do these 'top-rated' outdoor speakers have that typical reviews might gloss over?
What is the long-term environmental cost of these durable but often unrepairable outdoor gadgets?