The 6 Best Waterproof Bluetooth Speakers of 2026 (Pool, Beach & Shower-Proof)
“Waterproof” hides a lot of fine print — and the fine print is the whole decision. Below, the exact IP rating, float behavior, real battery life, and output for six speakers people genuinely take near water, with every number cited to a named source.
Water and electronics used to be a hard no. Not anymore — a good waterproof Bluetooth speaker shrugs off a cannonball at the pool, a sandy afternoon at the beach, and the steam of a long shower, then keeps playing. But “waterproof” hides a lot of fine print, and the fine print is the whole decision. An IP67 speaker is sealed against dust and survives 30 minutes under a meter of water; an IPX7 speaker survives the same dunk but was never tested against dust; and only some of these actually float when they hit the water. Get those three details wrong and you’re fishing a dead speaker off the bottom of the deep end. This guide pulls the exact IP rating, float behavior, real battery life, and output for six speakers people genuinely take near water — from a $59 shower-shelf can to a $179 backyard cannon — and cites every number to a named source (RTINGS, SoundGuys, Tom’s Guide, What Hi-Fi?, ecoustics, and each manufacturer’s own spec sheet). One honest note up front, because it matters more here than almost anywhere: a high IP rating does not mean a speaker floats. Several excellent waterproof speakers — including the JBL Charge 5 and Sony’s ULT Field 1 — sink like a stone, so if poolside use is your priority, jump to the float column below. We lead with the Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) as the best all-round pick.
The picks at a glance
Six waterproof Bluetooth speakers across every budget — from a $59 shower can to an 80-watt backyard cannon. Compare them at a glance, then jump to any full write-up below.
| Speaker | Best for | Standout (cited) | Get it |
|---|---|---|---|
 Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) IP67 · floats | Best overallRefined sound + IP67 and floats | IP67 + floats · Bluetooth 5.3 · up to 12 h | |
 JBL Charge 5 IP67 · sinks | Best value~17 h measured + USB powerbank | 17 h 12 m measured · ~40 W peak · USB-A power-out | |
 Sony SRS-XB100 IP67 · sinks | Best budgetIP67 for ~$59 | ~$59 · up to 16 h rated · ~9.7 oz, carry strap | |
 UE WONDERBOOM 4 IP67 · floats | Best for pool-floatFloats + 360° sound | Floats + 360° · 131 ft (40 m) range · 14 h rated | |
 UE MEGABOOM 3 IP67 · floats | Best ruggedLoud 360° + floats | 20 h rated + floats · PartyUp 150+ · 25+ durability tests | |
 Soundcore Motion Boom Plus IP67 · floats | Loudest80 W + floats | 80 W stated · floats · ~20 h claimed + USB-A out |
Which waterproof speaker is right for you?
Skip the spec overwhelm — match how you’ll use it near water to the pick.
The key specs, cited
Every figure here is from a named source — RTINGS, SoundGuys, Tom’s Guide, ecoustics, or each manufacturer’s own spec sheet, footnoted below (here’s how we research and pick, and who we are) — so you can match the right speaker to your water use at a glance.
| Speaker | Award | IP rating | Floats? | Battery | Output / drivers | ~Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) Best overall | Best overall | IP67¹ | Yes¹ | up to 12 h¹ | Full-range + 2 passive radiators (W n/a)¹ | ~$149–159¹ |
| JBL Charge 5 Best value | Best value | IP67² | No² | 20 h claimed / 17 h 12 m measured² | ~40 W peak (~22 W RMS) + 2 radiators² | ~$119–179² |
| Sony SRS-XB100 Best budget | Best budget | IP67³ | No³ | up to 16 h rated³ | ~2.5 W full-range + radiator³ | ~$59³ |
| UE WONDERBOOM 4 Best for pool-float | Best for pool-float | IP67⁴ | Yes⁴ | 14 h rated⁴ | 2× 40 mm + 2 radiators, 360° (W n/a)⁴ | ~$80–100⁴ |
| UE MEGABOOM 3 Best rugged | Best rugged | IP67⁵ | Yes⁵ | 20 h rated⁵ | 360° array (W n/a), loud/deep⁵ | ~$150–180⁵ |
| Soundcore Motion Boom Plus Loudest | Loudest | IP67⁶ | Yes⁶ | ~20 h claimed⁶ | 80 W (2× 30 W woofers + 2× 10 W tweeters)⁶ | ~$179⁶ |
- The IP rating is the whole page — and the two digits mean different things. The first digit is dust/solids protection (0–6); the second is water (0–8). IP67 (every pick here) is fully dust-tight (the 6) and survives immersion to 1 m for 30 minutes (the 7) — *”Both IP67 ratings mean the speaker can be submerged in 1 meter of fresh water for 30 minutes, and IP67 adds full dust protection.”* IPX7 is the same water test but the X means dust was simply not rated — a real gap for the beach. (The cheaper Soundcore Motion Boom is IPX7; the Motion Boom Plus here is IP67.)¹²³⁴⁵⁶
- A high IP rating does not mean it floats — verify it separately. Floating is a buoyancy/design property, not part of the seal. Confirmed floaters: the Bose SoundLink Flex, UE WONDERBOOM 4, UE MEGABOOM 3, and Soundcore Motion Boom Plus. Confirmed sinkers: the JBL Charge 5 (too dense) and Sony SRS-XB100. Even floaters are built to bob on the surface, not play underwater — Bose notes the Flex *”floats, but is not designed to be used while in water.”*¹²³⁴⁵⁶
- Battery: budget the claimed number minus 25–40% for a loud pool day. Brands rate battery at moderate volume; bass-heavy content at high volume drains far faster. JBL claims 20 h for the Charge 5, but RTINGS measured 17 h 12 m at 75 dB, dropping to ~11–13 h at max volume with heavy bass. Where a brand’s headline and a reviewer’s measurement disagree, we give you both.²
- Watts are quoted inconsistently — loudness ≠ wattage marketing. The Charge 5’s “40 W” is peak composite power (driver + passive radiators); sustained RMS is ~22 W. The Soundcore Motion Boom Plus’s 80 W (two 30 W woofers + two 10 W tweeters) genuinely fills a backyard, while a compact can like the ~2.5 W Sony XB100 is for the shower or desk. Match size to the space.²⁶
- 360° vs. forward-firing changes who hears it. 360° speakers (WONDERBOOM 4, MEGABOOM 3) spread sound evenly for a circle of people around a pool; forward-firing designs (Charge 5, Bose Flex) throw sound in one direction with more apparent punch. Most outdoor speakers are tuned bass-forward so the low end survives in open air.²⁴⁵
- Check Bluetooth version, codecs, and party pairing. Cheaper waterproof speakers are often SBC-only — the WONDERBOOM 4 is *”SBC only, no codec support for higher bitrate”* via Bluetooth 5.2, with no app. For syncing many speakers across a yard: UE’s PartyUp (150+ speakers) and JBL’s PartyBoost. Range matters outdoors — UE rates the WONDERBOOM 4 at 131 ft (40 m).²⁴
Sources: [1] Bose & SoundGuys & RTINGS — Bose SoundLink Flex 2nd Gen (IP67 dustproof + submersible 1 m/30 min, floats grille-up but “not designed to be used while in water,” up to 12 h claimed battery, single full-range transducer + dual passive radiators with wattage not published by Bose, Bluetooth 5.3 with SBC/AAC, silicone-wrapped drop/shock/rust-resistant build with positionable hanging loop, Bose app; ~$149 MSRP with promo pricing seen mid-2026, Jun 2026) · [2] JBL spec sheet & RTINGS & SoundGuys — JBL Charge 5 (IP67 dust + water, does not float — too dense, 20 h claimed but RTINGS measured 17 h 12 m at 75 dB and ~11–13 h at max volume, racetrack driver + 2 passive radiators rated ~40 W peak composite / ~22 W RMS sustained, Bluetooth 5.1 with SBC, ~1.96 lb / 0.89 kg, USB-A power-out powerbank, JBL PartyBoost, JBL Portable app; ~$179 MSRP widely discounted to ~$119–140 in 2026, per camelcamelcamel May–Jun 2026) · [3] Tom’s Guide & Sony spec sheet — Sony SRS-XB100 (IP67 dust + water, does not float, up to 16 h rated battery, single full-range driver + passive radiator ~2.5 W, Bluetooth 5.3 with SBC/AAC, ~9.7 oz / 274 g, detachable strap, built-in mic, pair two for stereo, Sony Music Center app; ~$59 MSRP $59.99, Jun 2026) · [4] Ultimate Ears & SoundGuys & RTINGS — UE WONDERBOOM 4 (IP67 dust + water, explicitly designed to float — *”it’ll even float in water”*, 14 h rated battery, two 40 mm active drivers + two passive radiators with 360° sound and max ~86–87 dBC, wattage not published by UE, Bluetooth 5.2 SBC-only, ~14.8 oz / 420 g, 131 ft / 40 m range, no app, outdoor boost button; ~$80–100 with MSRP $99.99, frequent lows near $51, May–Jun 2026) · [5] Ultimate Ears & SoundGuys — UE MEGABOOM 3 (IP67 dust + water, floats — *”It also floats,”* 20 h rated battery, 360° driver array of two active + two passive radiators that is loud/deep/room-filling with wattage not published by UE, Bluetooth with SBC, ~2.3 lb / 1.0 kg, submersible 1 m for 30 min, PartyUp pairs 150+ UE speakers, Magic Button, passed 25+ durability tests including drop tests; ~$150–180 with MSRP $199.99, Jun 2026) · [6] Soundcore & Amazon & versus.com — Soundcore Motion Boom Plus (IP67 dust + water — the Plus adds dust protection whereas the cheaper Motion Boom is only IPX7, floats if dropped in water, up to 20 h claimed and ~12–15 h at high volume real-world, 80 W from two 30 W woofers + two 10 W tweeters with titanium drivers and BassUp in stereo, Bluetooth listed as 5.3 by most listings with one source citing 5.0 (uncertain) and SBC, ~5.4 lb / 2.4 kg, built-in handle, USB-A power-out, Soundcore app with custom EQ; ~$179 MSRP, Jun 2026). Also referenced: SoundGuys “Best Bluetooth speakers 2026,” ecoustics & What Hi-Fi? on the Sony ULT Field 1 (a waterproof-but-non-floating speaker used here to illustrate that point), and the IEC 60529 IP Code standard. All figures are manufacturer- or named-source-published and may be revised over time; street prices move constantly — confirm current pricing and a new-condition listing before buying.
The six picks, in depth
Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) — waterproof Bluetooth speaker
This is the speaker you can hand to anyone without a caveat, which is exactly what “best overall” should mean. It nails the balance most buyers actually want: genuinely refined, clear sound that’s rare in this rugged class, a confidence-inspiring IP67 rating (dustproof plus submersible to 1 m for 30 minutes), and — crucially for the pool — it floats grille-up at the waterline (Bose, SoundGuys)¹. The silicone-wrapped body is drop-, shock-, and rust-resistant, it runs Bluetooth 5.3, and a positionable hanging loop lets you clip it to a chair or a shower rail.
The honest catches: its up to 12-hour battery trails the big-battery JBL, UE, and Anker picks; Bose doesn’t publish driver wattage (a single full-range transducer plus dual passive radiators), which makes it hard to compare on paper; and there’s no USB power-out, so it can’t charge your phone the way the Charge 5 can. And like every floater here, it’s designed to survive the water, not play in it — Bose notes it *”floats, but is not designed to be used while in water.”* But for clean sound, full pool/beach/shower coverage, and a build that shrugs off abuse, it’s the all-rounder.
JBL Charge 5 — waterproof Bluetooth speaker with powerbank
It’s the default recommendation for a reason: big, room-filling sound with strong bass for the size, a real ~17-hour battery (JBL claims 20 h, but RTINGS measured 17 h 12 m at 75 dB, dropping to ~11–13 h at max volume), and the bonus trick of charging your phone from its USB-A power-out (JBL, RTINGS)². It’s IP67 for full dust and water sealing, rugged, supports JBL PartyBoost multi-speaker pairing, and is frequently discounted well under its $179 MSRP — often ~$119–140 — which is what makes the value so hard to beat.
The one thing to remember right at the pool: it does not float — it’s too dense and sinks, so keep it on the deck. Two more honest notes: that headline “40 W” is peak composite power, not sustained RMS (which is ~22 W), and it’s on the older Bluetooth 5.1 with no aux input. None of that dents its core appeal as the most speaker for the money — just don’t toss it in the deep end.
Sony SRS-XB100 — compact waterproof Bluetooth speaker
For under $60 this little can delivers a genuinely likable, clear sound and a 16-hour rated battery that outlasts speakers twice its price (Tom’s Guide, Sony)³. It’s full IP67 — dustproof and submersible to 1 m for 30 minutes — at a ~$59 price, weighs just ~9.7 oz, and ships with a detachable strap and a built-in mic so you can clip it to a backpack or take a call. Pair two for stereo and you’ve got a low-risk setup for the shower, the desk, or a side pocket.
The honest limits are physics: it does not float, so keep it on the shower shelf or table; its single full-range driver is just ~2.5 W, so it won’t fill a backyard; and there’s no deep bass and a modest volume ceiling. But as the cheapest way into a properly IP67-rated, long-lasting speaker, it’s the easy budget pick.
Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 4 — floating waterproof speaker
This is the one to actually toss in the pool. UE explicitly designed it to float — *”it’ll even float in water”* — and it throws sound in a full 360° circle so everyone around the water hears it, all in a rugged IP67 body that laughs off splashes, sand, and drops (Ultimate Ears, SoundGuys)⁴. Two 40 mm active drivers plus two passive radiators give it surprisingly punchy bass for a palm-sized speaker, it reaches a long 131 ft (40 m), and it’s frequently discounted — lows near $51.
The trade-offs are connectivity-related: it’s SBC-only over Bluetooth 5.2 with no AAC and no app, its 14-hour battery is good but not class-leading, and there’s no USB power-out or aux. None of that matters much for its job — being the speaker you don’t think twice about throwing in the water — which it does better than anything else here at the size.
Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 3 — rugged floating 360° speaker
When you need genuine backyard-party volume and pool-proofing, this is it: thundering 360° sound from a two-active-plus-two-passive driver array, a 20-hour rated battery, an IP67 build that also floats (*”It also floats”*), and survivability hammered through 25+ durability tests including drop tests (Ultimate Ears)⁵. It’s submersible to 1 m for 30 minutes, and UE’s PartyUp scales it to 150+ UE speakers if you want to wire a whole yard for sound.
The honest caveats are size and basics: it’s larger and heavier (~2.3 lb) than the others and pricier than the WONDERBOOM 4, there’s no USB power-out, and its Bluetooth codec support is basic (SBC). But as the rugged, go-loud floater — the one that survives the party and keeps playing — nothing else here matches it.
Soundcore (by Anker) Motion Boom Plus — 80 W outdoor speaker
On raw output this is the cannon of the group: a stated 80 W from two 30 W woofers and two 10 W tweeters with titanium drivers and BassUp, in stereo, that genuinely fills a big backyard (Soundcore, Amazon)⁶. It’s IP67 (full dust and water — the “Plus” is what adds the dust rating), it floats if dropped in the water, runs up to ~20 h claimed (~12–15 h at high volume), and adds a USB-A power-out plus a built-in handle to haul it. The Soundcore app brings custom EQ and firmware updates.
The honest caveats: it’s big and heavy (~5.4 lb) — not a grab-and-go — and its Bluetooth version is listed inconsistently across sources (5.3 on most listings, 5.0 on one — uncertain). One buying gotcha worth repeating: don’t confuse it with the cheaper Motion Boom, which is only IPX7 (water-rated, not dust-rated). But if “as loud and bassy as possible while still waterproof and floating” is the goal, this wins.
The IP rating, decoded — the one spec that decides everything
IP codes have two digits, and the order matters. The first digit is dust/solids protection (0–6); the second is water (0–8). So IP67 — the rating on every pick in this guide — means fully dust-tight (the 6) and survives immersion to 1 m for 30 minutes (the 7). That combination is now standard at the ~$50-and-up tier and is the gold standard for pool, beach, and dusty use (SoundGuys).
The trap is IPX7. The X doesn’t mean zero dust resistance — it means dust was simply not rated, so the speaker carries no dust certification. The 7 is the same 1 m / 30 min water test, so an IPX7 speaker is as water-resistant as IP67 but not certified dustproof — a real gap at a sandy beach. In this guide the Soundcore Motion Boom Plus is IP67, while the cheaper plain Motion Boom is only IPX7 (versus.com). IP68 goes deeper than 1 m (depth set by the maker) and is rare on portable speakers — none of our picks claim it, so be skeptical of any IP68 listing without a stated depth. One caveat applies to all of them: ratings assume fresh water and a closed charging-port flap — salt water, chlorinated pools, and a pressurized hose exceed the test and can void it (ecoustics).
Battery life: claimed vs. real (budget the rating minus 25–40%)
Manufacturer battery hours are measured at low to moderate volume; bass-heavy content at high volume drains far faster. The clearest example here is the JBL Charge 5: JBL advertises 20 hours, but RTINGS measured 17 h 12 m at 75 dB, and it falls to roughly 11–13 hours at max volume with heavy bass (JBL, RTINGS). That’s why, where a brand’s headline and an independent reviewer’s measurement disagree, we list both — and why you should plan for roughly the rated number minus 25–40% on a loud pool day.
Across the six, the UE MEGABOOM 3 and Soundcore Motion Boom Plus lead on paper at ~20 hours rated, the Sony XB100 is strong for its size at 16, the WONDERBOOM 4 sits at 14, and the Bose Flex trails at up to 12 — the trade for its refined sound and compact body. The chart below scales every bar to the same axis; note the JBL bar is the RTINGS-measured figure, not the 20-hour claim.
Does it actually float? (verify it — don’t assume)
A waterproof speaker can still sink. Floating is a buoyancy and design property, completely separate from the IP seal — which is exactly why we treat “floats” as its own verified claim rather than reading it off a waterproof rating. Most waterproof speakers, in fact, don’t float. In this guide the confirmed floaters are the Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen), UE WONDERBOOM 4, UE MEGABOOM 3, and Soundcore Motion Boom Plus; the confirmed sinkers are the JBL Charge 5 (too dense) and the Sony SRS-XB100. (For context, Sony’s ULT Field 1 is another popular speaker that’s waterproof but makes no float claim — ecoustics: *”If it falls in the pool… Just take it out and let it dry off.”*)
One more nuance even for the floaters: they’re designed to survive the water and bob on the surface, not to be played underwater. Bose puts it plainly — the Flex *”floats, but is not designed to be used while in water.”* Sound barely transmits through water and Bluetooth doesn’t either, so a floating speaker is about peace of mind when it goes in, not an underwater party. If poolside floating is your top priority, the WONDERBOOM 4 is the purpose-built pick; if you also want big volume, the MEGABOOM 3 or Motion Boom Plus.
Output, drivers, and 360° vs. forward-firing
Watts are quoted inconsistently, so don’t shop on the headline number alone. The JBL Charge 5’s “40 W” is peak composite power across its driver and passive radiators; sustained RMS is closer to ~22 W (JBL, RTINGS). The Soundcore Motion Boom Plus’s 80 W is a genuine step up in scale — two 30 W woofers plus two 10 W tweeters — and it shows in open-air bass, while a compact can like the Sony XB100 at ~2.5 W is built for the shower or desk, not a backyard. A bigger, ported speaker (Motion Boom Plus, MEGABOOM 3) really does go louder and deeper than a pocket model — it just trades away pocketability, so match the size to the space.
Dispersion matters as much as wattage near a pool. 360° speakers (UE WONDERBOOM 4 and MEGABOOM 3) spread sound evenly for a circle of people around the water; forward-firing designs (JBL Charge 5, Bose Flex) throw sound in one direction with more apparent punch toward listeners in front. Most outdoor speakers are tuned bass-forward so the low end survives in open air — great for parties, less neutral for critical listening. If you want a more neutral, room-filling sound indoors rather than a rugged outdoor tuning, our best Bluetooth speaker roundup casts a wider net.
Connectivity and party features: Bluetooth, codecs, and pairing
Before you buy, check three things: Bluetooth version, codec support, and multi-speaker pairing. Cheaper waterproof speakers are often SBC-only — the UE WONDERBOOM 4 is *”SBC only, no codec support for higher bitrate”* over Bluetooth 5.2, with no app (SoundGuys) — which is fine for casual outdoor listening but limits fidelity and tweakability. The Bose Flex and Sony XB100 add AAC and companion apps; the Soundcore Motion Boom Plus brings a full app with custom EQ and firmware updates (its Bluetooth version is listed inconsistently across sources — 5.3 on most, 5.0 on one, so treat that as uncertain).
If you want to wire a whole yard for sound, look at the pairing ecosystem: UE’s PartyUp links 150+ UE speakers (so a WONDERBOOM 4 and a MEGABOOM 3 can play together), and JBL’s PartyBoost pairs with other PartyBoost models. Wireless range matters outdoors too — UE rates the WONDERBOOM 4 at a long 131 ft (40 m). For the loudest of these in a head-to-head, see our loudest Bluetooth speaker guide, and if you’re weighing brands, our Harman Kardon vs JBL comparison digs into JBL’s house sound.
Which floats — and which waterproof speaker should you buy?
Six picks, six jobs. Match the use case to the one spec that justifies it — and note the float status, because most waterproof speakers sink. Every figure below is cited in the specs table above.
Related speaker guides
Waterproof is one corner of a big category. If water-proofing isn’t your priority — or you want sound for a different room — here’s where to go next:
- 🔊 Want the best all-purpose portable, water-proofing aside? → our best Bluetooth speakers
- 💻 Sound for your desk or PC? → our best computer speakers
- 🎚️ Serious home listening? → our best bookshelf speakers
- 📢 Chasing maximum volume? → the loudest Bluetooth speakers
- ⚖️ Weighing the big audio brands? → Harman Kardon vs JBL
Buying a floater like the UE WONDERBOOM 4 or the Bose SoundLink Flex for the pool? Keep the charging-port flap closed, rinse it with fresh water after a chlorinated or salty swim, and you’ve got a speaker that survives the season.
Catch these speakers on sale
Waterproof-speaker prices swing hard — the JBL Charge 5 routinely drops from its $179 MSRP to ~$119–140, and the WONDERBOOM 4 has hit lows near $51. Join our Deal Alerts and we’ll email you the genuinely good audio deals and honest buying tips — no spam, unsubscribe anytime.
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Frequently asked questions
- IPX7 vs IP67 — what's the actual difference?
- Both survive the same water test: full immersion in 1 meter of fresh water for 30 minutes (the "7"). The difference is the first digit. IP67's "6" means it's certified fully dust-tight; IPX7's "X" means dust protection was simply not rated — so an IPX7 speaker is as waterproof as IP67 but carries no dust certification, which matters at a sandy beach. Example in this guide: the Soundcore Motion Boom Plus is IP67, while the cheaper Motion Boom is only IPX7.¹⁶
- Which of these actually float?
- Floating is separate from waterproofing — confirm it, don't assume it. Floaters: the Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen), UE WONDERBOOM 4, UE MEGABOOM 3, and Soundcore Motion Boom Plus. Sinkers: the JBL Charge 5 and Sony SRS-XB100 are waterproof but do not float — keep them on the deck.¹²³⁴⁵⁶
- Will a waterproof speaker really survive being dropped in the pool?
- If it's IP67 or IPX7, a brief dunk is within spec — as ecoustics puts it about the Sony ULT Field 1, *"If it falls in the pool or the lake, no problem. Just take it out and let it dry off."* Two cautions: the rating assumes fresh water (chlorinated pools and especially salt water are harsher and can degrade seals over time), and the charging-port flap must be closed before it gets wet.
- Can I play these underwater?
- No — and it's a common misunderstanding. These ratings cover surviving submersion, not performing in it; sound barely transmits through water and Bluetooth doesn't either. Even floating models are meant to bob on the surface, not be dunked while playing — Bose notes the Flex *"floats, but is not designed to be used while in water."*¹
- Is the advertised battery life realistic?
- Treat it as a best case. Brands rate battery at moderate volume; loud, bass-heavy playback drains it much faster. JBL advertises 20 hours for the Charge 5, but RTINGS measured 17 h 12 m at 75 dB and ~11–13 h at max volume. Plan for roughly the rated number minus 25–40% on a loud pool day.²
- Does a higher IP number always mean better for water?
- For the second (water) digit, mostly yes: 7 means 1 m immersion, 8 means deeper-than-1 m (depth set by the maker). But IP68 doesn't help if you only ever splash it, and a higher first digit (dust) doesn't change water resistance at all. For pool/beach/shower use, IP67 is the sweet spot — none of our picks need IP68, and you should be skeptical of any IP68 listing that doesn't state a tested depth.