JBL Charge 5 is the beach speaker you want.

Yes. It’s the goldilocks of waterproof speakers: sounds great, lasts all day, and doesn’t need a backpack to carry.

The Charge 5 has 20 hours of battery life, IP67 waterproofing (survives sand, drops in salt water, and full submersion), and actually pumps out decent bass for its size. The Flip 6 is a close second if you want something smaller, but you lose 8 hours of battery and some low-end punch.

Both float, both have a fabric wrap that handles sand easily (rinse it off), and both pair with a second speaker for stereo if you’re feeling fancy. But for a beach day where you don’t want to think about charging, the Charge 5 wins.

Avoid the cheap no-name brands. They’ll sound thin in the wind and die after a season. The JBL is $150ish and will last years.

Don’t overthink it. Buy the Charge 5, leave the worry at home.