Sonos speakers are known to be terrific streaming systems to enjoy any kind of digital music as well as having a line-in to playoff devices. Given their portable nature, it’s tempting to move them all around the house or take them outside, but are Sonos speakers waterproof?
Sonos speakers are not waterproof but some models offer a very high degree of water resistance to effectively make them waterproof, while some models should not even be kept in humid rooms for long periods.
I’ll take you through the main Sonos offerings and detail their water resistance, and humidity resistance and also suggest how and where you should use these products to take full advantage of them while not exposing them to potential damage.
Table of Contents
Are Sonos Speakers Waterproof?
No Sonos speakers are fully waterproof although the Move, Roam and the Architectural Outdoor Speakers are designed to be highly water-resistant.
Making a product waterproof is no easy task, especially when it involves electronics and batteries. It’s going to involve a more complicated manufacturing process and therefore is also likely to push the price up.
Getting a degree of water resistance is a lot easier and will provide general protection against incidental water spillage, splashes, or moisture in the air.
Water resistance, however, doesn’t mean it can survive being submerged in water or blasted with a hose, although a high water resistance means they can probably take sustained water pressure for some time before suffering any ill effects.
In order to see how hardy your Sonos speaker is, it’s worth having a look at the ingress protection rating, sometimes referred to as IP.
The first number is the ingress protection against solid bodies, and the second number is protection against liquids.
The testing when determining the IP looks at the effects of solid and liquid exposure and gives the product an appropriate IP rating.
That means an IP of 5X, means that there is an ability to access the internals with a thin wire measuring 1.0mm or less, and dust is not going to get in easily. For 6X, not even dust is going to get in.
An IP of X5, means water jets in any direction to the object will have no harmful effects, whereas X7 means immersion in 1 meter of water for 30 minutes is unlikely to have any harmful effects.
On top of this, as the testing is done with water jets, it covers many other types of water and liquid spillages such as rain, air moisture, or the occasional wayward contents of a coffee cup.
The IP rating is done by external accreditation labs to international standards, so if the Sonos speakers have been found to pass this level, it’s likely that they do offer consistent, high-quality protection from invasive elements like water.
To examine these products more closely, we’ll look at their individual IP ratings and humidity ratings and compare them to each other as well as public documentation to see the best use case as well as how long to use them in this configuration.
Keep in mind that some of these speakers come with separate charging stations that are not rated to be waterproof, water-resistant, or even humidity resistant. The focus of these comparisons, therefore, does not include the base station, which is best left inside in a dry area.
Finally, Sonos clearly is marketing some of these products as portable and meant for the outdoors, such as the Roam and Move, whereas all the other products are designed to be used indoors or in domestic settings without being carried around in a bag.
List of Sonos Speakers and Their Water Resistance
| Speaker | IP rating | Humidity Resistant? |
|---|---|---|
| Sonos Move | 56 | Yes |
| Sonos Roam | 67 | Yes |
| Sonos One | N/A | Yes |
| Sonos One SL | N/A | Yes |
| Sonos Play:5 | N/A | Yes |
| Sonos Beam | N/A | No |
| Sonos Amp | N/A | No |
Sonos Speakers and Water
Let’s look at each of the speakers and products from Sonos individually to further expand on the table above.
Keep in mind that while the IP rating is a more objective measure, the humidity rating is from Sonos itself.
While not necessarily incorrect, it’s always wise to be wary about quoted figures from a company about its own products which have not undergone independent testing on the claims.
There are no widely reported issues with the humidity issues with the above speakers, but as a consumer, you should just remember to take these claims to not be 100% accurate all the time.
Even with the Sonos Roam and Sonos Move, if they do get water on them or fall into the water, it’s best to remove them quickly, dry them, and avoid having this happen too often.
Even though they passed the test, it doesn’t mean you should constantly push the envelope!
The highly water-resistant speakers are actually a relatively new addition to the product lineup, coming out in 2019. As it also is rated drop-proof, it is designed with being taken places and used in rugged conditions, rather than for example the Sonos Beam.
As an aside, the Move and Roam speakers are also resistant to heat, cold and UV rays to a much higher extent than the One, One SL, and Play:5.
The Sonos Beam and Amp shouldn’t be exposed to the elements in any capacity.
So with all that out of the way, let’s look at the products individually to dive into the numbers and see how these products match up to each other and also the best way to use them to get the most out of your Sonos speaker without destroying it by misuse.
Is the Sonos Move Waterproof?
The Sonos Move offers one of the highest IP ratings among Sonos products generally, and the second-highest amongst the offerings examined in this article. It runs off a rechargeable battery and so has more flexibility rather than relying on a power cord.
With an IP of 56, the Move won’t be suffering from a buildup of dust and can take powerful water jets. This makes it ideal for use outdoors, even near a pool, and can also take the rigors of being set in wet areas like a kitchen or bathroom.
Is the Sonos Roam Waterproof?
Topping the chart with an IP67, the Roam is one of the most water-resistant products on offer from Sonos. Like the Move, the Roam also runs off a rechargeable battery. The Roam comes in at about the size of a 500ml bottle and comes in at 430g.
With almost no dust or other solid objects being able to penetrate and it being able to withstand even half an hour completely submerged in shallow water, the Sonos Roam is great for the outdoors, the beach, and almost any situation (although it won’t float).
Is the Sonos One Waterproof?
The rest of the Sonos products reviewed in this article only offer humidity resistance or have no water resistance rating at all. The Sonos One, One SL, and Play:5 all depend on a power cord, and so are really not ideal for usage outdoors or near a water source.
The Sonos One can still be used in locations like the bathroom as long as they are not directly in contact with water, so on the bench or table but not in the shower cubicle itself.
Is the Sonos One SL Waterproof?
The Sonos One SL doesn’t have as many features as the Sonos One, mainly missing the microphone and therefore the voice-activated features.
However, it does have the same amount of humidity resistance and so can be used in the same situations as the Sonos One. The lack of voice control may mean that it’s not as popular an option in the bathroom.
Is the Sonos Play:5 Waterproof?
The Play:5 boasts much the same water resistance as many of the other Sonos speakers, meaning it can’t withstand buckets of water being poured on it, but won’t fail just because the humidity jumps a few percentage points.
The Sonos Play:5 is great to use around the house as a general speaker but is best kept indoors and away from sources of water.
Are the Sonos Beam and Sonos Amp Waterproof?
Both of these products will be dealt with together as they have similar water resistance profiles. As these have no IP rating nor are listed as being resistant to humidity, your best option is to keep them totally away from any water whatsoever.
This includes using them in rooms like the bathroom or outdoors, as they have little to no protection meaning even short usage in these types of environments could lead to damage.
