WAE Outdoor 04Plus is a Wireless Speaker Designed to Survive

The WAE Outdoor 04Plus Pack is a portable bluetooth speaker with accessories designed for outdoor use: there's an included bike mount and a clip that attaches the speaker to a backpack strap so you can use it while hiking. It's certified IP66 for water and dust resistant, has rubber ends to protect from drops and delivers on a promised 12-hour battery life.

The unit turns on and off with a sliding switch hidden under a protective panel that also houses the micro USB charging connector and the auxiliary line in. That sliding switch is a plus: lots of speakers in this price range have combination power/Bluetooth buttons that are almost impossible to figure out in the dark. The unit also connects with two different devices at once and switches back and forth easily, something else that a surprising number of far more expensive wireless speakers can't handle.

The screw connectors are standard size, so you can use the speaker with other brands of accessories or the clips with any other device that has a standard connection.

The Bluetooth and volume buttons are easy to identify by touch and there's a red warning light for low battery and a blue light to indicate an active Bluetooth connection.

The speaker is really loud for its size, something you want in a device designed for this kind of use, but don't expect to use it for critical listening. There isn't really any stereo separation. This is an outside speaker.  The speaker grille feels like it might dent easily, but it's held up far better than something like a Jambox over the last few weeks. This should perform well in extreme conditions.

The Outdoor 04Plus Pack sells for $58 on Amazon right now. You can also get the Adventure Pack, which adds a suction-cup mount for your car and a cigarette lighter charger. That's one available at Amazon for $53. And you can get just the speaker (no accessories) for $44 at Amazon. The other models feature a slightly different grille and add a microphone so you can use the WAE as a speakerphone.