You can check out how the IP ratings are explained here. The easy way to explain it is that the higher the IP rating of the speaker, the more water-resistant it is - an IP7-rated speaker is more durable than an IP4-rated speaker. And in order to know how water-resistant or drop-proof a speaker is, you really need to understand IP (Ingress Protection) ratings. Ruggedness: All rugged speakers aren’t the same. The 360-degree speakers are generally better when placed in the middle of a room while mono-directional speakers are better for stereo audio.
The two most popular shapes these days are 360-degree (cylindrical) or mono-directional speakers. You also want to consider the shape and design of the speaker. Size and shape: Generally, the bigger the speaker, the louder and better it is going to sound. So there is an advantage to sticking to one brand of speaker if you have that use case in mind. Many portable speakers on this list work with other like-branded speakers for instance, you can pair two Ultimate Ears speakers together or two of Bose's SoundLink speakers together for more of a party (or multi-room) setup. You want to trust that the speaker is not only going to sound good but also last.
The Speaker brand: You’ve probably heard of all the speaker manufacturers on this list, which is a good thing.
