Which smart speaker for the kitchen and bathroom?

Cooking to music or extending a playlist in the shower requires two different answers, even if the question seems the same. Between the steam of a bathroom and splashes on a countertop, not all speakers face the same constraints. Before discussing models, it is important to distinguish what the term “connected” covers, then understand why humidity separates the contenders.

→ Connected speakers

Two speaker families behind the same word

The term “connected” groups together devices that do not serve the same purpose. On one side are home speakers permanently plugged into the mains, with Wi-Fi, AirPlay and often a multiroom function. On the other are portable battery-powered Bluetooth speakers, lighter and moved from one room to another. The former focus on sound quality and integration with the home network. The latter prioritize mobility and, for some, water resistance.

This distinction determines everything else. A living-room speaker placed on a countertop will deliver great sound in the kitchen, but it has no place in the steam of a bathroom. Conversely, a waterproof portable speaker can easily move from the countertop to the edge of the bathtub, at the cost of somewhat less expansive sound.

→ Portable Bluetooth speakers

The IP rating, the first thing to consider for a humid room

An IP rating is read as two digits. The first indicates resistance to dust, the second resistance to water, and the higher the number, the better the protection. When a manufacturer states IPX4, the X simply means that dust resistance has not been measured. In practice, four levels come up frequently. IPX4 protects against splashes from all directions, which is sufficient near a sink. IPX5 and IPX6 withstand stronger water jets. IPX7 allows brief immersion, up to one metre for thirty minutes. IP67 adds complete dust protection to this immersion resistance.

There is one catch that the rating does not mention: steam. An enclosed bathroom saturates the air with fine moisture that gets everywhere, more insidious than an occasional splash. This is why a speaker that is tolerated near a washbasin is not always comfortable with a hot bath taken behind a closed door. In the kitchen, moisture remains temporary and localized around the sink and cooktop.

In the kitchen, mains power remains a good option

The kitchen is more forgiving. Humidity is occasional, and most connected living-room speakers are perfectly at home there, provided they are kept away from the sink and cooktop. A compact mains-powered speaker placed on a shelf can play morning radio or a playlist while preparing a meal, with sound that is incomparable to that of a phone.

Among compact models, the Triangle AIO 3 (€319) brings together the features useful in this room: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, direct access to streaming services and a format that fits on a clear countertop. The Klipsch The One Plus (€195) offers warm sound in a retro enclosure that blends into a kitchen. For those who mainly listen to the radio while cooking, a table radio with DAB+ and internet from Roberts, Sonoro or Tivoli still makes perfect sense, with an integrated tuner and alarm clock that streaming speakers do not always include.

The only real placement advice can be summed up in one sentence: keep the device away from the cooking area and hot-water splashes, and choose an outlet located away from the wet countertop.

In the bathroom, waterproofing comes before everything else

The bathroom reverses the hierarchy of criteria. Sound quality matters less than the ability to withstand steam and splashes, immediately ruling out mains-powered living-room speakers. The right answer here is a connected portable speaker with a serious waterproof rating, which can also be taken out of the room once the shower is over.

The Sonos Roam 2 (€199) illustrates the desired compromise. IP67-certified, it survives immersion and dust while remaining a true connected speaker: Wi-Fi, AirPlay 2 and Bluetooth coexist, and it joins an existing Sonos multiroom group as soon as it comes back within network range. Compact in size and weighing less than 450 grams, it can be placed on furniture without taking up space.

The Klipsch Detroit (€213) is intended for the same use via Bluetooth, with IP67 certification, around twenty hours of battery life and sound that favours prominent bass. For a spacious bathroom or use extending onto the terrace, the Sonos Move 2 (€490) is larger and more powerful, with IP56 protection that withstands the elements and a noticeably fuller listening experience.

One common-sense reflex complements the IP rating: none of these speakers is designed to remain under the shower spray. Waterproofing covers steam and splashes, not a shower directed straight at the device.

Comparison of the selected speakers

To bring together the models mentioned, this table lists their price, power source, connectivity and water resistance.

DAB+ and internet table radios from Roberts, Sonoro or Tivoli do not appear in this table, as their prices vary by model, but they remain a consistent option for a kitchen focused on radio.

→ FM or Internet digital table radios

One speaker for both rooms

If the goal is a single speaker that moves from the kitchen to the bathroom, portable and waterproof logic wins out. A Sonos Roam 2 or a Klipsch Detroit can be carried in one motion, withstands the humidity of both rooms and recharges in the evening. You lose a little scale compared with a living-room speaker, but gain freedom of movement. These models can be found in the selection of portable Bluetooth speakers.

Those who already have a multiroom ecosystem have another option: keep a mains-powered speaker in the kitchen and add a waterproof portable speaker for the bathroom, with both synchronized through the app. The same music then follows from one room to another, with each zone retaining its own volume. Sonos, as well as Triangle with its AIO range, allow this type of scalable setup.