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Selection Criteria – Best Outdoors Ukuleles
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…only the best Outdoor Ukuleles. We’ll save you from the hassle that is searching through hundreds of pages, looking at similar products, comparing prices, and more, only to realize you don’t know which one is right. Get the right handpicked Top Outdoor Ukulele from the get-go!
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Best Outdoor Ukuleles – The Basics
An outdoor ukulele is an instrument that you can take outside, get wet with, and still play some decent tunes without risking it for one second – that sounds like something anyone would want!
However, there are a few issues that might set you back on your search:
# 1 – Finding a reliable travel ukulele is hard!
The biggest issue is finding a ukulele made out of a durable waterproof material that’s worth the investment.
There are way too many ukuleles out there that are marketed as travel ukes – though most of them are really bad and flimsy!
# 2 – Finding a travel ukulele that sounds good is also hard
There’s a reason why ukuleles and other stringed materials are made out of wood – the sound quality!
There are very few ukuleles made out of plastic or other materials that can deliver nice sound quality that doesn’t make you want to throw them away.
The worst of both issues described above is that the ukes you can get aren’t really worth their price!
With this buying review, we’ll save you from having to return a ukulele that sounds like a toy or from buying a uke only to throw it away because the instrument broke a few days after the warranty ran out – we’ve been there.
Let’s get you jamming on the beach!
Top Outdoor Ukuleles – Best brands
There are many brands out there that make outdoor or travel ukuleles – way too many.
Plastic-made ukuleles have been around for a long time, and in recent years, other materials have been added to the outdoor mix, too.
In this review, you’ll find only the top four brands we consider the best.
- Of course, there’s Kala, making affordable, durable, and decent-sounding ABS plastic ukes.
- You’ll also find Enya, with their amazing carbon fiber travel uke.
- Flight, a nice brand that flies under the radar.
- And finally, a rising brand that’s created the most versatile electronic ukulele – LAVA.
Aside from these brands, we wouldn’t really recommend any other travel ukulele, because we know they’re the definition of trashy.
Let’s get a closer look at the contenders.
Comparison Table – Best Outdoor Ukuleles
Last update on 2023-11-30 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Best Overall Soprano Outdoor Ukulele – Enya Nova U
- ♫ Soprano Ukulele is the most popular size ukulele that can be recommended for those who are just starting out. It features a light and cute sound.
- ♫ Made of carbon fiber composite polycarbonate with durable construction. Highly stable and water-resistant.
- ♫ Super lightweight and thin body make this ukulele fashionable and attractive. Designed to be your travel partner and ignore temperature and humidity.
Last update on 2023-11-30 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The Enya Nova U is an excellent soprano ukulele made out of carbon fiber – a very interesting material choice for a uke.
This is definitely among the most durable ukuleles you can get.
Here are its advantages:
- It’s made of a polycarbonate composite, which makes it durable, solid, and lightweight at the same time.
- Somehow, Enya managed to make their design thin, which gives it great resonance – that makes it one of the best-sounding ukuleles on this list, too.
- It’s marketed as a beginner and intermediate player instrument – but advanced musicians will feel more than comfortable with this one as a travel uke, too.
- It’s among the coolest-looking ukuleles we’ve reviewed.
- This instrument is the most waterproof ukulele on the list.
- It comes with pre-installed strap buttons, a gig bag, a tuner, and extra strings.
This is a ukulele to fall in love with – it’s a warhorse!
The carbon fiber, the design, the sound quality, the add-ons, and its price are everything a travel uke should be.
This is the perfect ukulele to take outside and jam while camping, being at the beach, the mountain, or wherever you may roam.
We highly recommend this instrument for musicians of all levels who want an affordable, yet highly durable uke alternative.
Pros – about this soprano ukulele
- Most durable travel ukulele ever!
- Made out of carbon fiber composite, this ukulele sounds amazing well – it’s among the best sounding ukes on the list.
- It comes with great accessories that make this instrument suitable for musicians of all levels.
- It’s also very affordable!
Cons
- No cons.
Best Budget Pick Soprano Outdoor Ukulele – Kala Waterman Series
- Soprano ukulele Composite neck Composite fingerboard Composite nut & saddle Open geared Black knob tuner Aquila strings Water resistant Excellent for school programs Easy to keep clean High-quality...
- Inspired by the 1950’s Maccaferri ukulele, the Waterman Soprano uke was built with a focus on the outdoor lifestyle
- The Waterman is a high-quality, affordable ukulele that sounds great and stays in tune
Last update on 2023-11-30 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Kala’s super entry-level Waterman series ukuleles are the perfect travel budget pick.
This ukulele is very advantageous because it’s an all-plastic ukulele, which makes it impervious to weather, moisture, or heat levels.
This little uke is a plastic powerhouse, really.
It looks toyish, but it’s among the best plastic-made ukes you can get nowadays.
This instrument sounds good, it’s the cheapest ukulele you can get on this list, and it also comes with top-notch Aquila strings so you can jam anywhere.
Additionally, you can pick from several colors that will make it stand out even more.
This is the perfect instrument for beginners and intermediate musicians looking for a travel practice uke.
However, this plastic ukulele does come with a couple of downsides.
First, it’s not the most durable uke you can get, and secondly, it’s not the best-sounding ukulele either – it just sounds good.
Still, at this price point, this is actually a great deal for all the mentioned reasons!
Pros
- All-plastic body and design that’s incredibly portable – perfect for children and musicians of up to intermediate level.
- This Kala is the cheapest ukulele you’ll find here.
- This soprano sounds good enough for its price.
Cons
- Don’t expect the best sound quality from this plastic ukulele.
- This Kala is not the most durable uke.
Best Runner-Up Soprano Outdoor Ukulele – Flight TUS-35DB
- The Flight travel ukulele is truly an innovative product — never has a ukulele with such outstanding sound qualities been so affordable
- The rounded plastic back Combined with Aquila night strings produce loud tones and clear projection
- The neck and Body of each ukulele is made from plastic, resulting in consistent intonation from our instruments
Last update on 2023-11-29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Flight is not the most widely renowned brand, but they’ve got some pretty great ukuleles under their sleeves.
This ABS plastic soprano ukulele is one of them.
Here are its features:
- This is an all ABS plastic ukulele, which makes it pretty resistant to different temperatures, water, and the passage of time.
- This soprano is built thicker than the one above, so it is way more durable.
- The curved back improves resonance incredibly, which is a great solution for the lack of wood in its build.
- The ukulele comes with a nice padded gig bag and it’s equipped with Aquila night strings.
- It’s got a specialized Zero fret design, which allows for lower action and improved playability.
- You can pick from different colors and sizes, too.
- This soprano has a nice price, too.
This uke from Flight makes for a great playing experience all over the world.
This one is noticeably superior to the one from Kala because of its construction and sound quality.
This ukulele sounds almost exactly like a real wooden uke, which is amazing considering it’s made from ABS plastic.
This soprano also comes with a strap button at the bottom, so you can use folk-style straps that attach to the headstock.
This is a plastic masterpiece – it’s definitely the best plastic ukulele you can get.
It’s marketed towards children, although we consider it to be more than decent for advanced musicians who love spending time outdoor!
Pros – about this Soprano
- Great plastic ukulele.
- It sounds incredibly well thanks to its construction and design.
- This soprano is made from thick ABS plastic, which makes it very durable and even more resistant to different temperatures and moisture levels.
- It’s got a good price, too.
Cons
- No cons, this is the best plastic Soprano ukulele you can get!
Best Overall Outdoor Concert Ukulele – Kala Waterman
- Concert size
- ABS composite neck, fretboard, nut, and saddle
- Nickel-plated open gear tuners
Last update on 2023-11-29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Entering the domain of the outdoor concert uke, we find Kala once again with their Waterman Concert uke.
This one is, well, the same ukulele that we described above, but with a slightly bigger scale.
We like this Concert even more than the one above because it’s bigger.
This is a small change that affects the instrument markedly – it resonates more and sounds much better, too!
The materials are the same, the price of this Concert is similar, and the design is the same.
However, this one comes with a couple of accessories that can also help a lot when you’re in the wild.
This concert comes with a polishing cloth, an extra flimsy gig bag, an instructional DVD (not quite useful when you’re outdoors though), and a digital clip-on tuner.
Of course, the only things we consider important are the gig bag and the clip-on tuner, which are great to keep around even when you’re in the field.
Recommended Concert for all the mentioned reasons!
Pros – about this Concert Ukulele
- This Kala is a good outdoor ukulele made from plastic, which makes it impervious to weather and moisture.
- This Concert sounds even better than the soprano and has better playability thanks to its bigger size.
- This instrument comes with accessories that justify its price – the clip-on tuner and ukulele gig bag are especially useful.
- It’s got a good price.
Cons
- This Concert is still not more durable than the budget pick.
Best Overall Outdoor Tenor Ukulele – LAVA U Carbon Fiber Uke
- Enrich Your Tone: We invented an all-new soundboard structure featuring up to 142 multi-shaped bionic units. Created with mechanical simulations and algorithms, they make the LAVA U soundboard vibrate...
- Play with Effects Plugged or Unplugged: The L2 mini preamp with FreeBoost technology enables you to play with superior sounds and get creative with sounds using effects like Reverb, Delay, and Chorus...
- Works Great in All Conditions: With our patented AirSonic carbon fiber composite, LAVA U withstands temperatures from -4°F to 140°F and humidity from 10% to 90%, so now you can bring your LAVA U...
Last update on 2023-11-30 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The LAVA U Carbon Fiber ukulele will surely blow you away in many ways.
Here are its incredible features:
- It’s very resistant to temperature changes thanks to the AirSonic carbon fiber composited. According to the manufacturer, it can survive temperatures of -4°F to 140°F, as well as a humidity of 10% to 90%.
- This Tenor is a very solid and durable uke.
- It’s available in concert ukulele and tenor sizes.
- It even comes with a glass fiber bridge, a screwless machine head, and crystal strings – all designed by LAVA.
- You can get it in a wide variety of colors.
- This instrument also has the so-called LAVA’s FreeBoost technology, which allows you to amplify the uke without even plugging it!
- It’s rechargeable, it comes with a cable and picks.
- You can also add different effects to the boosted sound, like chorus effect, reverb, and delay.
- And you can plug it (it has LAVA’s L2 Mini Preamp) into a ukulele amplifier for an even louder sound.
This ukulele is a very interesting one, for sure.
Without a doubt, this is the ukulele of the future made possible today.
The sound quality is excellent, it’s a loud instrument, and you can really take it anywhere.
We do have to share some downsides about it.
For example, it doesn’t come with a strap, and you have to buy it separately – and if you do, the strap is placed at the back of the uke, which is really weird.
The other major downside is its price – it’s the priciest uke you can get on the list and many lists for that matter.
It’s a little overpriced but granted it’s also the only outdoor ukulele with a built-in amplifier you can take anywhere in the world.
Pros – about this outdoor ukulele tenor
- Excellent electronic ukulele – this is one of a kind!
- It is very durable and you can take it anywhere without worrying about the temperature (it is not waterproof though).
- It’s got a rechargeable built-in amplifier with different effects, so you can play it louder anywhere you go.
- It comes with a cable, a modern-looking ukulele case, and a few picks.
Cons
- This electric instrument is indeed pricey and it doesn’t come with a ukulele strap.
Frequently Asked Questions – Top Outdoor Ukuleles
From our personal experience and opinion, the best one is the Enya Nova U.
It’s affordable, sounds great, and it’s made out of a very durable carbon fiber composite.
Still, Flight’s ABS Plastic ukulele is a tough contender that’s also a great travel/outdoors uke, not to mention the amazing LAVA U with a built-in amp.
If you like the possibility of taking them outside and playing tunes surrounded by nature, then yes, they are great.
These can light up a camping trip, a road trip, and a day/night at the beach easily!
This depends on what you need the most.
If you need a portable instrument, obviously the soprano would make the best travel option for you.
However, if you need a better sound, concert ukuleles or tenor ones definitely better for many reasons: resonance, clarity, and projection because of the bigger size.
That can be highly beneficial if you want it to be loud in an outdoor setting.
Yes! Not only they are good, but they’re usually the best option for children and as travel and outdoor ukes.
They’re durable, easy to clean, can resist different temperatures, most of them are waterproof, and have a good enough sound quality for practice or for small outdoor jamming sessions.
Conclusion – Good Outdoor Ukuleles
Travel ukuleles are usually discarded by ukulele aficionados who are hardcore believers that there isn’t a good ukulele that’s not made out of wood out there.
We created this guide to prove them wrong and to help you pick the best possible outdoor/travel ukulele.
Of course, there are many travel ukuleles available that support the claim that plastic ukes are just bad.
That’s why this review is so important.
After reading it, you’ll know that there aren’t really limits to what we can achieve with creativity and our love for music – that includes creating amazing plastic-made ukuleles that sound like the real thing.
If you’re an outdoors lover, you’ll find these good ukuleles to be the perfect companion for a long walk on the beach.
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