The best portable Bluetooth speaker makes music easier to enjoy at home or on the go by allowing you to stream music wirelessly from your smartphone, tablet, or laptop – and the best portable speakers may even compete with their wired counterparts in terms of audio quality, connectivity, and convenience of use.
There are a plethora of portable Bluetooth speakers to select from right now, even in terms of style (should you go with the typical cuboid shape, or would a tubular design, something that looks like a coffee cup, a cushion, or even a teardrop notion be your best bet?) – But don't worry, music aficionados: that's where we come in.
Top Choices
1. Best overall: Sonos Roam
2. Runner-up overall: Sonos Move
3. Best value: Anker Soundcore Flare 2
4. Best price: JBL Flip 6
5. Best use for outdoor: UE Wonderboom 2
Portable Bluetooth Speaker Reviews
1. Sonos Roam
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Pros
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Tough and portable design
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Powerful audio performance
Cons
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Battery life isn't the best
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Bass is a little heavier than some people prefer
Product's Highlight
With its tremendous sound, durable build, outstanding connectivity features, and smart home control, the Sonos Roam is our pick for the best Bluetooth speaker on the planet. It's perfect for usage outside due to its bass-heavy audio performance, which is powerful enough to cut through wind noise in our experience.
Meanwhile, it integrates smoothly with your Sonos Wi-Fi multi-room setup indoors thanks to a brilliant Automatic Switching feature – though audiophiles may be put off by the overwhelming low frequencies and rhythmic handling.
Of course, none of these flashy features would be worth anything if the Sonos Roam didn't sound great – and we're happy to report that, despite its diminutive size, the Roam delivers a powerful sonic performance, complete with surprisingly prominent bass, even if it lacks the rhythmic accuracy you'd expect from an audiophile speaker.
You get a lot of functionality for your money here, especially when compared to similar-priced Bluetooth speakers we've tested. The Sonos Roam has a sleek design that will go in with your decor, and its durable, waterproof, and dustproof construction make it great for listening to music outside. The battery life isn't great – enough for a decent day out – but if that's important to you, check out the B&O A1, which has a battery life that's more than doubled.
2. Sonos Move
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Pros
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Connects to a Sonos speaker network in your home
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It's ideal for listening to music on the go.
Cons
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When utilizing Bluetooth, they aren't as feature-rich
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They can't be utilized as rear-projector speakers
Product's Highlight
The Sonos Move is so amazing, in fact, that you might want to use it not only as your on-the-go party station but also as your primary in-home wireless speaker.
It was advanced far above other normal Bluetooth speakers with two strong drivers, a useful, multi-room possibilites, and so on.
We put the Sonos Move to the test with a wide range of songs and musical styles in a number of settings. The Sonos Move consistently achieves what few other Bluetooth speakers can: tight and powerful bass, shimmering highs, and vocals that cut through it all with straight clarity.
We particularly enjoy the EQ features in the Sonos app, which allow you to adjust the treble and bass settings.
It's not ideal – it's weighty as a result of its amazing sound, and it's pricey due to its extensive feature set. This isn't a speaker to take on a walk; it's a speaker to use in the garden. It isn't waterproof either, albeit it is splashproof. However, if you have the cash, the Sonos Move is hard to beat when it comes to getting high-quality sound into or out of the house.
3. Anker Soundcore Flare 2
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Pros
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The sound quality is excellent for the budget
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It is waterproof to IPX7 standards.
Cons
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Sound distorts at higher volumes
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Bass performance is limited
Product's Highlight
The Anker Soundcore Flare 2 is a fantastic go-anywhere, do-anything Bluetooth speaker that will appeal to anyone wishing to add a splash of color to their environment.
This is due to the LED rings that wrap each end of the speaker and light up when you listen to music. The Soundcore Flare 2 is a good choice if you're searching for a portable party speaker – however, it's not quite as small as the UE Wonderboom 2. (see further down).
The Soundcore Flare 2's appearance isn't too flamboyant to look out of place in your house, and its durable build means it can accompany you to the beach or pool. It has an IPX7 rating, which means it can be submerged for up to 30 minutes in up to 1 meter of water.
What about the sound? The Soundcore Flare 2 offers a well-balanced and tonally warm audio performance, as well as a BassUp option to augment the lower frequencies, according to our tests. However, at greater volumes, the sound quality degrades, and even with the bass booster, the bass is much wider than on the Sonos Roam or JBL Flip 6.
But, since it is a fraction of the price, we are willing to overlook it. The JBL Pulse 4, which gets louder, has greater bass impact, and a full-body light show, is also worth checking out for those who want more bass but still want a party speaker with lights… However, it costs more than twice as much.
4. JBL Flip 6
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Pros
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Balanced, bassy sound
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Easy to operate
Cons
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No phone charging port
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No voice assistant
Product's Highlight
The JBL Flip 6 is a great example of a Bluetooth speaker that gets it right by sticking to the basics. This tough portable speaker is easy to use, sounds great, and can be paired with up to 100 other JBL speakers to form a massive sound wall.
Extra functions such as voice assistants and Wi-Fi connectivity aren't included, but the Flip 6 sounds so excellent that you won't miss them.
While the trebles can sound a little harsh at higher volumes, we found that the speaker's pleasant, well-balanced audio performance is significantly more powerful than you might expect from a speaker of this size.
This speaker is excellent for taking to the pool or beach, with a 12-hour battery life and water and dust proof, and it comes in a variety of vibrant colors. That's bad it doesn't have a charging port like the larger JBL speakers, but that's not a deal-breaker.
Similar to the JBL Flip 5, The Flip 6 is a great speaker for anyone who wants to just play their music, turn it up loud, sit back, and enjoy – whether they're listening at home or on the go.
5. UE Wonderboom 2
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Pros
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Great sound for its size
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IP67 dust- and water-resistant rating
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30% longer battery life than its predecessor
Cons
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Restrictive soundstage
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Charging through micro-USB
Product's Highlight
For a long time, the original UE Wonderboom topped our best waterproof speaker list – but the Wonderboom 2 has since supplanted it.
Although the UE Wonderboom 2 looks nearly identical to the original, Ultimate Ears included a slew of improvements that make the Wonderboom 2 even better, including a 30 percent longer battery life, improved bass response, and the new Outdoor Boost feature, which allows the speaker to get even louder than before.
The UE Wonderboom 2 is a terrific durable and waterproof speaker that you'll want to carry around with you at all times. The speaker's small size does not translate to a small sound, as it is quite loud and sounds fantastic – plus it can be coupled with additional Wonderboom speakers to amp up your music even more. While the increased bass doesn't quite equal the bass response of larger speakers like the UE Boom 3, it does bring warmth and intensity to songs that the original lacked.
FAQs
1. What should I consider before purchasing a portable Bluetooth speaker?
Battery life, music quality, size, weight and connectivity are all important aspects to look for in a portable Bluetooth speaker. Sure, some compromises are necessary for budget models, but we did our best to take these into account while compiling the list above.
2. What is the best way to connect a Bluetooth speaker to my TV?
To begin, you'll need a Bluetooth-enabled TV, video streaming device, set-top cable, or satellite box. A Bluetooth speaker is connected in the same way that Bluetooth earphones are connected: through the Bluetooth settings menu on your TV or those aforementioned gadgets (Apple TV, for instance, has Bluetooth connectivity, making it easy to connect your AirPods).
The only drawback to connecting a Bluetooth speaker to your TV is that due to Bluetooth lag, there may be some audio-video synchronization issues.
You can use a wired connection to your Bluetooth speaker via the audio outputs on your TV in some circumstances when your Bluetooth speaker has an audio input (a few high-end Bluetooth devices even have digital audio inputs).
Soundbars usually acquire their sound through your TV's optical or HDMI connection. Many soundbars feature Bluetooth capabilities, allowing you to stream music from your phone to the soundbar wirelessly.
3. Which Bluetooth speaker is the loudest?
The loudest Bluetooth speakers are the ones that are the largest. Boom boxes or "party" speakers are other names for them. Some of the speakers are portable and have built-in rechargeable batteries, while the largest party speakers have wheels and must be plugged in with an AC adaptor due to their high power requirements.
If you're looking for a larger Bluetooth speaker, we offer a list of the finest wireless boombox speakers. It's also worth noting that Bluetooth speakers from the same manufacturer can be daisy-chained or paired as a left-right stereo pair to improve sound quality.
Pairing two Bluetooth speakers in a stereo pair is often the best way to get a bigger sound.
Our suggestions above are what we believe is the best portable Bluetooth speaker that most individuals can buy right now, based on their needs. We consider the price (cheaper speakers win over more expensive speakers if the difference isn't worth it), visitor reviews, and availability (no speakers that are difficult to find or almost out of stock everywhere).
If you're interested in seeing additional options, here's a list of all of our Bluetooth speaker reviews, arranged by outdoor performance. Take cautious not to get engrossed in the minutiae. There are no such things as flawless speakers. Personal preferences, listening habits, and taste will all play a role in your decision.
Conclusion
If you're interested in seeing additional options, here's a list of all of our Bluetooth speaker reviews, arranged by outdoor performance. Our best pick for you is Sonos Roam, but depending on your preferences, you can totally choose other models on this list.
