Whether your top priority is sound quality or the ability to float, one of these speakers should be in your bag.
Best For Smart Homes
Sonos Move
This easy-to-use, rechargeable speaker streams over Bluetooth as well as WiFi, which is convenient if you want to use it at home.
Using your smartphone or tablet’s built-in speakers should only ever be a last resort if you want to listen to your favorite music playlists on the go. Instead, you’re going to want a great pair of headphones — or if you’re more inclined to listen to your tunes out loud (or even with friends), a nice portable speaker. With the weather getting nicer, it’s the perfect time to invest in a stellar device for a superior listening experience — one that’s not bulky and tied into a power supply.
Plenty of portable Bluetooth speakers are high quality, while also offering the flexibility of enhanced battery life and convenience. These are great for taking out with you while you’re hiking, or simply for when you’re traveling away for the weekend and you still want to listen to your tunes in the hotel room (or perhaps a pool party?).
But what should you look for when buying a portable Bluetooth speaker? We’re here to help.
What type of sound quality do you need?
Will you be using your speakers solely for music? For podcasts (yes, some people do that)? Maybe a bit of both? You should decide that now, because it will surely factor into what kind of speaker you end up getting — whether that’s surround sound, Dolby Atmos, something for the great outdoors, or just plain old stereo (which is also great, don’t feel pressured to get something super fancy and expensive if you don’t really need it).
Not all speakers produce the same kind of sound quality, so it’s important to know exactly the kind of listening experience you’re looking to get out of it before you make the purchase. Typically, smaller speakers are more portable, but their sound quality isn’t quite as exceptional as a bigger device. Consider whether size or sound quality is most important to you.
What’s the deal with wattage?
When you’re shopping for a new speaker, you’re going to see the word “wattage” often. While that might be meaningless to you when you see it on a product page, it’s actually a pretty simple concept. Basically, wattage defines the limit of how high your speaker can go without distorting the sound. Unless you enjoy really blasting your tunes or you regularly host parties, 50 watts is normally going to be more than enough for the average listener. But if you really like to crank it up to 11, the more watts, the merrier. While smaller portable Bluetooth speakers tend to have the least amount of wattage, there are certainly some exceptions (which you’ll see within our picks below).
How many speakers do you need to buy?
We always say that you should choose quality over quantity. Having two amazing speakers is going to get you better results than having multiple speakers that are just OK. Plus, having too many speakers around is just going to take up an unnecessary amount of space. If you have the room, we think two speakers maximum is the perfect number. Two speakers are especially ideal if you listen to a lot of music — music is normally recorded for a stereo setting, so having a left and right channel will do you wonders. And if you have a smaller space, one really good speaker should do the trick.
Does it need to be waterproof?
It doesn’t, but it really can’t hurt. Even if you’re not planning on taking your speaker out by the pool during the summer, it’s not out of the question that it could be a target for spills no matter where you have it in your home. It would be a shame if a rogue glass of water ended up being the demise of your new speaker, so if you have the option to go waterproof, do it (unless you have your heart set on one that doesn’t have the feature).
What are the best portable Bluetooth speakers?
If you’re not much of an audiophile and just keen on stepping away from using your smartphone’s built-in speaker, don’t get too stressed over whether the bass is strong and the mids are crisp. Go with the form that suits you best, and you’ll be satisfied regardless. Here are our top picks for the best portable Bluetooth speakers.
UE Wonderboom 2
Ultimate Ears delivers a small, portable speaker that’s ideal for dealing with anything nature can throw your way.But the mark of a good speaker isn’t just how portable it is. What matters most is the sound — and again, the UE Wonderboom 2 performs, though it lacks the deep bass of some larger speakers. All in all though, it has excellent sound for its size.
Bose Soundlink Revolve
If you’re looking for a 360-degree Bluetooth speaker that’s smaller than Sony’s new line, the SoundLink Revolve is a great choice.The speaker is easy to use and features a built-in mic that can be used to take phone calls or use your phone’s smart assistant. It also features a good battery life of 12 hours, though the charging dock must be purchased separately.
Sonos Move
This easy-to-use, rechargeable speaker streams over Bluetooth as well as WiFi, which is convenient if you want to use it at home.This speaker is also super easy to use: it’s quick to set up, it’s easy to control through the Sonos app, and you can easily switch from WiFi to Bluetooth streaming when needed. It’s also weather-resistant and able to stand up to humidity, rain, snow, dust, sun rays, and salt.
Bose SoundLink Micro
The sound quality is great for the size, and really shines when it comes to portability.Its small stature makes it far more travel-friendly than its rivals, proving easy to toss into your bag, and an included strap enables you to easily clip it to yourself or your luggage. The only real downside is it doesn’t have full 360-degree sound, due to the placement of its speaker, and its battery life is a little stingy at six hours.
Bang and Olufsen Beoplay P2
This speaker offers impressive performance in a small shell, and throws in some convenient gesture and voice controls to set it apart from the rest.The speaker looks far thinner than its rivals, but still provides high quality sound. The bass is powerful, if not quite as imposing as it sounds on larger devices, while the mids are well balanced and the lows are crisp. Some compensation may have been made for the size, but it’s hardly an issue here.
Much of the slimline design is thanks to the lack of controls. An on/off switch is located under the logo of the speaker, but otherwise, playback controls are dictated by gestures or your voice. It takes a brief amount of time to get used to, but it’s quickly very useful.
UE Ears Boom 3
If you’re looking for a wireless speaker for the pool, this waterproof, floatable speaker is your best bet.One of the best features, though, is that it’s waterproof enough to survive being dropped and left in a pool for up to 30 minutes. In fact, it even floats in water, so it’s easy to retrieve if it does end up taking a swim.