Best Bluetooth speakers: Quick Menu
The best Bluetooth speakers have become a staple household (and travel) item thanks to their compact size and convenience for listening anywhere – whether you’re in the shower, mowing the lawn, chilling in your hotel room, having a house party or cleaning the kitchen.
We’ve been testing the best portable speakers for years, in all sizes and shapes – and crucially, for all budgets. People aren’t typically looking for audiophile sound quality here, but they do want something portable that delivers balanced and clear audio outdoors (because if you’re going to buy something, it might as well sound good, right?) and with a battery built to last. These are our priorities when testing Bluetooth speakers and obviously we’re balancing that with the price – otherwise known as value for money.
We should tell you right now that the smaller and cheaper a speaker is, the more compact and congested the sound can become. That said, there are some very decent affordable options these days, meaning you can get substantial sound from something that still fits in a pocket (just about). Having said that, we do have a guide to the best party speakers if you want huge sound and you don’t mind about size. Similarly, if you want a more permanent speaker for your home (and something that can piggyback on your home’s wi-fi network), check out our guide to the best wireless speakers.
Most portable speakers are rugged in design because they’re so easily knocked and dropped – and many are dust- and waterproof, though definitely not all. If that’s your biggest priority, our separate guide just to the best waterproof speakers will show you the options that can take a proper dunking.
Becky Scarrott
Becky is a senior TechRadar writer (which she has been assured refers to expertise rather than age) focusing on all things audio. Before joining the team in early 2022, she spent three years at What Hi-Fi? reviewing everything from wallet-friendly wireless earbuds to huge high-end sound systems.
The quick list
Want to cut to the chase and find out which Bluetooth speakers are the absolute best in the business? Below, you’ll find a roundup of our choices for different needs. You can also jump to a more detailed review of each product, and the best deals on them online.
Best for most people
The Sonos Roam delivers powerful sound for a small box, a rugged design that can take a tumble, excellent connectivity features (including Wi-Fi as well as Bluetooth) and even smart home control.
Read more below
2. Tribit Audio Stormbox Micro 2
Best budget option
The most fully-featured mini Bluetooth speaker we’ve tested, with great sound quality. It’s not the loudest option, but at this size and price, you can’t buy better.
Read more below
Best mid-range
This is a speaker that sticks to the basics, and gets them all right. This rugged model is super simple to use, sounds good and can be linked to up to 100 other JBL speakers to create a big wall of sound.
Read more below
Best small speaker for audiophiles
This sophisticated speaker offers crisp audio performance that makes it ideal for the audiophile: think impeccable balance between bass, mid and treble in a bijou design.
Read more below
Best for parties
The Blast is heavy and unsubtle, but that’s where the criticism ends. It sounds every inch as detailed as models from better-known audio specialists at three times the price (and you can turn its flashy lights off).
Read more below
Best mid-range with an aux
This takes on the JBL Flip 6 by adding an aux-in and some other nice features. It’s a bit bigger, heavier and bass-light, but is a strong choice if you want a 3.5mm plug.
Read more below
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Best for charging
Looking for a portable speaker that can charge your phone too? Here it is. In terms of features it’s fairly basic other than this trick, but the sound is solid and it’s built tough (and waterproof).
Read more below
Best for sound
This big and powerful speaker packs tons of bass, but we found it also delivers a very well-balanced sound. It can switch seamlessly between two phones too – great for sharing.
Read more below
Best premium speaker
This is great for both the home and outdoors. It’s got big sound and big battery life, but that means a big size and big price tag, so it’s not for everyone.
Read more below
The best Bluetooth speaker overall
BUY IT IF
✅ You already have Sonos speakers at home: The Roam is easily integrated into an existing Sonos system, letting you take your tunes on the go as well as listening at home.
✅ You want a classy portable speaker: Some portable speakers can look a little garish, but the Sonos Roam retains the company’s understated design aesthetic.
DON’T BUY IT IF
❌ You want audiophile sound: The Roam’s audio performance isn’t bad by any means, but the bass frequencies can be overwhelming.
❌ You want long battery life: At 10 hours, the battery here is relatively low – the JBL Charge 5 doubles it at 20 hours.
The Sonos Roam is our pick for the best Bluetooth speaker, with a powerful sound, rugged design, excellent connectivity features, and smart home control.
A bass-heavy audio performance makes it ideal for use outdoors, because during our testing we found it’s powerful enough to cut through wind noise. Meanwhile, a clever Automatic Switching feature means it seamlessly becomes part of your Sonos Wi-Fi multi-room setup indoors.
These flashy features would be pointless if the Sonos Roam didn’t sound great – but we’re happy to report that, despite its small stature, the Roam delivers a powerful sonic performance, with remarkably prominent bass, even if it does lack the rhythmic accuracy you’d expect from an audiophile speaker.
The Sonos Roam comes with both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, which means it can work as a portable speaker as well as part of your wider multi-room Sonos system – and with Google Assistant and Alexa onboard (when you’re on Wi-Fi), it doubles up a smart speaker too.
Compared to similar priced Bluetooth speakers we’ve tested, you’re getting a lot of features for your money here. Its slick design means the Sonos Roam won’t look out of place in your home, while a rugged, waterproof and dustproof build make it ideal for listening to music outdoors. The battery life isn’t huge, though – enough for a good day out, but if that’s a priority, check out the B&O A1 instead.
Sonos has also now added the Sonos Roam SL to its line-up. This new version of the Roam lacks a microphone but is otherwise identical in terms of specs. If you’re concerned about privacy and want to save around $20 / £20 / AU$30 then the Roam SL could be exactly what you want.
Read our full Sonos Roam review
The best budget option
BUY IT IF
✅ You want a supremely portable speaker: Throw it in a small bag, on your belt, around your bike or even in your pocket and let the music play!
✅ You need good battery life: Unlike other small designs at this price, Tribit has somehow summoned up 12 hours of life (up from eight in its predecessor).
DON’T BUY IT IF
❌ You want huge sound quality: It’s a small speaker for a low price, don’t expect big volume and class-leading detail.
❌ You want an aux-in for wired listening: The only port you’ll get here is a USB-C two-way charger – although it does charge your phone. The Cleer Audio Scene has this, though.
The Tribit Stormbox Micro 2 is the best-sounding and most fully-featured mini Bluetooth speaker we’ve had the pleasure of testing. It’s not the most powerful or the loudest Bluetooth speaker out there, but at this size and price you can’t currently buy better.
The Micro 2 is a brilliantly pocketable portable speaker that’s surprisingly good for music as well as an excellent option for listening to podcasts or just watching TV shows on a mobile device. It’s also a great option if you’re looking for a stereo pair of speakers for a small room: you can pick up two of these for what you’d pay for one of its better known rivals.
We particularly enjoyed the bass response here, which is where small speakers usually fall down: Tribit is keeping quiet about the exact specifications of the driver in this model but whatever it is, it delivers impressive bass for such a small footprint. And battery life is superb, up from the 8 hours of the original Micro to a travelling or beach day-friendly 12 hours.
If you’re looking for a speaker to toss in a bag or clip to a bike, you’ll find it hard to get a better speaker for such a low price. It’s superb, and its flaws are very minor – only that there’s no wired connection, really.
Read our full Stormbox Micro 2 review
The best for mid-range value
BUY IT IF
✅ You want powerful sound: Despite its small size, the Flip 6 gets remarkably loud, without any drop off in sonic clarity – though trebles can sound slightly harsh.
✅ You’re a beach bum: An IP67 dust and water resistance rating means a little sand or a splash of water won’t break the JBL Flip 6.
DON’T BUY IT IF
❌ You want Wi-Fi connectivity: Unlike the Sonos Roam, there’s no option to hook the Flip 6 up to your home network for higher quality music streaming.
❌ You want to charge your phone: Unlike the JBL Charge 5, the Flip 6 won’t be able to top up your phone’s battery.
The JBL Flip 6 is a prime example of a Bluetooth speaker that sticks to the basics and gets them all right. This rugged, portable speaker is super simple to use, sounds good, and can be paired with up to 100 other JBL speakers at once to create a huge wall of sound.
You won’t find extra features such as voice assistants or Wi-Fi connectivity (or even a 3.5mm aux-in), but the Flip 6 sounds so good that you won’t miss them. During our testing, we found that its warm, well-balanced audio performance is far more powerful than you might expect from a speaker of this size, and while the treble can sound a little harsh at higher volumes, you’re getting plenty of clarity and detail.
A 12-hour battery life and water and dust resistance makes this an ideal speaker to take to the pool or beach, and it’s available in an array of eye-catching colors. It’s a shame it doesn’t have a port to charge your phone, like some of larger JBL speakers do, but that’s not a big deal.
Like the JBL Flip 5 before it, the Flip 6 is an ideal speaker for anyone who wants to simply play their music, crank it up loud, sit back and enjoy – whether you’re listening at home or on the go.
Read our full JBL Flip 6 review
The best smaller speaker for audiophiles
BUY IT IF
✅ You want something stylish: This is a device that simply looks great. It’ll blend into your surroundings if you want it to but it’ll also look good on the coffee table.
✅ You’re looking for great sound: Portability isn’t at the detriment of good sound quality. Whatever you throw at the B&O Beosound A1, it’ll sound really good.
DON’T BUY IT IF
❌ You want a speaker for a large room: This is better for a living room or more intimate environment, although it will do the job well enough for occasional use.
❌ You want something rugged: This speaker is waterproof and can withstand knocks but we’d be worried about chips and minor damage.
Almost identical to the original A1, the Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd Gen) is an appealing and highly portable Bluetooth speaker that comes with (admittedly flawed) Alexa support without the need for Wi-Fi.
The puck- or even burger-shaped speaker looks sophisticated, while its IP67 water and dust resistance rating means it’s more robust than it looks, making it suitable for use outdoors and it can take a dunking.
We found that its crisp audio performance and 360-degree soundstage makes the A1 ideal for soundtracking small gatherings. The impeccable balance between bass, mid and treble means that compared to a lot of Bluetooth speakers, it’s like we were enjoying our favorite songs as if we were listening to them for the first time. Music is exciting, punchy and energetic, yet it achieves this without overloading the bass, or pushing the treble so far that it loses realism. It’s what you expect from B&O (and for a premium price), but still – this is the best smaller portable speaker for hardcore music lovers.
Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity means that the speaker is easy to pair with your smartphone, while built-in Alexa voice assistance means it can double up as a smart speaker. The A1 is the first speaker to offer Alexa support without needing to be connected to your home Wi-Fi network – and while this is impressive in itself, we did find that the voice assistant was sometimes quite slow to respond to our commands, since it’s routing over Bluetooth to your phone, and your phone is then making the request over whatever internet connection it has… which won’t always be great.
Read our full Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd Gen) review
The best Bluetooth speaker for parties
BUY IT IF
✅ You want room-filling sound per pound: The Stormbox Blast delivers a talented sound that is bigger, better and more impactful than anything else at this level.
✅ You like a bit of bass: This will celebrate a juicy grime riff with the best of them and it isn’t backwards about coming forwards.
DON’T BUY IT IF
❌ You want a smart speaker: There are no mics for talking to Siri, Alexa or the Google Assistant here, which means you wont hear your voice over the speakerphone.
❌ You want something easily portable: This is a chunky speaker for big sound. The handle makes it easy to carry, the weight does not – it’s not for hiking.
The Tribit Stormbox Blast is an unusual speaker and there are a few things you need to know before you consider it: it’s quite heavy and you can’t turn those lights off completely – although you can make it so they only pop up when you’re switching the volume levels.
Honestly, it’s not the subtlest looking device we’ve tested. But that’s where the criticism ends. The Stormbox Blast is the biggest and most powerful Bluetooth speaker in Tribit’s ever-growing arsenal of portable speakers and it sounds every inch as detailed – even at higher volumes – as models from better-known audio specialists at three times the price.
Want a shy, retiring sound so as not to irritate your neighbors? Look elsewhere, and it’s important to note that during our tests, we found the difference of two to three volume increments was enough to go from too quiet to too loud indoors, if you want quiet background playlists.
But Tribit has made no secret of wanting to bring the party to both your ears and your body, and it has emphatically delivered. This thing can go loud and still sound good when it does. If you’re worried whether one speaker will be enough for the garden party, it will here – and for this money, it represents unbeatable sound-per-pound value.
Read our full Tribit Stombox Blast review
Best mid-range option with aux-in
BUY IT IF
✅ You’ll use it primarily indoors: Because of the Scene’s awkward-to-transport design, the speaker will fare a lot better if you leave it on a shelf of your house.
✅ You’re an aux fan: Not all Bluetooth speakers offer aux connectivity, despite this being a useful feature for certain non-Bluetooth devices. The Scene does though.
DON’T BUY IT IF
❌ You want that punchy bass: Some people want bass to weave into songs in a nuanced way, but if you want it to knock you clean out then this might not be for you.
❌ You’re a frequent beachgoer: The Scene’s IPX7 rating means it’s at risk to fine particles, like sand, so it’s not great for the beach.
The Cleer Audio Scene is a mid-range Bluetooth speaker and it is going to upset some premium rivals. In our review we noted that this speaker seems designed specifically to compete with the JBL Flip 6, which enters our list just a few spots further up. However, although the Audio Scene looks similar, it’s also newer, has a slightly lower price tag, and a few extra features that might tempt you away from JBL.
Having said all that, the Cleer Audio Scene does a great job at differentiating itself in a competitive space. It has a lower price than most rivals, there’s a microphone onboard for calling, useful extra ports for aux-in and top-notch audio clarity. This device might be cheap and compact, but it’s got strong specs.
However, there are some drawbacks. The speaker is bigger and heavier than the JBL Flip, meaning it’s not as convenient to carry in a bag or pocket. Annoyingly, it’s not especially weighty in the bass department either. The focus is on definition, which you might prefer, but it does mean the Cleer Audio Scene offers less through the low end than some of its rivals – so perhaps not ideal for parties.
Read our full Cleer Audio Scene review
The best for charging and listening
BUY IT IF
✅ You want impressive sound quality from a small speaker: This sounds like a bigger speaker than it is, dishing out an impressive amount of bass for its size.
✅ You need a battery pack: The Charge 5’s namesake is its ability to charge up your phone in a pinch. Its 20 hours of battery life means you’ll have all-day battery life.
DON’T BUY IT IF
❌ You need to play extremely loudly: It’s loud, but if you’re looking for max volume, you’ll need to look at even bigger speakers, like the Tribit Stormbox Blast.
❌ You want delicate audiophile sound: It sounds great, but it’s still made for impact outdoors, not for refined ears. Think fun and energetic, not classy and controlled.
Looking for a portable speaker that can charge your phone while it’s blasting music? Check out the JBL Charge 5.
In terms of features the JBL Charge 5 is relatively basic compared to something like the JBL Pulse 4 – which provides a customizable lightshow for users – but for this fifth generation JBL has incrementally improved sound quality and volume while still offering all-day battery life.
While the sound is well balanced, we found distortion starts kicking in above 60% volume, resulting in harsh-sounding highs and bass stops getting louder beyond this point too, leading to a bright tonal balance.
For the best sound quality, we recommend keeping the speaker around 50-60% volume based on our experience – when you have to push beyond this volume, there’s likely so much ambient noise that sound quality isn’t the first priority.
Physical controls remain the same with slightly raised buttons on top of the speaker. There are buttons to control playback, volume, power, Bluetooth pairing, and “Party Boost” that turns the volume up to 11.
Around the back, the JBL Charge 5 has a waterproof USB-C charging port as well as a flap hiding the USB-A port that can be used to charge up your smartphone. The Charge 5 drops support for the 3.5mm aux jack from the JBL Charge 4, which is a bummer for some who have legacy devices they want to hook up.
Overall, the JBL Charge 5 sounds like a bigger portable speaker than it is. It dishes out an impressive amount of bass for its size without sacrificing on the mids or highs.
Read our full JBL Charge 5 review
The best for powerful sound
BUY IT IF
✅ You want an outdoor speaker: The IPX4 rating makes the Hyperboom suitable for outdoor use, while its loud volume means it can be heard clearly in open spaces.
✅ You’re looking for a well-balanced sound: If you like your bass frequencies to be punchy but not overpowering, the Hyperboom provides a balanced soundstage.
DON’T BUY IT IF
❌ You need Wi-Fi connectivity: You only get Bluetooth support with the Hyperboom, so look elsewhere for a wireless speaker that hooks up to your home network.
❌ You’re after a striking design: The UE Hyperboom looks good, but it won’t win any awards for its design.
The Ultimate Ears Hyperboom is a powerful speaker that will deliver a party atmosphere, both indoors and outdoors. Its Ultimate Ears’ largest Bluetooth speaker to date, but stays in keeping with the company’s stylish designs, and adds two Bluetooth radios so you can switch seamlessly between two phones.
Despite being party-centric (read: packing tons of bass), we found it also delivers a very well-balanced soundscape. Here you never get the feeling that you are playing bass to make a party at the expense of other elements in the music, and almost no matter what music you put on, you get a pleasant experience.
In terms of features, the Ultimate Ears app allows you to connect the Hyperboom to other UE speakers and use them together, you can switch audio source and adjust volume, and you can select four different playlists in Amazon Music, Deezer or Spotify that can be started by holding down the Play button in three seconds.
For parties small and large, this Bluetooth speaker box is a great pick.
Read our full UE Hyperboom review
The best premium speaker
BUY IT IF
✅ You want an indoor as well as outdoor speaker: It’s basically a Sonos Era 100 that’s also got a battery and waterproofing so you can take it away.
✅ You want longevity from a portable speaker: A 24-hour battery life is excellent from a Bluetooth speaker, and it has no trouble achieving it.
DON’T BUY IT IF
❌ You want sound-per-pound value: If you don’t need the portability, you can buy plugged-in speakers that sound the same for around half the price.
❌ You want something small and light: It’s chunky and it weighs 6.6lb / 3kg. The handle on the back also isn’t well-balanced in the hand for carrying far.
If you’re after a Sonos speaker for your home but also want the ability to be able to take it outside with you, then the Move 2 is the Bluetooth speaker you’ve been looking for. It’s both flexible and reliable, and looks classy to boot.
It’s a lot more heftier and heavier than your average portable speaker though, and a has a larger than average price tag to match of $449 / £449 / AU$799, which is a lot more than most options. As a result, the Move 2 is firmly a premium speaker, but you do get a lot of features for the price.
There’s both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, a USB-C port that can be used for a 3.5mm jack with an adapter, multi-room support including through the Sonos control app, a 24-hour battery life, and you can charge your phone from it.
The Move 2 also delivers premium sound to match its premium price tag. It has a three-driver speaker system, made up of two angled tweeters and one central midwoofer. Although we found the audio quality to be excellently balanced with great detail, the stereo sound wasn’t very convincing, but that’s okay.
Sonos has also updated the design of the Move 2 from its predecessor, slightly. It has new plastic finish, slightly different curved edges, a new top panel, is splash-proof and comes in an olive color, which is a new option in addition to black or white. It’s sleek and good looking but loses points for the lack of a proper handle, because it weighs 3kg, and that weight isn’t balanced when you lift it.
Read our full Sonos Move 2 review
How to choose the best Bluetooth speaker
What’s the best Bluetooth speaker brand?
The best Sonos speakers are great if you want to bridge the gap between indoors and outdoors, with the ability to form part of a wider multi-room system – and you can be sure that they’ll sound fantastic, too.
JBL is well known for making some of the best waterproof speakers affordable prices, and it’s line of party speakers even come with built-in light shows.
If waterproofing is a priority then look out for models from Ultimate Ears, which combine fun, colorful designs with rugged builds – many of which can withstand a dip in the pool.
Consider high-end audio brands such as Bose and Bang & Olufsen if you want a combination of stylish design and great sound – but be prepared for relatively high prices. If you want to save money then Tribit and Anker offer strong speakers that won’t break the bank.
Is JBL or Bose better?
Both JBL and Bose produce a range of speakers, some are small and compact whereas others are big enough to fill a room with sound at a party. Bose tends to make products that are at the premium end of the spectrum in terms of both excellent audio performance, design and price. JBL is more affordable and its products tend to fall in the mid-range when it comes to quality.
The brand you choose is all about what you’re looking for. If you value quality sound above all else, pick a Bose option, like the Bose SoundLink Flex. But the JBL Flip 6 pushes this speaker out of our list because it’s a fantastic all-rounder, sounds good and handles drops, knocks and splashes well. Bose might be the better audio tech brand, but we think JBL outperforms in the portable Bluetooth speaker competition, especially when it comes to sheer value for money.
Is Bose better than Sonos?
Both Bose and Sonos create excellent-sounding audio tech that tends to be at the premium end of the spectrum. We love Bose products and often recommend them, but in terms of the best Bluetooth speakers and portable speakers, we think Sonos is the better option.
The Sonos Roam has been sitting at the top of our best Bluetooth speakers list for some time now and we love that it seamlessly becomes part of your Sonos Wi-Fi multi-room setup indoors, too.
How we test the best Bluetooth speakers
We’ve tested and thoroughly reviewed all of the Bluetooth speakers in this guide ourselves by listening to them on their own and by comparing them to the current class-leaders. Basically, if it’s listed here, you know we think it’s worth it over the myriad rival models we’ve reviewed (because plenty do not make it here, believe us).
We test countless portable speakers every year at TechRadar, and that means we know exactly which features and specs to look out for. It’s important for us to compare the performance of these speakers against the specs claimed by their manufacturers, which is why we take the time to make sure the battery life and connectivity is as good as the brands say they are.
We test each Bluetooth speaker in a range of environments and against its chief competitors too, so you know that the product will work just as well in the great outdoors as it does in your home. We live with these speakers in our homes to make sure that their performances are consistent, and we don’t finalize our testing until we are certain of the sound quality.
On this, we test the audio performance using a range of musical genres and stream from various sources, to ensure that these speakers can handle everything from thumping dance tracks to softly-spoken podcasts.
With more years in this game than we’d care to admit behind us, we are truly confident that our star-rated reviews are the best indication of the quality of the Bluetooth speakers in this list. There are no sales teams involved in our verdicts, which means if we don’t like it for sound, design, usability and features, we simply won’t recommend it.
The latest updates to this Bluetooth speakers guide
September 25, 2023
Updated lead image, added ‘buy it if’ boxouts to product write-ups and swapped out the Sonos Move for the Move 2 as the best premium Bluetooth speaker.
Aug 10, 2023
Updated intro, checked prices, considered other competing options for entry to this guide
July 25, 2023
Added links to our recent IKEA shower speaker feature and mini Bluetooth speakers roundup. Updated the intro to reflect current trends and best choices.
June 15, 2023
Updated the format of this guide to make it easier to navigate. Added more about how we test Bluetooth speakers to the introduction. Updated FAQs at the end to reflect our current choices. Removed a discontinued product from the list.
June 6, 2023
Updated introduction to reflect the new season, and checked all products.
May 18, 2023
Changed images to our own hands-on pictures. Reordered products to reflect the latest prices.
April 13, 2023
Checked all products against our latest reviews and ratings.
February 17, 2023
Added Cleer Audio Scene to the list. Reordered products accordingly.
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