Narrowing down the best Bluetooth speakers is a huge undertaking. There are literally hundreds of models on the market today, and very few make the grade when it comes to delivering the very best sound quality for your tunes. The few that do prove to be worth the investment come with long battery life, a practical design that is either portable friendly or sits handsomely on your coffee table and deliver the kind of sound quality to make a musical connection on par with the best headphones.
Whether you’re working to a tight budget or keen to splurge, we’ve compiled a list of the best Bluetooth speakers to suit your needs and pocket. Certain features will increase the price, like built-in digital assistance (e.g., Alexa, Google Assistant) or AirPlay support, but you can still get a rugged design and strong specs for less.
The best Bluetooth speakers overall (updated March 24)
The No.1 pick for best Bluetooth speaker is the UE Megaboom 3. This portable and rugged sound blaster delivers big bass and full vocals, and pairs with older Megaboom and Boom models for loud stereo sound. You also get 20 hours of playback on a full charge, which is more than sufficient for outdoor gatherings or road trips. And what’s not to love about the waterproof design?
We’re big fans of the Sonos Roam, which bags second place for its great sound in a portable design. But if you don’t need extra perks like Alexa and Google Assistant support and built-in mics, keep an eye out for the new Sonos Roam SL, which is an even cheaper $159.
The UE Wonderboom 2 is also worthy of consideration. This tiny speaker delivers huge sound within a small 4-inch cylinder, complete with throbbing bass, balanced midtones and crisp vocals. It can survive being dunked in 3 feet of water for up to 30 minutes and is one of our best waterproof speakers.
The best Bluetooth speakers right now
Thanks to its excellent sound quality, long battery life and travel-ready ruggedness, the UE Megaboom 3 is the best Bluetooth speaker you can buy right now. This big, bold portable speaker pumps out rich 360-degree sound complete with detailed highs and satisfying low-end, and maxes out at 100 decibels of noise. And with an IP67-rated design, it can survive drops, splashes and a fall into the pool without skipping a beat.
The Megaboom 3 is on the bigger side compared to other portable speakers, and unlike many of its competitors, it doesn’t have Alexa or Google Assistant support, or any other smart features. But if that’s not a deal breaker, the Megaboom 3’s sound quality and ruggedness can’t be beat for the price. You can also pair it with older Megaboom and Boom models for a stereo sound experience.
Read our full UE Megaboom 3 review.
Building on the success of the Sonos Move, the Sonos Roam is a connected smart speaker at home and powerful Bluetooth beast on the road. It’s much more portable and more affordable than the Move, though, and its Auto TruePlay feature automatically adjusts the sound to suit its surroundings, whether you’re listening in a noisy, urban park or a quaint, airy campground.
Although we wish the battery lasted more than 10 hours, it juices up quickly via USB-C or wireless charging. When you return back from your latest excursion, the Sonos Roam should rejoin your larger Sonos system on its own. It also gives you the option to hand off your current soundtrack to the nearest Sonos speaker. Or you could stick to Roam, bringing your voice assistant and streaming services room-to-room, or as far as your Wi-Fi can reach.
Read our full Sonos Roam review.
The UE Wonderboom 2 is proof that great things can come in small packages. This tiny speaker delivers huge sound within a small 4-inch cylinder, complete with throbbing bass, balanced midtones and crisp vocals. It can survive being dunked in 3 feet of water for up to 30 minutes and is dust-resistant, making it perfect for your next trip to the pool, beach or park.
Other key features include an impressive 13-hour battery life and the ability to pair two Wonderbooms together for immersive stereo sound. If you need an especially small speaker that’s a breeze to tote around and don’t want to spend more than $100, the Wonderboom 2 is hard to beat. Add a carabiner to the clever loop to attach the Wonderboom to your bag as you head out the door.
Read our full UE Wonderboom 2 review.
At fewer than 4 inches wide, the only thing smaller than the Go 3 might be its price; even the Anker Soundcore 2 might sweat when seeing this speaker’s price tag. And despite the small investment, your return is IP67-rated waterproofing. That means it will survive full submersion in shallow water for half an hour, and full dust-proofing is part of the package as well.
Battery life looks poor at 5 hours, but in our testing we could stretch this out to over 10 hours if we didn’t go too crazy with the volume. As such, there are better alternatives if you need to fill a large space, but as a personal, portable speaker, the Go 3 is very likeable indeed.
Read our full JBL Go 3 review.
The JBL Charge 5 makes only a few changes to the Charge 4’s formula, but thanks to the new model’s improved sound output and even greater ruggedness, it’s a deserving member of the best Bluetooth speaker club. Its IP67 rating, signalling high dust resistance and full waterproofing, is about as good as you’ll get on a portable Bluetooth speaker.
JBL’s app isn’t as advanced as, say, the UE Megaboom 3’s, and the Sonos Move has a lot more features. But the Charge 5 can show off a few tricks of its own, chief among them being able to act as a power bank for phones and tablets. Running out of juice when you’re streaming music in the yard or at a park? Just plug it into the Charge 5 and the speaker will give you a top-up.
Read our full JBL Charge 5 review.
Looking to go big? The UE Hyperboom is the best Bluetooth speaker for large gatherings, thanks to its massive size and big, booming audio output. This 14-inch tall speaker offers a big and balanced sound that’s especially ideal for barbecues and outdoor parties.
The Hyperboom is as rugged as it is big, with IPX4 water resistance for surviving splashes. And you’ll get 24 hours of battery life for keeping the outdoor tunes going all day and night long. Pair that with seamless Bluetooth connectivity and plenty of volume, and you have the ultimate speaker for filling a large outdoor space with great sound.
Read our full UE Hyperboom review.
Every Bluetooth speaker on this list delivers great sound and functionality, but only the LG XBoom Go PL7 does it while boasting awesome LED lights. This unique Bluetooth speaker packs fully customizable LED rings on either side, adding some unique flair to your pool parties or indoor jam sessions.
But the XBoom Go PL7 has much more than looks going for it. The XBoom’s appropriately booming sound holds its own against the best Bluetooth speakers in this price range, delivering balanced bass and satisfying treble. And with an IPX5 rating, this speaker can handle sprays or splashes of water and keep on ticking. Factor in its strong 24-hour battery life, and the XBoom Go PL7 is a great Bluetooth speaker that looks as good as it sounds.
Read our full LG XBoom Go PL7 review.
The Sonos Move might not be as portable as the newer Roam, but it’s still one of the best Bluetooth speakers on the market. The Move takes the well-tuned sound and rich feature set found in the Sonos One and lets you take it on the go, with a 10-hour battery packed into a portable (albeit fairly chunky) design.
We found the Move delivers a crisp sound with satisfying bass and clear vocals. The speaker works with all major streaming services including Spotify and Apple Music, sports Apple AirPlay 2 support and can seamlessly switch from Bluetooth to Wi-Fi on the fly. Alexa and Google Assistant support allow you to do anything from check the weather to control your smart home, and the Move’s Auto TruePlay automatically tunes the speaker’s audio output for wherever you’re listening, whether you’re having a rooftop party or rocking out in your bedroom.
The Bose Portable Home Speaker is the next-best option for powerful, portable sound with voice assistants. Check out our Sonos Move vs. Bose Portable Home Speaker to see which is right for you.
Read our full Sonos Move review.
For a premium speaker that looks as good as it sounds, look no further than the V-Moda Remix. This drool-worthy showpiece is the best Bluetooth speaker for the design-oriented, and can be customized to your heart’s content. The base model looks slick in aluminum or vegan leather, while, people with bottomless budgets and a penchant for style can opt for steel or platinum finishes (the later of which will run you well over $300,000).
Most importantly, the Remix sounds great, offering plenty of bass as well as a built-in headphone amp to connect to your favorite set of cans. The Remix’s 10-hour battery life certainly makes this speaker worthy of longer jam sessions, and its trusty microphone allows for crisp call quality whether you’re set up inside your house or out.
Read our full V-Moda Remix review.
Smart Bluetooth speakers are a niche category, but for the music lover who requires some virtual assistance from time to time, the JBL Link 20 has you covered. This is one of the few models to come with Google Assistant integration, giving you access to all of Google Home’s smart features. That means you can ask the speaker for standard stuff like dinner suggestions or traffic info, or have it control any of best Google Home compatible devices. And you don’t have to be tethered to your living room to enjoy this type of performance. Let’s not forget that the Link 20 is an actual speaker system, and it delivers premium balanced sound with an emphasis on bass. The IPX7-rating also means that it’s protected for up to 30 minutes in the shower or pool.
We just wish JBL would have engineered the Link 20 to take calls.
Read our full JBL Link 20 review.
Sometimes, being small and easy to carry is the most important quality in a Bluetooth speaker. But the inexpensive Tribot StormBox Micro doesn’t skimp on sound, either. While it’s just 4 inches square, the StormBox Micro has pretty impressive bass, especially for something its size.
The speaker has a plastic strap that makes it easy to attach to a backpack or bike, an IP67 water-resistant rating, so it’s fully protected against dust and dirt as well as submersion in water. However, there’s no aux input, so you have to connect to it via Bluetooth.
Read our full Tribot StormBox Micro review.
How to choose the best Bluetooth speaker for you
There are a couple things you’ll want to consider when shopping for a Bluetooth speaker, the first of which is whether you want it to be wireless or wired. While a number of wired speakers like the Amazon Echo (4th gen) provide excellent Bluetooth listening, you can’t take them far from a power socket. Stick to a speaker with a rechargeable battery for on-the-go audio.
With that, you’ll need to decide if a Bluetooth speaker with a voice assistant is the best for you. If you plan to use your speaker in your backyard, it could be useful to have Google Assistant’s or Alexa’s powers at your disposal. That way you can change the music using your voice, rather than controlling the audio through your phone. These smart features will not work beyond your home’s Wi-Fi, so opt for a non-smart Bluetooth speaker for the beach or other outdoorsy locales.
How we test the best Bluetooth speakers
Every product on this list is considered the best Bluetooth speaker for one or more standout features, however each must meet basic requirements during our testing to be considered. We spend several hours listening to music, making calls and toting around every speaker to make sure it sounds great across all music genres, provides solid call quality and withstands minor bumps or splashes.
If a speaker offers smart features, we enable the supported voice assistant to see how it fares against other top rated smart speakers. We’ll use it to control smart home devices, browse playlists and get answers to other common queries.
We also test battery life, exhausting each speaker’s battery after a full charge to see how long it can last under realistic conditions. A smart speaker connected to Wi-Fi should last at least 10 hours, while a standard Bluetooth speaker should last around 20. Most people want to know how much play time they can expect when their speaker comes along on a day trip.