There's nothing better these days than kicking back at home or outside, smartphone by your side, and your go-to Spotify playlist or podcast streaming from a booming speaker sans wires. That's just one of the countless reasons investing in a portable Bluetooth speaker is worth it.
The product category’s latest offerings are not only more capable than ever, but also incredibly well priced — many of our top picks are priced around $100. Today's top-rated Bluetooth speakers will deliver great sound, have next-level craftsmanship and durability, as well as a plethora of convenient additional features, like access to virtual assistants, in-app controls, and the ability to double as portable battery packs.
We’ve spent months researching and testing the latest top Bluetooth speakers on the market today to find you the absolute best.
The Best Bluetooth Speakers
- Best Overall: Sony SRS-XB33 Bluetooth Speaker
- Runner-Up: Marshall Stockwell II Portable Bluetooth Speaker
- Best Under $100: Soundcore Motion Boom Bluetooth Speaker by Anker
- Best Budget: Soundcore Flare 2 Bluetooth Speaker by Anker
- Best Design and Craftsmanship: Klipsch Heritage Groove Bluetooth Speaker
- Best Pool Speaker: Ultimate Ears Boom 3 Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker
- Best Mini Speaker: JBL Clip 4 Bluetooth Speaker
- The Smartest: Bose Portable Home Speaker
- Most Eco-Friendly: House of Marley No Bounds XL Bluetooth Speaker
How We Tested
Before the testing process began, we spent many hours researching today’s latest Bluetooth speakers from leading brands like Bose, Marshall, Sony, Soundcore, and more. We looked for products with up-to-date, futureproof specs in various form factors and price points.
The testing process included rocking out with the products at home and during park outings while evaluating the following criteria:
- Sound Quality — the speaker’s ability to deliver bass, treble and midrange while listening to various types of content.
- Design and build — evaluating the product’s craftsmanship and durability, including its ability to survive exposure to water.
- Battery endurance — testing the speaker’s real-life performance between charges.
- Additional features — this can include app-enabled controls, compatibility with virtual assistants, built-in lights, the ability to charge other gadgets, and more.
A waterproof build has become a must-have feature for a great Bluetooth speaker. Save for one, all our picks can handle direct exposure to water. Many can survive complete submersion and even float on the surface, too
Wireless connectivity options that go beyond Bluetooth, are becoming increasingly popular, too. The same goes for in-app controls and sound customization options. Some of the latest speakers on the market will also let you seamlessly access your favorite virtual assistants by Google and Amazon.
Now that you're armed with all the information you need to pick out a portable Bluetooth speaker, take a look at our top picks to find the best one for your lifestyle and budget.
Best Overall
Product Highlights
- Dual audio drivers and passive bass radiators
- Up to 24 hours of battery life, USB-C port for charging
- IP67 waterproof, shockproof, dustproof
- Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity with NFC for easy pairing
- Built-in line and strobe lights
- Weight: 2.4 pounds
Sony’s SRS-XB33 Bluetooth speaker is the best for most consumers. It has a cool design with a fabric finish, an insanely tough build, top-tier audio performance, and long battery life, all at an agreeable price tag. It also packs a ton of additional features like built-in line and strobe lights and elaborate app controls, as well as the ability to double as a battery pack.
Equipped with two full-range audio drivers and two passive radiators, the SRX-XB33 delivers a detail-rich and powerful sound. The drivers have a non-circular shape, allowing the speaker to blast distortion-free tunes even at high volume.
The product sounds equally great when placed horizontally or vertically. You can choose between extra-bass or live-sound modes, as well as to seamlessly connect a multitude of SRS-XB33 speakers together.
The Sony Music Center app allows users to customize the speaker’s sound and lighting experience. The Fiestable app, on the other hand, brings additional entertainment features like DJ controls and party lights.
Sony offer the SRS-XB33 in black, blue, red, and taupe. If you are looking for a new speaker and have a bigger budget, consider the Sony SRS-XB43 instead. It has the same design and features, but even more powerful sound.
Runner-Up
Product Highlights
- Three audio drivers in multi-directional stereo setup
- Up to 20 hours of battery life, fast-charging capable via USB-C port
- IPX4 water-resistant
- Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity
- Weight: 3 pounds
With its timelessly cool design, impressive sound, seamless portability, and top-notch battery life, the Marshall Stockwell II also earned high marks. It has a neat carrying strap, too, as well as a durable build with IPX4 rating for water resistance.
The design of the Stockwell II has been inspired by the brand’s iconic guitar amps. In addition to the legendary Marshall logo on the front speaker grille, the device’s dedicated knobs for controlling volume, bass, and treble output make it look more like an amp than a speaker. The knobs are just as fun to interact with as they are cool.
The speaker delivers an immersive, multi-directional sound, courtesy of a powerful woofer and a duo of tweeters (front- and rear-facing). The sonic experience is well-balanced and easy to customize via the rotating knobs I mentioned above.
If you like the Stockwell II speaker as much as we do but need even more decibels, consider the larger and pricier Marshall Tufton instead. It has similar design and even bigger sound. The Marshall Emberton, on the other hand, is a more compact and affordable Bluetooth speaker with similar design.
Best Under $100
Product Highlights
- Dual audio drivers and passive radiators
- Up to 24 hours of battery life, USB-C connector for charging
- IPX7 waterproof
- Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity
- Weight: 4.4 pounds
The Soundcore Motion Boom by Anker is a solid runner-up, as well as the best Bluetooth speaker under $100. It has a utilitarian and rugged design with a cool boombox-style handle, convenient controls, and long battery life. Like its Sony rival, the fully waterproof device can also charge smaller gadgets via a fast USB port.
I was impressed by the audio performance of the Motion Boom. With a duo of audio drivers and a duo of bass radiators, it delivered a sonic experience that’s powerful yet distortion-free. Anker has achieved this feat by opting for drivers with titanium diaphragms. In case that’s not enough, you can pair two speakers in a true stereo setup.
The Motion Boom has a dedicated button for instantly enhancing the bass. You can tweak the equalizer settings of the speaker to your exact liking via the excellent Soundcore app. The latter offers presets, as well as the option to create an individual profile.
In case you find the Motion Boom too bulky, consider the Soundcore Motion+ speaker instead. It delivers a sound with less decibels, but higher fidelity (it packs more audio drivers). However, its 12-hour battery life is significantly shorter than the Boom’s.
Best Budget
Product Highlights
- Dual audio drivers with passive bass radiators
- Up to 12 hours of battery life, USB-C port for charging
- IPX7 waterproof rating
- Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity
- Weight: 1.3 pounds
The Soundcore Flare 2 by Anker is our favorite Bluetooth speaker for budget-conscious buyers. It has an attractive and durable design with a fabric finish, intuitive controls, stellar audio quality, and good battery life. With a duo of customizable ring lights, the product is also surprisingly interactive for its price point.
Rocking a pair of audio drivers and a duo of passive radiators, the Soundcore Flare speaker delivers an entertaining 360-degree sound, whose bass can be further enhanced with the press of a button. The product performed well as a speakerphone, too. I relied on it for Microsoft Teams and Zoom virtual meetings and it exceeded my toned-down expectations.
I liked being able to adjust the bass intensity to my exact liking via the Soundcore mobile app while I tested the Flare 2. The intuitive app is handy for customizing the ring lights, too. A PartyCast feature is also available, allowing users to connect more than 100 Flare 2 speakers, and synchronize their sound and ring lights.
The speaker’s IPX7 rating means that it can survive full submersion in water. Anker backs the product by a robust 18-month warranty.
Best Design and Craftsmanship
Product Highlights
- 3-inch full range audio driver, two passive radiators
- Built-in microphone, standard audio connector
- Up to 8 hours of battery life, microUSB port for charging
- Weight: 2.2 pounds
The Klipsch Heritage Groove Bluetooth speakers is imperfect when it comes to specs, but still worth buying for its beautiful mid-century design and incredible craftsmanship. Made using real wood veneer with a black or a walnut finish, high-quality fabric, and metal, the speaker looks and feels cool. Its rivals seem generic and recyclable in comparison.
Klipsch has equipped the Heritage Groove with a single full-range driver, flanked by a duo of passive radiators. Its sound is crisp, well-balanced, and overall respectable, but not on par with that of similarly (or lower) priced products that pack multiple audio drivers.
The speaker has a built-in microphone, so it’s a great option for those who need a speakerphone for remote work. When the speaker's not in use, it serves as an amazing desktop accessory.
With up to 8 hours of playback between charges and a dated microUSB connector for replenishing its battery, the Klipsch Heritage Groove leaves a bit to be desired. The product isn’t water-resistant either. Once again, it's all about design, craftsmanship, and tactility.
Best Pool Speaker
Product Highlights
- Dual audio drivers and passive radiators
- Up to 15 hours of battery life, microUSB port for charging
- IP67 waterproof
- 2-year warranty
- Weight: 1.3 pounds
Well over 2 years after its launch, the BOOM 3 by Ultimate Ears is still among the best waterproof speakers. It has a beautiful design with a fabric finish, intuitive controls (we love its oversized volume buttons!), top-tier 360-degree sound, impressive battery life (up to 15 hours), and a host of neat features you can access via a smartphone app.
The device's app-enabled features include the ability to access your favorite Apple Music or Spotify playlists with a single touch, as well as the option to connect over 150 BOOM speakers for a bigger sound experience.
The speaker is fully waterproof with an IP67 rating. This means that you can fully submerge it underwater. We also like that Ultimate Ears designed the BOOM 3 to float in water, making it perfect for using in the pool. The neat functionality is not available on many of the product's otherwise water-resistant rivals.
Ultimate Ears offers the speaker in several eye-catching colors. In case you find the BOOM 3 too small, consider the larger MEGABOOM 3 speaker instead. It has the same design, but a bigger body and a sonic experience to match.
Best Mini Speaker
Product Highlights
- 40-millimeter audio transducer
- Up to 10 hours of battery life, USB-C port for charging
- IP67 waterproof
- Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity
- Weight: 0.5 pounds
The JBL Clip 4 is our favorite mini Bluetooth speaker. It offers an elegant and durable design with IP67 rating for water and dust resistance, a powerful audio experience with a surprisingly thumping low end, an up-to-date Bluetooth connectivity, and up to 10 hours of battery life.
Powered by a single 40-millimeter audio driver, the JBL Clip 4 emits a big sound from its palm-sized form factor suggests. You can expect a sonic experience with a respectable harmony between bass, treble, and midrange.
Thanks to the product family’s signature carabiner, the speaker is easy to attach to a bag or a backpack, as well as a bicycle. With a weight that's close to that of big-screen phone like, say, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, the Clip 4 is also impressively light for a Bluetooth speaker.
Available in a multitude of color options that range from understated to eclectic, the latest Clip iteration rocks an oversized JBL logo and a back with a textured finish. The latter is convenient, because it makes the speaker easier to handle, as well as less prone from slipping on any surface.
The Smartest Bluetooth Speaker
Product Highlights
- High-quality audio driver with three passive bass radiators
- Up to 12 hours of battery life, USB-C connector for charging
- IPX4 rating for water resistance
- Bluetooth, Wi-Fi connectivity, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple AirPlay 2 compatible
- Weight: 2.3 pounds
The Bose Portable Home Speaker is smarter and more feature-packed than any other entry on this list. When not in use on the go, the gadget doubles as an excellent smart home speaker, courtesy of built-in Wi-Fi connectivity. It's compatible with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple AirPlay 2 wireless playback.
The Portable Home Speaker has the same cool design and water-resistant build as the Bose SoundLink+ Revolve Bluetooth speaker. I really like that it has kept the characterful fabric handle, which helped make the SoundLink+ Revolve a favorite of ours when it launched in 2017. Bose offers the product in silver or black.
I wasn’t surprised to discover that the 360-degree sound of the Portable Home Speaker is rich and entertaining, just as you would expect from a Bose offering. I enjoyed the bass, which thankfully didn’t come at the expense of the high- and the midrange most of the time.
The built-in microphones of the device picked up my voice commands even with the volume up. There is a button for disabling the Voice Assistant feature in case you want to take a break from Alexa or the Google Assistant.
The speaker’s battery life is good, especially considering how many features the speaker has, and it's with a USB-C connector for charging. The industry giant also offers an optional charging dock, which is incredibly convenient for home use. I believe the accessory is well worth its $29 price tag because it makes the charging experience as seamless as placing the speaker on top of it.
Most Eco-Friendly
Product Highlights
- Up to 16 hours of battery life, microUSB port for charging
- IP67 waterproof
- 2-year warranty
- Weight: 3.7 pounds
The coolest thing about the House of Marley No Bounds XL wireless speaker is its waterproof, environmentally friendly build. The materials used in the making of the stylish gadget include sustainably harvested cork, recycled plastics, and reclaimed hemp.
The device's aluminum bits are easily recyclable, too. We really like that, in addition to looking cool, the cork back panel of the speaker allows it to float in water.
The speaker's sound is solid for its price point. It'll deliver an entertaining sound with just the right amount of embellished bass on a consistent basis. If you want, you can wirelessly pair two No Bounds XL speakers for a bigger sonic experience.
You can expect up to 16 hours of use between charges from the speaker, and you can use the device to power up other gadgets thanks to a built-in USB port.
Read More:
The Absolute Best Wireless Earbuds of the Year
The Best Smart Speakers for Your Connected Home
25 of Our Favorite Smart Home Products
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