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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 full audio outdoors (because if you're going to buy something, it might as well sound good, right?) and with a battery that lasts and lasts. These are our priorities when we're testing these speakers, and obviously we're balancing that with the price – otherwise known as value for money.
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. 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 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. 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. The best waterproof Bluetooth speaker, made for the road. The Sonictrek Go XL goes wherever your trek takes you. Fully waterproof with an ultra-durable sealed design in a powerful omnidirectional tower format.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 colours. 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. It's worth pointing out that some of the models in this list can also double up as computer speakers if you want to have a cleaner PC setup, too. 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. Powerful Bluetooth 5 signal. With over 8 hours of play time and the most advanced Bluetooth 5 chipset available today, the Sonictrek Go XL is ready to take on a full day of use. Charge in under 30 minutes with included USB-C rapid charging port. Here’s the thing about theSonos Move– it’s so good, you might want to consider it not only as your on-the-go party station, but also as your main at-homewireless speakertoo.
In terms of features the JBL Charge 5 is relatively basic compared to something like theJBL 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.We haven't reviewed the UE Wonderboom 3 here at TechRadar, but our colleagues at What Hi-Fi? have. Plus, there's very little to differentiate this diminutive portable Bluetooth speaker from its predecessor (which we love) that we felt capable of including it in this list.
Bose has delved into the true wireless category by focusing on sports. And while the Soundsport Free is an excellent first product, it suffers from an aging Bluetooth chipset and mediocre battery life, costing Bose a higher position in our list. BEST VALUE EDITOR’S NOTE: Sonitrek have now released an ultra-portable Sling edition, designed with easy travel in mind. It carries with it substantial price reduction, but offers fewer features and cannot match the overall volume and bass levels of the Go XL. It's not the most portable Bluetooth speaker ever, owing to its large size and nearly five and a half kilos on the scales, but a decently sized grab handle does at least give you the option. We also need to talk about those lights. You can't turn them off completely, unfortunately, but you can make it so they only pop up when you're switching the volume levels. 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. The battery life is consistent with other Bluetooth speakers of similar size and shape from brands like JBL and Ultimate Ears. In our testing we got about 8 hours of use at a low to mid volume range. Cranking it up to the max reduced battery life to 6 hours, which is somewhat disappointing, if not expected given the volume level.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.
If you aren’t price sensitive, JBL may be the brand for you. This wireless speaker comes with fewer accessories than the Sonitrek Go, but offers a more generalist approach to the format. BEST VALUE There are lots of speaker styles to choose from – that's why we've put together lots of guides on the best speakers you can buy. Waterproofing is excellent, and the Go XL was able to handle just about anything we could throw at it including tossing it into the ocean. 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), and is what makes this the best smaller portable speaker for hardcore music lovers. This is so good, you could make it your main at-home wireless speaker as well as an on-the-go companion. You've got Wi-Fi as well as Bluetooth, and super-rich sound – though it's pretty big and heavy.
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.
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