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The Best Portable Bluetooth Speaker

By Brent Butterworth

Brent Butterworth is a writer dedicated to audio gear. He has been reviewing speakers and other audio products for more than 30 years.

Portable Bluetooth speakers are the easiest, most affordable way to spread music and podcasts across a room, backyard, or beach blanket. Because these speakers come in a variety of designs and sizes, no model is perfect for every situation—but the excellent sound and rugged design of the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 made it the favorite in our tests.

Everything we recommend

Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3

The best portable bluetooth speaker.

This small, round speaker has a natural sound and a cool design, and it’s built to survive outdoor adventures. But it’s a little chunky, and it uses an outdated Micro-USB port for charging.

Buying Options

Soundcore Motion 300

If usb-c charging is a must-have.

This speaker is larger than our top pick, but its slender form may fit more easily into tight spaces. The sound quality is comparable, and it offers convenient USB-C charging.

Upgrade pick

Larger and louder, yet still portable

This speaker plays very loud while maintaining its clear, full sound, and it has a long battery life. But it’s larger and a little less rugged than our top pick.

Budget pick

Tribit XSound Go

Very good sound for under $50.

This is the best speaker we’ve heard in its price range, and it’s compact and waterproof to boot. But it can’t play as loud as our larger, more expensive picks.

Ultimate Ears Hyperboom

For pool parties and tailgating.

This speaker plays loud enough to fill a backyard and sounds much like a good small stereo system. However, it’s much larger and pricier than our other picks.

How we picked and tested

We tested Bluetooth speakers with expert listeners, and we concealed the identities of the speakers to eliminate bias.

The speakers we tested ranged from tiny travel models to 40-pound backyard blasters. All of them included rechargeable batteries.

We continue to spend many hours with our recommended speakers to make sure they survive day-to-day use.

To give readers a full picture of the category, we tested models priced as low as $10 and as high as $500.

The Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 had our listeners raving over how clear and spacious it sounded, and they couldn’t help cooing over its cute design. With its IP67 water-resistance rating, it can handle immersion in 1 meter of water for 30 minutes. Plus, it’s dustproof, it can survive a 5-foot drop onto concrete, and it floats. We got 11 hours of battery life in our tests.

It’s too chunky to pack easily into a purse or a small bag, and it uses a Micro-USB jack for charging, which may require you to carry an extra cable when you travel.

Although the simpler, smaller, more rugged design of the Wonderboom 3 won the day with our listening panel and staff, the Soundcore Motion 300 is a great alternative because of its slim, suitcase-friendly styling, USB-C charging, and lower price.

Sound quality is similar between the two, but the Motion 300 plays a few decibels louder and puts more emphasis on instruments than vocals. A carrying strap with a snap closure lets you hang the speaker from objects such as a shower curtain rod or backpack strap.

This speaker is IPX7-rated, so it can withstand immersion in 1 meter of water for 30 minutes. The battery ran for about 12 hours in our tests, but the Bluetooth signal range was lower than that of the Wonderboom 3.

The W-King X10 is an astonishingly affordable upgrade for those who need a larger, louder speaker with a long battery life. It plays almost 8 decibels louder than the Wonderboom 3, so it can easily be heard over a roomful of chatty partygoers. Even when cranked full-blast, it sounds clear and doesn’t seem to lose any bass. We got 24 hours of playtime from the internal battery—less than the claimed 42 hours but still impressive.

The X10 is about the size of a football and weighs 6.5 pounds, but its shoulder strap makes it easy to carry. Its IPX6 rating means it can withstand being sprayed by a hose—but it can’t be safely submerged in water like some of our other picks.

If you want to spend less than $50 on a good portable Bluetooth speaker, the Tribit XSound Go is the best choice. It’s been our budget pick for five years because it still clearly beats almost all of its similarly priced competitors with its loud, full sound—though it can’t play as loud as our larger, more expensive picks.

The XSound Go is small enough to slip into a laptop bag, it runs 10.5 hours on a charge, and it charges via USB-C. Plus, it has an IPX7 rating, so it can survive a half-hour dunking in 1 meter of water for 30 minutes.

The Ultimate Ears Hyperboom is the best choice for those who need high-quality sound for large areas, such as tailgate parties and neighborhood barbecues. It plays almost twice as loud as the W-King X10, and it sounds beautiful, with smooth vocals, ample bass, and surprising ambience.

At 14.3 inches high and 16.6 pounds, it isn’t the type of speaker you can just toss in a backpack or suitcase, but it is light enough that most people can carry it easily. It has an IPX4 rating, so it’s splashproof but not waterproof.

In our tests, it played at a fairly loud volume for 27.5 hours on a single charge, but it relies on a dedicated charger that you have to remember to bring along on any extended outing.

The research

Why you should trust us, who this is for, our pick: ultimate ears wonderboom 3, runner-up: soundcore motion 300, an upgrade pick for larger spaces: w-king x10, best budget portable speaker: tribit xsound go, best for pool parties and tailgating: ultimate ears hyperboom, other good portable bluetooth speakers, what to look forward to, the competition, frequently asked questions.

I’m a senior staff writer at Wirecutter. I’ve worked as an editor or writer in audio publishing for over 30 years, and I’ve previously served as a consultant on speaker tuning and measurement for some of the world’s biggest tech companies.

In the course of producing the original version of this article and many updates, we’ve enlisted feedback from numerous listeners, including senior staff writer Lauren Dragan and Dan Gonda, a Los Angeles woodwinds player, who is also a certified Avid Pro Tools user .

Veteran audio enthusiasts Darren Vaughan and Tony Krawzik also contributed their opinions when we conducted brand-concealed listening tests at Innovative Audio , a vintage-audio dealer based in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Anyone who owns a smartphone or tablet is likely to enjoy owning a portable Bluetooth speaker, which usually has a rechargeable battery and is often waterproof and/or dustproof. Bluetooth support is available in every current smartphone and tablet, as well as in most laptop computers, so you don’t need additional equipment.

Unlike smart speakers and Wi-Fi speakers, Bluetooth speakers don’t require a network connection, and most don’t require the use of special apps—whatever you play on your phone will play through the speaker.

If sound quality and volume are your top priorities, and you don’t plan to take your speaker out of your house, you may want to check out the larger, more powerful speakers featured in our tabletop speaker guides:

We use the following criteria to help us decide which portable Bluetooth speakers to call in for testing:

• Portability and battery life: We focus on models that have rechargeable batteries and are designed to take a trip to the beach or the park with no hassle. In selecting our top pick, we prioritize speakers that are compact and easy to toss into a backpack or beach bag.
• Ruggedness and waterproof design: We give priority to speakers that are built to survive the knocks and bumps of travel. We prefer speakers with an Ingress Protection (IP) rating , which tells you exactly how dustproof and waterproof a speaker is.
• Price: We set a bottom price of $10. Less-expensive models often don’t sound better or play much louder than a phone’s built-in speakers.
• Playback controls: Because you can control the playback from your Bluetooth source device (usually a phone or tablet), we don’t require the speaker itself to have playback controls, but it’s a convenient perk.
• Bluetooth codecs: We don’t award extra points for inclusion of additional Bluetooth codecs beyond the standard SBC codec found in all Bluetooth devices. The sonic differences among these codecs are insignificant next to the easily heard differences among the speakers themselves.
• Special features: Bluetooth speakers may offer extra features, including speakerphone capability, multi-speaker pairing (the ability to play the same material through two Bluetooth speakers at once), and built-in lighting. We don’t consider any of these features essential, but they can be convenient add-ons.

For each new round of tests, I begin by comparing the new models with each other and with some of our previous picks. I measure the maximum output of each speaker indoors at a distance of 1 meter, using an NTi Minilyzer audio analyzer and a calibrated NTi MiniSPL test microphone and playing a 34-second section of ZZ Top’s very loudly mastered tune “Chartreuse” (video) .

The chart below shows the results for our current speaker recommendations, plus a few models mentioned in Other good portable Bluetooth speakers . For more details, see our results and our explanations of our testing process .

From these tests, I narrow down the group of contestants to the models that have a real chance to impress our listening panel, in addition to all of our past picks. To prepare for our brand-concealed panel testing, I hide the speakers behind black fabric and divide them into four groups: ultra-compact, small, medium, and large. To make the test fair, I set the volume within a particular group to the same approximate level by using a shaped-noise channel-balancing test tone recorded from a Dolby Digital receiver.

During our brand-concealed tests, our listeners pay particular attention to:

• how clear the speakers sound at normal levels
• how the speakers balance bass to midrange to treble
• how loud the speakers are able to play when cranked up
• how clear they sound when cranked up

Lastly, I check the battery life of each of our top picks by repeating Steely Dan’s “Aja” (video) at an average level of 75 dB (measured at 1 meter) over and over until the power runs out. (For the larger Ultimate Ears Hyperboom speaker, I increased the level to 81 dB.)

I also measure the maximum Bluetooth range of all our picks by placing my Samsung Galaxy S10 phone indoors, in a window, and carrying the speaker away in my backyard until the connection becomes unreliable. There are no industry-standard methods of testing these functions, but our methods have worked well through 10 years of testing 393 portable Bluetooth speakers to date.

With each model that offers speakerphone functionality, I try placing a call to Wirecutter senior staff writer Lauren Dragan. I note how the speaker sounds to me, and she tells me how my voice sounds on her end.

The Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 is the closest thing we’ve found to an ideal all-around Bluetooth speaker, thanks to its great combination of performance, ruggedness, and portability.

It sounds great for its size. Both of the panelists in our most recent listening test picked the Wonderboom 3 as their favorite in its class without hesitation, citing a more “open, 3D sound” than on the others, as well as a natural balance of bass to midrange to treble—which means no instruments or voices are unnaturally boosted.

It’s loud enough for most everyday uses. We measured maximum volume at 84.4 dB at 1 meter; that’s enough to fill a bedroom or kitchen with sound. The Outdoor Boost button kicks up the level by about 3 decibels, which makes the speaker a little louder but sacrifices bass.

It’s tough. This IP67-rated speaker is dustproof, can be submerged in up to 1 meter of water for a half hour, and also floats. When we dropped it from 5 feet onto a backyard deck and then onto concrete, it kept playing and exhibited just a couple of small scuff marks.

It’s practical. We measured its Bluetooth range at an impressive 100 feet, and we got 11 hours of battery life—not quite the 14 hours that Ultimate Ears promises, but still plenty. An elastic strap on top lets you hang the speaker from various objects. You can pair one Wonderboom 3 with another to create stereo sound or to deliver sound in a second nearby room.

It’s fun. This round speaker is available in four color schemes— black , pink , light gray , and blue .

How the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom has held up

Numerous Wirecutter staffers have bought some version of the Wonderboom. Our editor-in-chief selected it from the thousands of top picks on Wirecutter to write about in our “ 52 Things We Love ” series, and it’s still going strong.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

• It uses an outdated Micro-USB charging jack. While the world has moved on to USB-C and Apple Lightning connectors, with this speaker you have to carry a USB-A–to–Micro-USB charging cable when you travel. If that sounds intolerable, check out our runner-up pick .
• It’s light on bass. It doesn’t have the oomph for hip-hop or heavy rock.
• It’s chunky. This speaker’s 3.75-inch diameter makes it too stout to fit comfortably in a briefcase or laptop bag.
• It lacks some features. The Wonderboom 3 has neither a speakerphone function nor an analog input, but we seldom use those.

The Soundcore Motion 300 is a great choice for those who need a Bluetooth speaker for travel. The slim design lets it fit into spaces where many Bluetooth speakers might not, and its USB-C charging jack is the same as you’ll find on most smartphones and tablets, so you may be able to use the same cable for both.

The travel-friendly design is only 2 inches thick. This speaker fits more easily into places where the rotund, 3.75-inch-diameter Wonderboom 3 might not, such as a suitcase or a car’s glove compartment. Even if you lose your charging cable while traveling, USB-C cables are easier to find than the increasingly rare Micro-USB cable that the Wonderboom 3 requires.

That said, the Motion 300 is larger overall than our top pick, and a little on the heavy side. At 1.7 pounds, it is substantially heavier than the 0.9-pound Wonderboom 3.

The speaker comes in three different colors: black, light blue, and light green. A carrying strap with a snap closure lets you hang it from objects such as a shower curtain rod or backpack strap.

It sounds excellent for its price and size. Whether the Motion 300 sounds better than, or not as good as, the Wonderboom 3 depends on your taste. The Motion 300 doesn’t sound as clear with voices as the Wonderboom 3 does, but it does a much better job of reproducing musical instruments, so you hear more of the band (especially the bass) and less of the singer. The Motion 300 also plays about 4 dB louder—not quite party level, but loud enough to fill a large living room—although the bass thins out when the speaker is fully cranked.

We listened mostly in the Soundcore Signature EQ sound mode, found in the app. A few other modes are available, and there’s a Bass Boost button on top, but we usually preferred the sound without it.

The Motion 300 also includes a sensor that detects whether it’s standing vertically or lying flat, and it optimizes the sound for that position.

Soundcore touts the Motion 300’s inclusion of Sony’s LDAC Bluetooth codec, which allows the transmission of higher-quality sound if you have an LDAC-equipped smartphone. However, with inexpensive speakers like these, the Bluetooth codec has a negligible effect on sound quality.

This speaker is not as rugged as our top pick, but it is waterproof. The Motion 300 is IPX7-rated, so it’s not dustproof but can survive 30 minutes of submersion in 1 meter of water. The battery ran a little longer than that of our top pick: 12 hours in our tests, which is probably enough for a weekend trip without a recharge.

However, the Bluetooth range in our tests was notably less than the Wonderboom’s: about 60 feet, which is adequate but not impressive by today’s standards. The Motion 300 has a speakerphone function that works pretty well; my voice sounded a little muffled to the person on the other end, but the speaker did seem to cancel room echoes.

Like the Wonderboom 3, this model has no 3.5 mm analog input. Also, Soundcore’s promotional materials don’t mention stereo pairing, and we can’t find that option in the app; this is a surprising omission, as stereo pairing is found even in many under-$25 models.

The W-King X10 is the best portable speaker to use in larger areas, such as at a picnic, a small beach party, or a yoga class. This speaker costs only a little more than the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3, but it sounds about as good as, and plays louder than, our previous upgrade pick, the much more expensive Sony SRS-XG300 .

It plays louder. The X10 maxes out at about 7 decibels louder than the Wonderboom 3, which is roughly the difference between talking normally and raising your voice to address someone 30 feet away. Even at that loud volume, during our tests it sounded smooth and balanced, with clear voices and plenty of bass. The Outdoor mode cut the bass some but didn’t boost the volume. (Unfortunately, the speaker has no indicator to tell you which mode it’s in.)

The battery life is impressive. In our tests we got 24 hours, which is excellent—although short of W-King’s claimed 42 hours.

It’s larger. The X10 is about the size of a football and weighs 6.5 pounds, a manageable weight when you use the included shoulder strap (which sports an integrated bottle opener). Once you reach your destination, you can lay the speaker down horizontally or stand it on end.

It isn’t quite as rugged. The X10 has an IPX6 rating, which means it can withstand spraying from a hose but not submersion in water, and it’s not dustproof. Its buttons require a firm push; the similar but slightly less powerful W-King D8 has bigger buttons that are easier to use.

It has a lot of helpful features. The back panel offers a USB-C charging port, a 3.5 mm analog audio input, an SD card slot for playing MP3s, and a USB-A output for charging mobile devices. You can pair two X10 units for stereo audio. Its speakerphone function worked okay in our tests, but for both my conversation partner and me, it sounded dull and somewhat noisy, as if we were both in our cars.

We measured the speaker’s Bluetooth range at 70 feet, which is more than adequate.

If you want a great all-around portable Bluetooth speaker for under $50, the Tribit XSound Go is a terrific choice. Five years after its debut, it still sounds better than almost everything else in its price range. It’s also small enough to slip into a laptop bag, and it’s IPX7-rated, which means it can survive a half-hour swim in 1 meter of water.

It sounds surprisingly good for its size and price. When the XSound Go accompanied me through four weeks of travel, I continued to be surprised by how clear and full its sound was. Voices were natural and distinct, never bloated or hoarse, as they can be on most inexpensive Bluetooth speakers. In our tests, the XSound Go didn’t sound as full, or play quite as loud, as the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 , but all of our panelists thought it delivered amazing sound quality for its price.

It has good features for the price. In addition to top-panel controls, you get a 3.5 mm analog input to connect external audio sources that lack Bluetooth support, plus a usable if somewhat noisy speakerphone function.

Although the battery life is rated at 24 hours, we got only about 10.5 hours—but for a cheap Bluetooth speaker, that’s okay.

It’s not dustproof, and it doesn’t offer stereo pairing. We measured its Bluetooth range at about 50 feet, which is good for a speaker in this price range.

How the Tribit XSound Go has held up

A few Wirecutter staffers have purchased the XSound Go and lived with it for a while. Here are some long-term test notes:

The Ultimate Ears Hyperboom is a huge step up from your average portable Bluetooth speaker—in performance, size, and price. You could call it our ultra-upgrade pick, and it’s great for a variety of listeners, from the person who wants to fill their backyard with music for a pool party to the audio aficionado who wants a portable speaker with sound quality approaching that of a decent stereo system.

It plays very loud. In our tests, the Hyperboom maxed out at 99.1 dB—almost 8 decibels louder than the W-King X10 . That’s enough volume for a big pool party. “For picnics or group workout sessions in the park, this is ideal,” one of our panelists said.

It performs more like two good stereo speakers in one box. With two tweeters (to reproduce the higher-frequency sounds), two woofers (for the lower-frequency sounds), and two passive radiators (to further help with bass reproduction), this speaker produces the kind of clear, robust sound we’re used to hearing from a good small stereo system.

The Hyperboom also incorporates an Adaptive EQ feature, which Ultimate Ears says will adapt the sound to suit the surroundings. During our tests indoors, Adaptive EQ sometimes made the sound a little too bassy, but outdoors it worked great. Ultimate Ears also offers an app with special sound modes and a manual EQ function for tuning the sound.

It has an optical digital audio input. This rare inclusion on portable speakers makes it easy for you to connect the speaker to a TV set for louder, fuller sound. (In this case, though, you have to control the volume on the Hyperboom, rather than on the TV.) A top-mounted ring switch lets you choose between two Bluetooth sources and select the optical or analog input. Through the app, you can connect this speaker to any number of additional Hyperboom units, as well as any speakers from the Ultimate Ears Boom and Megaboom lines.

It’s heavy and big. The Hyperboom weighs 16.6 pounds and measures 14.3 inches high, but its rear-mounted retractable rubber handle makes it pretty easy to lug around. It has a rated battery life of 24 hours; we got 27.5 hours with it running at 81 dB, or 6 decibels louder than the other speakers. We measured its Bluetooth range at 110 feet, but getting Bluetooth at that length sometimes required us to turn the Hyperboom in a particular direction.

It has a proprietary charger. If you take the speaker along on your vacation for more than a day or two, you’ll have to remember to bring the charger with you. It lacks a speakerphone function, and it’s only IPX4-rated, which means it’s splash resistant but not waterproof or dustproof.

If you want a powerful portable speaker with Wi-Fi and smart-speaker functions (and don’t mind paying a premium): The Brane X is about 50% more expensive than our also-great pick , the Ultimate Ears Hyperboom, but it’s half the size, offers similar sound quality and maximum volume, and includes many more features. In addition to Bluetooth, it has onboard microphones that allow it to work as an Amazon Alexa device. It can stream many services directly through Wi-Fi, including Spotify, Pandora, Prime Music, TuneIn Radio, and iHeart. It’s IP57 rated, so it’s better armed against the elements than the Hyperboom. It requires a separate AC adapter for charging, and in our tests it typically ran for 11.25 hours on a charge.

If you want bigger, fuller sound than our picks offer, in a midsize package: The Tribit StormBox Blast is the best value if sound quality and volume are most important to you, and if you don’t mind lugging around a 12-pound speaker. This affordably priced speaker provides excellent sound quality, and it plays about 5 decibels louder than the W-King X10 .

If you want smart-speaker functions or a speaker that works with a Sonos system: The Sonos Roam is technically a portable Bluetooth speaker, with a travel-friendly, IP67-rated design—but it’s so much more. It offers Wi-Fi support and can join a Sonos S2 multiroom speaker system , automatically reconnecting to your Wi-Fi when you bring it home from an outing. It also works as an Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant smart speaker, and any content you stream to the Roam from a Bluetooth source can beam to the rest of a Sonos system. On top of all that, the Roam sounds smoother and more natural than any small Bluetooth speaker we’ve tried. As you can read in our first look at the Roam , the downsides are a roughly six-hour battery life and a high price.

If you want the least-expensive portable Bluetooth speaker that still sounds decent: The Punkwolf D68F sounds fuller and more natural, and plays louder (an impressive 84 dB), than any other under-$25 Bluetooth speaker we’ve tried. Plus it has cool-looking internal lights that can be switched off, and it even offers stereo pairing. This speaker is also sold under the Rofall brand on Amazon, but other than the Rofall model being silkscreened “PUNK WOLF” instead of “PUNKWOLF,” we found no difference between the two.

If you want a speaker for your bike: The JBL Wind 3 includes a mount that lets you attach it quickly and securely to handlebars. It also has a simple FM radio and an SD card slot for playback of downloaded or ripped tunes. It’s surprisingly satisfying to cruise around town with this speaker playing.

At the CES 2024 trade show, JBL introduced numerous portable Bluetooth speakers . Most relevant to this guide are the Xtreme 4 ($380), the Clip 5 ($80), and the Go 4 ($50). All three feature Auracast , a new technology that allows Bluetooth streaming to multiple speakers—and also allows one speaker to tune in to multiple Bluetooth streams. The speakers are made from recycled plastic and fabric. The Xtreme 4 features a replaceable battery, so you can carry multiple batteries to get longer run time or replace a battery that’s nearing the end of its useful life.

JBL also announced two additions to its high-powered PartyBox line , the PartyBox Stage 320 ($600) and PartyBox Club 120 ($400). Both feature a replaceable battery, and the Stage 320 includes Auracast. Also in the lineup is the new PartyBox Wireless Mic ($150 for two), which JBL says is compatible with all PartyBox speakers.

EarFun showed its largest portable Bluetooth speaker yet, the UBoom X ($180), which measures nearly 16 inches long.

Soundcore launched the Boom 2 ($130), a new version of its Motion Boom speaker with a higher power rating and a floating design.

We’ve reviewed hundreds of Bluetooth speakers for this guide. Below are capsule descriptions of some of the models that might be of most interest to Wirecutter readers. If you don’t see a certain model you’re interested in, check out our running list of portable Bluetooth speakers we’ve tested .

The Avantree BTSP-850 is an especially affordable and versatile Bluetooth speaker, offering SD card playback and FM radio (with stations tunable by number or auto-programmed). In our tests, it had hardly any bass and didn’t play loud, but as a system for light background music in a cubicle or office, it’s a good choice.

The EarFun UBoom L is a former runner-up pick, but we prefer the more portable design and somewhat clearer sound of the Soundcore Motion 300 .

Most people won’t need something as big or loud as the JBL PartyBox 110 and PartyBox Encore Essential , but they’re both very good-sounding, muscular speakers that are great for pool parties and tailgating, and can also be used as instrument and/or microphone amplifiers for performance. The PartyBox 110, in particular, plays loud enough for even the wildest pool party, and it has separate microphone and instrument inputs. The PartyBox Encore Essential is about half the size and doesn’t play as loud, and it has just one microphone input (which can be used for instruments, though).

By a small margin, the Marshall Willen is the best sounding speaker of the ultra-portable Bluetooth models we’ve tested, but it typically costs more than twice as much as—and plays only slightly louder than—the Tribit StormBox Micro 2 (see below)n.

The Skullcandy Terrain sounds fairly full, although its internal limiter thins the bass out when the speaker is turned up. If you want a decent-sounding, nice-looking speaker for about $50, it’s a solid choice.

The Sony SRS-XG300 (a former upgrade pick) is a great-sounding speaker with a cool design, but the W-King X10 sounds as good and plays a little louder for a much lower price.

The upward-firing “immersive” speaker in the Soundcore Motion x600 sounds crude and excessively bright. The speaker sounds pretty good when the immersive sound is turned off, although it needs more bass. When the bass boost is activated, the bass tends to distort.

The Sway MagBoom is the only one of the many golf-ball-sized portable speakers that we consider worth buying. It sounds surprisingly full, plays reasonably loud, and has a magnetic base for attaching to phones, appliances, and other surfaces.

The Tribit StormBox Micro 2 is great for lightweight traveling, with a compact design and a rubbery strap that attaches it to poles and straps. It sounds much like the Tribit XSound Go , but it costs more.

The Tronsmart Bang Max delivers the most decibels per dollar (100.2 dB) of any large portable Bluetooth speaker we’ve found. It sounds less smooth and you can hear more bass in the midrange than the Ultimate Ears Hyperboom , but for outdoor parties, it might be better. As one of our listeners said, “I’d prefer the UE for indoor listening and the Tronsmart speaker for dancing or playing music by the pool.”

The Ultimate Ears Epicboom is like a bigger, more advanced version of our top pick, the Wonderboom 3 . But despite its size and fairly high price, it has a rather trebly sound that didn’t appeal to us.

The Zvox AccuVoice AV70 has a voice-boosting mode that, as with other Zvox models, does a nice job of making voices sound clearer for those with hearing-health issues. It can’t match the volume or bass output of our top picks, though.

This article was edited by Adrienne Maxwell and Grant Clauser.

Can I connect multiple Bluetooth speakers?

Many portable Bluetooth speakers can pair for stereo operation, with one speaker playing sound from the left stereo channel and the other playing from the right channel. Some offer the option of mono pairing, which plays the same sound from both speakers; this feature lets you play sound in two different rooms. Note that both speakers must be within range of a Bluetooth signal.

How can I reset my portable Bluetooth speaker?

Most portable Bluetooth speakers can be reset, which restores the factory control settings and erases any previous Bluetooth connections from memory. Many speakers have a tiny reset button, often placed near the charging jack and sometimes hidden behind a rubber jack cover. Usually, pressing this button for a few seconds with a slim object, such as a toothpick or an unfolded paper clip, resets the speaker; sometimes the button is hidden inside a tiny hole. Other speakers allow you to reset them by pressing the control buttons in a certain way, such as holding down the power and volume-down buttons simultaneously for 10 seconds. Some speakers that you control through a dedicated smartphone app let you reset them through the app. Consult your speaker’s operating manual to find its reset procedure.

How waterproof are most waterproof Bluetooth speakers?

Many portable Bluetooth speakers offer some degree of moisture resistance, a characteristic that is rated according to the IP (Ingress Protection) standard. You’ll see ratings such as “IP67” or “IPx4”; the second digit indicates the moisture resistance. A rating of 7, the best moisture resistance currently available in a portable Bluetooth speaker, indicates that the speaker can be submerged in 1 meter of water for 30 minutes without damage. A rating of 4 means that the item is splashproof. For more, see this complete list of IP ratings .

Meet your guide

Brent Butterworth

Brent Butterworth is a senior staff writer covering audio and musical instruments at Wirecutter. Since 1989, he has served as an editor or writer on audio-focused websites and magazines such as Home Theater, Sound & Vision, and SoundStage. He regularly gigs on double bass with various jazz groups, and his self-produced album Take2 rose as high as number three on the Roots Music Report jazz album chart.

Further reading

Great Sound on a Small Budget

by Grant Clauser

Good sound doesn't have to cost a lot. We found the best audio gear for around $100 or less.

The Best Multiroom Wireless Speaker System

by Dennis Burger

The Sonos multiroom music platform offers great-sounding speakers, supports the widest variety of streaming services, and is easy to set up and use.

The Best Outdoor Speakers

by Brent Butterworth

The OSD Audio AP650 is the best all-around choice in a passive outdoor speaker because it sounds great and has a rugged, sealed design with a versatile mount.

The Best Bluetooth Audio Receiver for Your Home Stereo or Speakers

The iFi Audio Zen Air Blue Bluetooth receiver offers excellent signal range and surprisingly good audio performance for the price.

The best Bluetooth speakers 2024: top portable speakers for any budget

Simply the best Bluetooth speakers and portable speakers you can buy

• Best overall
• Best budget
• Best mid-range
• Best for sound
• Best for parties
• Best for charge
• Best for battery
• Best premium
• Best for design
• Also consider
• How to choose
• How we test
• Latest updates

1. The list in brief 2. Best overall 3. Best budget 4. Best mid-range 5. Best for sound 6. Best for parties 7. Best for charge 8. Best for battery 9. Best premium 10. Best for design 11. How to choose 12 . How we test 13. Latest updates

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 shapes and sizes – and crucially, for all budgets. Audiophile sound quality and a thumping low end is always going to be a big ask if you're looking at something the size of a coffee cup, but you can get a portable speaker that delivers balanced and clear audio outdoors. These are our priorities when testing Bluetooth speakers and obviously we balance that with battery life and price – aka value for money. 

You don't need to be an engineer to know 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, which we've ranked among the best of the best. 

We also have a guide to the best party speakers if you want huge sound and don't need it to be especially light or portable. Similarly, if you want a more permanent speaker for your home, check out our guide to the best wireless speakers . On the other hand, if your biggest priority is a rugged speaker design in case of being knocked and dropped, our separate guide showcasing the best waterproof speakers will show you the options that can take a proper dunking.

I've reviewed over 150 audio products since becoming a tech journalist, ranging from super-budget earbuds to high-end Hi-Res Audio music players. Before joining TechRadar, I spent three years at What Hi-Fi? testing everything the world of audio had to offer; before that, I was a professional dancer. I'll always extol the virtues of listening (and dancing) to the best musical file quality and audio gear you can stretch to.

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.

The best Bluetooth speaker overall

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

The best budget Bluetooth speaker

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. 

The best mid-range Bluetooth speaker

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.

The best Bluetooth speaker for sound 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

Te best Bluetooth speaker 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).

Best Bluetooth for reverse 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  

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The best Bluetooth speaker for long battery life

It's not a looker and it's a tad heavy to boot, but that's because it's got a massive 30 hours of battery life under the hood. With a sub-$80 / £80 price tag, it's hard to complain…  Read more below

The best premium Bluetooth 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.    

The best Bluetooth speaker for design

This 2023 starlet looks the absolute business. It's pricey, but if you want that funky Ultimate Ears design aesthetic and sound, it's back – in a big way. Read more below

1. Sonos Roam

Our expert review:

Specifications

Reasons to buy, reasons to avoid.

✅ You own more Sonos speakers: Given that you can pair multiple Sonos speakers together, the Roam – alongside the Move 2 at #9 in this list – is perfect for a home audio system.   ✅ You like your tech to look as good as it sounds: Sonos' minimalist design aesthetic makes it standout in the crowded Bluetooth speaker space. 

❌ You're an audiophile: The Roam's sound quality isn't flawless due to the bass being a little unruly. Instead, look to B&O at #4 in this list for the best in portable audio.     ❌ You're often far from a plug: With only 10 hours of battery, the Roam offers a lot less than most like the JBL Charge 5 at #7 in the list , which doubles it at 20 hours. 

What you need to know: Since its release in 2021, the Sonos Roam has remained our favorite Bluetooth speaker, winning the TechRadar Choice Awards two years in a row (2021 and 2022). While there are plenty of portable speaker options around, the Roam remains our top pick for its big, room-filling sound, compact design and long list of connectivity features, including Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, which means it can work as both a portable speaker and as part of your wider multi-room Sonos system. It also has  Google Assistant and Alexa onboard (when you're on Wi-Fi) to make it double as a smart speaker too. 

Audio performance: The first thing we noticed about the Roam's audio performance is that it's bass-heavy, which makes it ideal for outdoor use. During our testing, we found that the bass was powerful enough to cut through wind noise but it was a bit overbearing while inside. Despite its small stature, the Roam delivers a powerful sonic performance – even if it does lack the rhythmic accuracy you'd expect from an audiophile speaker.

Design: Its slick design means the Sonos Roam won’t look out of place in your home. But it also has a rugged, waterproof and dust proof build that makes it ideal for listening to music outdoors. The battery life isn't huge, though. It's enough for a day out, but if that's a priority then check out either JBL Charge at #7 in the list or the B&O Beosound A1 Gen 2 at #4 in this list instead.

Value: Compared to similar priced Bluetooth speakers we've tested, you’re getting a lot of features for your money here. Sonos has also now added the Sonos Roam SL to its lineup, which is a slightly cheaper version of the Roam that lacks a microphone – but it's 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

• ^ Back to the top

2. Tribit Stormbox Micro 2

✅ You love to listen to music while on the move: As the smallest and lightest speaker on this list, the Stormbox Micro 2 is by far our most portable pick. ✅ You don't want the music to stop: At 12 hours, this doesn't have the longest battery life but it is above average. If you need 30 hours, look to the Blast at #5 on this list . 

❌ You want the best sound quality: It's a small speaker, which is why it goes for such a low price, don't expect big volume and class-leading detail. ❌ You value a good control app: While Tribit does have an app for some of its other products, this isn't one of them so you won't be able to access settings through your phone. 

What you need to know: Considering its extremely small size, 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 out there, but at this size and price you can't currently buy better. 

Audio performance: 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.

Design: The Micro 2 is a brilliantly pocketable portable speaker that delivers a surprisingly loud audio performance, which makes it 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.

Value: 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

3. JBL Flip 6

✅ You're a technophobe: JBL has made the Flip 6 extremely easy to use. Just connect the speaker to your phone or laptop and that's it! ✅ You love the great outdoors: The Flip 6 has one of the most hardiest shells, boasting an IP67 rating, which makes it both water and dust resistant.  

❌ You want the best possible sound quality: Without Wi-Fi like the Sonos Roam at #1 in this list , the Flip 6 is restricted to Bluetooth's limited bandwidth. ❌ You tend to run out of charge often: If this is feature you value, then we suggest looking at the JBL Charge 5 at #7 in the list as it can also charge your phone.  

What you need to know: There's not a lot that a portable speaker needs to do outside of delivering good quality audio while on the go – and if that's all you need, then look no further then JBL. The Flip 6 is a no frills Bluetooth speaker that is easy to use and sounds great. It was released in 2021 so we're expecting a new model to be announced soon but until then, it remains our top pick at this mid-range price point. Being a JBL speaker, it also offers access to features like being able pair up to 100 speakers from the brand at once to create an even larger sound system, but there is no reverse charging with this model – instead check out at #7 in the list if that's something you need.  

Audio performance: Given that the Flip 6 doesn't have a lot of features, its main focus is on delivering clear and accurate audio – yes, it does one thing but it does it very well. While we were reviewing the Bluetooth speaker, we  described its sound as warm and well-balanced, which was surprising for a speaker of this size. Its small stature does mean that the treble can sound a little harsh at times when played at loud volumes but there's still a lot of clarity and detail on offer.   

Design: Unlike a lot of other portable speakers on the market, the Flip 6 doesn't have an obscure shape to it. Rather, it comes in a classic cylinder style that fits in the side pocket of any backpack. There's also a wide range of colors to choose from so there's plenty of options to make sure it matches your gear. It is also extremely rugged, and can withstand a splash of water so you don't have to worry too much about it breaking or running out of battery with its 12 hours battery life. 

Value: The Flip 6 is an ideal speaker for anyone who wants to simply play their music, crank it up loud, sit back and enjoy for a reasonable price – no matter whether you're listening at home or on the go. It's also priced slightly lower than the  JBL Charge 5 due to it not having the extra phone charging feature, which places it firmly in the mid-range part of the market.       

Read our full JBL Flip 6 review

The best Bluetooth speaker for sound

4. B&O Beosound A1 (2nd Gen)

✅ You appreciate a well designed speaker: Bang & Olufsen is renowned for its Scandi style and the Beosound A1 embodies that minimalist charm effortlessly. ✅ You're an audiophile: This speaker values premium sound quality above all else and really does pull it off. It is by far the best sounding we've come across with Bluetooth.   

❌ You want a speaker with big, powerful sound: This is better suited to a more intimate environment. For something bigger, look at UE's Hyperboom at #8 in this list . ❌ You're known to be clumsy: Yes, it's waterproof and dust proof but it isn't as tough as say the JBL speakers in this list like the Flip 6 at #3 and Charge 5 at #7 .  

What you need to know: Bang & Olufsen didn't make too many changes to the second generation of the Beosound. The A1 is quite similar in looks to its predecessor but there are some helpful improvements at the feature level. One of those features is Alexa support, although being a Bluetooth speaker without any Wi-Fi support, this does require you to connect to your phone so can be a bit slow sometimes.  

Audio performance: Despite being a small speaker, the Beosound A1 (2nd Gen) delivers an exceptionally clear and crisp sonic performance. It manages the difficult task of balancing treble with the mids and bass to produce a smooth sound. During our review, we found the sound quality to be so accurate that it was as if we were listening to our favorite songs for the very first time. The way it manages to control the bass, while still delivering a punchy and exciting sound is outstanding for a Bluetooth speaker. 

Design: Thanks to its circular shape, it can also achieve a full 360-degree soundstage that is surprisingly immersive for such a small device. It's also simply stunning to look at. It has been designed with a slick, minimalist look that makes it feels very classy thanks small details like a thin leather strap. However, although it has an IP67 water and dust resistance rating, it is not the most rugged of Bluetooth speakers we've tested and didn't feel it would be best suited for say a muddy hike. 

Value: Bang & Olufsen is known for being a premium audio brand and so the Beosound A1 is a top shelf Bluetooth speaker. Despite this, it is half the price of our top premium pick, the Sonos Move 2 at #9 in this list . As a result, we think the Beosound A1 is best suited to hardcore music lovers who appreciate a beautifully designed speaker. 

Read our full Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd Gen) review

The best Bluetooth speaker for parties

5. Tribit Stormbox Blast

✅ You like to have your music up loud: Like its namesake, the Stormbox Blast really does knock your socks off with its powerful room filling sound. ✅ You're all about the bass: Like the UE Hyperboom at #8 in this list , this really does deliver exceptionally balanced bass that doesn't overpower the sound. 

❌ You don't want a dumb speaker: Okay, this isn't dumb by any means but without any mics, you won't be able to use voice assistants like Alexa or Siri.    ❌ You want something portable: The Stormbox Blast is reminiscent of a hefty boombox. Look at the Stormbox Micro 2 at #2 in this list for something more compact.   

What you need to know: The Tribit Stormbox Blast isn't going to be for everyone. Its heavy, has flashing lights that don't turn off completely (the best you can do is make it so they only flash when you're switching the volume levels) and doesn't have the same smart features as some of the other Bluetooth speakers in this list. But if you're after a dedicated party speaker that is powerful enough to be heard when outdoors, then it is hands down the best. 

Audio performance: If you're looking for a portable speaker that you can take into the backyard without annoying the neighbors, then this isn't it. We think 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, so if you want quiet background playlists then we'd suggest looking at the Beosound A1 at #4 in this list .  

Design: Out of all the speakers we've seen, the Stormbox Blast is definitely not the subtlest of 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. 

Value: Compared to other portable speakers of this size, the Tribit Stormbox Blast offers the best value we've found. Its priced at the middle end of the market, which means its closest rivals are speakers like the JBL Flip 6 at #3 in this list . If, however, you can afford to spend a bit more and still want that big room-filling sound, then we would point you in the direction of the UE Hyperboom at #8 in this list , which like the Stormbox Blast has banging bass. 

Read our full Tribit Stombox Blast review

The best Bluetooth speaker for charging

6. JBL Charge 5

✅ You want a speaker that sounds detailed: Compared to its predecessor, the Charge 5 has an additional tweeter that makes it have better clarity, with more impactful bass.     ✅ You tend to need a charger while on the go: With 20 hours of battery life, the Charge 5 can top up your device's battery life thanks to a USB-C port.  

❌ You want to play music extremely loudly: It may not have the big sound that the Tribit at #5 and UE at #8 can deliver, but it holds its own against the loudest. ❌ 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.

What you need to know: There aren't a lot of speakers on the market that are extremely small and portable and have detailed sound alongside helpful features like reverse charging, but JBL has pulled it off with the Charge 5. It's priced a little bit more than JBL's more streamlined Flip 6 at #3 in this list , but that's down to the added tech, which we think makes it's a worthwhile pick if these are the three main things you need out of a Bluetooth speaker.  

Audio performance: One of the big highlights of the Charge 5 is its balanced sound, which has a striking amount of clarity. The only downside is that it unfortunately starts to distort at high volumes. Because of this wouldn't advise turning it up past 60% of the volume bar as this is where we found it started to struggle. For the optimum volume, we found the sweet spot was more between 50–60%.   

Design: The cylinder-shaped speaker looks exactly the same as the Flip 6 except for a waterproof USB-C charging port and flap hiding the USB-A port that can be used to charge up your smartphone. There's no aux input for a 3.5mm jack but you do still have access physical buttons for playback, volume, power, pairing and dedicated party sound mode that turns up the volume up to 11 (use this sparingly).  

Value: The only thing about the cost of the Charge 5 is that it puts it squarely in line with the Sonos Roam at #1 in this list , which we think is by far the better all-rounder based on its added connectivity features like Wi-Fi that unlocks multi-room pairing and access to voice assistants. But frankly, there's no reverse charging so this will be the biggest point to consider if choosing between the two.   

Read our full JBL Charge 5 review

The best Bluetooth speaker for battery life

7. Tribit Stormbox Flow

✅ You take long vacations: Going away, don't have the necessary adapter, want music to last the whole trip? You'll get a whopping 30 hours from this. ✅ You like a clean, fuss-free aesthetic: Look, it's not the last word in design, but it's durable, solid, and does the job of playing your music very well indeed. 

❌ You like to pump up the volume: the Tribit Stormbox Flow sounds best up to 75% volume, because of its bass-heavy tuning. Crank it up further and things get a little congested. ❌ You're concerned about baggage weight allowance: considering its bijou dimensions, the Tribit is heavy, at 660g, so if you're struggling with flight carrier weight stipulations it may be a little much.

What you need to know: It's one of the newer products in this list, arriving in August 2023 and Tribit's making quite a name for itself in this particular arena – ie. Bluetooth belters at around $79 / £79. It's not winning any awards for design, but it is IP67 water- and dustproof and it has a loud, likeable, bass-heavy sound that'll work for many a summer gathering – at home or on the road. 

Audio performance: For a little speaker, the Stormbox Flow can boom out tunes at the pool party, or give you some impressive sound-per-pound audio if you're chilling at home. The bass is arguably the most impressive aspect – although it does get a little cluttered and bloated you turn things up beyond 75% volume.

Pair two of them up in stereo mode (like we did, because they're affordable little speakers, so this is a viable and cost-effective option for a desktop or party) and it’s even more compelling, with a much wider soundstage, just don’t be surprised if you lower the volume a little more than usual. Another tip for the best listen: stick to the XBass sound mode, for the punchiest, crispest sound through the low end. 

Design: Tribit's a little hit-and-miss when it comes to design flourishes and, truth be told, you won't be bowled over by how the Stormbox Flow looks. There's nothing offensive or ugly about it, but there's nothing particularly classy about it either. Also the power button takes a bit of getting used to for timing. Other than that, it's a solid home run here – oh, and did we mention the awesome 30-hour battery? 

Value: Compared to similarly-priced Bluetooth speakers, the battery life here offers immense value for money. In fact, value for money is one of Tribit's main selling points as a brand, and the Stormbox Flow proves it. Yes, the Stormbox Micro 2 (above) is a great little thing, but if you want a slightly larger, louder product that'll last out your entire trip without needing a charge, you may have found it. 

Read our full Tribit Stormbox Flow review

8. Sonos Move 2

✅ You want to go from indoors to outdoors: Sonos has essentially added portable features like waterproofing and a carry handle to one of its elite home speakers.     ✅ You're looking for a long battery life: Like its namesake, the Sonos Move 2 can keep moving for a full day, with one charge lasting a full 24 hours.   

❌ You're on a budget: Sonos isn't as affordable as the likes of the Tribit Stormbox Micro 2 at #2 in this list , and that comes down to its premium features, design ando sound.    ❌ You want to take your music wherever you go: There is a handle to make it easy to carry, but at 3kg it isn't the lightest so isn't best suited for constant manoeuvring.

What you need to know: 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. 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. 

Audio performance: 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. 

Design: 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.

Value: 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. 

Read our full   Sonos Move 2 review

9. Ultimate Ears Epicboom

✅ You appreciate UE's iconic aesthetic: If you adored the mug-sized 2019 Wonderboom, you'll love this much bigger version. ✅ You've just redecorated your apartment: Few audio products will look as good next to the clean, chic lines in your newly-updated bedroom, den or kitchen as this speaker. 

❌ You want a speaker that'll work over wi-fi: No dice here. For all its talents, it is just a Bluetooth speaker, unlike the Sonos Move 2 listed above. ❌ You're on a tight budget: UE kit doesn't often come with a tiny pirce-tag (the Wonderboom being a notable exception) but this one of the priciest options on this list, owing to its size, newness and talent. 

What you need to know: Epicboom arrived in September 2023 and, we mean this, it is finally something to get excited about from Ultimate Ears. It is surprisingly big, very talented and essentially does for big Bluetooth speakers what the Wonderboom 2 did for mug-sized options – level up the game in terms of audio prowess. But this is also a fair wedge of money for a Bluetooth speaker and however likeable it is, it won't play nice with your home Wi-Fi to create a multi-room system, where cheaper options from Sonos (above) can. 

Audio performance: It's meaty, it's zealous, it's fun, it's resoundingly tight through the bass even at high volumes. It's basically everything that made Ultimate Ears a household name in this product category. If we were worried, we needn't have been; this is where Ultimate Ears' engineers shine.

Design: Those big tactile plus and minus signs for volume are back along its body, and the flecked rubberised plastic is now much more eco-conscious. The wrist strap is somewhat surplus to requirements (don't allow it to take the full weight of the thing on your arm – it's 1979g and that might hurt) but it's a beautifully crafted thing – and it offers truly omnidirectional sound too. 

Value: The Boom companion app here is an excellent addition. That said, at this level we might have expected wireless connectivity using your home broadband (hey, Sonos!). Another fly in the ointment is this: although a fan-favorite feature within UE's Boom app, PartyUp, lets you pair multiple compatible Ultimate Ears speakers to beef up the audio, it's limited to Epicboom, Boom, Boom 2,  Boom 3 ,  Megaboom ,  Megaboom 3 , and Hyperboom speakers. Want to pair it with your beloved Wonderboom 2 or newer Wonderboom 3 ? Sadly, that's not possible, because PartyUp is not compatible with any Wonderboom, Blast or Megablast UE speaker. Harrumph! 

Read our full Ultimate Ears Epicboom review

Other Bluetooth speakers to consider

At the start of April 2024, we decided to remove the Cleer Audio Scene . We originally recommended it as an alternative to the JBL Flip 6 with an aux-in but it has since been surpassed by newer models. Of course, if a 3.5mm port is important to you then we’d recommend looking at the Tribit Stormbox Blast at #5 in this list . There are other options, too, like the Orange Box , for example, but as a whole, an aux-in does not appear to be readily available among top Bluetooth speakers. If the Stormbox Blast or Orange Box are not as portable as you’d like, then the Cleer Audio Scene can still be found available to buy.  

We also dropped the Ultimate Ears Hyperboom as the best Bluetooth speaker for powerful sound. While it packs in tons of bass, this entry was too similar to other recommendations we have included such as the Sonos Move 2  at #8 in this list and Ultimate Ears Epicboom at #9 in this list . If big sound is what you're after, we'd also recommend looking at the Brane X speaker that was launched in December 2023. The reason why we haven't included this in our list more permanently is because it has limited availability at the time of writing. When that changes, we'll look to reconsider the ranking of our list to best reflect what's available in the market. 

Another two Bluetooth speaker that we're looking forward to becoming more widely available are the JBL Clip 5 and the not yet announced successor to the Sonos Roam. JLB's Clip 5 is pitched as having support for next-gen Bluetooth Auracast, which is a highly-anticipated upgrade that is also set to feature in its upcoming Xtreme 4 and Go 4 models. And while no official details have been announced about the Roam 2 , it is rumored to arrive in June. 

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

April 4, 2024 Removed the Cleer Audio Scene as best for aux-in and Ultimate Ears Hyperboom as best for powerful sound. Added in a new 'Also consider' section that highlights upcoming new releases to look out for.  

March 4, 2024 Added Tribit Stormbox Flow and Ultimate Ears Epicboom to this buying guide. Updated biog and key points. Reworte intro to reflect current tech updates in the category. 

January 25, 2024 Updated write-ups for each product to include extra summaries from key points of their respective reviews. 

Read more updates

November 30, 2023 Updated copy throughout, added Sonos Move 2 details. 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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Becky is a senior staff writer at TechRadar (which she has been assured refers to expertise rather than age) focusing on all things audio. Before joining the team, she spent three years at What Hi-Fi? testing and reviewing everything from wallet-friendly wireless earbuds to huge high-end sound systems. Prior to gaining her MA in Journalism in 2018, Becky freelanced as an arts critic alongside a 22-year career as a professional dancer and aerialist – any love of dance starts with a love of music. Becky has previously contributed to Stuff, FourFourTwo and The Stage. When not writing, she can still be found throwing shapes in a dance studio, these days with varying degrees of success.  

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The 8 Best Portable Speakers of 2024, Tested and Reviewed

Never miss a beat with these high-quality portable speakers.

In This Article

Jump to a Section

• Our top picks

Our Testing Process

• Tips for Buying
• Why Trust T + L

We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more .

Travel + Leisure / Kevin Liang

Whether you’re looking to host parties pool-side or just want a reliable way to listen to music while getting ready for a night out, a portable speaker can be a great accessory for your next trip. Many portable speakers are dustproof and waterproof so you can truly take them with you wherever you go. Plus, the enhanced sound quality and customization provides a better way to listen to your favorite music.

To determine the best and most reliable portable speaker, we reviewed nearly a dozen options from top brands like Ultimate Ears, Sony, and Bose. We tested each portable speaker to evaluate how easy it is to use, how far the Bluetooth range can reach, how long the battery lasts, and then assessed its overall value. The compact and vibrant Ultimate Ears Wonderboom is our favorite option after weeks of tests. Whether you’re an audiophile or looking for a simple way to share your music on-the-go check out our lists of the best portable speakers for every occasion.

Best Overall

Ultimate ears wonderboom 3.

• Design 5 /5
• Sound Quality 4.5 /5
• Useful Features 5 /5
• Setup Process 5 /5
• Overall Value 5 /5

It connects to your phone almost instantly for easy setup.

It isn’t the easiest to pair with other Wonderboom speakers.

When you want to guarantee you can hear your favorite music wherever you go, be sure to pack the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 portable mini speaker. It comes in four colors (with two additional web-exclusive shades ), so you can mix and match, pairing the devices for an even more powerful sound. We tested this speaker in a variety of different environments, including at the beach and camping and never had any issues losing a connection.

This speaker connects to your phone almost instantly without issue or complications. It’s also easy to charge and comes with the necessary USB cord, so you don’t have to worry about sharing cords. And, while it doesn’t come with a carrying case, this was one of the most durable portable speakers we tried as it’s both waterproof and dustproof. We also love that it doesn’t require any additional apps, making setup and use an absolute breeze.

The Details: 14 hours of battery | 131.2-foot range | Waterproof | Dustproof | 3.75 x 4 x 4 inches | 0.94 pounds

Best Clip-on

The lightweight design and convenient clip is perfect for hiking or walking long distances.

The battery doesn’t last quite as long as other portable speakers.

The JBL Clip 4 is the perfect option for lightweight packers and hikers alike. When you turn it on, it connects to the nearest phone almost automatically just like wireless headphones and is easy to switch devices if you want to give your friend a turn picking the music. While it does not have a carrying case, it does feature a cute and convenient clip so you can attach it to backpacks, bags, and even belt loops for constant listening. For how small this portable speaker is, we love the sound quality, which is great even in crowds and on windy beaches. 

The Details: 10 hours of battery | Waterproof | Dustproof | 3.4 x 5.3 x 1.8 inches | 0.53 pounds

Best for Parties

Treblab hd77 ultra premium bluetooth speaker.

It’s one of the loudest portable speakers we’ve tested.

It’s heavier than other similarly sized portable speakers.

When you know you’re going to spend your vacation hosting parties or entertaining friends poolside, the Treblab HD77 Bluetooth Speaker is an absolute must. This speaker can overpower any noise, even in a crowded room or busy outdoor space. When you turn it on, we found it automatically pops up in your device’s Bluetooth settings, so you just click connect and get the party started quickly. There are even color-coded LED lights to indicate the speaker’s status (i.e., on, searching for connection, low in battery, etc.), and they all pop up in different colors so you can easily know what it needs. 

The connection never changed throughout our use, even when we walked into the water with the attached phone and the speaker stayed connected on the beach. There was no static or interruptions in the music, plus we could still hear the tunes in the water over the sound of the waves. We also love that it can last a couple of days without charging, depending on how much you use it.

The Details: 20 hours of battery | 33-foot range | Waterproof | Dustproof | 7.3 x 3 x 3 inches | 1.38 pounds

Best Budget

Dosmix retro bluetooth speaker.

The sound quality is better and louder than most phones of similar size.

We wouldn’t recommend this for outdoor or party use. 

This teeny tiny speaker takes “portable” to a whole new level — it fits right in the palm of your hand like a phone, but has a stronger speaker for better quality music. We are absolutely in love with the retro vibe down to the working, light-up knob to adjust volume. For looks alone, we recommend this for anyone who wants something more than just a phone speaker, but that also looks cute sitting out. While we don’t think it’s a great option for on-the-go use (the battery and connectivity range are not as strong as other portable speakers), it’s a great small speaker for when you’re lounging or getting ready for a fun day out.

The Details: 6 hours of battery | 32.8-foot range | 2.8 x 4.3 x 2 inches | 0.43 pounds

Best Splurge

Ultimate ears epicboom.

The sound quality is unmatched.

The one-touch playlist feature doesn’t work with Spotify.

The minute you turn on this speaker for the first time, a voice welcomes you and tells you to download the app that then walks you through the simple setup instructions. You’re then able to easily switch between phones (and even connect it to an Apple TV for the ultimate listening experience). The connectivity range is also so strong that you can easily walk away from the speaker up to 180 feet without losing the signal. This is also the best sounding speaker we tested by far, and there are custom settings like bass boost and cinema mode so you can adjust for the perfect sound quality to match whatever you’re listening to. While this is certainly a pricier option, audiophiles and party-throwers alike are sure to love this high-powered speaker. 

The Details: 17 hours of battery | 180-foot range | Waterproof | Dustproof | 6.3 x 4.6 x 9.4 inches | 4.4 pounds

Most Durable

During testing, this speaker fell out of a bag and tumbled down the stairs and there’s not a single mark, dent, or scratch on it.

We would love to see the exact charge percentage left on the speaker. 

Leave it to Sony to create a high-powered portable speaker that can withstand a fall down the stairs and still provide excellent sound for any occasion. While it didn’t automatically connect to devices, once we turned it off and on, and turned the phone’s Bluetooth capabilities off and on, we were able to pair the devices. Once connected the first time, it was instantaneous to connect for future use. The first time we used it, we charged it for about 15 minutes and it then worked for two hours straight. It’s also seamless to switch from phones to this speaker when playing music and also simple to swap to other devices without hassle. The Sony XB 100 comes with a little carrying sack, but we especially love that the speaker itself has a strap that can be used to attach it to the outside of any bag.

The Details: 16 hours of battery | Waterproof | Dustproof | 3.43 x 3.43 x 4.41 inches | 0.61 pounds

Most Versatile

Bose soundlink flex bluetooth speaker.

We dropped it into a pool and the speaker still works and is undamaged.

It’s a bit big for a portable speaker, but it can still easily fit in carry-on and tote bags. 

Whether you’re lounging poolside or at the beach , this portable speaker is the perfect addition to your day of relaxation. It’s not a small speaker, but it’s still a good size for fitting into backpacks and totes to take with you on a variety of trips. Considering it’s not an Apple product, we were surprised by how quickly the speaker paired to iPhones and easily switched between devices. The speaker takes just a few hours to charge with the included USB-C cord. The battery also lasts up to 17 hours on one charge and it still plays music when it’s charging, so you never miss a moment of music. And while you don’t need the Bose app to use the speaker, it has so many sound customizations, you may want to utilize the app to get the best listening experience for your environment. 

The Details: 12 hours of battery | Waterproof | Dustproof | 2.06 x 7.93 x 3.56 inches | 1.3 pounds

Made for Amazon Battery Base for Amazon Echo Dot

It’s a smart speaker that’s perfect for making your Amazon Echo a portable device.

With just a five-hour battery life, this isn’t the best for outdoor or on-the-go use.

Yes, Alexa is normally only used inside, but this base turns your Echo Dot into a portable speaker. The device pairs instantly after you connect to your Amazon account and it doesn’t need to be operated using a phone (as long as your music services are linked to your Amazon profile). The speaker itself is connected to Wi-fi so your device doesn’t even need to be near a phone at all once hooked up to the internet. While the sound quality is good, our favorite part of this portable speaker is the ability to use Alexa. In fact, we find that the addition of this base makes your existing Echo device even more useful.

The Details: 5 hours of battery

Our team tested nearly a dozen portable speakers, evaluating each one on ease of use, range, sound quality, battery life, portability, and more. Testers were first asked to pair their speakers with a device to determine the ease of setup and then work with required apps or device settings to test the speaker’s range, customization, and sound quality. Each portable speaker was then brought out and tested in a variety of conditions from hiking trails to poolside and more. Throughout the testing period, we took careful note of the speakers’ durability and waterproofing if applicable.

Tips for Buying a Portable Speaker

Decide how much sound you need.

Not all portable speakers are designed to overpower a room full of party people or even the sound of crashing waves. When selecting a portable speaker, think about where you intend to use it so you can prioritize a speaker that gets loud enough to suit your environment. If you are just looking for a speaker to enhance your music to a higher quality than your phone’s speaker, you may not need something as powerful as a speaker designed for outdoor use.

Consider size and portability 

When selecting a portable speaker, obviously, the size and weight of the device should be your top priorities. If you’re looking for a device that simply doesn’t need to be plugged in, but just moved around your home, the portability may not matter quite as much as if you plan to bring your speaker hiking. Know what you have in mind (and what weight you’re willing to carry) when you look into purchasing a portable speaker. Also, keep in mind that most portable speakers connect via Bluetooth; if you want to be able to connect to your home’s internet, or use voice assistants, you’ll likely need a speaker that also has Wi-fi capabilities. 

Prioritize durability

Since you’ll be taking this speaker with you on hikes, to the pool, or just over to your friend’s house, you want to make sure your portable speaker is durable. Consider opting for a speaker that is not only waterproof, but dustproof as well to ensure it can withstand your travels. You may also want to prioritize a portable speaker that comes with a carrying case, dustbag, or strap to make transportation a breeze.

Some portable speakers require a specific app that allows you to adjust the settings and check on the status of your device while other speakers just need to connect using your phone’s Bluetooth. Be sure to read all manufacturer’s instructions to determine exactly what you need in order to use your specific portable speaker. 

Portable speakers are allowed inside your carry-on or personal item. However, you are generally not allowed to play music or movies outside of headphones, so if you plan to bring your portable speaker on board, be sure it stays off and tucked away in a safe place. 

Why Trust Travel + Leisure

Taylor Fox is a commerce writer at Travel + Leisure where she researches, reviews, and writes about a wide range of products. To select the best portable speakers, she called on her own experience as a traveler and worked with editors and T+L testers on a series of lab and real-world insights.

Love a great deal? Sign up for our T+L Recommends newsletter and we'll send you our favorite travel products each week.

Best computer speakers in 2024

Here are our picks for the best computer speakers, based on hours of testing and research.

If you, like so many of us, spend most of your waking hours at your desk, then you deserve to own some of the best computer speakers your budget will allow. These portable audio receivers combat the tinny sound often found in some of the best laptops, combining full, balanced sonics with handy features like Bluetooth and headphone outputs. The right one for you will depend on your budget, design taste, and, ideally, how much space you have on your desk. 

The market plays host to numerous models of different styles, which work great for any setup or computing device (e.g. desktop, laptop, smartphone) you have in mind. Key players worth mentioning that have cemented their legacy as top computer speaker manufacturers include Edifier, Creative, and Audioengine just to name a few. You’ll even find gems here from consumer electronics staples like Bose , Harman Kardon, and gaming accessory giant, Razer .

Check out our top picks for the best computer speakers, based on hours of testing and research. Need something for private listening? Then make sure to also look at our roundup of the  best noise-cancelling headphones , which includes everything from over-ear luxury cans to truly wireless buds.

What are the best computer speakers?

Why you can trust Laptop Mag Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test .

The Q Acoustics 3020i currently sits at No. 1 on our best computer speakers list. Improvements in design and audio quality (e.g., extended bass response) showcase the overall detailing and effort that was put into these speakers. They’ are tiny but powerful stand-mounted monitors made to satisfy audiophiles who want strong sound in a refined package. 

In second place on our best computer speakers list is the Audioengine HD3. These Bluetooth bookshelf speakers match the precise sound found on most wired computer speakers. Bass is tight and the midrange is emphasized for vocals to shine. Connectivity is spot-on too, so you won’t ever have to worry about dropout when streaming music. It’s also one of the better-looking models out there with a retro-inspired design that’s donned in a wooden veneer and mesh magnetic grille.

For bargain hunters, there is the Creative Pebble V3, which packs loud sound into a compact design that is perfect for small desks and most media formats (music, video games, movies). If money is no object, then the KEF LSX is an amazing sound system that doubles as computer speakers and delivers top-notch audio performance and tons of features. The Edifier R1280DB is another relatively affordable option with numerous connection options that balances smooth-sounding mids and highs superbly. 

The best computer speakers you can buy today

1. Q Acoustics 3020i

Our expert review:

Specifications

Reasons to buy, reasons to avoid.

Our top pick for the best computer speakers is the Q Acoustics 3020i for its impeccable sound reproduction and gorgeous design. The frequency spectrum is well represented, with bass leading the sonic brigade; kick snares and drums sound thunderous. You’ll enjoy amazing separation as well, pinpointing instruments, while also picking up on the subtle nuances in orchestral recordings. Build quality is another hallmark of the 3020i, from the curved unibody frame to the multiple sexy finishes (Graphite Grey, English Walnut, Carbon Black or Arctic White) the speakers come in.

These aren’t speakers you’ll want to keep tucked in deep cabinets, as they look more exquisite sitting next to an Apple Mac Pro or Microsoft Surface Studio. You can even place them on stands, should you want to get more creative with speaker placement and enjoy stereo sound at ear level.

2. Audioengine HD3

Audioengine’s reputation for building premium speakers with accurate sound is flawless. The HD3 is proof of this, producing stellar audio that makes music and movies sound pristine. Wired speakers are known for offering the better audio experience, but these Bluetooth-only speakers exceed expectations. Mids are articulate and highs are compelling, giving vocals plenty of clarity and detail. Wireless range is stable as well with little to no dropout occurring. What’s more surprising is how well sound carries over to the headphone jack, as listening with over-ear cans maintains the HD3’s rich performance. Having a built-in DAC and amp also increases the HD3’s value.

Our only complaint is that Audioengine took it easy on the low end. You’ll still get to some nice oomph out of the drivers when listening to bass-dominating tracks, but don’t expect to blow a hole through your college dorm roof. 

3. Creative Pebble V3

Our favorite tiny computer speakers have been upgraded with louder sound, more input options, and a new mode that doubles the audio intensity. The latter works great for music, movies, video games, and podcasts. Those with distinctive hearing may also notice how well the Pebble V3’s clear dialog audio processing performs when compared to what comes out of your MacBook’s built-in speakers; dialogue-heavy scenes in movies and games sound amazing. We do advise not to blast the speakers at max volume, as it can produce some crackling and minor distortion when jamming out to tunes. 

Wireless playback is superb with Bluetooth 5.0 providing steady connectivity across all devices (e.g. laptops, desktops, smartphones). Then you have the super-compact design, which is perfect for small work environments or to pack with you on the road. For $40, it’s a no-brainer that you can also pass onto someone else once you’re ready to look at bigger, more powerful options.

4. Klipsch The Fives

The Fives speaker system looks like something you would find in your great-grandfather’s study, but the only thing retro about these speakers is the design. Despite no subwoofer, these monitors blast powerful, balanced sound to create an immersive listening experience when enjoying music, movies, sports, and video games. The details in craftsmanship are remarkable as exhibited by the aluminum dials sitting atop the right channel to allow for seamless switching between the numerous connections. There is even an output to connect to turntables; we recommend checking out our  best USB turntables  roundup to find some worthy pairings.

All that firepower does come at the cost of size. As you can see by the dimensions, The Fives isn’t exactly a pair of computer speakers that rest steadily on any tiny desk, so you’ll definitely want to clear out some space before these arrive on your doorstep.

An award winner in multiple categories, the KEF LSX is included on our best computer speakers list for numerous reasons. For one, just look at how gorgeous and well-constructed it is, highlighted by the color-matched fabric on each side and the high-gloss finish. Unique details like the Uni-Q driver array, which consists of a 19mm aluminum dome tweeter sitting in the center of a 10cm bass cone, are complementary to the LSX’s appearance as well. Sound is rich with an impactful low end that favors bass-heavy genres, though you can customize this in the EQ settings via Control app. Being able to stream music wirelessly through Bluetooth and AirPlay 2, while also supporting Spotify Connect and Tidal, adds to its value.

It does seem impractical that you need two apps – the aforementioned Control and Stream – to personalize sound and play music from streaming platforms. In addition, Stream tends to experience serious lag when playing Tidal tracks.

6. Edifier R1280DB

Edifier knows all about making some of the best computer speakers, and the R1280DB is a fine addition to the brand’s long line of heritage receivers. Their penchant for build quality is certainly on display, with the speakers featuring a wood grain finish, vinyl wrap, and magnetic shields for protection from surrounding items. They’ll feel right at home on any bookshelf, while also blending nicely on any entertainment center. More enticing than the design is the sound quality, which is ideal for multiple media formats (e.g. music, movies, and games), thanks to its superb mids and highs. Bluetooth connection is another bonus, letting you pair the speakers with multiple computing devices.

You’ll just want to be mindful of listening at high volumes since that can create distortion. The low end won’t blow you away either, so bass lovers looking to shake their game room with explosions may want to look at other models on this list.

7. Audioengine A2+

The small-but-mighty A2+ is considered one of the best computer speakers for those who appreciate detailed audio and can afford to pay for it, if they can find it. That’s right, at nearly seven years old, the A2+ remains a hot commodity among PC owners who want top of the line sound. You'll hear crisp treble and balanced midrange and bass — no subwoofer needed, though there's a subwoofer output if you want to add one. Best of all, the A2+ fills the room with sound, and they can get really loud. You can connect in a variety of ways, including RCA stereo, 3.5 mm minijack and USB (you can also get a version with Bluetooth for $50 more).

The solidly built units come in satin black, glossy white or glossy red to match your aesthetics. You’re going to want to find the right volume level and stick with it because Audioengine made the inconvenient decision to place the volume control on the back, which becomes annoying to access every time.

8. Klipsch R-41PM

Another popular, well-received pair of Klipsch computer speakers, the R-41PM presents fantastic sound and connectivity in a sleek package. Powerful bass, clean mids, and resonant highs demonstrate the unit’s great frequency range. An included sub-out line makes it seamless to add a subwoofer, should you want to boost low frequencies, which isn’t necessary for small settings, but is available nonetheless. The numerous inputs let you connect these babies to everything from your desktop to television, even to a turntable. There’s also the option to go wireless and pair the speakers with your mobile device. Craftsmanship is excellent too, made up of exposed fasteners, low profile magnetic grilles, and a scratch-resistant, textured wood grain vinyl finish for a polished appearance.

Sadly, Bluetooth isn’t executed well and doesn’t allow you to automatically re-pair the R-41PM with recently connected devices. Don’t blast these speakers too loudly either, because it can lead to harsh sound.

9. Fluance Ai61

Bigger in size, bigger in sound, the Ai61 is basically a more advanced version of the popular Ai41. You really can’t go wrong with either model, but the Ai61 garners more attention because of its increase in driver size, wattage, and low-end frequency. It also comes with a USB Type-C input, which is ideal for computer use. These speakers produce loud, powerful bass and impressive stereo separation to hear instruments and vocals distinctly through the left and right channels. The plethora of inputs – Bluetooth, analog, and digital – are nicely appointed for audiophiles who want to get more out of the speakers by pairing to high-end sound systems. And even with the extra specs, the Ai61 remains lightweight.

The price difference between the Ai41 and Ai61 is only $50, which seems like a bargain when factoring in the bonuses. However, $300 isn’t what most would consider relatively affordable.

10. Razer Nommo Pro

Razer is a brand that has become synonymous with PC gaming, as best exhibited by their award-winning  gaming laptops . It didn’t take long for them to release a line of gaming computer speakers, and if you want top-tier performance, then the Nommo Pro might be the gaming set-up for you. These speakers boast a loud, wide soundstage that delivers an immersive listening experience perfect for gaming; you’ll be more aware of sneak attacks during  Call of Duty: Warzone  multiplayer matches and hear players voices clearly over heavy gunfire. The Razer Synapse app makes it easy to personalize the speakers, be it the EQ or RGB lightning pattern. Also, the dial control makes volume adjustment and switching between audio sources a breeze. 

The subwoofer does help the speakers produce pleasant rumble, though it can also make bass too punchy when blasting sound at high volume. Also, the high price tag doesn’t make the Nommo Pro financially accessible to all PC gamers.

11. House of Marley Get Together Duo

Our favorite sustainable audio brand has made their way into the computer speaker market, offering up an attractive set of sound blasters composed of solid bamboo and HoM’s trademark REWIND Fabric made from recycled materials. You can expect crisp, detailed audio to come out of this dual-speaker system, along with 20 hours of playtime from the right speaker, which can be used wirelessly around the house or on the go. The Get Together Duo even has RCA outputs and an aux input for wired playback; we recommend pairing it with some of the market’s  best noise-cancelling headphones  or  USB turntables .

Bass heads who want deep, boomy sound might want to look elsewhere, as this speaker system places heavy emphasis on midrange. It would have also been great if HoM added lossless Bluetooth codecs and AAC support, but neither of these omissions is a dealbreaker.

12. Airpulse A80

Airpulse designed these desktop speakers with versatility in mind. Multiple inputs allow you to pair them with any other compatible audio source. Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX connectivity means hi-res streaming with minimal latency. Powerful drivers and a subwoofer output for bass expansion guarantee loud, boom-filled sound. Listeners have the option to tweak sound via the volume, bass, and treble dials. A sleek, clean design with unique touches like a horn-loaded ribbon tweeter completes the A80’s look. 

A beautiful design doesn’t always translate to appealing sound. The A80’s frequencies fail to complement one another. For instance, the highs don’t merge well with mids, and bass can be overly aggressive at times. The bundled remote control doesn’t function well either.  

How to choose the best computer speakers for you

You’ll want to prioritize audio performance, connection type, extra features, and pricing when seeking out the best computer speakers.

Ask yourself what suits your setup best: wired or wireless. The former is known for guaranteeing better sound, yet requires dealing with more cables and ports, which can be overbearing for small setups. If you’re not looking to be tethered to your machine, then know that there are plenty of wireless models available that come with stereo or surround sound technology. Speaking of sound, also look for computer speakers that deliver clean vocals, deep bass, and rich treble, and with volume levels that aren’t too loud or distort sound.

Something else to keep in mind is codecs. SBC (Sub Band Codec) is the most common and is a great option for streaming music on popular services like Spotify. You can look into newer and more advanced codecs like AAC (Advanced Audio Coding), Qualcomm aptX, and Sony LDAC as well; each one processes information quickly and delivers superior audio output.

In terms of features, the most common tend to be bass and treble controls, allowing you to personalize sound to your liking. Multiple inputs are important too, especially if you’re looking to connect the speakers to other devices like smartphones or tablets. Make sure the speakers have an auxiliary input jack, USB slots, and extra ports for more versatility.

Top-tier performance usually comes at a premium, but not all of the best computer speakers carry a steep MSRP. Yes, the more expensive models will likely have more powerful sound and components underneath the hood, along with a more upscale appearance. That’s not to say you won’t get some great performance out of a less expensive pair. Look at reviews – both expert and consumer – then figure out what models offer everything you want for the most reasonable price.

How we test the best computer speakers

Similar to how we test all audio products, our reviewers evaluate several factors, including audio, battery life, design, and value.  We also compare each model to similar ones in terms of features, pricing, and setup.

Computer speakers are tested over the course of a week for 2 hours at a time. During this process, we analyze Bluetooth performance, ease of use, and, most importantly, sound quality. Reviewers listen to numerous predetermined tracks across a variety of music genres: classical, EDM, hip-hop, jazz, rock, and R&B. Movies, podcasts, and video games are taken into serious consideration too. Overall, we evaluate clarity, fullness, and volume. 

With more streaming services offering high-resolution audio, we advise reading this audio codec FAQ  to learn more about FLAC files, MP3s and, everything in between. The streaming service you choose could enhance sound quality.

After testing is completed, we rate each model based on our five-point system (1 = worst, 5 = best). Any product that is exemplary is awarded a Laptop Magazine Editor’s Choice badge.

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Sherri L. Smith has been cranking out product reviews for Laptopmag.com since 2011. In that time, she's reviewed more than her share of laptops, tablets, smartphones and everything in between. The resident gamer and audio junkie, Sherri was previously a managing editor for Black Web 2.0 and contributed to BET.Com and Popgadget.

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• Best Travel Speakers 2024: Rated & Reviewed

Disclaimer : We may receive a small fee for any purchases made through links in this post. Learn more

Finding the best travel speaker for your needs can be a difficult task. There are thousands on the market and a lot of considerations to ponder.

If you’re heading away on a trip and want to be able to bang out some tunes, it’s an essential piece of kit. And they’re great for the beach, around the pool, or in your hotel room. 

We’ve put together this definitive list of the best travel speakers on the market right now to help making your choice a little simpler.

Quick Comparison of the Best Travel Speakers

How to choose the best travel speaker.

The best travel speakers all share a number of impressive elements. Here’s how we went about picking which ones made it onto our list:

If you’re buying a speaker to take travelling then it needs to be pretty hardwearing. 

It’s not going to be safely tucked away on a dresser in the corner of a room. So it has to be able to withstand the rigours of your trip, regardless of where your adventures take you. 

The last thing you want is for it to fall apart during a trip and be left carrying a useless lump of plastic. 

At the very least it should be water resistant, and ideally fully waterproof. Not only is this perfect for stress-free fun around the pool or on the beach, it’s also ideal for humid conditions.

It also needs to be generally travel-proof, i.e hard enough to be chucked in your bag and survive a few knocks.

Battery Life

Picture the scene. You’re chilling on the beach with your buds in the midday sun, enjoying some tunes and generally having a good time.

Then your travel speaker dies. Just cuts out. Mood killed.

Most good travel speakers have a battery life of a minimum of 6 hours with continuous playback. But the very best can last up to around 20.

If you anticipate using your travel speaker for long periods at a time, battery life will be an important consideration. One thing to note is that all of the listed battery playback duration here is the maximum for each device.

There are lots of factors that affect how much play you’ll get out of a single play. For example, blasting it at volume will drain it extremely quickly.

Portability

When you’re packing for a trip, the weight and bulk of your baggage is all important. No one wants to be lugging around unnecessary weight.

So when it comes to choosing the best travel speaker for you, one factor will be how much it weighs. 

There’s no ideal weight as such, instead you need to find the best compromise for you between weight and performance. This is because generally speaking, a larger speaker will have better specs.

That said, if weight or size are huge considerations for you, there are small travel speakers out there whose sound belies their size.

This is a very personal thing, and may even depend on how much baggage allowance you have. But think about what you’re willing to lug around in your daypack when you hit the beach when choosing your travel speaker.

Connectivity

The best travel speakers are obviously wireless, and therefore come with bluetooth connectivity. However, there may be times when some people may want or need to plug their device in.

While most travel bluetooth speakers receive solely via bluetooth, some do have an auxiliary port.

If you have no idea what I’m on about or why you might need that, then in truth you probably don’t. So don’t sweat it.

But it gives you another option for getting your sounds from whatever device they’re on to the speaker. So if that’s something you’ll potentially need, pick a speaker which provides that choice.

Sound Quality

For many people, sound quality will be the most important factor in choosing what the best travel speaker for them is. No one wants a tinny, barely audible embarrassment of a speaker which makes every song sound the same. 

Rest assured, every travel speaker on this list has got very good sound quality. Now that’s not to say that there may be some aspects missing, because the perfect travel speaker literally hasn’t been invented yet.

But we’ve gone for speakers that have a full, round sound overall. And we’ve pointed out their high points and low points as best we can. 

Whatever you choose from this list will allow you to happily get down to your jams.

The Best Travel Speakers

So without further ado, let’s rundown the best travel speakers on the market right now.

• Weight : 608 g (1.34 lbs)
• Battery Life : 15 hours
• Wireless Range : 45 m (150 ft)
• Connectivity : Bluetooth 

The UE Boom 3 is a beast of a speaker and tops our list of the best travel speakers on the market. 

UE have been consistently producing top of the line speakers for years now and it’s our preferred brand.  

The 3 is the latest incarnation of their best selling Boom range. It’s got absolutely everything that you need in a portable travel speaker, starting with its mind-blowing overall sound.

The cylindrical shape means it pumps out 360° sound creating an immersive experience. What it produces is well balanced with a nice, warm tone and deep base. 

You can customise your settings using the adjustable EQ on the app, or alternatively pick from the available presets.

This portable travel speaker sounds great whether your inside your hotel room or out chilling on the beach. And trust us when we say it gets LOUD!

The UE Boom 3 is built to last, with lots of features that make it super durable. 

It’s completely waterproof for a start. And not only that, but it actually floats meaning you’ll never lose it at the bottom of the pool or ocean.

It’s also made from durable material that’s resistant to knocks and scrapes, helped by the rubber end caps. It can survive a pretty hefty drop, and is certainly fine with being roughed up in your daypack.

One of the only complaints about the UE Boom 3 is that it doesn’t feature an auxiliary port. However, as a travel bluetooth speaker I’d argue that’s really not an issue.

The whole idea is to use it wirelessly. So it’s unlikely you’d need a line in anyway and is in no way a deal breaker.

Another potential downside is that, while it’s definitely small and portable, there are smaller, lighter travel speakers. 

If you’re on the lookout for a mini travel speaker, bear in mind that this is slightly larger than a standard water bottle. To give you an idea, it fits anywhere a water bottle does i.e backpack side-pocket or bicycle drinks holder.

Bose Soundlink Micro

• Weight : 290 g (0.63 lbs)
• Battery Life : 6 hours
• Wireless Range : 9 m (30 ft)

The Bose name is one that’s synonymous with fantastic quality in the audio equipment market. As a company it’s known for concentrating on great sound, and the Bose Soundlink Micro is no different.

Despite being pocket-sized, it’s crisp and balanced and has a decidedly decent bass. In fact, considering just how small this travel speaker is, you’ll be amazed at the sound it pumps out.

It’s also perfect for all and any travel adventures and was designed to be both portable and durable. 

The Soundlink Micro’s exterior is made entirely from silicone rubber. It’s soft yet rugged, and built to withstand dents, cracks and scratches.

It’s also completely waterproof making it perfect for outdoor use, particularly around the pool or on the beach.

A clever and unique travel feature is the tear-proof silicone strap on its back. This allows you to strap it to virtually anything it will fit around.

The handlebars of a bike, a bag strap, your wrist, your belt loop, nothing’s off limits. The strap makes it even easier to transport.

Perhaps surprisingly for a mini travel speaker, it has speakerphone capabilities. Perfect if you’re doing something active like hiking or cycling so you don’t need to physically pick your smartphone up.

The main drawback of the Bose Soundlink Micro is that its battery life is not amazing. If you’re after something that will keep the tunes banging all day, this isn’t it. But unfortunately it’s a necessary trade off for such a small device.

Bose Soundlink Revolve

• Weight : 680 g (1.5 lbs)
• Battery Life : 12 hours
• Connectivity : Bluetooth and 3.5 mm auxiliary input

Next up is another from the wireless Bose range, the Soundlink Revolve. This one’s for Bose fans after a travel speaker with longer battery life and bigger sound than the Soundlink Micro.

It takes all of the great stuff that you get from the Micro and dials it up a notch.

The aesthetic design is completely different. It’s a gorgeous-looking piece of kit made from durable aluminium and with a seamless body for true 360° sound.

The slightly conical shape provides you with deep, immersive sound from all angles. It also makes it easy to grab from the top of the speaker.

The Revolve can go astonishingly loud for its relatively small size and has a beautiful overall tone. However, at the very top volumes you may experience some distortion, depending on what you’re playing.

Like the Micro it has speakerphone capabilities. Additionally there’s a special button to access Siri or Google Assistant.

Another cool feature is its universal threaded mount. This allows you to connect it to a tripod and create an elevated speaker to really get the party started.

While it’s not fully water-submersible, the Revolve is water-resistant so still protected against splashes and spills. This means it’s still great to take to the pool or beach and there’s no problem if it gets rained on.

It’s not as rugged as some of the other travel speakers on this list, but it sounds and looks delicious. 

• Weight : 540 g (1.19 lbs)
• Wireless Range : 30 m (100 ft)

JBL has developed a reputation for building awesome bluetooth speakers that far outperform their price point. The JBL Flip 5 continues that tradition, packing a huge punch for the price.

Its slick, cylindrical design is relatively similar to the UE Boom 3 with rubber end caps and a similarly tough material cover.

And like the UE Boom3, it’s extremely durable. Fully waterproof, and resistant to knocks and bangs, it’s perfect for standing up to the day-to-day challenges of travelling.

The JBL Flip 5 also sounds fantastic, particularly if you’re into bass-heavy music. The bass is bone-rattlingly booming, without compromising the overall sound.

It uses USB-C quick charge capability meaning it takes less time to fill the battery. You can charge up and get back on the road even faster.

This is a great all-round travel speaker at a very fair price. 

Anker Soundcore Flare

• Weight : 530 g (1.17 lbs)

If you’re looking for a low-cost travel speaker that still combines many of the features of the top-range models in this category, consider the Anker Soundcore Flare.

It looks a bit like the Bose Soundcore Revolve with its conical shape. But rather than being made from aluminium, it’s got the durable fabric covering of the UE Boom 3. 

Like the best travel speakers, the Soundcore Flare is also completely waterproof and extremely durable.

Anker have also added an LED lightshow feature. While for some this might seem a bit unnecessary from a speaker, there’s no denying it’s great in a party setting.

The lights have various different modes to suit your mood, but can also be turned off completely. This saves battery and will obviously be more appropriate for certain settings.

The Souncore Flare makes a surprisingly impressive noise for the price point, providing well balanced 360° overall.

While it doesn’t quite compare to the more expensive models in this department, you can’t complain for the price. And unless you’re a stickler, you probably won’t be disappointed.

That is unless you plan on really banging out the beats. Because while this small travel speaker is good at lower volumes, it’s a different matter when you crank it up.

It can start to sound a bit harsh when you dial it up. And even with Anker’s advertised Bass Up tech, it lacks real resonance and bite in the lower ranges.

For your average user, this is going to be a perfectly decent travel bluetooth speaker. 

OontZ Angle 3

• Weight : 283 g (0.62 lbs)
• Battery Life : 14 hours

For a pretty premium travel speaker on a pauper’s budget, take a look at the OontZ Angle 3. While it’s not mind-blowing, it ticks a lot of the boxes without breaking the bank. 

I’ll say right off the bat, for this price, you can’t expect it to perform like the very best travel speakers on this list.

Despite that, if you’re searching for a cheap and cheerful small travel speaker, this won’t be far off.

So first the good stuff. It’s a small travel speaker. I mean, really small and far more portable than most on this list.

It weighs hardly anything and could fit in your back pocket making it super-easy to carry around anywhere.

It’s hard-wearing, water resistant and dustproof, perfect for taking on trips. The materials are solid and it’s protected by rubber end caps.

It’s also got hands free capability, a rarity in a bluetooth speaker of this size and price.

So the bad? Well while it’s reasonably loud for its size, it doesn’t project amazingly in outside spaces. If you’re down at the beach, for example, you’re gonna need to crank it up.

On the plus side, unlike most cheaper speakers, there’s no distortion at top volumes. 

On the face of it this should solve the issue. But bear in mind playing at high volume reduces the battery faster.

Having said that, the battery life is excellent, so the negatives are counteracted overall by the positives!

The OontZ Angle 3 probably isn’t suitable if you’re partying and blasting the tunes. But if you’re looking for a low-priced speaker that’s suitable to take on your travels, you could do far worse.

Tribit StormBox

• Weight : 498.9 g (1.1 lbs)
• Battery Life : 20 hours
• Wireless Range : 20.1 m (66 ft)

I don’t think it would be unfair to say that the Tribit StormBox looks like it’s been directly modeled on the JBL Flip 5.

Its shape and design is strikingly similar, down to the little wave in the rubber end plates. But let’s not pretend that’s a bad thing, because the Flip 5 is a sweet piece of kit.

Unlike the Flip 5, this travel speaker isn’t equipped with a big booming bass. In fact, that lack of deep resonance is probably the most disappointing thing about the StormBox. Especially when they specifically emphasise its XBass Technology.

Despite this, the overall sound is actually really crisp and balanced. So unless you’re a bass freak, you shouldn’t be too worried.

The StormBox is also waterproof and highly durable, perfect for taking on your travels. 

One of this travel speaker’s best features is the extremely long battery life. Lasting up to 20 hours, it will make the party last all day and all night.

Given its relatively low price point, it’s a remarkably well put together piece of kit. 

Check Out More Travel Gear Recommendations

The best towel for travel 2024, the best water bottle with filter for travel 2024, best packing cubes for backpacking 2024, 41 best travel games 2024: tried & tested, pin me for later….

Travel lover, professional writer and football (soccer) obsessive, James loves nothing more than getting outside and exploring little known corners of the globe. He’s also very partial to a drop of Guinness.

Find out what the best towel for travel is, how to choose the right one for you, plus which fabrics are the quickest drying, lightest, most absorbent.

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Check out all the best travel games on the market right now, perfect for both kids and adults. They’re lightweight, portable, and above all, wicked fun.

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Notable Mentions

Recent updates, all reviews, the 6 best portable bluetooth speakers - spring 2024 reviews.

A good portable Bluetooth speaker can bring your favorite music wherever you go. Whether you're looking for a portable Bluetooth speaker to take with you when you're outdoors in your backyard, at the beach or park, or even in different rooms of your home, there are countless models to choose from that are currently on the market. Ideally, you'll want a well-built speaker with a long-lasting battery life and an IP rating for water resistance to withstand getting wet when you take it outside. That said, it's important to note that smaller speakers are more likely to struggle to get loud and reproduce a thumpy and rumbling low bass.

We've tested over 130 speakers, and below are our recommendations for the best portable speakers. For more options, check out our picks for the best Bluetooth speakers , the best sounding Bluetooth speakers , or the best small Bluetooth speakers .

Best Portable Bluetooth Speaker

The JBL Boombox 3 is the best portable Bluetooth speaker we've tested. This mid-size speaker is a little larger than the other picks on our list, but it's a fair trade-off for you if you want the best possible sound. Thanks to its heftier build, this speaker reproduces a deeper and more extended low bass, so you really feel the rumble in bass-heavy genres like EDM and hip-hop. The rest of the range is quite balanced, so you get clear and accurate voices and instruments in the mix. Plus, its 3-band graphic EQ lets you customize its sound.

Thanks to its built-in handle, this speaker can easily move from room to room. It's even rated IP67 for dust and water resistance, so you can take it outside. This speaker also gets louder than many of the smaller picks on our list, and with an almost 30-hour battery life, it easily lasts through long days on the go. Music lovers and audiophiles alike will want to look at this stand-out speaker, but if you're looking for something smaller and more lightweight, keep scrolling to check out some of the more wallet-friendly picks on our list. We're also currently testing the Brane X speaker, which promises many of the JBL's features in a more portable package. We'll update this article as soon as its review is completed.

See our review

Best Upper Mid-Range Portable Bluetooth Speaker

The Ultimate Ears EPICBOOM is another portable Bluetooth speaker that is offered at a more affordable price. Thanks to its relatively portable design, this device is suitable for listening at home or while out and about. It's a little on the heavier side, but its built-in strap helps you transport it wherever you go. Plus, it's sturdy, with an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance to protect it against the elements, and you can get it in either black or white color variants.

As for the sound, this speaker has many features to make the most of your listening experience. Its Adaptive EQ feature automatically adjusts the device's sound to your room's unique acoustics, which is a nice touch, and its graphic EQ and presets let you perform some manual tuning. However, compared to the more premium JBL Boombox 3 , it doesn't reproduce as much low bass. Its 7.8-hour battery life isn't quite as impressive and may be limiting for longer days outside. Still, it's worth a look if you want a speaker with a great sound for less.

Best Mid-Range Portable Bluetooth Speaker

The Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 3 is an even more affordable option that's smaller and more lightweight than our top picks. This cylindrical Bluetooth speaker is easy to take on the go, and you can even attach it to your bag with its built-in carrying hook. If you want to use your speaker at the pool or the lake, it's a great choice since it floats in water and boasts an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance. It also comes in many color variants, so you can find one that best matches your style.

Given its smaller size, it's unsurprising that this speaker's low-frequency extension is less impressive than that of the Ultimate Ears EPICBOOM . You'll notice less low bass in the mix, but it's still well suited for most dialogue or instrument-focused content, like podcasts or folk and pop music. Plus, its companion app has a lot of customization options to make the most of its sound, including a graphic EQ and presets. It has a small design and great sound, so it's worth checking out, especially if you want to spend less on your next speaker.

Best Budget Portable Bluetooth Speaker

The Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 3 is the best portable speaker we've tested in the budget range. This speaker offers great sound quality for the price, with a small and lightweight design that's ideal for listening on the go. Since it can float in water, it's also great to use at the pool, and its IP67 rating for dust and water resistance keeps it safe when exposed to the elements. Environmentally conscious shoppers will appreciate that this speaker is made of recycled plastic. Since it's available in many different colors, you can easily pick a model that suits your style.

As for the sound, this speaker's clear and accurate reproduction of voices and other lead instruments makes it a great choice for listening to lots of different genres. Its Outdoor Mode makes audio clearer and crisper when you listen in larger, more open spaces like your backyard. That said, it has fewer sound customization features than more premium speakers like the Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 3 . If you want a budget-friendly speaker with a graphic EQ and presets to switch up your sound, check out the Anker Soundcore Flare 2 . While its battery life doesn't last as long as the Ultimate Ears, the Anker is still a solid option if you want more control over the mix.

Best Mini Portable Bluetooth Speaker

The Sony SRS-XB100 is an incredibly small speaker—in fact, it's one of the smallest we've tested. This portable Bluetooth speaker is lightweight enough to bring with you wherever you go, and its included strap makes it easy to attach to your bag or wrist. Plus, it boasts an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance, and it can float in water, which is great if you want to take it to the pool. It's also available in a few different colors to fit your style.

This speaker's size means its sound quality isn't quite as impressive as our top picks, but that might be a fair trade-off if you want something small and portable. It's still suitable for listening to most music genres, albeit with less rumble in the low bass with genres like EDM. Unlike the Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 3 , it has to downmix stereo content into mono to play it back, which isn't ideal for music lovers. Still, for its size, it does a solid job. You can even check out our recommendations for the  best small Bluetooth speakers  if you want to look at similar options.

Best Smart Portable Bluetooth Speaker

Want hands-free control of your speaker? Check out the Sonos Roam/Roam SL. It's a portable smart speaker with built-in Alexa and Google Assistant. The pocket-friendly Roam is designed for days on the go, as it's easy to slip into a bag or backpack to take around with you. Plus, it's rated IP67 for dust and water resistance, and it floats in water, so it's protected a bit against the elements. You can opt for the SL variant if you aren't interested in voice assistant support.

This speaker is also a great addition to your existing Sonos ecosystem at home since you can pair it up with compatible devices to spread audio throughout the room. It's especially useful since the smaller Roam doesn't get as loud as some of the larger speakers on our list, and pairing it with another device can help. If you want a bigger portable smart speaker that gets louder, you can always check out the Sonos Move 2 . However, its larger size means it takes up more space in your bag when transporting, and the speaker weighs more, which isn't ideal for everyone.

• Bose Portable Smart Speaker: The Bose Portable Smart Speaker is larger and heavier than the Sonos Roam/Roam SL, but it's worth a look if you want a portable smart speaker with better sound. The Bose gets louder and brings more rumble in the bass, but it doesn't have room correction like the Sonos. See our review
• JBL Flip 6: The JBL Flip 6 is another portable Bluetooth speaker that's a good alternative to the Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 3 if you don't mind paying slightly more. Its graphic EQ lets you customize its sound to your liking. However, its battery life isn't as impressive as the Ultimate Ears. See our review
• Bose SoundLink Flex: The Bose SoundLink Flex is a well-built portable Bluetooth speaker that's great for those who love the manufacturer's signature sound. It has fewer customization tools than similarly priced speakers like the Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 3. See our review
• Anker Soundcore Motion Boom Plus: The Anker Soundcore Motion Boom Plus is a portable speaker with a great, intuitive control scheme. It's a good alternative to the Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 3 if you need more volume to soundtrack your next backyard BBQ. The Anker also has voice assistant integration, but it's not as well-built and has a shorter continuous battery life. See our review
• Sony SRS-XG500: The Sony SRS-XG500 is a sturdy portable speaker that can get loud enough to soundtrack parties and outdoor occasions. While it's not as well-built as the Ultimate Ears EPICBOOM and has worse directivity, it can get louder and has a more impressive battery life of just under 26 hours on a single charge. See our review

Apr 22, 2024: We've checked this article to ensure all our picks are in stock and up to date. We've also added a mention of the Brane X, which we've almost finished testing.

Mar 25, 2024: We've checked to ensure all our picks are still relevant and in stock. We've also added the Sony SRS-XG500 as a Notable Mention due to its superior battery life performance compared to the Ultimate Ears EPICBOOM.

Feb 26, 2024: We've checked all our picks to ensure they're still in stock and have added the Anker Soundcore Motion Boom Plus as a Notable Mention.

Feb 02, 2024: We've made some text edits for clarity and consistency, but our pick remain the same.

Jan 08, 2024: No pick changes.

Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the best Bluetooth speakers for portability. We factor in the price (cheaper speakers win over pricier ones if the difference isn't worth it), feedback from our visitors, and availability (no speakers that are difficult to find or almost out of stock everywhere).

If you would like to see more products, here's the list of all our Bluetooth speaker reviews sorted by their outdoor performance. Be careful not to get caught up in the details. There are no perfect speakers. Personal taste, preference, and listening habits will matter more in your selection.

To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then   View saved stories .

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Best Overall UE Boom 3 Read more

Pocket Bass JBL Charge 5 Read more

Best Micro Speaker Sony SRS-XB100 Read more

Best Bargain Tribit StormBox Read more

The best Bluetooth speakers still have a place near and dear to our hearts, even as we've seen better (and more portable) smart speakers creeping into the universe. It's fun and easy to ask an Amazon Echo or Google Nest speaker to play your favorite track or tell you the weather, but smart speakers require stable Wi-Fi and updates to work. By (mostly) forgoing voice assistants and Wi-Fi radios, Bluetooth speakers are more portable, with the ability to venture outside of your house and withstand rugged conditions like the sandy beach or the steamy Airbnb jacuzzi. They'll also work with any smartphone, and they sound as good as their smart-speaker equivalents.

We've tested hundreds of Bluetooth speakers since 2017 (and many before that), and we can happily say they are still some of the best small devices for listening on the go. Here are our favorites right now. Be sure to check out all our buying guides , including the Best Soundbars , Best Wirefree Earbuds , and Best Smart Speakers .

Updated February 2024: We've added the JBL Charge 5 and Tribit Stormbox Flow, as well as honorable mentions for the Tivoli Model Two and Dali Katch G2.

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Best Overall

There are bigger and badder Bluetooth speakers, but none match the fun and convenience of the Ultimate Ears Boom 3 ( 9/10, WIRED Recommends ). It's been our top pick since 2018 and the Boom 2 was our favorite before that. It puts out some of the most pleasant and balanced sound for its size. The waterproof cylinder comes in multiple colors, lasts 15 hours between charges, and gives you 100 feet of Bluetooth range. On top of all that, it has a two-year warranty.

If you really need to get a party kicking, Ultimate Ears' Megaboom 3 ($148) is a beefier model that amps up the bass.

Pocket Bass

If you like to shake the room even if the “room” is the Great Outdoors, you can’t do better than the latest Charge from JBL. The speaker is IP67-rated against dust and moisture and offers a 20-hour battery life. It has up to eight different finishes and the ability to charge your phone while off the grid. Its tubular shape is designed to fit neatly into your hand, and just as important, it’s capable of kicking the party right off if you want it to. It’s not a blunt instrument, but its prodigious and frankly unlikely low-frequency response never stops surprising. If it’s portable party time you’re after, JBL has you covered in fine style. — Simon Lucas

Best Micro Speaker

This sub-$100 speaker from Sony has become a go-to when riding to gatherings, thanks to a clever built-in strap, and the fact that it sits flat in a bike basket. It gets up to 16 hours of battery life, is IP67-rated for dust and water resistance, and you can even link two of them together for stereo sound. It comes in a variety of awesome colors—my favorites include bright blue and bright orange—so you'll never be lost in the crowd. At just under 4 inches tall, they're also some of the smallest speakers to take everywhere.

Best Bargain

You probably haven't heard of Tribit, but its line of Bluetooth speakers sound a lot better than they should for the price. The StormBox is our favorite model. It has dual-firing drivers and passive radiators in a 7-inch-long pill shape. No, it can't fuel a trance dance party on its own, but its clarity is impressive, and it has a fun extra bass button that adds some surprising, if slightly muddy, thump.

With 20-ish hours of battery and an IPX7 waterproof rating —which means it's not dust-proof but can be submerged in water—it's a great companion for backyard tunes, a trip down the river, or other informal gatherings.

Nena Farrell

Brenda Stolyar

Biggest Battery

Tribit has been raising its game in the portable audio category lately, and the Stormbox Flow ( 7/10, WIRED Recommends ) is another great example of the brand’s portable prowess. The headline here is a rival-stomping 30 hours of max battery life, but the Stormbox Flow has plenty more to give, from an elegant yet weatherproof design to clear and punchy audio with thumpy bass to match. Maybe the speaker’s best feature is its low price of $80 or less, making it a fine fit for budget shoppers seeking a versatile speaker that keeps rocking long after the party is done. — Ryan Waniata

Best for Water Slides

The Ultimate Ears Wonderboom was a WIRED Gear of the Year award winner in 2017 because it was the best pool companion you can own. The Wonderboom 2 is even better. The little 4-inch ball of joy now sports IP67 water and dust resistance. It gets 13 hours of battery, has a 100-foot Bluetooth range, floats, and pumps out surprisingly potent audio while doing it.

UE says it's "drop-proof" up to 5 feet, but you can honestly play some light catch with it on the lawn and it won't be any worse for wear. Just wash it off when you're done. You can pair two together for proper stereo sound.

A Medium-Size Speaker

Ultimate Ears appears many times in this guide because it makes some of the best-looking, best-sounding, and most durable speakers we test. The Epicboom is no exception to this trend, with a curvy, pill-shaped body that is easy to transport and place anywhere. It projects sound well in medium-sized outdoor spaces and can connect to other Ultimate Ears models inside the Boom app, potentially creating a party channel of up to 150 speakers. We also like the fact that this speaker is made from 100 percent recycled polyester fabric and 59 percent post-consumer recycled plastic.

Adventure Time

We like the JBL Clip 4 more than its three predecessors. It's the size of a hockey puck—small enough that you can take it with you on almost any adventure. It's waterproof and has a carabiner clip up top so you can snap it to all kinds of stuff. It also has more controls (volume, play, Bluetooth, power) than other micro speakers, and its sound is surprisingly bold, making this a great one to hang off of packs or harnesses while on weight-limited outings.

Handlebar Ready

We loved the first generation of the Tribit StormBox Micro for its easy-to-use silicone strap, which firmly held it against bicycle handlebars. In this update, Tribit has maintained the rugged IP67 rating against water and dust, and given us more battery life (around 12 hours) plus better bass. Also, the new Bluetooth 5.2 tech allows it to cast a wider signal than its predecessor, for when you're wandering around the yard or house.

★ Also handlebar-ready: Bose also makes a great speaker of a similar design called the SoundLink Micro ($119) , which was previously our top bike handlebar pick. It sounds about the same but is twice as expensive as the Tribit.

Best Smart Bluetooth Speaker With a Battery

The larger Sonos speakers are great if you want a speaker that usually lives inside, but they aren't the kind of thing you'd want to throw in a backpack. That's where the Roam comes in ( 9/10, WIRED Recommends ). This tiny Sonos speaker has all the same smarts as its bigger siblings but with an IP67 dust- and water-resistance rating and 10 hours of listening time. It's about the size of a 16-ounce beer can and easily fits in cup holders and knapsacks alike.

★ A bigger portable Sonos: The Sonos Move 2 costs $449 ( 8/10, WIRED Recommends ) and is a larger version of our top pick, the Sonos Roam. It's good if you're trying to fuel a real dance party, or if you want a mostly indoor speaker you can take onto the patio for get-togethers.

Best for Home

If you want a home speaker that can occasionally connect to friends' phones or other devices not on your Wi-Fi, snag an Era 100 ( 9/10, WIRED Recommends ). It's a speaker that must be plugged in and mostly streams music over your Wi-Fi network, but it can also function as a Bluetooth speaker. We love that this model is stereo. With dual beam-forming tweeters aimed off-center, you get real, room-filling sound. It's our favorite smart speaker right now .

A Bluetooth Guitar Amp

Positive Grid's Spark Mini ( 9/10, WIRED Recommends ) is one of our favorite portable tools for musicians. You can pair your phone and play music via the cube-shaped speaker, but also plug in a guitar and blend yourself in to jam along. It's a perfect playing tool for campfires and backyard barbecues (8 hours of battery), and it even doubles as an audio interface if you need to scratch down an idea quickly. Because it's a guitar amp, the thing is much louder than it looks, easily able to fuel sing-alongs and shredding interpretations of The Star-Spangled Banner on Independence Day.

Looking for a smaller way to shred on the go? The Spark Go ($129) is about half the size of the Spark Mini and comes with all the same great sounds, making it perfect for those who don't need much volume (or who plan to practice with headphones anyway).

Another Smart Speaker

This smart speaker from JBL ( 9/10, WIRED Recommends ) gives Sonos a run for its money, thanks to the ability to use both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa at once. We like it as a Bluetooth speaker as well, given its classy, old-school aesthetics (especially evident in the foam grill cover). If you want a Bluetooth speaker that you can park at home between trips outdoors, this is a great Sonos alternative.

Rock and Roll

If you're a music fan or just love the classic Marshall guitar amplifier design, this Bluetooth speaker is ready to rock. Like all Marshall products, you pay a price for the style, but the audio lives up to expectations. For a speaker that's about as big as four old DVD cases stacked, standing upright, it sounds killer, with a smooth, balanced, and refined sound.

The exterior has a durable-feeling, splash-resistant silicone finish, and the front and back are covered with a steel grille. It has a front-facing woofer and a tweeter on each side, powered by a battery that lasts around 20 hours (USB-C charging with a 3.5-mm jack too), depending on how much you tweak the stylish volume, treble, and bass knobs up top. The battery indicator is also handy. You'll enjoy toting all 3 pounds of it around with its carry strap, which has a leather feel on the outside and red velvet on the inside.

If you want a little more power and heft, the Marshall Kilburn II ($267) is similarly excellent, and the Marshall Emberton ($121) is a great extra-portable addition to the amp company's Bluetooth line. Like the Stockwell II, it has a built-in battery gauge.

Porta Party

With 24 hours of battery life, a rugged design, and a huge yard-filling sound, the Ultimate Ears Hyperboom ( 9/10, WIRED Recommends ) is the perfect speaker for a party. Intelligent algorithms use data from a built-in mic to analyze where you've placed the speaker, ensuring the best possible sound, much like the Sonos Move. This is a better option than the Sonos if you have no interest in a future home network of speakers.

It doesn't have lights or cup holders like some other party speakers, but this is the best-made large Bluetooth speaker we've tested. It's been dropped from trucks, left out in the rain, and used at summer barbecues. It's even got a big silicon strap, inviting you to take it everywhere.

Elegant Accessory

Bang & Olufsen's round, IP67-rated Bluetooth speaker has a luxe price, but it's one of the best-sounding small speakers we've ever heard. With the included leather strap, excellent controls, and super-durable build, it quickly became a favorite. If you're willing to spend a lot more for the best of all portable worlds—looks included—this is the tiny luxury option to beat.

Powered by the Sun

We're not the biggest fans ever of the Urbanista Malibu's sound ( 7/10, WIRED Review ), but it is notable in that it can be charged using solar power. That makes it a great speaker for those of us who are forgetful beach bums, or who only use a speaker like this on rare outdoor occasions, but stick to smart speakers or earbuds at home.

A Bluetooth Record Player

This suitcase-style turntable has a built-in Bluetooth speaker that you can pair your phone to, and it can also transmit the sounds of your record to other speakers and headphones. We're big fans . It's made of 25 percent recycled plastic, comes in cute colors, and all it requires is a single power outlet. It's the perfect little case to bring along with you on your next trip out of town, and the lid even doubles as a record holder when it's not protecting the deck.

A Tiny Soundbar

Sennheiser's Ambeo Mini is the best-sounding compact soundbar I have ever tested, and it does exceptionally well as a Bluetooth (or smart speaker) for music. Pair a phone and put on some tunes between viewing sessions on your TV, or do like I recently did and use the speaker for karaoke (you supply your own karaoke mic, or just sing a cappella). The German brand's excellent drivers and audio design work to keep things balanced, and you can get this setup with or without a subwoofer, depending on how much you hate your neighbors.

For Proper Hi-Fi

This pair of wireless bookshelf speakers from Kef not only look great, they sound amazing ( 9/10, WIRED Recommends ). They're easily mountable, thanks to threaded 1/4-inch mounting holes on the bottom, and they feature numerous wired and wireless connection types, including Apple AirPlay, Spotify Connect, and Bluetooth. A companion app on your phone controls everything, with the speakers providing extremely high-fidelity, room-filling audio with a wide stereo image.

Made to Last

Bang & Olufsen makes some of the best high-end audio gear, and it has recently taken a “ buy once, cry once ” policy when it comes to wireless listening. The Beosound Level is a very expensive Wi-Fi and Bluetooth speaker, but it is modularly designed and aims to be repairable forever. The 16-hour battery is replaceable, and it also has replaceable wood and cloth elements. The gorgeous and great-sounding speaker could be a lifetime audio addition that can be upgraded as technology changes, or accidents happen.

If you want something portable designed on the same principles, check out the basket-like Beosound A5 ( 8/10, WIRED Recommends ), which has a cute wooden handle and a wicker-like grill cover.

Honorable Mentions

Here are a few other products we've tested that aren't as nice as our picks above.

• Dali Katch G2 for $600 : Danish specialist Dali's second generation of its remarkably elegant Katch speaker is a balanced, open, and extraordinarily positive listen, able to extract a stack of information from even the meanest Bluetooth stream. Thanks to a choice of three finishes, a leather handle, and some typically Scandi industrial design, it looks the part as well as sounding it, but its price is very high.
• Tivoli Model Two for $450 : This radio is gorgeous to look at, with its midcentury modern feel, and it can sit both vertically and horizontally. It’s almost a little too minimalist, with its single button and surrounding LED light to control and indicate what mode the speaker is in. It has both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth streaming options that you can toggle between, works with Google Chromecast and Apple AirPlay, and gets plenty loud. It’s pricier than it needs to be, unless you’re looking for a design statement first and a speaker second.
• DemerBox DB2 for $399: The DB2 is a perfect companion to your boldest outdoor adventures, in large part because it serves two purposes: It's a loud portable speaker with 40 hours of built-in battery life, and it's also a crushproof Pelican case. Load it up with any particularly fragile items, plug the bass port with an included rubber stopper, and you've got yourself an everything-proof box to keep your stuff safe.
• Oontz Angle 3 Speaker for $40: This speaker has thousands of positive reviews on Amazon and is pretty great for a dirt-cheap Bluetooth speaker in our testing. If you just want something to sing along with in the shower—and you're not a stickler for great audio quality—snag one of these.
• Bose's SoundLink Revolve II for $219: Both this speaker and the Soundlink Revolve+ II ($329) aren't the cheapest, cutest, or most waterproof speakers, but we like their sound and their aesthetics. If you're not hard on your speakers, they're worth considering.
• Sony SRS-XG500 for $498: This is a very loud boom-box-shaped speaker with up to 30 hours of battery life. It sounds and works great, but it just doesn't sound as good as the Ultimate Ears model listed above, and we don't quite like the aesthetics.

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• > Travel

The Best Portable Bluetooth Speakers for Travel, Tested

I love music. Can’t live without it. It doesn’t matter where I am: office, in transit or home. I’ve always got sweet grooves washing through my headphones. So when I travel, be it weekends away or international voyages, I need not only great tunes, but great sound quality. It’s super important to me.

And sure, in most traveling scenarios headphones work well for solo music appreciation, but sometimes I want to fill a room or a poolside with waves of sound. Invite people over. Get a ‘vibe’ going. Cut loose a little, you know? And that’s when a portable bluetooth speaker comes into play. Something small and compact (and hopefully waterproof) that’s easy to pack, but can push out one heck of a jam at ample levels, cleanly and crisply, for a good stretch of time.  

So, in the search for the best portable bluetooth speakers for travel, I’ve sourced the very best, to pit them against each other, in the hope of finding… well, the best option for most people. 

Here’s my shortlist.

Tough, waterproof, and compact, the JBL Clip 3 is designed to offer a lot in a little package. It includes a carabiner to attach it to clothing or a bag, with lots of colorways to suit your own style. In addition to its IPX7 waterproof rating you get 10 hours of playtime, plus an inbuilt noise and echo-cancelling speakerphone. And it’s not too pricey either, coming in at US$59.95.

The JBL Flip 4 costs a little more than the Clip 3, with a price tag of $79.95. But you get up to 12 hours of battery life and can wirelessly connect up to two smartphones or tablets to take turns as DJ. The Flip 4 has an IPX7 waterproof build and provides a noise and echo-cancelling speakerphone for clear calls. And if you feel the desire (unlikely, but who knows where a party might lead), you can wirelessly link over 100 JBL Connect+ enabled speakers for one heck of an amplified tune session. And the Flip 4 also allows button activation for Siri or Google Now.

Anker Motion Q

An understated design, 360-degree sound, a waterproof IPX7 rating (and it floats), a respectable 10 hours of battery life, and all for $45.99? The Anker Motion Q is firmly set on showcasing that you don’t need to break the bank in order to enjoy functional, versatile design.

Ultimate Ears Wonderboom

The Ultimate Ears Wonderboom has plenty of great features in a burly design that lets you showcase your personality a little, with a wide range of colorways to choose from (because sometimes you want something a little different to black, ya know?). It’s got an IPX7 waterproof rating, it floats, and aims to deliver 360 degrees of sweet tunes for up to 10 hours. All yours for the cost of $99.99.

And if you’re looking for something with more volume, you can upgrade to their Boom 3 or Megaboom .

Bose SoundLink Micro

Small but mighty, the SoundLink Micro aims for quality sounds in a rugged, waterproof and easily portable form. It comes with an IPX7 waterproof rating, speakerphone capabilities, and Siri and Google Assistant voice command. For portability it also includes a tear-resistant silicone strap that can secure to bikes, bags and more. Price-wise the SoundLink Micro will set you back $99.95.

Again, if you’re looking for more volume, and don’t mind the size / weight penalty, an upgrade to their Revolve is certainly recommended.

Beats by Dre Pill+

At $179.95 the Beats by Dre Pill+ is the most expensive speaker on the list. So what do you get for the money? A sleek and durable style that adapts to diverse environments and adds a little suave to your music setup. Up to 12 hours of battery life. And the ability to charge your phone or similar devices, as the speaker doubles as a battery pack. The music can be controlled from two separate Bluetooth sources and you can tag-team with a second Pill+ to play simultaneously from both speakers. Worth noting though is that unlike the others on the list, it’s not waterproof.

First, I pinpointed the key elements of what makes an excellent travel speaker and ordered them in a table from highest to lowest priority as below (granted, your criteria may look a little different from mine, but this should act as a solid base). And then measured, weighed, listened, dunked and dropped my way to a result. 

Sound quality / strength

This is my number one. Not only am I looking for quality of sound across the entire spectrum, from lows to mids to highs, but also strength of sound. Sound that can fill a room (and not crackle or distort when pushed to its limits). So I locked myself and a few friends in a room, blindfolded ourselves, and scored each speaker on its ability to nail this playlist –  filled with  Classic Rock (mids),  Soul (mids and highs),  RnB (highs) and  Hip-hop and Dance (lows) – and here are the averaged scores. 

Size and weight

When traveling anywhere, the space in your bag is at a premium. And when lumping your bag onto a plane, be it carry-on or checked, its weight (or lack thereof) is also a defining factor. So speakers that swallow as little space and tip the scales as little as possible get big points here, no doubt.

Space it’ll take up in your bag

Battery Life

Nothing hurts more than a speaker running out of juice mid-playlist. Sure, if you’re hotel-bound and near an outlet then you can simply plug it in and carry on. But if you’re on a boat or around a campsite, then it’s the pits. So a long battery life goes a long way (quite literally) in certain circumstances.

Durability / Protection against the elements

Can my speaker of choice survive dust or dirt swirling about? Can it survive a drop from a tabletop? Can it survive a dive into the pool or ocean… and will it float so I can retrieve it? All questions most of us will ask ourselves before or after we elbow our speaker of choice off of the tiki bar.

Murphy’s law . This. Will. Happen. Be prepared.

Personally, all I want is a compact speaker that chucks out great sound that will last me a long time, period. But I’m a simple man with simple needs. Other folks care a whole lot about features like speaker phone adaptability or voice activation or being able to pair your speaker with another sister speaker or one hundred other sister speakers like the below JBL Flip 4 (for the record, I think the latter is kinda cool but totally impractical).

Portability

Bluetooth range

Not a huge deal for me because most of the speakers here have ample range but certainly something worth considering if you’re likely to be a good distance away from your speaker.

The best portable bluetooth speaker?

Editor’s Pick – Bose SoundLink Micro

The SoundLink Micro scores our Editor’s Pick with a well-rounded design and feature set. It feels ultra-premium in the hand, with Bose’s signature world-class sound quality offering very minimal distortion even when the volume is maxed out. It’s the perfect size and weight for travel use, with added portability for extra points. And importantly, it’s well protected against drops (y ou won’t even cringe when you drop it) and water.

Granted, if I wanted to throw a big party I’d upgrade to the SoundLink Revolve or pair two Micros. It’s lovely sound and bursts forth volume that’s totally ample for traveling or chilling, but you’ll want something with more grunt if you want to throw a real shindig.

Best Budget Option – Anker Motion Q

Scoring the Best Budget Option nod is the Anker Motion Q. The d esign is very subdued and good for professionals, with a  durable build. The  IPX7 waterproof rating is a definite benefit too, enabling full submersion up to 1 metre for up to 30 minutes. Plus it f loats in water, so you’ve got ample opportunity and time to retrieve it if disaster strikes. The speaker’s buttons are also e asy to press and the X2 pairing is handy. In terms of sound quality it offers a bright mid-range and vocals are clear and distinct, though the low end could be better. In addition it’s very loud and very reasonably priced at US$45.99.

High Commendation – Ultimate Ears Wonderboom and JBL Flip 4

Well-deserved High Commendations go to the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom and the JBL Flip 4. Both worthy additions to your packing list. They’re incredibly loud. And  both benefit from a good low end that offers deeper base and full-bodied sound. 

Both offer an IPX7 waterproof build, with the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom’s added ability to float making it a savvy pick for travels involving water-based activities. Though the Flip 4 gets its nose ahead in the battery life department and might appeal to outdoor enthusiasts looking for added playtime.

Durability is on point with both, though the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom’s d rop test win from the height of 5 metres gets bonus points. And if you like a little color pop they’re both good picks too, in particular the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom with its f un color choices and patterns.

IN THIS ARTICLE

Michael Knispel

Editor-in-chief.

Mike’s our head honcho, master wordsmith and token urban dude. When he’s not talking carry or digging up stories, he’s scouring the interweb for obscure hip hop.

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Best Bluetooth speakers 2024: tried and tested for every budget

The best Bluetooth speakers for your at-home and on-the-go needs

• Best overall
• Best portable
• Best budget
• Best mid-price
• Best premium
• Best multi-room

Best for music and movies

Also consider.

• How to choose
• How we test

Recent updates

1. The list in brief 2. Best overall 3. Best portable 4. Best budget 5. Best mid-price 6. Best premium 7. Best multi-room 8. Best smart 9. Best for music and movies 10. Also consider 11. How to choose 12. How we test 13. FAQ 14. Recent updates

Bluetooth speakers are one of the easiest, most versatile and budget-friendly ways to get music playing. These wire-free wonders come in so many shapes and sizes that their various use cases are near-endless, from sticking them in the corner of your office to popping one in a backpack and taking it with you to the park.

Ok, the sound is rarely audiophile-grade quality, but brands such as JBL have realised that people do care about sound quality alongside other user-friendly features, meaning the level of audio has improved over the last few years.

We’ve heard everything from large room-filling Bluetooth speakers to dinky travel options, and many have impressed by offering great value for money, lengthy battery life, waterproofing and even engaging, competent audio quality. Naturally, there are plenty of speakers that haven't made the grade, which is why our team of experienced reviewers have created this guide recommending only the best Bluetooth speakers that are worth considering for your budget.

Every single model has been tested by our team of expert reviewers both in the real world and in our dedicated test rooms to ensure they’re worth your time. You can find out more about  our testing process or else keep scrolling to see our pick of the best Bluetooth speakers currently available.

• IP ratings explained: how waterproof are your speakers?

The quick list

Best Bluetooth speaker overall

The Charge 5 is currently as good a sound as you can get in a portable Bluetooth speaker for under £200/$200.

Read more below

Best portable Bluetooth speaker

With its diminutive dimensions, 12-hour battery life and punchy bass, the Flip 6 is the ideal travel companion. 

Best budget Bluetooth speaker

A tiny budget speaker that makes a big impact – if you’re watching the pennies there’s no better option right now than Tribit's Stormbox Micro 2.

Best mid-price Bluetooth speaker

B&O’s eye-catching compact speaker justifies its price with a refined performance and typically classy build.

Best premium Bluetooth speaker

A luxurious, lovely-sounding speaker that’s just as comfortable in your home as it is on the road.

Best multi-room Bluetooth speaker

If you’re looking to build a multi-room system that also has Bluetooth capability, the brilliant Sonos Era 100 is the speaker for you.

Load the next 2 products... ↓

Best smart Bluetooth speaker

A versatile little speaker that combines Bluetooth connectivity with a handy voice assistant that does much more than just read the weather forecast. 

Best Bluetooth speaker for music and movies 

Audio Pro’s feature-packed C20 offers a raft of features and such an impressive sonic profile that it will excel no matter how you use it. 

I'm a staff writer who has listened to and reviewed dozens of products during my time at What Hi-Fi? . Hi-fi loudspeakers and fancy amps are all well and good, but I love a great Bluetooth speaker that can offer a fast, fuss-free and often fantastically affordable solution to your everyday needs. I've had hands-on experience with every model on the list below, putting them through their paces to ensure you know exactly which speaker to go for. Good sound quality, durability, waterproofness, features and connectivity; we've assessed them all to put you fully in the picture before buying.

1. JBL Charge 5

Our expert review:

Specifications

Reasons to buy, reasons to avoid.

The JBL Charge 5 has become one of the most enduringly impressive Bluetooth speakers we've ever tested, wowing us not only with the quality of its sound but with the longevity it continues to display. After multiple What Hi-Fi? Award wins, JBL's bottle-shaped speaker is still the best in its class. 

The IP67-rated Charge 5 is fully dustproof and waterproof and can be submerged in water up to a meter for around 30 minutes before doing itself any damage. Thanks to its 10W tweeter and racetrack-shaped driver, it's imperious and forthright sounding, trouncing the competition at this £200 / $200 / AU$300 price point. The arrival of the slightly more expensive Charge 5 Wi-Fi (£230 / $230 / AU$330) has made things a little more complex,  but the invigorating, cohesive listen of the standard Charge 5 model remains very tough to beat. 

That new Charge 5 Wi-Fi model does offer a slightly more refined sound alongside more flexible wi-fi-enabled capabilities such as AirPlay 2 and Alexa Multiroom, but the more affordable Charge 5 remains a superb portable speaker that offers enjoyable sound in a neat, durable package. With a Charge 6 surely on the horizon soon , expect prices to fall if and when the sixth-gen model is finally unveiled to the world.  

Read our full JBL Charge 5 review

Which JBL speaker to choose has been made trickier by the emergence of the Charge 5 Wi-Fi , a wi-fi enabled speaker model that earned five stars during testing. The big bonus of the Wi-Fi model is that you can use features such as AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect, giving you the freedom to continue using your phone or source player without affecting your music. The Charge 5 Wi-Fi does also sound a little better, but bear in mind that we tested it at £230 / $230 / AU$330, a significant advance on the standard Charge 5's current £130ish ($160 / AU$250).

2. JBL Flip 6

Anyone who finds the considerable heftiness of the Charge 5 above to be a little too much for them should consider stepping down to the five-star JBL Flip 6. When we say "stepping down", incidentally, we mean that with regard mainly to price and size, as while it may be a slimmer model, the Flip 6 remains a consummate pro at delivering everything you'd expect from a JBL portable companion.   

The Flip's durability is up there with the more costly Charge 5 (it's IP67 water- and dust-proof), while the sound offers space, zeal and musicality in spades. Ok, it won't hit the breadth of sound that its bigger brother can, never mind those higher volumes, but that's what you sacrifice if you want a smaller form factor. 

If you desire more from the midrange and less from the treble, you can tweak it thanks to a new EQ feature in the app, which adds significant value. For a nominal price hike over the launch price of the soon-to-be-redundant Flip 5, there’s certainly more detail here, too.

If you need more oomph and drive, the larger JBL Charge 5 is the speaker for you, but for a more compact and admirably musical performer, the Flip 6 is the way to go. All in all, another winner courtesy of JBL.

Read our full JBL Flip 6 review

3. Tribit Stormbox Micro 2

If all you need from your ideal Bluetooth speaker is portability alongside affordability, you'd struggle to improve on the small, satchel-friendly Tribit Stormbox Micro 2. A great and inexpensive alternative to the Flip 6 above, the Micro 2 fits flat in your hand in contrast to the cylindrical form of the Flip.

Sporting a utilitarian but not unattractive woven finish design, the Micro 2 pumps out genuinely enjoyable audio and a rather impressive battery life of around 12 hours during testing. Better yet, its IP67 rating allowed one of our team to test it in the shower without causing any lasting damage. Again, the Stormbox Micro 2's compact size and robust construction make it well-suited for venturing far beyond the confines of a bathroom or kitchen.

The audio is certainly a big plus point, too, going bigger, punchier and louder than you’d expect from such a diminutive unit, doing justice to most tracks in terms of tempo, rhythm and dynamics. The Stormbox's Midrange is particularly pleasing, and we'd even go so far as to say that it's as good as anything else we’ve seen at this price. 

Fine, the Stormbox Micro 2 can suffer from distortion at louder volumes, but it's still one of your best-value options if you’re really on a tight budget. 

Read our full Tribit Audio Stormbox Micro 2 review

4. Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd Gen)

This is definitely the Bluetooth speaker for those among us who don't like to follow the herd. You can have your JBLs and your Tribits, as the Bang & Olufsen A1 (2nd Gen) is for anyone who prioritises luxury, style and a bit of personality from their electronics. This is the speaker for those people who could choose an Audi, VW or BMW, but go for an Alfa Romeo instead.

Admittedly, saying that the A1 sports similar dimensions to a medium-sized hamburger doesn't sound that luxurious, but rest assured: it's a beautiful, very well-made burger only bested in the looks department by the rather stunning Dali Katch G2 below.  

The Beosound A1 (2nd Gen) supports Qualcomm’s latest  aptX Adaptive  Bluetooth 5.1 codec and features Alexa built-in, as long as you're connected to the wi-fi when you want to speak to her. That's a smart feature that most of the rivals on this list don't have, by the way.  

Sonically, we consider this to be one of Bang & Olufsen's best models, presenting a pleasingly comfortable yet authoritative performance that you could easily listen to all day. Throw in its classy, well-made design, easy-to-use operation and the bonus of Alexa, and suddenly things start to make a whole lot of sense. 

Incidentally, look out for discounts around sales periods, as we've seen certain colourways plummet considerably during Black Friday, Prime Day and the festive period. 

Read our full Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd Gen) review  

5. Dali Katch G2

Now this is how you make a premium Bluetooth speaker. A step up from the Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 in terms of price, sound and style, the Dali Katch G2 proves that you don't need to sacrifice a premium look and feel for portability or sonic prowess: the G2's compact dimensions, retractable travel handle and 30-hour battery mean it could easily become your go-to travel speaker. If you've got the money, of course - a current RRP of roughly £349 / AU$749 isn't exactly budget.

The rather lovely Katch oozes a sort of continental class, finished to the highest quality and with a luxurious aesthetic that really can rival some of the best dedicated domestic speakers in the style stakes. Our white and caramel unit slots in perfectly to the aesthetic of a clean conservatory or cosy living room, and when it came time to take some hands-on pics, the G2 proved itself to be the ideal model thanks to its timeless beauty from every angle.

And the sound! The G2 is still picking up Awards in 2023 thanks to its unbeatable sonic chops at this level, delighting us with phenomenal clarity, impressive bass weight and a real adeptness at understanding the music played through it. That's now three What Hi-Fi? Awards for the Katch 2 (in 2021, 2022 and 2023), and it'll take some beating to stop it picking up any more.  

If you've got the money and want to push beyond even what most JBL speakers on this list are offering, this is our go-to recommendation. For musicality at this size, the Dali Katch G2 is the king of the hill.

Read our full Dali Katch G2 review  

6. Sonos Era 100

It isn't just traditional, portable Bluetooth speakers on this list. The Era 100 is, alongside the Award-winning Era 300, one of the best speakers that Sonos has made in quite some time, and thanks to its Bluetooth capabilities, it's eligible for a spot on this rundown

The Era 100 is a certified five-star performer, combining updated specs and features with an overhauled design to deliver one of the most sonically satisfying speakers Sonos has ever made at this level. Reconceived from the ground up, the Era 100 sports brand-new drivers in the shape of two angled tweeters with customer waveguides alongside a woofer that's 25 per cent larger than the Sonos One,  with each unit powered by its own Class D amplifier. 

This, alongside a faster processor, translates into a much better sound than Sonos managed with the Sonos One, and while the One was mono only, the Era 100 can pump out a satisfying stereo experience. The bass profile feels deep, full and substantial, while the clarity and detail across the spectrum make for a cohesive, balanced listen. Even the timing is excellent!

The Era 100 is more of a stationary, use-at-home unit, but that Bluetooth connectivity does afford you more flexibility in terms of how you use it. With such ambitious levels of performance, we think it's one of the finest wireless Bluetooth speakers you'll find at this price. 

Read our full Sonos Era 100 review

7. Amazon Echo Dot (5th Generation)

No, the Echo Dot isn't a traditional Bluetooth speaker according to our usual criteria. It's not portable as it requires a plugged-in connection to the wall, plus it relies on wi-fi for Alexa to work at all. You can (and will), however, utilise Bluetooth to connect your iPhone to the Echo Dot, especially if you want to play music stored locally, qualifying it as a Bluetooth speaker on more than a mere technicality.

Either way, the Echo Dot (5th Generation) truly earns its place on this list thanks to its all-round excellence and hugely attractive price tag. It may be cheap, but nothing about the Dot feels tacky or cut-price, and whereas once Alexa was a one-note performer capable of answering basic questions about the weather and knowing the capital of France, now she's as bursting with skills and knowledge as Keanu Reeves after he's been uploaded with various handy computer programs. The Dot's AI assistant is more helpful than ever, stuffed with so many tricks that you'll often find yourself falling into the trap of speaking to Alexa as though "she" were a real person.

Audio has come a long way, too. Amazon's so-called “best-sounding Echo Dot yet” lives up to its billing thanks to a single 44mm front-firing speaker (4mm larger than the previous gen’s 40mm), offering audio that feels, for the size, weighty, listenable and surprisingly versatile.

For non-Apple devotees seeking a smart companion on a budget, the Echo Dot is a fine alternative to the HomePod Mini.

Read our full Amazon Echo Dot (5th Generation) review

8. Audio Pro C20

If it's a cliché to use the term "jack-of-all-trades", then you know what? Let's use a cliché. The five-star Audio Pro C20 is yet another supremely capable performer from one of the most consistent, and underrated, audio brands around, melding a variety of functionalities and potential use cases into a unified, deeply impressive package. If ever there was a time to use that jack-of-all-trades label, this is it. 

The C20 is a Bluetooth speaker thanks to its 5.0 connectivity, yet its wi-fi capabilities allow the C20 to stream tracks up to 24-bit/96kHz via AirPlay 2 and Google Cast, as well as via Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect and even Audio Pro multi-room. That's a lot of choice, and it makes this mains-powered powerhouse an incredibly versatile solution that goes far beyond the capabilities of your traditional Bluetooth speaker.

That's before we get on to physical connections. The C20 offers a set of RCA inputs alongside HDMI ARC for boosting your TV's sound, as well as a sub out if you want to add a subwoofer into the mix. There's also an optical input for hooking up to digital sources, plus an MM phono stage if you're planning on connecting up your turntable to the C20's convenient, one-stop-shop.

And we haven't even arrived at the sound of the thing yet. What's remarkable about the koala-faced wonder (it does look like a koala, right?) is just how open and broad the soundscape it conjures is, offering a presentation that grows and expands with an awesome sense of breadth and scale for your music and movies. Painted within this wide sonic landscape are plenty of details and nuances, each one finding its own happy place within the wider composition. If you thought the C20 would go so heavy on features that it would forget about proper sound, boy is there egg on your face.

A superb speaker that does a lot of things very, very well, there are very few single-box units that can compete. 

Read our full Audio Pro C20 review

JBL Charge 5 Wi-Fi: A wonderful spin on one of our favourite JBL speakers of all time, the Charge 5 Wi-Fi, naturally, adds wi-fi streaming and a little bit of extra musicality to the Charge 5's Award-winning recipe. It's more expensive than the basic model (sitting at around £200 / $200 at the time of writing), so you'll be forking out a little more for the convenience of AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect and Chromecast. That said, it's a great speaker in its own right and a lovely addition to the JBL family. As far as spin-offs go, this one's a hit in our book.

JBL Xtreme 3: One of the biggest speakers in the JBL range that could still be confidently classified as "portable", the Xtreme 3 is a powerful, robust marvel that tasks the basic form and recipe of the Charge 5 and makes it, well, bigger. It's not just a brainless brute, though - instead, the Xtreme 3's sound is laden with snap and detail, not to mention an impressive sense of dynamics and musicality. A five-star alternative that we'd urge you to check out.

Sonos Move 2: One of the big benefits of any Sonos speaker is its ability to integrate into the peerless Sonos ecosystem. Don't let its burly design fool you; the Move 2 is portable by virtue of its Bluetooth connectivity, even if it's more the sort of speaker you'd take down the bottom of the garden rather than anywhere much further afield. 

Audio Pro C10 MkII : Just because it didn't fit into this particular list, don't ignore the C10 Mk II. Despite qualifying as what we'd normally call a "wireless speaker", the C10 is a fine alternative to the models on this list courtesy of its Bluetooth capabilities. A former What Hi-Fi? Award-winner, it's versatile, portable, great-sounding and often enjoys major discounts. What's not to like?

Sonos Roam: We like the Roam, and we're confident that the legions of Sonos lovers will like it even more. Despite not being outstanding for timing and dynamics, it's a speaker with a meaty, full-bodied presentation that boasts a lovely build quality, slimline design and plenty of features, including wi-fi capabilities and AirPlay 2. Plus, you can immerse it into the exceptional Sonos multiroom ecosystem, so if you have other Sonos speakers, the Roam makes a good deal of sense.

JBL Authentics 300: Big, handsome and extremely versatile, the Authentics 300 is an excellent choice for anyone who wants something semi-portable that can be carted from room to room before blasting out a robust, enthusiastic sound when it gets there. With dual voice assistants, Bluetooth, wi-fi streaming and Alexa Multiroom, the 300 is a lot more than a pretty face. 

How to choose the best Bluetooth speaker for you

When choosing a Bluetooth speaker , the first thing you should ask yourself after setting a budget is what you want from it. Does the speaker need to be portable and versatile enough to use both indoors and outdoors ? Or are you happy with a mains-powered speaker that can fill a big room with brilliant audio?

Sound , of course, should play a huge part in your decision, because there's absolutely no guarantee that two models of a similar price will end up sounding the same in terms of quality, audio presentation and general timbre. Some Bluetooth speakers will be peppy and exciting, while others will prioritise pulsating bass to get the party started.

Size and power , too, should be a consideration. The Tribit Micro 2 is a handy little speaker to take into the shower or clip onto your rucksack during a hike, but you'll find it practically useless if you plan to rave away your nights to the sound of the best house, dance and electronic floor-fillers every weekend. A bigger option, like the JBL Charge 5, or models that allow daisy-chaining, will be more appropriate for ravers or users who prioritise loudness. 

If you're choosing portability , you'll want to think about battery life and other aspects such as how waterproof, dustproof and rugged the design is. How durable a Bluetooth speaker is can quickly become a determining factor, especially if you want to, say, take one to the park or the beach and on holidays.

Generally, the more you spend the more features you get, such as multi-room functionality, higher-quality Bluetooth codec support (for aptX or aptX HD , for example), and the ability to answer calls hands-free. Some portable Bluetooth speakers even allow you to charge a smartphone or tablet using their own built-in battery. Naturally, you should only consider treating a buying decision as a box-ticking exercise based on the features you think you'd benefit from.

Once you've narrowed down your search, it's time to draw up a shortlist of contenders and, if you have the time, search around a few retailers and outlets for the best price. Or, alternatively, you can use our best Bluetooth speaker deals hub to find discounts right away.

How we test Bluetooth speakers

At What Hi-Fi? we review hundreds of products every year at our state-of-the-art testing facilities in London and Reading. We have complete control over the testing process, and we also review products as a team as opposed to individually, ensuring no opinion goes unheard and that our final verdicts are consistent. Our expert, trusted team has over 100 combined years of reviewing experience.

Besides the sound quality of a Bluetooth speaker, which we test with every genre of music from classical to pop, we also scrutinise other aspects of its design. These include its battery life, the robustness of its Bluetooth connection, how easy it is to use and set up, and finally, how well built and rugged it is – especially if it will be used outdoors. Our review philosophy doesn't change whether we're evaluating a portable budget Bluetooth speaker or a more premium model with extra streaming features.

All new Bluetooth speakers are judged on a performance-per-pound basis and, as part of our tried-and-tested process, put up against the current class leader(s) at its respective price point to see how they compare and to help us settle on a star rating.

There's no input from PR companies or our sales team when it comes to the verdict, with  What Hi-Fi?  proud of having delivered honest, unbiased reviews for nearly five decades.

What's the difference between wireless and Bluetooth speakers?

Bluetooth speakers are wireless in that they don't require a wire to connect to an audio source; they use the Bluetooth streaming protocol. However, Bluetooth speakers don't necessarily also support wi-fi, which is a necessary feature of what we term 'wireless speakers'. A wireless speaker can connect to an audio source via the internet (i.e. your home wi-fi) – by way of Apple AirPlay or Google Chromecast, for example – whether or not it also has Bluetooth.

While this will depend on the kit you are using and your wi-fi limitations at home, transmitting audio over wi-fi rather than Bluetooth comes with certain benefits: wi-fi doesn't have as limited a signal range as Bluetooth, generally facilitates better sound quality and is capable of transmitting higher-quality audio. The standard Bluetooth codecs (SBC and AAC) are not widely capable of transmitting CD-quality (or higher) files, and even the higher-quality codecs like aptX are lossy (i.e. data gets lost during the transmission).

However, Bluetooth-only speakers are generally more portable, as they don't require an internet connection or being plugged into the mains, and often more affordable than wi-fi-enabled wireless speakers. If you're interested in wi-fi-ready speakers, you should look at our best wireless speakers guide instead.

How many watts is good for a home Bluetooth speaker?

There isn't a simple answer here, as a higher wattage number doesn't necessarily equal good sound quality, but it does determine how loud your speaker can go. Basically, you'll want a speaker that's going to be able to fill your intended space with a good amount of sound. So, if you're looking for a small, portable Bluetooth speaker to use casually on the table in a small space, a relatively low-powered speaker output (10W or thereabouts) will get that job done for you without any problems.

However, if you've got a big, spacious room or the outdoors that you want to fill with sound at decent volumes, a bigger speaker with a higher watt output (25W to 50W) will likely serve you best.

How does a Bluetooth speaker work?

Bluetooth is a short-range, low-powered, low-bandwidth streaming protocol used to connect compatible devices together wirelessly. Bluetooth uses radio waves just like wi-fi does but at a different scale.

A Bluetooth speaker relies on this short-range Bluetooth connection to connect to a Bluetooth-supporting audio source and accept audio data from it. Both the speaker and source device need to have compatible Bluetooth codecs to send this information between them – SBC and AAC are the standard codecs. A wireless speaker operates similarly but instead relies on a wi-fi network connection to accept audio data transmitted from an audio source.

Pairing a Bluetooth speaker and Bluetooth device is easy: you simply put the speaker in 'pairing mode' (usually by pressing a button), go into a device's Bluetooth settings and 'scan' for available speakers and then select your speaker.

Is JBL a good brand? Better than Bose?

At What Hi-Fi? , we have reviewed many products from both JBL and Bose and find that many of JBL's current speakers provide excellent audio quality and great value, earning them many five-star reviews. Bose speakers tend to satisfy on the features and design front, and while we used to see budget and great-sounding speakers from Bose a few years ago, recent models have seen costs rise. These pricier models don't always offer the same performance-per-pound value as their rivals.

In the audio world, it is tough to compare how good one brand is to another on the whole, especially when it comes to big brands that have many products in their arsenal. While we do recommend a fair few JBL speakers on the above list, don't assume that everything JBL makes is better than everything Bose makes.

• April 2024: Added the Audio Pro C20 following a five-star review.
• March 2024: Added an also consider section to offer more alternative buying options for readers.
• February 2024:  Added FAQ section to help with buying decisions and frequently asked questions.
• November 2023:   What Hi-Fi?  Award winners labelled after the 2023 Awards Best Buys and Product of the Year announcements.

Planning on a pool party? These are the best outdoor speakers

For an alternative to Bluetooth, here are the best wireless speakers

Adventurers will also need the best running headphones and wireless earbuds

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Harry McKerrell is a staff writer at What Hi-Fi?. He studied law and history at university before working as a freelance journalist covering TV and gaming for numerous platforms both online and in print. When not at work he can be found playing hockey, practising the piano or forcing himself to go long-distance running.

• atkins14 What is actually the best sounding speaker though? You don't actually seem to compare them to each other? Such as the Dali Katch to say the UE Megablast, Audio Pro C3 etc. Ignoring hardwired speakers and price. Also how do they hold up to say the Sonos Move, Bose home, Vifa Oslo, Beolit 17 etc? I had the Dali Katch but had to return as bluetooth connectivity was too temperamental. Reply
• StevieDee No mention of the Soundcore Flare or Flare+ which are well regarded? Reply
• Jmr1969x This article should say best bang for your buck. Best bluetooth speaker title makes me think best sounding and bose and UE don't come to mind for sound quality. Maybe do an best sounding or audiophile like sound. I would look for speakers like B&O, Harmon Kardon, Klipsch ? Mini Rig ? Not JBL and Sony. I come to What HiFi for audiophile info. Reply

StevieDee said: No mention of the Soundcore Flare or Flare+ which are well regarded?

Jmr1969x said: This article should say best bang for your buck. Best bluetooth speaker title makes me think best sounding and bose and UE don't come to mind for sound quality. Maybe do an best sounding or audiophile like sound. I would look for speakers like B&O, Harmon Kardon, Klipsch ? Mini Rig ? Not JBL and Sony. I come to What HiFi for audiophile info.

• DailyDose Inappropriate content deleted by moderation. Reply
• MrBuffy Minirig 3 is the GOAT, don't bother with anything else. Reply
• View All 7 Comments

We Listened to the Best Travel Speakers — Here Are the Top Small, Durable Marvels with Great Sound

Mose Hayward

Travel Nerd

I’ve been travelling the world for a decade and a half, and no matter how much I whittle down my luggage to the bare essentials, I always have room for a small speaker. I love to follow my podcasts, to share and discover music with people from all over the world, and to improvise occasional mini-dance party on the go. My phone’s speaker just doesn’t cut it.

It’s pretty vital to travel with good sound.

We’ve tried out dozens of different Bluetooth speakers for this site, and we also continue to read all speaker reviews from top consumer test organizations, tech sites, and bloggers around the world. It’s not easy to pick just one travel Bluetooth speaker from the heap, but if we had to do it, here’s the current winner we’d take on any trip.

The Best Travel Speaker

The Ultimate Ears Boom 3 is our favorite travel speaker.

Why: An even mix of punchy, dynamic sound in a small, nearly indestructible waterproof cylinder; the overall best portable replacement for a full speaker system

But:  While we think the Boom 3 is the best speaker for its size and price, there are also cheaper, smaller options discussed below that are quite worthwhile (though with less loudness and bass)

Our first Bluetooth speaker article was published way, way back in 2015. It has since been updated every few months with additions, changed recommendations, and new speakers. On April 14, 2017, we started logging these changes here; we added the UE Wonderboom to the recommended cheaper speakers. On May 3, 2017 we made a few changes and added the Etekcity RoverBeats T3. On May 8, 2017 we added the CRDC Life. On May June 2, 2017 we added a discussion of the JBL Flip 4 and made a few other updates. On June 21, 2017 we updated the discussion of the CRDC Life. On August 11, 2017, we updated the information on the Fugoo and Bose Soundlink Revolve speakers. On August 15-16, 2017, we removed speakers that were no longer available, updated the descriptions of our main pick, added some great alternate recommendations that have been recently released. We also rewrote the dumb parts. On Nov. 2, 2017, we added the AOSM speaker. On Nov. 3, we added the Bose Soundlink Micro. On Nov. 7, 2017, we added the supercheap tiniest speaker. On July 18-20, 2017, we did a major overhaul of the whole article with some updated recommendations concerning new speakers and eliminating those that are no longer available. On July 22. 2018: removed the no-longer-available the AOSM Portable TWS Bluetooth speaker, CRDC Life and Etekcity RoverBeats T3. Complete overhaul with updated recommendations on October 23, 2018. April 8, 2018: Updated with more opinions on the sound of the Boom 3 and better photos. Updated on Oct. 1, 2020 with a much better cheap pick. Added the JBL Flip 5 on Nov. 5, 2020. Updated with some minor changes to cheaper picks on July 21, 2022. Updated to remove older speakers and fix links on May 2, 2023. Similar update to remove outdated speakers but keep our main recommendation, with updated photos of it, on July 11, 2023.

This site (and our travel adventures) are rather meagerly funded through affiliate links; this means that when our readers click on shopping links to Amazon or pretty much anywhere, if they buy something, like it, and keep it, we get a small percentage. So we’re not particularly incentivized to recommend any one brand over another, but rather to have people find what they will like and use. We have received free speakers on occasion from manufacturers (who have no input on what we write) for review. Some of of those speakers sounded terrible, as noted below (Dodocool, Rise, etc.). Some of them sounded good. Ultimate Ears, for its part, only woke up and sent us a free speaker after we had been buying them with our own money and recommending them for years.

Why the Ultimate Ears Boom 3 Is Our Favorite Travel Speaker

We’ll discuss its main road-worthy features first, then its sound — including a meta-take on critics views of this versus other portable speakers.

Features of the Boom 3: Rugged, Ready to Travel

This is not a feature-rich speaker, but it does include everything we find essential for use anywhere.

Waterproof, dustproof, drop-proof

No you’re not actually going to listen to your speaker underwater. But with the Ultimate Ears Boom 3, you could. The IP67 waterproof rating means that the unit is rated to be immersed under a meter of water for up to 30 minutes with no damage. This is a specific and meaningful claim (with legal implications) under the conditions of the International Electrotechnical Commission’s standards .

In our test it sounds fine in the bathtub, but really, just put it next to your bath, shower, or pool. We do like knowing that we can easily wash it when needed, and that the odd splash of water won’t hurt it, but the 7 rating in waterproofing (meaning it can be submerged) is a bit overkill.

The 6 in the rating also means that it is “dustproof” and meets the standards for keeping dust out of the unit — an extra level of protection that is rare in such speakers, even those that are rated as waterproof.

The “drop-proofing” is a vaguer claim from Ultimate Ears that meets no specific standards, but the company claims that the Boom 3 passed various drop and durability tests. We were not so interested in testing this particular claim, but clumsier Amazon reviewers report that they’ve dropped it with no problems or even scratches . (The same was reported with its predecessor UE Boom 2 .) And prior to picking up a Boom 3, I myself was using, dropping, and bumping an (ancient-model, long discontinued) UE Mini speaker from the same manufacturer for many, many years and to this day it plays perfectly. The battery still works great too.

 Convenient Charging and a 15-hour Battery for Long Parties Away from a Power Source

This is not the longest battery life for a quality small travel speaker (the Fugoo Tough described below goes for 40 hours) but the Boom 3 has more battery time than most reasonable people will ever need. (We also recommend carrying a backup battery for devices when on the road, which could be used to charge a speaker in a pinch.) The Boom 3 lasts for 15 hours of constant use. In the real world, I used it without charging for a two-week trip that included several spurts of use in (3-4-hour) car trips, and use in hotel rooms, showers, little improvised dance parties, and more with more battery to spare at the end.

The Boom 3 charges via a standard mini USB-B port, and you may be traveling with other devices using the same cable, like a Kindle for your language learning or your headphones. It’s too bad that the Boom 3 doesn’t use USB-C, like modern phones, but most other Bluetooth speakers are still on USB-B (micro) ports as well.

If you’ve seen our commentary on  toiletry kits , you know that we’re obsessed with the utility of being able to hang things while travelling, and staying in cramped quarters.

You can use a carabiner —or, my favorite, a travel hook —to attach your Ultimate Ears Boom 3’s hang loop to a backpack, a fence, a chair, a towel hook when you’re the shower… this is a very small but incredibly convenient feature. At least I think so; I always seem to run out of space to set stuff out on when I’m staying in weird corners of the world.

The Boom 3’s Dedicated Apps: Equalizer, Pair Multiple Speakers, and More

You can use the Ultimate Ears Boom 3 without installing any special apps as a simple Bluetooth-connected speaker. But you’ll want the relevant  Android or iOS  app for your phone as they add quite a bit of functionality.

• The “block party” features allows three people to share/fight for DJ-rights to the speaker.
• You can remotely turn the speaker on and off, which turns out to be quite convenient for making sure you save battery when the speaker is a bit further than you’d like to reach, or for turning it on to find it by sound if misplaced.
• Customize the EQ to your taste.
• Use the speaker as a musical alarm.
• Connect multiple Boom 3 speakers for bigger sound. You can also connect 150+ Ultimate Ears Boom, Boom 2, Megaboom, and Megaboom 3 and have them all blasting music from your little old phone.

Portable Size and Weight

The Boom 3 is a very packable 2.9-in. (7.3 cm.) diameter cylinder and is 7.2 in. (18.4 cm.) tall. It weighs 1.34 lbs. (608 g.).

The Feature It Lacks: The Boom 3 Is Not a Smart Speaker

If you want a speaker you can chat with (ask about the weather, news, control a smart home) that is similar to the Boom 3, you can see our comparison  of it with the Ultimate Ears Blast . But note that we wouldn’t really recommend  any  smart speaker, at least in terms of travel, as all smart speakers currently only work when connected to WiFi.

We also think that smart speakers are a bit gimmicky and not all that useful; if you want an assistant we’d just talk to the one built into any modern smart phone. And for a home unit, go instead for a (much more useful) unit with a screen like the Echo Show or Google Home Hub  for your home.

How the Ultimate Ears Boom 3 Sounds

The Ultimate Ears Boom 3 is, as you may expect, the third in a series. The previous versions, the UE Boom and UE Boom 2, were both revolutionary  hits   with   reviewers   when   released   with tech   press , audiophiles , and international consumer and  testing  organizations. These were the first speakers to really do 360-degree audio and they packed an incredible punch for their small size.

The competition has caught up, definitely, and plenty of other portable Bluetooth speakers sound wonderful. But the Boom 3 has improved over the Boom 2 too . Thus far the critics have   been heaping  praise on the new portable party guy from Ultimate Ears, saying that its sound has a bit better performance at top volumes. Since speaker tastes are subjective, our meta-take is always to look for an overall consensus in this way rather than taking just our ears or any other one critic’s tastes as gospel.

And overall the experts think that the Boom 3 sounds fantastic. Its 2-inch drivers and 2×4-inch passive radiators punch out powerful sound and relatively deep bass for such a small unit with little risk of distortion. It’s an impressive feat of engineering and it doesn’t — like certain competitors, hike up the bass end to try to cover sloppy performance. The sound is balanced and rich, clear and sweet in the mids, and often described as “punchy” or “dynamic”.

Of the many Bluetooth speakers that I’ve personally listened to, the Ultimate Ears Boom 3 is the best sounding of its size, and certainly has the most convincing bass — not quite as deep and pleasing as high-end home bookshelf speakers, but it’s getting well close, which to my mind is fantastic for someone who is rarely in my living room enough to enjoy those.

The speaker  goes quite loud (up to 90 dBA) and doesn’t have issues with distortion or odd mix effects when it gets up to its limits. Pushed to the max it was uncomfortably loud in a large interior living room/dining area, and could certainly serve as the sound system for a house party if needed.

Also crucial for good sound in practical outdoor settings or larger rooms is the Boom 3’s 360-degree output . No matter which side of the speaker you’re on, it sounds the same. The speaker is designed to be placed in the center of the action, and be equally enjoyable from any side. This means you can take a party to go and place the speaker in the center of the action, and it will sound great to everyone.

Downsides of the Ultimate Ears Boom 3 (But Not Enough to Hold Us Back)

• There is always a trade-off between a speaker’s size and its ability to deliver convincing bass and volume, so of course some larger Bluetooth speakers do sound better, especially on the bass end. In this article we focus on portable units and compare the Boom 3’s sound to them; we separately cover bigger, less portable Bluetooth speakers here . The Boom 3 is to most ears the best-sounding speaker with the features and the size that a traveller wants, but you might also compare it to the Megaboom 3 if you’re willing to carry about twice the weight.
• It’s a bit expensive. You can certainly spend less and still have a great-sounding and robustly durable travel speaker (see below ).

Buying Options for the Ultimate Ears Boom 3 and Scoring the Best Prices

In addition to the Ultimate Ears Boom 3 at Amazon , you can check for it on  Best Buy , although we haven’t thus far seen better prices there. Amazon sometimes has different prices depending on which color you buy, so you may want to click around to different colors if you’re flexible.

We wouldn’t recommend buying a used Boom 3 —or any other battery-containing electronic device — as there is no telling how many cycles the battery has already been through at the time of purchase. You may end up having to replace the battery too soon (though our experience with Ultimate Ears batteries has generally been quite good).

Protecting Your Boom 3: Carrying Cases

The Boom 3 is an incredibly rugged speaker and we don’t think it really needs a case (we do travel with our cables neatly stored and protected in a  Skooba Cable Stable however).

But we know that lots of our readers do buy cases. Such cases do at least provide a nice way to organize and protect the charging cable and keep it alongside the speaker. Our readers’ top three picks are below.

A Larger Travel Speaker—with Even More Volume and Bass: The Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3

We’re all about travelling light so we’ve focused this article on speakers that are about the size and weight of the Ultimate Ears Boom 3.

If you think you can carry more, you’ll also be able to get more volume and better sound — this is a basic law of speaker tech.

Our rugged, larger travel speaker recommendation is the  Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3 . In our direct comparison of the Boom 3 and Megaboom 3 we note that they’re almost identical in terms of design but the Megaboom 3 offers a bit more soundstage and performs better on the bass end. It goes deeper, and its lows on bass-heavy tracks are more full and convincing.

Otherwise it’s nearly the same as the Boom 3, so if you’re willing to carry a bit more weight (and pay a slightly higher price), this would be the one to go for.

The Most Rugged Bluetooth Speaker We’d Recommend—and with a Crazy Long Battery Life

The  Fugoo Tough is designed to withstand snow, mud, shocks, and submersion underwater. It has an IP67 rating just like our main pick and a removable jacket that suggests it’s going into war — It’s not going to have any issues with being dropped, bumped, or kicked around.

Of the speakers we recommend it also has the most battery life: 40 hours.

Overall it doesn’t get near as many accolades for sound as our main pick, but it’s not too bad either.  Several   reviewers quite like how it handles music, while another faults it for lack of bass and volume.

Fugoo sells basically the same speaker in Sport , Style S , and Fugoo Style versions, but the Tough version is the only one that might make sense for some travellers as it is the most indestructible of the lot, and that’s what Fugoo has going for it in comparison to other options. We have done a full analysis of the differences between these Fugoo speakers . And we have a more complete comparison of the Fugoo, UE, and Bose lines of speakers .

The Best Smaller Bluetooth Speaker (Slip it in a Pocket, Clip it to Your Pack): Bose Soundlink Micro

At about half the size and weight of our main pick, the Bose has introduced a clippable, pocketable marvel that still somehow manages to deliver signature Bose evenness and clarity, and even enough loudness to fill a room or work for outdoor listening.

The Bose Soundlink Micro measures 3.87 inches (9.8 cm) square and is 1.37 inches (3.5 cm) thick; it weighs 0.64 pounds (.29 kg), making it one of the lightest speakers we’ve ever recommended. It’s fully IPX7 waterproof and has a very durable rubberized chassis.

The tech critics   and audiophiles   who   have reviewed it tend to agree that its clarity is great and there is even somewhat of a soundstage and a solid bass end; it’s widely held to be the best-sounding small speaker of its size.

The main complaint it gets is its price; this costs more than most such tiny speakers. And the battery life of six hours may deter some (though if you’re carrying your own spare USB battery in your pack you don’t have to worry).

Overall, if you’re someone who is into extremely light packing and you need your tunes on the go, this is the speaker to go for.

See also our  comparison of the Micro with the Bose Soundlink Color II .

The Best Cheap, Small Clip-on Speaker for Travel: The Tribit Stormbox Micro 2

The Tribit Stormbox Micro 2 is half the price of the Bose Soundlink Micro above, and to some sounds even better. I personally have loved listening to most music on it, as it really excels in delivering a full, well-rounded impression of the mid-range that you’d normally get from a much larger speaker.

It’s also significantly cheaper and more portable than my top-choice Boom 3. While it can’t come anywhere near delivering the powerful bass and immersiveness of my top travel speaker pick, if I were just slightly less snobby about sound, or if I needed to lighten my load, I’d happily carry the Stormbox Micro 2.

It charges via USB-C (how modern), so you can use it with the same USB-C travel charger that you likely already use for your phone and perhaps laptop and other devices. The new version adds to that the ability to charge a phone or other device off of the speaker’s battery—a lifesaver after a long flight.

Add to that Bluetooth 5.0 and full IP67 waterproofing, and it’s hard to find any objection.

Other Travel Speaker Options (Not Our Top Picks)

A quieter but excellent-sounding travel bluetooth speaker: bose soundlink color ii.

The Bose Soundlink Color II is the small-to-mid-sized Bluetooth speaker to get if you want a decent soundstage and the smooth mids and trebles that the Bose universe tends to provide.

The Color II not as loud, and doesn’t kick out as much powerful bass as some of the other options, but the critics and consumer organizations report that holds it own and is excellent for filling a room with clean, detailed sound. We offer a full comparison of the Soundlink Color II with the other Bose speakers .

The Color II is directional, meaning that it sounds best when you’re right in front of it, and it’s spash-resistant (but not waterproof) and has a rubberized body so is expected to survive drops well. Overall, that makes it a nice-enough speaker to travel with, but the Boom 3 seems like a better deal to us.

The Bose Soundlink Color II measures 2.2 x 5.0 x 5.2 inches (5.6 x 12.7 x 13.2 cm) and weighs 1.2 pounds (.544 kg).

Generally Well-Liked: The JBL Flip 6

We think that the JBL Flip 6 is a good speaker and a slight improvement on the JBL Flip 5 (see this review for full thoughts) . It could be a decent in-between-priced pick if your budget falls between our main pick and the cheaper pick above.

A Few More Notes…

The AYL Portable Mini Capsule Speaker System is not actually a bluetooth speaker, but connects via a mini cable. It’s really small and really cheap, and considering that sounds decent  according to some . If you have a modern smartphone or tablet, though, your sound may already be better directly from that.

We completed a comparative meta-review of the differences between the Bose Soundlink Revolve II and Bose Soundlink Revolve + II , which we think are both quite fine Bluetooth speakers but perhaps not what we’d want to take on the road, as they’re not as waterproof and dustproof.

As of this writing there are a couple of reviews out there of the Oontz Angle 3 , but no serious comparisons to other speakers by anyone who is an expert in audio. This speaker is quite popular on Amazon, and most reviewers there seem to be enjoying their purchase as a functional and loud-enough option for “rocking out in the shower” or listening to audio books. We can’t recommend this over the other cheap options (above)  until we see more written about it or try it out ourselves, but it may be another good option at the lowest price point.

The Rise MiniBoom Wireless Speaker is a tiny, palm-sized and well-built speaker that would be a great road companion if it sounded better. Unfortunately, I found the sound at high volumes to be so harsh and unpleasant that I didn’t even want to use it for listening to podcasts — the sound from my Pixel phone itself was actually more even and listenable. If you lower the volume and listen to music, there is a bit more body and presence than a cell phone’s own speaker, but unsurprisingly not the clarity of the larger speakers we review here, and the sound is muffled. I wanted to love this speaker for its small footprint and obvious convenience as a minimalist travel accessory, but unfortunately the sound quality for me is overall not worth adding to one’s bag (or even pocket).

The SOL Republic Deck was pretty well-liked by some reviewers , though they weren’t in completely in love with it or anything. It is long and thin, and its price has dropped significantly, so it could now be considered a decent cheap option, but still not as good as our other cheap picks above.

Wrap-Up: And the Best Speaker for YOUR Travels Is…

With Ultimate Ears speakers especially, it’s very worth clicking over to Amazon and checking out prices for various colors in order to get the best deal, as they vary widely at times.

Our Reviewers’ Picks of Underrated, Useful Travel Gear

About The Author

31 thoughts on “We Listened to the Best Travel Speakers — Here Are the Top Small, Durable Marvels with Great Sound”

I’d like to see Minirig Mini and Wonderboom 2 compared, they’re both smaller than Boom 3 and sound quality would be at least close.

I’d agree that Wonderboom 2 (or previous version, both reviewed here) is excellent and an in-between spot for a small, great-sounding travel speaker. I haven’t heard the Minirig Mini yet but others’ reviews for it have not been good at all.

I recently purchased two Creative Muvo 2c speakers as my go to travel speakers. They connect as a stereo pair and the sound is great, not overly bass heavy (which I prefer) but the mids and trebles are crystal clear and they don’t distort at maximum volume. Priced at around Euros 35 each they don’t break the bank and are easily portable. Wonder if you would review a set and see what you think?

Great reviews. Can you recommend something that’s small and flat like the jbl go 2 or altec lansing h20 3, that can pair with another, that sounds decent? Neither of these get loud enough. I have a pair of oontz angles, but they’re too big for a pocket and won’t pair to each other.

Thanks, you’re all so sweet. In your shoes I think I’d go for two UE Roll 2s, as mentioned above. They’re flat-ish, but not quite pocket-sized. You really do have to trade off larger size for larger sound, I’m afraid.

Creative Muvo 2c Buy two, pair them up and you won’t be disappointed.

This is one of the best reviews I’ve read about any item. It’s given added credibility because you draw on third party opinions. I’m seeking lightweight, stereo and good battery life. Still deciding, but you’ve given plenty of food for thought Thanks!

I think leaving out any Marshall product is a terrible oversight in this otherwise very useful roundup!

I own the 1st gen Kilburn, and it still pumps out more bass than almost anything listed here, boasts a carry handle, solid highs and mids with very pleasing, warm sound, and excellent battery life. It falls right in line with the price of several entries in this list, and has great build quality.

The only negative is the weight, but if you’re traveling by vehicle to your campsite (or other destination) the weight is less of an issue, and you are rewarded with shockingly good sound for the size of the speaker.

They make a smaller portable BT speaker, in addition to the Kilburn.

Agreed. We love the Marshall Kilburn II too, but it’s much larger than the speakers in this article. We cover the larger speakers like the Kilburn here: https://minimalist.travel/en/reviews/big-loudest-bluetooth-speakers/

Nice job. You say that some critics say the Charge 2+ sounds better than the 3, and you give a link. 3 links indeed. Well, in none of them there is such a statement. The Charge 3 isn’t mentioned at all. Wrong links?

You’ll want to look at the links reviewing the Charge 3 in the paragraph above that; several reviewers made that comment though it was a mixed sentiment. Thanks for your careful reading, hope you find the right speaker for you!

How can it be voice controlled with google home?

Edit (Oct 23, 2018): Nope. Voice-controlled speakers need to be connected to wifi to work and we’re discussing travel speakers here. We’d recommend checking out our smart speaker reviews .

What a fantastic review!

Which bluetooth speaker has the smallest form factor because portability is my main requirement. Thanks

Hi Akshat, we have a separate review of the smallest speakers . Enjoy!

I was wondering. Would two UE Roll 2’s in stereo be better than one UE Boom 2?

In a word, yes. The two UE Roll 2s can provide stereo separation or simply more sound. On the other hand, it’s more to carry around than if you get a single UE Boom 2 . The best speaker is the one that you have with you; you may be more likely to carry a single UE Boom 2 more often than if you have two UE Roll 2s.

Attention Aussie customers …

The Fugoo Style is available on the Official US site for $89US The same item in the AU site is $289AU

You do the math… (not great value for money for the Aussies)

What about JBL Flip 3? No mention of that?

I realisre the article must have been written before Flip3 was released. So if you could give an opinion now?

Frankly, an oversight from our last update. We’ve now updated our coverage from the JBL Flip 2 to JBL Flip 3. As we describe in our update (above), it’s pretty well liked by critics and not a bad option, but most people will frankly prefer our other budget picks. It’s a decent speaker though. Thanks for commenting.

I purchased the phk brick sounds really good its punchy and clear !

Awesome article. I love your thorough, meta style. Q: any word on the UE Megaboom? Given the fine coverage you give of the Boom 2, surely the Megaboom deserves some discussion, and a comparison of its sound with the Boom 2. Thx!

Thanks! We’re glad you found it useful. Perhaps a bit late for you, but we now have a comparison of the UE Boom 2 and UE Megaboom . The Megaboom was considered too large for this article.

No mini rig?

? How can you not have JBL Extream and Fugoo XL in this list?

We certainly considered them; both the JBL Xtreme and the Fugoo XL are quality speakers, but far too bulky (I’ve added them just now to that list).

In this analysis, we focus on options that are small enough that you are always tempted to throw them in your bag, and yet they still deliver on great audio. Our bigger, chunkier recommendation would be the Bowers & Wilkens T7 , which we think is a bit of a step up from those two…

Our recommendations are very much focused on portable options. It sounds like the Bowers & Wilkens T7 would be the best option for you, however.

This article is fantastic — thank you!

I’m looking for something self-powered that gets produces good sound and gets loud — that’s my main requirement. Cost, portability etc are less important. Do you have any recommendations? The only really loud option I could find is the Soundboks, but review sites indicate that the sound quality isn’t very good. What’s the next loudest option out there that has good sound quality?

This site focuses on portable equipment at this time; it sounds like you want battery-powered loudspeakers like these — you might start your search there.

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The 6 Very Best Computer Speakers

In this article

Best overall, best less expensive, best for gaming.

• Best multitasker

Best portable

Best for audio recording and editing.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve done Kukuwa dance workouts, streamed a lot of Spotify, and sometimes accidentally conducted Zoom interviews in stereo sound. I had Usher’s voice pinging between my left and right speakers as I listened to “Yeah!” a few too many times ahead of the Super Bowl. I’ve switched between external speakers and my laptop’s built-ins multiple times to make sure I truly heard a difference and wasn’t just drawn in by marketing ploys for a $200 system. And I’ve walked away convinced that external computer speakers really do make a difference. I’ll admit that I was loath to cede desk space to another boxy appliance, add to the thicket of cords on my desk, or mess with Bluetooth pairing every time I changed devices (truly a unique and modern torture). But every time I thought maybe the speakers I was trying weren’t so great after all, it turned out … I’d forgotten to turn on Bluetooth.

My experience left me all the more amazed to discover in reporting this story how many people — even podcasters and music writers! — think nothing of dropping hundreds on a pair of headphones, but for computer speakers rely on their computer’s built-in speakers or an old set of speakers they’ve had for a decade.

That’s probably a mistake: If you’re planning to use your computer for watching movies, gaming, or just playing music in the background during the workday, a set of dedicated speakers can elevate the experience, bringing out more nuance and detail, particularly on the low end.

The best option for you will depend on how you intend to use the speakers, how much space you have, and, subjectively, what you think sounds best. “The most important thing about speaker buying is to actually have them set up so you can compare one song on multiple speakers to hear what you’re actually paying for,” says Mikey Weiss, owner of Mikey’s Hook Up , which has been selling electronics and cables in Williamsburg for more than 20 years, with a satellite location in L.A. Your best bet is to listen to the same songs, games, or movie clips on several different sets and pick the one you prefer. For testing, I played Liquid Liquid, one of my favorite bands for getting through the workday; Re-TROS, my old pals from Beijing; and the booming opening sequence of Killers of the Flower Moon . I also spoke to several audio-obsessed experts to get their recommendations.

With very cheap speakers, you probably won’t see an improvement over your computer’s built-in speakers or a portable Bluetooth speaker (such as Strategist favorite Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 ). Weiss says his stores stopped selling speakers below the $150 range — once customers heard the jump in quality with a more expensive speaker it was “a no-brainer.” (We did include one model that costs less than $150 on this list; it’s an instance where you really do get good value from a direct-to-consumer brand.) Once you get to the very high end, say more than $500, “it’s just personal taste,” says Weiss.

What we’re looking for

Number of speakers.

More speakers obviously means more stuff on your desk, but a single speaker may not do everything you want it to do. Two speakers will offer the stereo experience for listening to music, and an added subwoofer can fill out the low end of the range, particularly if you’re working with smaller speakers or playing games, movies, or any kind of music with a lot of bass.

Bigger speakers take up limited desk space and may overwhelm the aesthetics of a room, and in a compact home-office setup, they may be louder than you need. Experts I spoke to suggested not getting too hung up on the specs provided by a manufacturer, which can be confusing or misleading. That said, smaller speakers — anything with a speaker cone smaller than about 3.5 or 4 inches — will struggle to produce sounds in the low range (a separate subwoofer can come in handy here, depending on your listening habits). If you’re listening to music like jazz with less low end, or you’re primarily using the speakers for Zoom calls or watching YouTube videos, a smaller speaker may work just fine.

If you’re having to turn the volume all the way up to fill a large room, you might need speakers that are larger in terms of watts (about 50 watts should be good for a small room or home office up to 100 square feet), driver diameter (in most cases, you’ll want about three inches), and sensitivity (how loud a speaker gets, in decibels). Your setup will make a difference, too. Placing speakers near a wall or inside cabinets can cause “boomy and ill-defined bass,” says William Woods , an industrial design professor at Savannah College of Art and Design who has “an obsession with sound.”

Connections

All of our picks can connect to your computer wirelessly, and some connect to your computer via a headphone (3.5mm) or USB jack, a nice extra if you, like me, spend a lot of time fighting to pair devices. Some also include RCA stereo jacks for connecting to other electronics.

Number: 2, with option to add a subwoofer | Size: 6” x 4” x 5.25” each, 60 W (30 W per speaker) | Connections: Bluetooth, 3.5 mm, RCA

Over several days of testing the A2+, the sound was rich and clear as I listened to music or secretly did dance workouts during the workday. The difference between these and my laptop’s built-in speakers was striking: Each instrument came in distinctly, and the bass and drums were more robust — even without an added subwoofer. Do I need this sound quality if I’m just streaming Spotify at a low volume all day? Maybe not. But I found myself putting on music more often: The speakers easily filled my office with music at a low volume and could be turned up loud enough to fill most of my apartment. The Bluetooth pairing was a slight hassle every time I connected to a new device, but I mostly found the speakers easy to use. My main quibble is that the speakers added to the clump of cords and cables on my desk, thanks to the power cord and the speaker wire connecting the two sides.

Woods calls Audioengine’s A2+ (or if you’ve got the space, the larger A5+ version ) “great compact speakers that pack a huge punch.” If you connect via Bluetooth, you can bypass your computer’s internal sound card and connect directly to the speakers’ DAC (digital-analog converter), which the manufacturer says results in more dynamic sound and less noise.

The speakers’ fiberboard cabinets come in matte shades of red, white, black, and blue (the version I tested, which looked more like purple to me).

Number: 2 | Size: 5.5” x 8.0” x 5.9” each, 50 W (25 W per speaker) | C onnections: Bluetooth, 3.5 mm, RCA

For an affordable, no-frills option, the direct-to-consumer brand Monoprice has this set, which just comes in black, unlike the multiple color options offered by the other brands on this list. The company’s speakers “will outperform most of the big-box brands at that price point,” Woods says. There’s a headphone jack and volume control on the front of the left speaker, as well as an RCA connection in the back of the speaker.

Number: 3 | Size: satellites: 5.83” x 6.54” x 4.65”; subwoofer: 15.91” x 10.04” x 8.15”, 240 W total | Connections: Bluetooth, 3.5 mm, USB

External speakers can really make a big difference in your gaming experience, and the positional surround sound of the Logitech G560 can make for a more immersive experience. Since gaming is a world I know nothing about, the first person I thought to ask for a recommendation is Saira Mueller , a freelance tech reporter who covers the gaming industry. She calls this set of two round “satellite” speakers and a subwoofer the best option for gaming. The smaller speakers have built-in lights that change color and respond to sound and action within games — although Mueller notes those lights stay on even in standby mode. At almost 16 inches tall and weighing about 12 pounds, the subwoofer is huge, she notes.

Best for multitasking

Number: 1 | Size: 3.34” x 6.30” x 5.18” | Connections: Bluetooth, USB, power output not listed

Essentially a speaker and docking station in one, the Logi Dock is meant to clean up “wire clutter” for work-from-home setups. The speaker has ports for connecting monitors and peripherals and a built-in microphone — and it works as a power bank to charge a laptop.

Over several days of testing, the dock sat cutely on my desk, and the volume and microphone controls right on top were very convenient for Zoom meetings. My main complaint is that for something that’s supposed to cut down on clutter, the box on the charging cable is egregiously large! The sound is totally fine for listening at close range during the workday; I noticed a huge difference in the low end and bass over my laptop’s built-ins. I could even turn the volume up loud enough to grab a snack in the other room while a colleague was delivering a monologue in a Zoom meeting.

Number: 1 (can be paired with a second for stereo sound) | Size: 3.24 x 5.97 x 3.24”, power output not listed | Connections: Bluetooth, 3.5 mm

An even more compact option, the Bose SoundLink Revolve II is designed to distribute sound throughout a room whether it’s situated in the center of a room or near a wall, and it can be paired with a second speaker to provide stereo sound. Juan Leguizamón , a New York–based film editor, uses the wired connection on this sleek model as his computer speaker when he’s editing at home. He likes the small footprint it leaves on his desk and gives it high marks for its sound and construction. According to the manufacturer, it lasts 13 hours on a full charge, so it “doubles as a great Bluetooth speaker when on the move,” says Leguizamón.

Number: 2, with option to add a subwoofer | Size: 8.27” x 5.53” x 6.46” each, 50 W (25 W per speaker) | Connections: Bluetooth, 3.5 mm, RCA

Technically studio monitors, the PreSonus Eris 3.5BT are intended to have clear, accurate sound. Unlike the other speakers on this list, these will produce a flat response, which means they won’t boost the high and low end of the range and may have a thinner sound than you might be used to, but they’ll let you hear what’s actually going on with your audio, which is important for recording and editing. Weiss says that these “pro-sumer” speakers “hit that middle ground perfectly” of being serviceable for someone recording or editing at home or who just wants an affordable, good-sounding speaker. There’s a volume control and on/off switch on the front of the speakers. On the back, there are knobs to adjust the high and low frequencies to your liking. The Melbourne-based musician Worst Vibes is another fan of PreSonus speakers and says he just wanted “speakers I could afford that could go loud.”

Our experts

• Juan Leguizamón , a New York–based film editor • Saira Mueller , a freelance tech reporter who covers the gaming industry • Mikey Weiss, owner of Mikey’s Hook Up • William Woods , an industrial design professor at Savannah College of Art and Design • Worst Vibes , a Melbourne-based musician

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10 Tiny Wireless Travel Speakers You Can Take Anywhere

Ashley Rossi

Ashley Rossi is always ready for her next trip. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram for travel tips, destination ideas, and off the beaten path spots.

After interning at SmarterTravel, Ashley joined the team full time in 2015. She's lived on three continents, but still never knows where her next adventure will take her. She's always searching for upcoming destination hotspots, secluded retreats, and hidden gems to share with the world.

Ashley's stories have been featured online on USA Today, Business Insider, TripAdvisor, Huffington Post, Jetsetter, and Yahoo! Travel, as well as other publications.

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Summer means outdoor BBQs, sunsets on the beach, bonfires, hikes, and everything outdoors—liven things up with some music courtesy of these wireless travel speakers. Whether you’re looking for a super compact version or a durable, waterproof speaker, you’ll find a perfect match for your vacation on this list.

The Best Wireless Travel Speakers

Marsboy portable bluetooth speaker.

This small and powerful pocket-sized wireless travel speaker is great for travel. The best-selling, tiny speaker has a 50-foot Bluetooth range and a battery that lasts up to 12 hours—perfect for long days at the beach.

Price and Where to Buy: $20 on Amazon (originally $35)

Kunodi F4 Outdoor Portable Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker

Bring this guy to the pool deck or outdoor shower on your summer vacation. Amazon reviewers love the high-quality sound and waterproof feature. This is one of the best wireless travel speakers out there, and also has a hands-free function and displays the battery life on your phone (when connected to Bluetooth).

Price and Where to Buy: $17 on Amazon (originally $24)

Anker SoundCore Mini  

Anker makes some of the best tiny speakers on the market, and the AnkerSoundCore Mini is no different. The SoundCore Mini travel speaker delivers 15 hours of playtime and a connection range up to 66 feet. The speaker also has a microSD card reader, Bluetooth connectivity, and an AUX port, so you can choose how to connect to your devices. Amazon reviewers love the sound quality and long battery life.

Price and Where to Buy: $30 on Amazon

PINGKO Sport Speakers

At just four ounces, this is one of the smallest travel speakers out there. The top-rated speaker on Amazon has a six-hour battery life and has a handy LED-light battery level indicator. I love the attachment options for this one, which allows you to hang the speaker almost anywhere.

Price and Where to Buy: $24 on Amazon (originally $49)

AOMAIS Ball Bluetooth Speakers

This wireless travel speaker has the highest waterproof rating on the list (IPX7), making it your perfect pool companion—it even comes with a pool float. Buy two and you can pair them together for a surround-sound experience.

Price and Where to Buy: $36 on Amazon (originally $130)

Anker SoundCore Nano

This is one of the lightest travel speakers on the list, weighing in at just 2.9 ounces. The small speaker packs a big punch, with Amazon reviewers raving about the sound quality and volume. Due to its smaller size, the battery life is four hours and the connectivity range is 33 feet.

Price and Where to Buy: $21 on Amazon (originally $50)

Aud Mini by iLuv

About the size of an iPhone 6, this tiny travel speaker has a loud bass and high-quality sound, especially for its size. I own a similar iLuv speaker and have been impressed by its quality and connectivity strength for the price.

Price and Where to Buy: $11 on Amazon (originally $40)

dodocool Mini Wireless Bluetooth Speaker

Another super-lightweight travel speaker is the dodocool Mini; at 3.2 ounces you get four hours of battery and a 33-foot connectivity range. This tiny speaker has a few other functions too: It’s also a selfie remote and has a built-in microphone for hands free calling.

Price and Where to Buy: $13 on Amazon

LESHP Portable Bluetooth Mini Speaker

This super-small speaker has a five-star rating on Amazon and reviewers love the sound quality for the speaker size. The battery lasts up to five hours and has a built-in mic for hands-free calling.

Price and Where to Buy: $16 on Amazon (originally $30)

Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM

While this is one of the larger wireless travel speakers on the list, it’s the smallest speaker out there that offers 360-degree sound. So, if you’re serious about your sound quality but are still looking for travel speakers, this may be your perfect match.

Take it from Senior Editor Caroline Morse: “The  Wonderboom speaker  delivers crisp, clear, and loud music that will liven up a party of any size. You can play your music for up to 10 hours on a single charge, so there’s no need to worry about electricity … The sound quality is worth the price tag, which is an average price for a drop-proof, water-proof speaker.” Read her full review here .

Price and Where to Buy: $80 on Amazon (originally $100)

More from SmarterTravel:

• 11 Things You Need to Pack When You Stay at a Summer Vacation Rental
• 11 Travel Tools You Won’t Regret Splurging On
• 7 Tiny Travel Gadgets You Can’t Leave Home Without

Some review products are sent to us free of charge and with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions, positive and negative, and will never accept compensation to review a product.

We hand-pick everything we recommend and select items through testing and reviews. Some products are sent to us free of charge with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions and do not accept compensation to review products. All items are in stock and prices are accurate at the time of publication. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.

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• Best Budget
• Best Premium
• Best 2.0 Gaming
• Best 5.1 Surround

Best Soundbar

• Buying Tips
• How We Test

   The list in brief 1. Best Under $100 2. Best Budget 3. Best Premium 2.0 4. Best 2.0 Gaming 5. Best 2.1 Gaming 6. Best 5.1 Surround 7. Best Soundbar 8. Buying Tips 9. How We Test

There lots of audio options for getting sufficient sound out of your PC. If you’re a laptop user with basic productivity needs (and occasional YouTube excursions), your built-in speakers might be okay. And if you don’t want to disturb those around you, the best gaming headsets and earbuds can deliver everything from the basics to audiophile-grade excellence. But even with some of the best wireless gaming headsets , it’s tough to beat the freedom, flexibility, and audio fidelity of a good set of dedicated PC speakers. 

But what makes a set of speakers the best PC speakers for you depends on your needs, how much you want to spend, and how much available space you have on and/or around your desk. We’ve tested several current PC speakers, from budget-priced 2.0 options to glorious gaming setups with subwoofers and surround sound — and everything in between.

We’ve gathered the best speakers we’ve tested below, with options starting at under $100. If you aren’t quite sure what kind of speaker setup is best for you, be sure to check the section on what to consider.

Best PC Speakers Under $100 Slim, glossy speakers that get loud without compromising audio quality, have multiple connectivity options, and come with a wireless remote.

Read more below

Best Budget Speakers Compact, pebble-shaped speakers that can be powered by a standard USB port and sound very good for their budget-friendly price point of $60. 

Best Premium 2.0 Speakers Solid, well-built speakers with a classic, premium look and excellent audio quality. 

Best Gaming 2.0 Speakers Compact, affordable speakers tuned for gaming, with multiple connectivity options and RGB for extra flare.

Best Gaming 2.1 Speakers A powerful 2.1 system with impressive directional audio and virtual surround sound: arguably the best option for a single-player gaming PC setup. 

Best 5.1 Surround Speakers An impressively loud, gamer-oriented 5.1 surround system with wireless rear satellites and attractive lighting.  

Show More ⬇️

Best Soundbar A powerful but compact gamer-oriented soundbar with pretty RGB lighting, designed for just about any gaming setup.

Best PC Speakers You Buy Today

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The Best PC Speakers Under $100

1. Creative T100

Specifications, reasons to buy, reasons to avoid.

If you don't mind boxy black plastic designs and you don't want a subwoofer or 5.1 surround sound, Creative's T100 speakers are arguably the best value in PC audio — often selling for around $80. The pair of speakers stands just over 8 inches tall, and they deliver sound quality and volume output that rivals or bests some speakers that cost more than twice as much. Plus, the T100s come with a remote and ample connectivity options, features that most pricier options lack. In our testing, the T100 speakers registered an impressive 82.5 dBA at 50% volume, and at 90.4 dBA cranked all the way up, they were among the loudest pair of 2.0 desktop speakers we tested. The Bose Companion 2 got somewhat louder at 91.6dBA, but those speakers have fewer features and cost nearly twice as much, at $149.

For those who want to do more than just play audio from their PC via a standard 3.5mm audio cable, the T100 speakers include Bluetooth 5.0, a USB port for directly plugging a drive to play MP3 and FLAC files, and even an optical connection. Controls on the top of one of the speakers lets you change inputs, adjust volume, and power the speakers on or off, while a wireless remote lets you do all that, plus switch between EQ presets, adjust bass and treble, and more. Aside from their uninspired glossy black-plastic shells, the only real downside of Creative's T100 speakers is that they can't connect over USB. Also, there's no option for adding a subwoofer. But if you're shopping in this price range you probably aren't seriously considering a 2.1 system with extra low-end thump. Sure, you can buy speakers that look and sound better than Creative's T100, but you might have to spend more than twice as much for substantially better options. 

Best Budget Speakers

2. Creative Pebble Pro

The Creative Pebble Pro is the most premium product in the Pebble lineup — but at $60, it still retails for $20 less than the T100’s average sale price. There’s a lot to love about the Pebble lineup in general, starting with its compact and stylish round “pebble” shape, with drivers that are angled upward 45 degrees so the sound hits your ears when they’re placed on a desktop. 

The Pebble Pro improves upon the original Pebbles with a higher power output and larger, re-engineered 2.25-inch drivers. It doesn’t have a subwoofer, but its low end gets a boost with Creative’s “BassFlex” technology; it also features the brand’s “Clear Audio” processing technology, which enhances vocals over ambient sound effects in movies, shows, and games. Finally, the Pebble Pro features RGB lighting around the base of each speaker — it’s semi-customizable; you can pick from three basic effects and multiple colors. 

Like the original Pebble, the Pebble Pro can be powered by a standard USB port on a laptop — so this is a great set of speakers for those who want a less complicated setup. Unlike the original Pebble, the Pebble Pro has a USB-C PD port that, when plugged into a 30W USB-PD power brick, kicks the Pebble Pro’s power output up to 30W RMS (60W peak). These speakers sound pretty good at their regular power level, but they sound even better (and louder) with the power boost. Plus, as of this writing, if you buy the Pebble Pro on Creative’s website , you’ll get a 30W PD adapter free of charge. 

The Pebble Pro boasts impressive audio for its size and price point — though it does lack the lows you’ll get with a subwoofer (or even some larger 2.0 systems). It also gets pretty loud: it registered 69.4dbA at 50% volume in our testing, and 88.2dBA at 100% volume (and distortion was minimal until around 78% volume). The Pebble Pro also offers 3.5mm analog, USB-C, and Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity, and also has 3.5mm headset and microphone jacks. 

The main downside to the Pebble Pro might be, coincidentally, its price — Creative’s Pebble V3 has the same drivers (though the Pebble Pro’s are “re-engineered”), Clear Dialog audio processing, and connectivity options as the Pebble Pro, and retails for just $40 (though we recently saw it on sale for $35). Plus, the Pebble V3 comes in the more standard color options of black or white, though it doesn’t have the Pebble Pro’s optional power boost or RGB lighting. 

Read: Creative Pebble Pro Review  

Best Premium 2.0 Speakers

3. AudioEngine A2+

At $269, Audiengine’s A2+ speakers are expensive – especially for a 2.0 setup. But they’re also an investment in excellent audio, and one that I’ve personally experienced. I bought the A2 (non-Bluetooth) version of these speakers in 2012, and they still look and sound as good as new. The A2+ model we tested for this page takes the premium build and good looks of the A2 and adds Bluetooth 5.0, with aptX for improved latency (important when watching movies and, perhaps, when gaming competitively). The A2+ speakers come in an extremely solid-feeling glossy speaker shell, in white, black or red. Ports include pretty much everything you could ask for. You get micro USB for connecting using the speakers’ internal dac or 3.5mm for analog connections. There is a volume knob, a button for Bluetooth pairing and four RCA jacks, two in and two out. The former can be used for adding a subwoofer down the line should you want more bass. But in 10 years using the older A2 model at my treadmill desk, I’ve never felt a real need to add extra thump. If these speakers are your primary sound boxes, though, you may feel differently. In our testing, the Audioengine A2+ didn’t get as loud as some speakers that cost quite a bit less. And that’s not surprising given they are only rated to output 60W of peak power in total. But they still managed to deliver 85.6 dBA at max volume in our testing, and 78.2 dBA at 50% volume. That’s a lot of sound unless you’re trying to fill a very large room with booming audio, in which case you should consider something larger (Audioengine has you covered there with its A5+ speakers).

There are two main downsides to Audioengine’s A2+: The exposed speakers aren’t ideal for homes with small children and/or curious pets, who could ruin your audio day with an errant smack or poke. Also, as the design of these speakers is a traditional straight rectangular cabinet, the speakers fire in a straight line, meaning your ears will miss the sweet spot of audio delivery if they’re sitting several inches below your ears on the desk in front of you. This can be fixed by picking up a pair of $20-$30 angled speaker stands or foam wedges, but for this price I would like to see these included in the box as most desktop setups basically necessitate their use to truly appreciate the sound these speakers are capable of. 

Best 2.0 Gaming Speakers

4. Edifier G2000

Any set of speakers can deliver the blasts, booms or pickaxe bloops of your favorite PC game. But if you’re after a compact and relatively affordable set of speakers that will make your games sound good (while delivering some gamer style in the process), Edifier’s G2000 speakers are a great choice. The pair of speakers won’t take up much space on your desk, and they deliver a surprising amount of sound – with an emphasis on the low end. Don’t expect room-shaking rumble here, but with a subwoofer port at the back of one of the speakers, these small speakers can grow with your gaming needs. Edifier’s G2000 speakers also offer up a plethora of connectivity options. Around the back there’s USB connectivity, 3.5mm analog, and Bluetooth 5.2 is an option if you want to go wireless. For those who crave a little light show to go along with their games, the speakers also offer up some RGB, with light emanating from slits on either side and a panel at the back (to reflect off of your wall). Just note that the lights are controlled via buttons on the side of one of the speakers, with 12 available settings. So don’t expect the kind of flexibility you might get from software controls. Note that these aren’t the best option for listening to music, as each speaker consists of one 2.75-inch driver that has to do double-duty, handling the highs and lows. But if you don’t mind their bias toward the bass end of the spectrum, they’re OK for most audio tasks other than gaming. Just know that the G2000s are tuned and designed for those who prioritize gaming. If that sounds like you and you don’t want to spend more than around $110, these speakers are a great option. And if you don’t like basic black (and gray), there are pink, red, and white color options available for $5-$10 more. 

Best 2.1 Gaming Speakers

5. Razer Nommo V2

The Razer Nommo V2 is a wired 2.1 gaming speaker setup with powerful, booming bass and impressive directional sound — perfect for a single-player PC gaming setup. The Nommo V2 is the more affordable version of Razer's Nommo V2 Pro . While the Nommo V2 Pro comes with a wireless subwoofer and Razer's wireless, customizable, multi-function control pod, the Nommo V2 has a wired subwoofer and on-speaker volume controls — and costs $150 less, with an MSRP of $300. This is definitely worth it: while a wireless subwoofer can make your setup look a little less cluttered, it's not like there are rear speakers in this setup — so the two satellites are likely to be near enough to the subwoofer that the cables won't be too much of an inconvenience. Also, we didn't love Razer's wireless control pod, which relies heavily on Razer Synapse 3 (and is also available as a separate purchase, for $50).  

The Nommo V2 has the same dual satellites as the Nommo V2 Pro, plus a large, cube-shaped wired subwoofer. The satellites have a smooth semi-matte finish that's somewhat prone to fingerprints, and feature Razer's logo subtly embossed on their outer sides. The speakers sit on non-adjustable desktop stands at a 20 degree angle — the perfect angle, apparently, to deliver sound directly to your ears when they're placed on a desk. (The stands are not removable — these speakers are designed to be put on your desk and that's it.) They're a little deep for desktop speakers (about 7 inches / 178mm), but are otherwise pretty sleek and attractive. The back of each satellite has a translucent white orb through which the speakers' rear-projection RGB shines.

The Nommo V2 has two 3.2-inch full-range drivers in its satellites, plus a 5.5-inch bass driver in its down-firing subwoofer. It features a frequency response range of 40 - 20,000 Hz and has a max SPL of 98dB. Like Nommo V2 Pro, the Nommo V2's audio is powerful if a little bass-heavy and does extremely well with directional audio and virtual surround sound, which makes it perfect for single-player gaming PC setups (though it has Bluetooth 5.3 in addition to USB-C wired connectivity). While it's not the best multi-tasker — we wouldn't recommend it if you're looking for something that can double as a home entertainment system — you'd be hard-pressed to find a better setup for surround-sound PC gaming.

Best 5.1 Surround Speakers

6. SteelSeries Arena 9

SteelSeries says its Arena 9 is the first 5.1 surround system for gaming, which we suppose is technically true, because while there are other 5.1 surround systems for PCs, they’re not billed as being gamer-oriented. The Arena 9 comes with five satellites — a center channel that sits under your monitor, two left/right front channels, and two left/right rear channels — as well as a 6.5-inch down-firing subwoofer. The rear satellites are wireless (they connect to each other and are powered separately, but connect to the system wirelessly), which makes for an easier setup than trying to run speaker cables under carpeting. 

The Arena 9 comes with a handy control pod, which features an informative OLED display and touch-sensitive buttons. You can control most of the Arena 9’s features, including audio settings such as EQ and 5.1 upmix, lighting settings such as color mode and brightness, and system settings such as Bluetooth and rear speaker pairing, with this control pod, which is weighted so it will stay on your desk. For further customization, the Arena 9 also works with SteelSeries’ GG software, which includes the company’s Sonar audio app with parametric EQ. 

There’s nothing quite like true surround sound in movies and games that support it, and the Arena 9 does an excellent job of delivering immersive, directional audio that will make certain games come alive. (For audio sources that don’t support surround, the Arena 9 offers 5.1 upmixing, which converts stereo sound into multi-channel audio.) But even stereo sources sound great on the Arena 9, with clear, solid mids and nicely-rendered lows (thanks to the hefty subwoofer).

The biggest downside to the Arena 9 is definitely its high price point of $550 — especially when you can find budget-priced home theater surround systems for under $400. But the Arena 9 really is designed for PC gamers with its USB connectivity — other similarly-priced home theater surround systems aren’t designed to work directly with PCs. The Arena 9 also has some nice features that are specifically designed for PC gamers, such as 4-zone immersive lighting and a desktop control pod (versus, say, a remote). 

7. Creative Sound Blaster Katana SE

Soundbars are usually thought of as TV/home theater accessories, but they’re a good option if you’re limited on lateral desk space — and there are a few that are designed specifically with PC users in mind. The Sound Blaster Katana SE is Creative’s most recent addition to its gaming-oriented Katana lineup, and it’s particularly suited to a setup with limited space, as it’s the first Katana soundbar without a subwoofer. 

The Katana SE is slim enough at just 3.1 inches (78mm) high to fit neatly under your desktop monitor — though it also comes with custom wall-mounting hardware for those who want to mount it under a monitor or TV. It features four drivers — two 4.3-inch (109mm) midrange drivers, and two 2.1-inch (54mm) tweeters — each of which is individually powered by dual DSP-controlled stereo amps. The result is clear, great-sounding audio and a soundbar that gets impressively loud: while the Katana SE managed a maximum of 74.5dBA at 50% volume in our testing, it hit a significantly higher maximum of 92.7dBA at 100% volume. 

The Katana SE is packed with features and connectivity for all types of gamers — it features the typical 3.5mm analog and USB-C inputs, as well as optical-in, HDMI ARC, and Bluetooth 5.0. It also has a Dolby Audio decoder (available over HDMI ARC/optical-in), as well as Creative’s Super X-Fi headphone technology for virtual surround sound. Its multiple input ports means you can use it with your PC as well as consoles, TVs, and other devices — making it much more versatile than Razer’s Leviathan V2 and V2 Pro soundbars, which only offer connectivity via USB and Bluetooth. 

While the Katana SE sounds very good, even at the low end, it doesn’t quite offer the deep, weighty bass reproduction of a dedicated subwoofer. Creative’s Sound Blaster Katana V2 soundbar retails for just $30 more (though it’s currently on sale for the same $300 price tag as the Katana SE), and comes with a slim, 6.5-inch subwoofer, for those who have some under-desk space.

What to Consider While Shopping for PC Speakers

✳ Stereo, subwoofer, or surround: A basic 2.0 speaker setup has just two speakers (a left channel and a right channel), and won’t take up too much space on (or under) your desk, provided you don’t opt for bulky, powered bookshelf speakers. If you want something with a more powerful bass response, you should look for a 2.1 system, which comes with a separate subwoofer. (You can also purchase a subwoofer separately, so long as it’s compatible with your setup). If you’re looking to replicate the immersiveness of home theater audio, you’re probably looking for a 5.1 (or higher) surround sound setup. Just know that these speaker sets tend to be expensive, and you may have to do some creative speaker placement and wire routing to keep your PC from looking like some kind of low-budget Spider-Man movie set.

✳ How you’ll connect to your PC: There are a few different ways to connect speakers to your PC. Some speakers, usually higher-end models, connect via USB. This makes them easy to plug into most PCs and laptops, and they use their own built-in DAC/sound card, so you won’t have to worry about the quality of your system’s onboard audio. Not all speakers have this option, however — many are analog-only, which means you’ll need to connect them directly to your motherboard’s analog hookup or your laptop’s headset jack. This shouldn’t be too much of an issue for 2.0 systems, but if you’re looking at 2.1 or 5.1 surround, you’ll want to make sure your PC’s built-in audio can support it (or purchase a separate internal or external sound card). 

✳ Bluetooth: Bluetooth speakers are a category all on their own, and they’re not very well-suited to acting as desktop PC speakers (nor are they very economical if you don’t need the portability). Bluetooth isn’t a necessity in PC speakers, but the added versatility can be a bonus — especially if you frequently switch between systems and/or devices. 

 ✳ Where you’ll put them: Many PC speakers are, perhaps not surprisingly, designed to be placed on your desktop — and some are even angled upward for optimal audio delivery to your ears. But if you’re thinking of putting your speakers elsewhere — on the floor, a shelf, or even mounted to the wall — make sure the speakers’ stands allow for varying placement (or are removable). And note that you may have to buy stands for ideal placement or angling, as many PC speakers don’t come with them. Some models attempt to help angle the sound up toward your ears by building the angle into the design of the housing, but this can lead to complications if, for some reason, you need or want to place the speakers above your desk surface.

✳ Size: As is obvious to anyone who’s ever had more than a passing interest in high-end audio, speakers come in all kinds of shapes and sizes. And outside of hi-fi focused options that require a separate amplifier for power, there are also several powered bookshelf speakers that function much like PC speakers, in the sense that you can just plug them into an outlet and then into your PC (or connect wirelessly over Bluetooth). But as these bookshelf speakers often stand close to a foot tall and are several inches wide and deep, they don’t make ideal desktop speakers for most people. They also tend to pump out more sound than is comfortable for most people when sitting right in front of you. They can, however, be a good option for impressive PC audio if placed behind out – on, say, a bookshelf. More traditional desktop speakers can also vary pretty dramatically in size, from tall and thin towers to compact, to compact rounded designs, to boxier and somewhat bulkier options that mimic the shape of larger, traditional bookshelf speakers. Be sure to consider how much space you have on your desk before buying. But know that (often though not always) speakers with larger drivers and more solid cabinets can pump out more and better sound, and are less likely to vibrate or otherwise move around on your desk. In other words, don’t expect to be blown away by tiny, inexpensive speakers (in most cases).

How We Test Speakers

A lot of opinions about sound signature, features, and design come into play when deciding what PC speakers are the best for you. Of course, there are measurable characteristics that can tell you quite a bit about how a set of speakers sound. But without thousands of dollars of equipment and an anechoic chamber, it’s tough to reliably make those kinds of measurements. Plus, regardless of what those results might be, how speakers will sound to you depends greatly on the size and shape of your room, the types of materials on and around your walls, and your own ears and brain. So without unlimited space and funds for true high-end audiophile-level testing, or the ability to take everyone’s physiology and computing surroundings into account, we’ve attempted to mix some measurable data with lots of experience and our own opinions when testing speakers. We use a Pyle PSPL25 sound meter at a fixed 1-meter distance to test a speaker’s maximum sound output at 50% and 100% volume, using a standard test track . This tells us both how loud a set of speakers can get, and how good or bad things sound when cranked all the way up. Cheaper speakers (and some more expensive options with sub-par power supplies) don’t tend to sound great at max volume. We also use the speakers across a range of common PC tasks: playing games, watching video, and listening to music to get both an anecdotal sense of how the speakers sound in everyday use, as well as how intuitive any hardware or software controls are to navigate. As with all of the products we benchmark, test, and review, how we test speakers is a fluid process, aimed at delivering useful results and suggestions for our readers. Please feel free to offer up suggestions in the comments below. When we make substantive changes to how we test speakers, we’ll update this portion of the page. 

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After a rough start with the Mattel Aquarius as a child, Matt built his first PC in the late 1990s and ventured into mild PC modding in the early 2000s. He’s spent the last 15 years covering emerging technology for Smithsonian, Popular Science, and Consumer Reports, while testing components and PCs for Computer Shopper, PCMag and Digital Trends.

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• kiniku Love my Logitech G560 speakers. Reply

If you want something with a more powerful bass response, you should look for a 2.1 system, which comes with a separate subwoofer.

• Baywoof Interesting you did not include the Bose Companion 2 Series III (2.0 PC speakers). At $149 it's a great choice combining quality of sound and value. Reply
• SkyBill40 Sarah, FYI: Your link to the Steel Series 5.1 setup at Best Buy is going to the 2.1 set and not what you've reviewed. Reply
• rbuffetta Logitech z623 Reply
• lumineZ Sorry but when you are to review speakers and you give a " + RGB " on one of them... Your review went out the window for me... No credibility at all... But for my ears in the premium segment with no amp or extra electronics needed: KEF LS50 Wireless II Dynaudio Focus 10 Need an amp: Piega Coax 411 Kerr Acoustic K300S MK3 Magico A1 Want to keep it simple and you like the sound of a horn loaded tweeter and it is a 2.1 system ready to go. Then maybe Klipsch Heritage pro media 2.1 is the one for you. But Klipsch is kinda like Martin&Logan. You either love or hate the sound. Reply

lumineZ said: Sorry but when you are to review speakers and you give a " + RGB " on one of them... Your review went out the window for me... No credibility at all... But for my ears in the premium segment with no amp or extra electronics needed: KEF LS50 Wireless II Dynaudio Focus 10 Need an amp: Piega Coax 411 Kerr Acoustic K300S MK3 Magico A1 Want to keep it simple and you like the sound of a horn loaded tweeter and it is a 2.1 system ready to go. Then maybe Klipsch Heritage pro media 2.1 is the one for you. But Klipsch is kinda like Martin&Logan. You either love or hate the sound.

• Ogotai ive never had " pc speakers " connected to my comp, its always been 5.1 with a separate receiver. currently its a Yamaha RX-V583 with Polk audio front, center and rears, with an Energy 8" sub. never found pc speakers that appealing, and partly cause i also like having a radio, and a cd player :-) Reply
• Virtual_Singularity Sry, not trying to be a buzzkill, don't hate a messenger with an opinion that reflects the sad truth on this given topic. Now then: The TL/DR/DWtR version: every product mentioned in this article is a total waste of $. Don't abuse yourself and deprive yourself of just how sweet music/audio can sound. As for the reply recommending speakers for over 1k$, please know you can get a receiver, amp, & decent pair of floor standing speakers that can, theoretically, make your house shake without distortion & enable you to host a party or other event with sound loud and good enough to have no problem dancing to or otherwise appreciating. If you prefer the sad offerings shown above to reasonable alternatives, well, then I can only remind you that quality audio is just as important as your GPU, monitor or other components. Don't fall victim to marketers targeting gamers/typical computer users. Elegance, quality materials like real metal (handcrafted aluminum for some cases), design excellence & utility used to define the enthusiast Desktop Chassis/Computer Case market, when true quality competition was fostered a lil over a mere decade back. Before it all went down the toilet by replacing elegant metal with acrylic and plastic, then glass, along with LEDs; 1st on fans, then cases, then literally every component, (even RAM!), catering to vanity & the hyped up ads disguised as articles on popular tech sites that succeeded in creating the unthinkable... What happened to the consumer audio industry followed a somewhat similar path. Btw, the very concept of "2.1" doesn't belong in the world of sound. Music isn't produced in mono. If you're going to use a subwoofer, use 2 even 2 cheap ones is better than a "2.1" setup. In the span of 15-20 years or so, we went from being able to get reasonably priced stereo systems with speakers that were great, taken for granted, to w/e you wish to call this nightmare, where SINGLE speaker, portable, non-stereophonic bluetooth horrors many think acceptable & cool are, in fact, such a gaffe, a rip off, a bad joke easily avoided even via a decent boom box (yes! theyre still around!). Many vintage & even some newer portable boomboxes will at least offer you fm/am & more, stereo, nice, full sound in comparison to the typical overpriced, cheaply made mono bluetooth ear assaulter. Not knocking wireless or bluetooth, btw. Very good bookshelf speakers, if pricey, that suit some situations do exist. But they can't hope to compare to quality floor standing speakers. There's lots of DIY kits out there for those willing to assemble & spend more than the "offerings" shown above. Srsly, the site is just doing it's job, but plz know the consumer has far better options open to them for a bit more $, and its worth it rather than settling for marketing gimmickry that deprives one of the sheer joy of good audio. What happened to reasonably priced sound systems with two tall, deep speakers with a number of monitors (single speakers) on each, from huge woofers to various midranges to tweeters, that most people today will never experience? For audiophiles/music lovers using decent headphones with a nice dac/amp, etc., any who value music knows they're a must have. They afford us what is perhaps the best way to listen to music the way an artist intended it to be heard. However... you should be able to also blast music or throw a party with sound loud & clear enough for all attending to feel in their bones, at a reasonable price. Edit: mainly since emoji wouldnt work. ;) Reply

Virtual_Singularity said: Music isn't produced in mono.

Virtual_Singularity said: If you're going to use a subwoofer, then use

• View All 18 Comments

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Acer TravelMate P6 review: Business on a budget

Expert's Rating

• Long battery life
• Light and portable
• A good price for a business laptop
• Keyboard is a t ad mushy
• No NPU for future Windows AI features
• Consumer laptops deliver similar specs for a lower price

Our Verdict

The Acer TravelMate P6 offers excellent value for a business laptop, with long battery life, a surprisingly light weight, and more ports than a typical consumer laptop.

The Acer TravelMate P6 is a business laptop through and through. It’s packed with ports, delivers long battery life, is surprisingly lightweight, and has a nice matte screen designed to avoid glare in normally uncomfortable lighting conditions.

It’s a nice and supremely practical piece of hardware, and I’d be happy to get a machine like this from my job. Starting at a retail price of $1,329, it’s a bargain as far as business laptops go, especially if a workplace is getting a discount for buying a bunch at once! But if you’re just looking to buy a single laptop for your own personal use, a consumer laptop may be better bet.

Looking for more options? Check out PCWorld’s roundup of the best laptops .

Acer TravelMate P6: Specs

IDG / Chris Hoffman

The Acer TravelMate P6 comes with 16 GB of RAM, 1 TB of solid-state storage, and an Intel Core i5-1335U CPU. This is one of Intel’s 13th-generation Raptor Lake CPUs, released in 2023. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. The latest Meteor Lake CPUs are more focused on power efficiency and AI performance.

The latest Meteor Lake CPUs aren’t necessarily faster, but you are missing out on the neural processing unit (NPU) found in the latest Meteor Lake CPUs. These will make it possible to run more AI features locally on your own PC hardware rather than relying on the far-off cloud servers that power features like Microsoft Copilot today. Rumor is that Windows will soon take much better advantage of NPUs to deliver all sorts of AI features. And there’s no NPU here.

• CPU: Intel Core i5-1335U
• Memory: 16GB LPDDR5 RAM
• Graphics/GPU: Intel Iris Xe
• Display: 14-inch 1920×1200 display with a 16:10 aspect ratio and 60Hz refresh rate
• Storage: 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD
• Webcam: 1080p webcam with privacy shutter
• Connectivity : 2x USB Type-C (Thunderbolt 4 / USB4 40Gbps with DisplayPort over USB-C, Power Delivery), 1x USB Type-A (USB 3.2 Gen 1), HDMI 2.1, microSD card reader, headphone jack, Kensington lock slot
• Networking: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3
• Biometrics: IR camera for Windows Hello facial recognition, fingerprint reader
• Battery capacity: 65 Watt-hours
• Dimensions: 12.34 x 8.93 x 0.79 inches
• Weight: 2.65 pounds
• MSRP: $1,329 as tested

Acer TravelMate P6: Design and build quality

The Acer TravelMate 6’s design is pretty simple: Black with squared off edges and slightly rounded corners. Nothing too crazy or unusual, a workhorse of a laptop with nothing particularly unusual about it. It’s a workhorse. The name “Acer” appears in silver below the screen, and there’s also an “Acer” badge on the back of the laptop, but that’s extremely understated.

This laptop is quite light thanks to the magnesium-aluminum alloy that makes up its chassis. At just 2.65 pounds, it’s nice and easy to pick up and throw in a bag. (It’s only a tiny bit heavier than the famously lightweight and much more expensive Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon , which weighs 2.42 pounds.) There’s a little bit of flex to the screen and case, but nothing that seems bad. In fact, that flex may help the laptop stand up to life on the road.

Acer touts the TravelMate 6’s ruggedness — it’s MIL-STD 810H-tested and Acer says the ports are reinforced with additional metal brackets to hold up wear and tear. It also includes an “Acer Dust Defender” feature that will reverse the laptop’s fans every six hours of use to prevent dust buildup. (At peak performance, when the fans are needed, Dust Defender won’t interrupt anything, it’ll wait until later).

While this laptop may not look particularly exciting in a photo, it has a classic design that fades into the background, and that light weight is very nice.

The included promotional software is a little disappointing. Out of the box, for example, a Dropbox promotion is pinned to the taskbar. One of the benefits of business laptops is that they tend to provide a stripped-down selection of included promotional apps, and the included software is on the busy side for a business laptop. Of course, this is something you can uninstall very easily.

Acer TravelMate P6: Keyboard and trackpad

The Acer TravelMate P6 is a business laptop, so it should be designed for some serious typing. On the one hand, this machine has a perfectly nice keyboard. I could type quickly and didn’t have any issues with accuracy. On the other hand, the key feel a little on the shallow side. That’s fairly common with laptops designed for portability, as there’s only so much room.

The keyboard also has convenient white backlighting built in, an important feature when typing in low-light environments.

The touchpad feels great. It’s made of Corning Gorilla Glass, and it’s very responsive and smooth. It’s nice and large, too, taking up a good amount of room below the keyboard. The click feels good and solid, too.

Acer TravelMate P6: Display and speakers

The Acer TravelMate P6 has a 14-inch 1920×1200 display. That’s a 16:10 aspect ratio, which gives you more vertical space to get work done than you’ll get on a standard 16:9 screen, for example, a “1080p” or 1920×1080 resolution screen. Still, it’s not as much vertical screen real estate as you’ll get on a screen with a 3:2 aspect ratio.

This is an IPS display that Acer calls a “ComfyView” display, as Acer puts it, it’s an “anti-glare matte display.” It will do much better in bright sunlight than “glossy” displays, which tend to have a lot of glare.

With a refresh rate of just 60Hz, this isn’t the fanciest display out there. Still, it’s perfectly serviceable and it looks good in day-to-day use. In fact, I suspect that this display may be one of the secret ingredients that gives this laptop the long-lasting battery life its competitors with fancier displays often can’t match.

The upward-firing speakers aren’t bad. As usual for laptop speakers, they don’t deliver a lot of bass — that’s normal. But they sound clear and have plenty of volume. They’ll do well for a video meeting or watching some videos, but you’ll want to connect some headphones or external speakers to properly experience anything bassy.

Acer TravelMate P6: Webcam, microphone, biometrics

The Acer TravelMate P6 has a 1080p webcam. This is a pretty standard 1080p webcam, and it’s perfectly serviceable as far as 1080p webcams go. It will be fine in business meetings. I’ve seen high-level executives use much, much worse. The webcam has a convenient privacy shutter, so you can quickly block it, if you like.

Strangely enough, Windows offers Studio Effects for this webcam, features like Eye Contact to make you look like you’re always making eye contact with the camera and Background Blur to blur your background. According to Microsoft, this requires a neural processing unit (NPU) , but this Acer laptop doesn’t have an NPU. The effects seem to be using the integrated GPU for their processing power. While the effects are available, which is nice, this implementation will likely drain more battery power than running these effects on a lower-powered NPU in a modern PC.

The microphone sounds nice and clear, picking up speech well, which is critical feature for audio calls, so it’s good to see Acer got it right. Acer says this laptop has “Acer PurifiedVoice’s AI-powered noise reduction.”

The TravelMate has both facial recognition and fingerprint recognition for Windows Hello. The IR camera for facial recognition worked well, as they generally do, signing me when I opened the laptop in a variety of lighting scenarios. The fingerprint scanner is located in the power button at the top-right corner of the keyboard, and it also worked well for authentication.

Acer TravelMate P6: Connectivity

The port selection on the Acer TravelMate P6 is quite good for a modern laptop. On the left side, you’ll find two USB Type-C ports (Thunderbolt 4 / USB4 40Gbps) along with an HDMI 2.1 port. You’ll plug the laptop’s power adapter into one of the USB-C ports to charge it.

On the right side, you’ve got a USB Type-A port, a combo headphone jack, a microSD card reader, and a Kensington lock slot for physically securing the laptop.

Acer also says models of this laptop are available with an optional nano SIM slot for cellular connectivity, but our review unit didn’t have that feature.

It’s a good selection of ports, and it should save you from having to use a dongle most of the time.

Still, if you want to charge and use more than one USB Type-C device — or if you ever want to plug in more than one USB Type-A device — you’ll need a dongle. You’ll have to plug in a dongle to use a wired Ethernet network connection, too.

For the wireless radios, you’ve got Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 support. That’s a standard, modern setup. Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 would certainly be nice to have to make this laptop more future proof, but they’re not standard on new laptops yet.

Acer TravelMate P6: Performance

The Acer TravelMate P6 delivered solid performance in day-to-day use. That’s no surprise thanks to its 13th-generation Intel Core i5 CPU, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB solid-state drive.

As always, we ran the TravelMate through our standard benchmarks to see how it performs.

First, we run PCMark 10 to get an idea of overall system performance. PCMark 10 is designed to as an overall benchmark to get an idea of overall system performance, but the CPU is as big factor in the results.

The Acer TravelMate P6 delivered the kind of performance we’d expect to see with a 13th-generation Intel Core i5 laptop CPU. The results were competitive with the HP Pavilion Plus , a heavier laptop with a Core i7 CPU. It’s still outcompeted by the significantly more expensive Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon , which retails for $2,703, double the price of this system.

Next, we run Cinebench R20. This benchmark is heavily multithreaded and focuses on overall CPU performance. It’s a quick benchmark, so cooling under extended workloads isn’t a factor. But, since it’s heavily multithreaded, CPUs with more cores have a huge advantage and will get higher scores.

The Acer TravelMate P6 puts out decent performance, with more powerful Intel Core i7-powered systems pulling ahead of its Intel Core i5 CPU.

We also run an encode with Handbrake. This is another heavily multithreaded benchmark, but it runs over an extended period of time. This demands the laptop’s cooling kick in, and many laptops will throttle and slow down under load.

The Acer TravelMate P6 delivered took 1,847 seconds to complete the encode on average. That’s just over 30 minutes. It’s competitive with other ultraportable-style machines, and only beat by the larger and heavier HP Pavilion Plus, which can likely deliver better cooling for extended workloads due to its size.

Next, we run a graphical benchmark. This isn’t a gaming laptop , but it’s still good to check how the GPU performs. We run 3Dmark Time Spy, a graphical benchmark that focuses on GPU performance.

Graphical performance wasn’t great, which isn’t a surprise. Intel has improved integrated GPU performance dramatically over the last generation. A system with the latest Meteor Lake hardware — not the 13th-generation Raptor Lake hardware here — delivers much better graphical performance.

Overall, performance is where it should be for an ultraportable with this hardware. Intel’s latest Core Ultra chips, the Meteor Lake CPUs, don’t necessarily deliver a huge performance upgrade in normal use. Meteor Lake’s big advantages are in improved integrated GPU performance and that neural processing unit (NPU) isn’t present on systems like this one.

Acer TravelMate P6: Battery life

The Acer TravelMate P6 includes a 65 Watt-hour battery. In day-to-day use — web browsers, office apps, and all the usual applications — battery life was excellent.

To benchmark the battery life, we play a 4K copy of Tears of Steel on repeat in the Movies & TV app on Windows 11 with airplane mode enabled until the laptop suspends itself. This is a best-case scenario for any laptop since local video playback is so efficient, and real battery life in day-to-day use is always going to be less than this. We set the screen to 250 nits of brightness for our battery benchmark.

The Acer TravelMate P6 delivered a great result here, running for an average of 771 minutes, which is nearly 13 hours. That result puts it ahead of all the other laptops we’ve been comparing it to.

The display probably gives the Acer TravelMate P6 a leg up. This isn’t an extremely high-resolution display. There’s also no touch screen. Many people will appreciate having the all-day battery life this system should deliver instead of a fancier display that needs more frequent charging.

Acer TravelMate P6: Conclusion

The Acer TravelMate P6 is a good laptop. It’s half the price of a Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon and nearly as light. The screen isn’t the highest-resolution display you’ll find, but that’s likely one of the secret ingredients that helps it deliver much longer battery life.

For a business laptop, a starting price of $1,329 for this hardware is very reasonable. On the other hand, if you’re just buying a single laptop and are open to consumer hardware, the price gives me pause.

Take a look at the HP Pavilion Plus , for example. It’s not an ultraportable, as it’s about a half pound heavier. But you can get a configuration with the same Intel Core i5-1335U CPU and a 1920×1200 resolution display, the same resolution as the Acer TravelMate P6 here, for just $828. That’s $500 cheaper than the TravelMate here. Yes, the TravelMate is lighter and gets longer battery life, but is it really $500 better?

Meanwhile, that $1,329 price point is close to the price of many consumer ultrabooks like the HP Spectre x360 14 with higher-resolution displays and other features like touch screens. They may not have the battery life a system like the TravelMate delivers and won’t have as many ports as this laptop, but many people will prefer those features.

Still, if you want a business laptop, the TravelMate P6 is a great choice. It’s a great value in the business laptop segment, even if it isn’t the best laptop for everyone .

Author: Chris Hoffman

Chris Hoffman is the author of Windows Intelligence, a free email newsletter that brings the latest Windows PC news, trips, and tricks to inboxes each week. He's also the former editor-in-chief of How-To Geek and a veteran tech journalist whose work has appeared in The New York Times, PCMag, Reader's Digest, and other publications.

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Claudia Looi

Touring the Top 10 Moscow Metro Stations

By Claudia Looi 2 Comments

Komsomolskaya metro station looks like a museum. It has vaulted ceilings and baroque decor.

Hidden underground, in the heart of Moscow, are historical and architectural treasures of Russia. These are Soviet-era creations – the metro stations of Moscow.

Our guide Maria introduced these elaborate metro stations as “the palaces for the people.” Built between 1937 and 1955, each station holds its own history and stories. Stalin had the idea of building beautiful underground spaces that the masses could enjoy. They would look like museums, art centers, concert halls, palaces and churches. Each would have a different theme. None would be alike.

The two-hour private tour was with a former Intourist tour guide named Maria. Maria lived in Moscow all her life and through the communist era of 60s to 90s. She has been a tour guide for more than 30 years. Being in her 60s, she moved rather quickly for her age. We traveled and crammed with Maria and other Muscovites on the metro to visit 10 different metro stations.

Arrow showing the direction of metro line 1 and 2

Moscow subways are very clean

To Maria, every street, metro and building told a story. I couldn’t keep up with her stories. I don’t remember most of what she said because I was just thrilled being in Moscow.   Added to that, she spilled out so many Russian words and names, which to one who can’t read Cyrillic, sounded so foreign and could be easily forgotten.

The metro tour was the first part of our all day tour of Moscow with Maria. Here are the stations we visited:

1. Komsomolskaya Metro Station  is the most beautiful of them all. Painted yellow and decorated with chandeliers, gold leaves and semi precious stones, the station looks like a stately museum. And possibly decorated like a palace. I saw Komsomolskaya first, before the rest of the stations upon arrival in Moscow by train from St. Petersburg.

2. Revolution Square Metro Station (Ploshchad Revolyutsii) has marble arches and 72 bronze sculptures designed by Alexey Dushkin. The marble arches are flanked by the bronze sculptures. If you look closely you will see passersby touching the bronze dog's nose. Legend has it that good luck comes to those who touch the dog's nose.

Touch the dog's nose for good luck. At the Revolution Square station

Revolution Square Metro Station

3. Arbatskaya Metro Station served as a shelter during the Soviet-era. It is one of the largest and the deepest metro stations in Moscow.

Arbatskaya Metro Station

4. Biblioteka Imeni Lenina Metro Station was built in 1935 and named after the Russian State Library. It is located near the library and has a big mosaic portrait of Lenin and yellow ceramic tiles on the track walls.

Lenin's portrait at the Biblioteka Imeni Lenina Metro Station

5. Kievskaya Metro Station was one of the first to be completed in Moscow. Named after the capital city of Ukraine by Kiev-born, Nikita Khruschev, Stalin's successor.

Kievskaya Metro Station

6. Novoslobodskaya Metro Station  was built in 1952. It has 32 stained glass murals with brass borders.

Novoslobodskaya metro station

7. Kurskaya Metro Station was one of the first few to be built in Moscow in 1938. It has ceiling panels and artwork showing Soviet leadership, Soviet lifestyle and political power. It has a dome with patriotic slogans decorated with red stars representing the Soviet's World War II Hall of Fame. Kurskaya Metro Station is a must-visit station in Moscow.

Ceiling panel and artworks at Kurskaya Metro Station

8. Mayakovskaya Metro Station built in 1938. It was named after Russian poet Vladmir Mayakovsky. This is one of the most beautiful metro stations in the world with 34 mosaics painted by Alexander Deyneka.

Mayakovskaya station

One of the over 30 ceiling mosaics in Mayakovskaya metro station

9. Belorusskaya Metro Station is named after the people of Belarus. In the picture below, there are statues of 3 members of the Partisan Resistance in Belarus during World War II. The statues were sculpted by Sergei Orlov, S. Rabinovich and I. Slonim.

10. Teatralnaya Metro Station (Theatre Metro Station) is located near the Bolshoi Theatre.

Teatralnaya Metro Station decorated with porcelain figures .

Taking the metro's escalator at the end of the tour with Maria the tour guide.

Have you visited the Moscow Metro? Leave your comment below.

January 15, 2017 at 8:17 am

An excellent read! Thanks for much for sharing the Russian metro system with us. We're heading to Moscow in April and exploring the metro stations were on our list and after reading your post, I'm even more excited to go visit them. Thanks again 🙂

December 6, 2017 at 10:45 pm

Hi, do you remember which tour company you contacted for this tour?

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Best Resorts Near Electrostal History and Art Museum, Elektrostal, Russia

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• 1800-2121-225
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• Moscow Metro Tour

Activity Details

- moscow tour packages – russian fairy tale tour 6 night / 7 days, activity overview.

• Description
• The Moscow Metro is among the biggest and thickest metro networks in the world.
• This makes it easier for people to travel quickly in Moscow.
• The Moscow Metro is made up of 12 lines and 200 stations, and it is around 333 kilometers long.

Activity Important

• Important to know
• Certified English speaking local guide.
• Hotel/port pickup and drop.
• Tips and personal expenses.
• Instant package confirmation at the time of booking.
• This package does not qualify for any refund policy.
• You will need to present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.

Other activities in Russia

Senate Square Tour

Red Square Tour

Moscow Tour

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