The best Bluetooth speakers have a place near and dear to our hearts, even as we’ve seen smart speakers improving their sound and portability. It’s convenient 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 do their best tricks. By (mostly) forgoing voice assistants and Wi-Fi radios, Bluetooth speakers are usually ultraportable, able to venture into the world, and can withstand rugged conditions like a sandy beach or steamy Airbnb jacuzzi. They’ll work with any smartphone, and the top options sound just as good or better than the average smart speaker.
We’ve tested hundreds of Bluetooth speakers going back to 2017 and they improve every year. Here are our favorites right now. Be sure to check out all our buying guides, including the Best Soundbars, Best Wirefree Earbuds, Best Smart Speakers, and Best Bookshelf Speakers.
Updated August 2024: We’ve added the Bose SoundLink Max, Sonos Roam 2, Tribit StormBox 2, JBL Clip 5, and Beats Pill.
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Best Overall
Ultimate Ears Boom 4
We’ve had an Ultimate Ears Boom speaker atop our list for years now, and for good reason. The middle child of the UE portable lineup is fun and convenient, and puts out some of the most pleasant and balanced sound for its size on the market. The Boom 4 is our latest pick, with the most notable difference from 2018’s Boom 3 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) being a USB-C charging port. Why mess with near perfection, right?
We’ve spent a few days listening to the latest version, and even as the world has changed around it, the latest Boom still hits all the right notes for smooth, clear, and groovy sound. As before, the waterproof cylinder comes in multiple colors, is as durable as a chunk of wood, and gives you over 100 feet of Bluetooth range. It has a two-year warranty and connects to the UE app to unlock an EQ, connection to other Ultimate Ears speakers, and more. —Ryan Waniata
15-hour battery life, USB-C charging, IP67 dust/water resistance
★ Also Great: If you like to shake the room even if the “room” is the Great Outdoors, the latest Charge from JBL ($180) is an ultra-portable banger. The speaker is IP67-rated against dust and moisture and offers a great 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
20-hour battery life, USB-C charging, IP67 dust/water resistance
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Photograph: Amazon
Best Smart Speaker
Sonos Roam 2
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 2 comes in (9/10, WIRED Recommends). This tiny tube has all the same smarts as its bigger Sonos 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. Sonos recently updated it with easier Bluetooth pairing via a dedicated button. —Parker Hall
10-hour battery life, USB-C charging (available wireless charging pad), IP67 dust/water resistance
★ 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.
