The Best Bluetooth Speakers: Portable Speakers For Any Budget 2023

No pun intended: JBL is making some serious noise in the Bluetooth speaker world. The Charge 5 is the new update to the Charge line of waterproof speakers, which routinely tops our “Best Waterproof” subcategory in this guide. What makes this speaker so great? That JBL groove-inducing sound, first and foremost. A superb waterproof rating of IP67 and 20 hours of battery playback are two additional compelling reasons; this speaker will keep your pool party going all day and night.

The Charge 5 is more than just a number change from the previous model, though. JBL continues to improve the design and construction of the Charge speakers. The larger silicone base will help keep the Charge 5 from shimmying across the tile and into the pool due to its own vibration. You’ll feel confident when you grab this speaker, with its rubberized materials and solid build. Physical buttons with unique shapes make it easy to find the control you need, even when you’re reaching from the hot tub without your glasses. Another party-extending feature is the Charge 5’s powerbank ability, which lets you charge other devices via a hidden USB connector. Upgraded Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity extends the range you can travel with your Charge 5 and keeps your music playing without interruption. Just what you need to keep the vibe going!

JBL’s Flip Bluetooth speakers are among the most popular speakers around, and it’s easy to see why. Incredibly portable, with a form factor that fits in your hand or slides into a pocket, and sound quality that’s way beyond what you’d expect from such a simple device. The Flip speakers have found their way into every room in the house, and into the great outdoors as well.

The Flip 6 keeps the best elements of the Flip line, and adds its own improvements to make this cute, dependable gizmo even better. All Flips have innovative side-firing bass radiators plus a uniquely oval-shaped driver and separate tweeter, and with the Flip 6, JBL has managed to improve the power and clarity of the system, allowing the Flip 6 to deliver audio that truly rivals the quality of much larger systems.

Waterproof and dustproof, the Flip 6 is the speaker to take when you’re headed to the pool, beach, or on a hike. It’ll even sound a warning if it detects water or salt while it’s charging — gotta love a portable speaker with good survival instincts.  With this great sound quality, portability, and reliability, the Flip 6 is a shoo-in for our Best Budget Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker designation.

Pros: Super portable and sleek. Sound is balanced and clear. Excellent Bluetooth range.

Cons: Doesn't pack the punch that larger speakers do.

Similar items to consider: Sonos Roam Waterproof Portable Bluetooth Speaker with WiFi and Voice Control. JBL Pulse 5 Portable Bluetooth Speaker with 360-Degree Light Show.

The reason half of the speakers on our “top Bluetooth speakers” list are made by JBL? Quite simply – they’re that good. JBL was among the first to see the potential for Bluetooth speakers and they jumped in early, dedicating huge resources to developing a smart, robust, “something-for-everyone” product line – and the newly redesigned JBL Clip 4 is a great example.

Our opinion: the Clip 4 is the best on-the-go, small Bluetooth speaker you can buy – bar none. It's lightweight, durable, and built for adventure. The new "4" version has a redesigned carabiner that's integrated into the speaker itself for extra protection. It clips to your belt or purse or pack via and it can take a serious hit. And, at IP67 waterproof rating, it even works if it falls in your beer (just don't leave it there, please). It also has a microphone inside which makes it a hands-free speakerphone, and it offers 10 hours of playtime between charges. (That's a lot of battery life for a speaker this small). The Clip 4 comes wrapped in a rugged rubberized housing (that feels nice to the touch) and you can choose from an array of vibrant colors. Best of all, the overall sound is excellent in spite of the Clip 4’s diminutive size (3.4” by 5.3” by 1.8”) and less-than-$100 price tag.

Bottom line: if you’re still listening to the speaker in your phone when streaming music, podcasts or whatever – stop. Consider this an intervention – put the Clip 4 in your cart right now; we're confident you'll love it.

The Sonos Roam is a portable smart speaker with both Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity, as well as AirPlay 2 for iOS users. So you've got easy WiFi connectivity while you're home, and a seamless Bluetooth connection when you're on the go or out of reach of WiFi. The Roam literally lets you Roam with your music. And, with Sonos' Auto TruePlay technology, the speaker optimizes the audio and dynamically tunes to your environment.

The Roam weighs less than a pound and is "smaller than a water bottle". The Roam is Sonos' first ever compact portable Bluetooth speaker and is smaller in stature and more rugged than its sibling, the Sonos Move, with shockproof, dustproof, and IP67-rated waterproof durability. This speaker is truly built for adventure. And, even with this smaller form factor, Sonos still managed to pack in an amazing list of features that we believe fairly justifies the $169 price point for a portable speaker.

The Sonos Roam can be positioned horizontally for uneven surfaces or vertically for positioning in smaller spaces. Control the speaker via the large, tactile buttons on the top, directly via the Sonos app, or via your voice the Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant built-in. Battery life is generous with 10-hours of playback time from a single charge. And the speaker actually falls asleep to preserve the battery when not in use. 

In addition to the included USB-C charging cable, the Roam can be charged wirelessly on any Qi-compatible charger, or with a wireless charging base (sold separately). Plus, if you're already a Sonos fan, the Roam speaker can be added to any existing Sonos multi-room audio system. 

Check out our full review of the Sonos Roam Bluetooth wireless speaker.

Knowing Devialet and their knack for fitting incredible amounts of technology into small packages, we were curious to see what they have done with their go at portable speaker. And, BOY is there a lot jammed into this thing! The engineers at Devialet must be part-time magicians. Nothing this small should sound as good as it does. So, how do they do it? Through a combination of clever driver orientation, speaker active matching, and active stereo calibration.

First, the number and positioning of the drivers is pretty clever. On each side, we have a bass driver in a push-push configuration. This is the same design Devialet uses in their Phantom speakers and Dione sound bar. That in combination with SAM (Speaker Active Matching) allows them to push the bass drivers to their absolute limit without ever over-excreting them, allowing the bass drivers to hit all the way down to 30hz. Honestly unheard of in a speaker this small - well, this small and clear.

On top of the sphere, we have 4 full-range drivers in a sort of checkerboard pattern. So no matter where you sit in relation to the Mania, you will always have a stereo image in an open space. If it’s placed near a wall or hard surface, it will automatically change the output of the two drivers closest to the wall. Located near the bottom of the speaker are 4 microphones, both used for Alexa voice control and ASC (Active Stereo Calibration). Mania will listen to its surroundings as it plays and will automatically switch the two drivers facing the wall to match the orientation of the drivers facing the open space. By doing this, the speakers facing the wall will reflect off of the wall and increase the width of the sound stage, effectively making the Mania sound like an even bigger speaker than before.

The Mania is probably the best sounding portable Bluetooth speaker we have ever listened to. Devialet has found a way to marry incredible engineering and high-fidelity sound with every speaker they produce, and the Mania is no exception. Tons of room filling sound without losing fidelity, small enough to fit inside a backpack and interesting enough to have out as part of your décor at home. Speaking of décor, the Mania comes in 3 colors: Light Gray, Deep Black and a Gold Opera de Paris Edition. There's also a charging dock available for purchase separately for most of the Mania speakers (you can purchase them together here), but does come included with the Opera de Paris Edition.

If this is your first Devialet speaker, prepare to be amazed. And if you are already familiar with the brand, then you know to expect incredible performance in a small package. The name Mania certainly fits. Check out our full review of the Devialet Mania for more details.

It used to be that you needed large, heavy speakers and an amplification system to put out enough sound to really get your party started. Not anymore: The compact powerhouse JBL PartyBox Encore Essential can totally make that happen all by itself — and even more so when paired with another PartyBox speaker. 

Stream music and control volume, EQ settings, and the built-in light show from your mobile device. You can also stream from a USB stick or a wired aux connection, so you can circulate without worrying about dropouts..

If karaoke is part of what makes your parties memorable, then you’ll really love the PartyBox Encore Essential’s ¼” microphone connector. You can also use JBL’s Dual Wireless Microphone System for some real freestyling.

With this kind of sound power in such a portable design, the PartyBox Encore is hands-down our choice for Best Bluetooth Party Speaker. Factor in the beat-synched light show and karaoke mic capabilities, and it’s gonna be hard to stop your party once it gets started.

Pros: Huge sound, perfect for partying. Small, lightweight and portable.

Cons: Battery life isn't as long as some other speakers, but it does operate with A/C power.

Similar items to consider: JBL PartyBox 110 Portable Party Bluetooth Speaker. Samsung MX-ST50B Sound Tower Portable Bluetooth Speaker High Power Audio 240W.

At 15 pounds and 13 by 9.5 by 11.2 inches, there’s no putting the Bose S1 in your briefcase or purse – this is not, in any way, a portable Bluetooth speaker. The Bose S1 is a professional level Bluetooth speaker with enough muscle to drown out the Macy’s Day Parade at Times Square. (Hence the “PA” in the name, as in “public address system.”) And yes, it’s great for pro DJs and public addresses, but it’s also ideal for serious parties at home where you want to cover a wider space with sound: weddings, big barbecues out back, karaoke throwdowns, etc. The sound is amazing – so big it made us giddy – and the feature set is all-encompassing. The speaker itself can be positioned to point anywhere or mounted high on tripod speaker stands (not included) to reach those way, way in the back.

The Bose S1 provides 11 hours of playtime per charge, or just plug in the AC power cord. You can also plug in a keyboard, guitar, microphone or any 3.5mm source through the S1’s built-in 3 channel mixer. If you’re on the fence about going big, the S1’s full spec list on our Bose S1 product page may just win you over.

Most Bluetooth speakers are easy to operate –  just set-it-and-forget-it. This one is easy, too, but it’s more like set-it-and-stare-at-it. Really, it’s hard to look away when the Pulse 5 hits the dance floor in a 360° LED light show perfectly synced to the beat. The Pulse 5 is JBL’s latest iteration of the Pulse, which includes a better design (with an up-firing driver for deep bass and bold JBL Original Pro sound in all directions), a 12-hour battery, and an IP67 waterproof rating.

Though you may be inclined to think anything with a “light show” has to be a gimmick, that’s not the case – the Pulse 5 is still a JBL product and as such, audio quality is excellent. Not the best in the world, no, but a solid competitor at this price point. Bass is above average, and the Pulse 5 was designed to throw sound in 360-degrees. It’s louder than most, too, but sound quality drops off a bit at higher volume.

What else? How about the ability to link multiple JBL speakers together with JBL PartyBoost? Now that’s cool. (Watching a bunch of Pulse 5s all doing their own thing to the beat just makes you want to party. If anyone does that, please – send us a photo.)

Finally: there’s a portable Sonos Bluetooth speaker on the market, the Sonos Move – and it’s everything you’d expect from the world’s #1 wireless audio company according to CEPro magazine. With both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth onboard, the Sonos Move is extremely versatile, and can be used as a stand-alone speaker you can take anywhere, inside or out, or add it to an existing networked speaker system. Either way, the Sonos Move gets it right.

Like everything Sonos, the Move is “Apple-esque.” It’s attractive, solid (even heavy for its size), smart and intuitive. The Sonos Move sits neatly in its charging base or can be charged via USB. Music lovers will love that you can create true stereo with a pair of Moves and/or add the Move to your existing Sonos network. With AirPlay, you can stream pretty much everything, whether via Youtube, Netflix, HBO GO or any playlist from any smart phone or tablet. What’s more, the Move is bi-lingual, so simple voice commands get everything done with Amazon’s Alexa and a 10 hour battery life.

Who knows why it took Sonos so long to enter the Bluetooth speaker market, but the Sonos Move’s sound is pure Sonos – rich, vibrant, remarkable clarity – and sure to be yet another Sonos best-seller in spite of its higher price tag.

What else? Check out our full Sonos Move Review.

One sure way to separate the men from the boys when it comes to portable wireless speakers: Cue up the A Capella bass harmony at the beginning of Bruno Mars “Uptown Funk” and turn it up – WAY up. We did just that with the Bose Portable speaker, a smart speaker Bose claims is “best at bass,” and yeah – we’re believers. At this price point, Bose crushes the competition when it comes to powerful bass in a portable package.

The Bose Portable speaker is an Amazon Alexa / Googe Assistant smart speaker from a company that continues to out-innovate everyone save for maybe Sonos. (Depends on who you ask.)  It streams whatever you like via at-home Wi-Fi or go-anywhere Bluetooth, and it proved excellent at hearing and executing voice commands – though voice commands only work when connected by Wi-Fi, not Bluetooth. As for sound: it’s exactly what we’ve come to expect from Bose: powerful, and remarkably crisp and clear.

The SoundLink Flex Bluetooth speaker is the perfect musical sidekick, with a rugged design able to withstand water, dust, and a few bumps and bruises along the way. Whether you’re hiking in the mountains or having friends over for dinner, the powerful SoundLink Flex will amaze you with lifelike performance and deep, rich tones that elevate any moment. And with its PositionIQ technology, it automatically adjusts to however it’s oriented to optimize the sound. Whether it’s standing upright, lying on its back, or hanging from its tear-resistant utility loop, the SoundLink Flex will deliver your music in full, balanced tones.

Whether you’re working a long shift or enjoying a day on the water, SoundLink Flex will provide your soundtrack all day. It can go for up to 12 hours on a single charge, and when it’s time to power back up, you can recharge it quickly via its USB-C port.

Sure, SoundLink Flex is incredible all on its own. But like all Bose speakers, this versatile portable speaker gets even better when teamed up with other speakers. Pair it with another SoundLink Flex or other Bose Bluetooth speaker to enable Party Mode and enjoy what you’re hearing in more rooms or more areas outdoors. Even a bit of both — SoundLink Flex also connects to Bose Smart Soundbars so you can keep tabs on the game while you’re away from the TV. A product of state-of-the-art engineering, SoundLink Flex is packed with exclusive Bose technologies. Its innovative transducer is custom designed to deliver the clearest possible sound and strong, deep bass that really packs a punch. The speaker’s digital signal processing (DSP) technologies, proprietary code, and custom algorithms all work together to ensure optimal sound quality wherever you are.

If the PartyBox 310 piqued your interest, but you're looking for something a little more flexible that you can take with you... the PartyBox On-The-Go is not a downgrade. Sure, it has slightly less power because it's in a smaller package and doesn't quite have that ginormous "WOW" 240 watt reaction that the PartyBox 310 has, but it still delivers 100 watts of powerful and booming JBL pro sound. It also has the built-in light show, IPX4 splashproof rating,  and seamless Bluetooth streaming. The bonus of the On-The-Go: it comes with a wireless mic with advanced vocal-tuning settings and a strap. It's the perfect multi-use party speaker.