The best Bluetooth speakers, tested for sound, portability, and cool factor

The Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 is not a must-have upgrade for anyone who owns the Wonderboom 3, but like the former version, it's a powerhouse for its size and price. This speaker's small (and rugged enough) to take along for a hike, while traveling, and for tossing next to the pool. Plus, it's so easy to find on sale that it's often available at a cheaper price than the older Wonderboom 3.

The Wonderboom 4 is basically the same exact speaker as the Wonderboom 3, visually and internally. Like the Wonderboom 3, you can drop it from heights of up to five feet without worrying about destroying it. It’s also waterproof with an IP67 rating. If you drop it in water, it can float for up to 30 minutes and come out the other side working completely fine. It also features a healthy 14 hours of battery life, which is more than other speakers of a similar size.

So what's different? On the sound front, the Wonderboom 4 has less muddiness than its predecessor, especially at higher volumes. In addition to the Outdoor Boost mode, you'll also get a Podcast Mode. We will say that we're not necessarily fans of the new addition — hosts' voices came through compressed, while background static felt more pronounced. Generally, this mode shone much better on the brand's Everboom speaker.

However, the standard audio is good enough for listening to podcasts and music, so ignoring the new EQ feels like a fine concession. As with the Wonderboom 3, we found that overall, the sound profile is well-rounded and can get loud. We do wish that this speaker had been updated with a companion app for more customization.

On the bright side, it's very easy to plug, play, and now charge, thanks to the addition of a USB-C charging port. While it's not all that different from the Wonderboom 3, anyone who wants a no-frills speaker that sounds good will be happy with this one. The Wonderboom 4 is easy to find in stock and on sale, making it our updated pick for the best speaker under $100.

Read our full review of the Sonos Move 2.

If portability is at the top of your list when looking for a Bluetooth speaker, the Sonos Move 2 might not be for you. As Mashable's Stan Schroeder writes in his review, "It sounds fantastic, but it's essentially a home speaker that also happens to be somewhat portable." However, if you want great sound, battery life, and smart features, this could be the best Bluetooth speaker for you. It's also the best choice for shoppers who already use other Sonos products in their home.

We formerly recommended the original Sonos Move, but we like the newer version for its newly added stereo sound and 24 hours of battery life (as compared to the original's measly 11).

To be clear, this speaker isn't perfect, but we think the trade-offs balance out. For instance, you need a 3.5mm to USB-C adapter for line-in playback, but you can charge your phone from the Move 2's battery by connecting it with a USB-C cable (similar to the Charge 5). It isn't very portable for hikes or trips to the beach, but it's easy enough to move from the kitchen to the backyard (and has IP56 dust and water resistance), making it great for entertaining. It's also a great choice if you like using a speaker to listen to music around the house. While it doesn't work with Google Assistant, it does work great with Alexa.

It can burn through the battery life faster at higher volumes, but it gets plenty loud without sacrificing sound clarity. In essence, there are a few trade-offs you make with this speaker, but if you're looking for the best-sounding smart speaker, and the cons of this one don't clash with your needs, we think the Sonos Move 2 is a great pick.

Read our full review of the Sony ULT Field 3 speaker.

Sony created the ULT line for bass heads who desire head-banging sonics from their portable speaker, and the recently launched ULT Field 3 delivers on that promise. This is a mid-range option with the low-end prowess of a premium model.

If there is one area where Sony never misses, it’s sound quality. Our audio expert, Alex Bracetti, previously tested and compared the ULT Field 3 with the Beats Pill across multiple categories, calling it an excellent upgrade to the well-received ULT Field 1.

Sony stuffed powerful audio components underneath the speaker’s casually chic sheath, including one tweeter, one woofer, and dual-passive radiators that, in combination, deliver emphatic sound. The default EQ dishes strong bass, and enabling the ULT mode effectively raises it with minimal distortion, depending on the music track. There’s even a Sound Field Optimization feature that auto-adjusts performance based on the noises around you, and it works well in all environments.

Great bass response isn’t the only reason we’re huge on the ULT Field 3. This speaker projects sound at a high range (up to 50 feet). Playtime is notably high, plus Sony’s Battery Care function ensures long-term use out of the battery by capping recharges at 90 percent. Lastly, durable craftsmanship protects the speaker against many environmental hazards, letting you rock out anywhere without worrying about damage.

There are portable speakers, and then there are ultra-portable speakers truly designed to move with you. JBL’s line of Clip speakers falls under the latter. The company’s latest creation, the Clip 5, is a moderate upgrade to the highly recommended Clip 4 (which was previously on this list). Carrying it around is easy-peasy, thanks to the signature clip that attaches to anything, from backpacks to belt loops. Its blend of affordability, fine sound, and resilient build quality earns the Clip 5 mass appeal among budget-conscious shoppers seeking a high-quality everyday speaker for cheap.

Honestly, the clip-on design. JBL’s built-in carabiner is a staple in the portable speaker category that is best executed on the Clip 5.

While providing maximum portability and protection (IP67 dust- and waterproofing), this fifth-gen speaker has a fun factor that only a handful of other compact speakers can match. Its IP certification makes the Clip 5 a stellar shower companion, producing adequate clarity and enough oomph to wake you up during early bathing sessions. The customizable EQ and multiple presets are crucial for enhancing sound quality; adjusting the frequency levels helps balance output. Pairing two Clip 5 speakers together will open the door to stereo sound.

The Clip 5 has impressively loud volume that also diminishes mids and highs when raised all the way up. You can get better sound from other portable speakers, such as the UE Wonderboom 4 that costs about $30 more, but is well worth the pickup if audio is your priority. Otherwise, the Clip 5 is just as small, sturdy, and serviceable at a cheaper price.

If you don’t need expansive customization, or even crystal-clear sound, then go with what’s considered the best portable speaker deal under $25 and $50: the Anker Soundcore Select 4 Go. 

It took a versatile competitor like Anker’s entry-level speaker to overtake the JBL Go 4 as the category’s top steal. The Select 4 Go does everything its low-priced rival does, plus it grants extended functionality via a mobile app, which the Go 4 lacks.

Playing songs on the Select 4 Go will reward you with enticing bass-forward sound that can be tweaked through Anker’s customizable 9-band EQ or a handful of presets (Bass, Balanced, Signature, Treble). The Signature preset produces dynamic range, something that’s unheard of for a speaker this low-priced, and the Balanced preset makes sound more natural. We’ve found the Select 4 Go to be pleasantly resonant when jamming out to different music genres, from alternative rock to hip-hop to jazz. Don’t confuse this for an audiophile speaker because it is far from that. The high-end isn’t as transparent as we would like.

Another key area where the Select 4 Go proves its worth is portability. On top of being tiny, it’s one tough-built speaker housed in sturdy plastic and covered in IP67 dust- and waterproofing. There is a built-in strap for attaching the speaker to a carry item via a carabiner. This serves bicyclists who choose to blast music from their backpacks when zipping through rush hour traffic or hikers needing an outdoor soundtrack to complete woodland expeditions. The 20 hours of playtime are also good for five days of moderate listening (four hours daily). It would have been nice if Anker designed the speaker to double as a portable bank for recharging media devices on the fly, but this isn’t a dealbreaker for a speaker that's often on sale for $23.

While we would never recommend a speaker solely on how it looks, we do care about the aesthetics of a speaker. If you've worked hard on decorating your space, then you deserve a speaker that will make its new home look even better.

So, for folks who appreciate good design, we recommend the new Marshall Emberton III. Not only does this premium Bluetooth speaker have Marshall's iconic vintage look, but it's also a solid-sounding speaker for its price point.

No matter where we put the Emberton III — on a desk, the middle of a coffee table, a bookshelf, even the kitchen counter — it instantly elevated the vibe of the room. In all honesty, because it looks so good, we were a little skeptical that it would have the performance to match its pretty face.

To our surprise, the speaker did perform. Right out of the box, it produced clear and well-rounded sound. Though it had a slightly heavier-bass mix, it made Still Woozy's "Get Down" and Billie Holiday's "Solitude" sound equally as good. We wish it had a custom equalizer, but if you download the companion app, you can choose between the Marshall preset (the speaker's default sound), the Push preset that boosts bass and treble, and the Voice preset that enhances the mid-range for voice-focused content. The presets sounded markedly different, which isn't always the case with the audio devices we test. We wouldn't recommend the Voice preset, unfortunately. Like the podcast mode on the Wonderboom 4, this setting made podcast hosts' voices sound compressed and less clear.

As for the on-speaker features, a light indicates battery life and both the power and Bluetooth buttons make the speaker ultra-easy to turn on and pair — we never had to spend more than 10 seconds connecting or switching between devices. Finally, the speaker also comes with a unique knob in the center to toggle the volume and song selection. This worked fine, but the dial control might not be for everyone.

Marshall promises a 32-hour battery life with this speaker, and after several days of medium to heavy use, the speaker still sat at about 60% battery life. With the app, you can also turn on battery preservation features to keep the charge going as long as possible.

For $169.99, it's a good, but not incredible, sounding speaker, but it more than makes up for its small drawbacks with a cool retro design. Released in August 2024, its feature set and design aren't that different from the Emberton II. So, if you want to save some money, you can pick up the Emberton II at a discount without sacrificing much sound quality.

It's about as simple as a speaker can be, but for only $15, it does the job for someone just looking for the basics.

A Bluetooth speaker at this price point practically invites skepticism, but we tested it out for a few reasons: it's from IKEA (and not some random Amazon brand), had decent reviews on the retailer's website, and is one of the lowest priced speakers we've ever seen.

Surprisingly, the VAPPEBY portable speaker did actually deliver. Sure, being only $15 means it does come with its shortcomings: it won't come with a charging cable or power adapter, it feels cheap and plasticky, and the audio quality suffers with music that's more mix-heavy (especially at higher volumes). Plus, the connection can be touch and go if you're not sticking to one device.

However, it gets decently loud and isn't exorbitantly expensive, so you don't need to feel overly precious with it. The sound quality is acceptable to use as a simple desktop speaker, or one you can bring with you in the shower or to the beach without too much stress (helped by its IP67 water- and dust-proof rating).

With just one button to play music and power it on and off, IKEA really brings this speaker down to the basics. All in all, you'll get a speaker that's compact, cute, and keeps the features and price down to a minimum.

The 2024 Beats Pill caters to two crowds: iPhone users locked into Apple’s ecosystem who want to enjoy Apple Music the best way possible, and business buffs requiring a professional communication tool when on the road. This flagship speaker pleases both sides, especially the latter.

Apple products have never done us wrong when it comes to call quality, and the company made sure this updated version of the Beats Pill didn’t drop the ball. Hands-free voice calling is outstanding. The speaker’s mic array demonstrates great speech recognition and vocal capture. Several of the voice and video chats we had both indoors and outdoors were loud and clear. Yes, the mics often picked up ambient sound that caused muffling, but callers on the opposite end were still able to make out sentences.  

This level of performance carries over to voice assistance, a productivity feature that every Siri and Google Assistant user (the Pill is also optimized for Android) will love. Voice commands register accurately and execute as quickly as the speaker receives them.

The Pill’s second-most valued trait is lossless audio. To enjoy this, you must connect the speaker to a compatible device (e.g., laptop, MP3 player, smartphone, tablet) via USB-C input. Doing this boosts clarity and depth when vibing out to favorited playlists on Apple Music, Spotify, and Tidal. Beats also deserves credit for redesigning its sound architecture to expand frequency range and keep bass at the forefront for well-balanced output.

Whether you’re hosting company in the backyard or an open space inside the house, the UE Hyperboom is the party speaker you want on hand. Its dependable feature set, floor-rattling bass response, and weekend-length battery life meet the criteria for a banging celebration.

Party speakers are a growing field. While we’re putting several new options through Mashable’s extensive testing process, we can comfortably say that the Hyperboom is our current favorite for many reasons. 

First, sound quality. A portable speaker this colossal doesn’t hold back on bass or volume. The Hyperboom blasts music as loud as any home entertainment system, shaking the floor and walls with intense reverberation, while producing low end that slaps harder than a reactive counterattack from Will Smith. Two 25-millimeter tweeters will do that. Bass is exaggerated, but UE developed an Adaptive EQ that uses a tiny microphone on the top to adjust sound in real time based on ambient noise. We noticed the feature improved mid and high frequencies. Toying with the EQ in UE’s companion app helps increase clarity.

Niche features like the aux and optical inputs transform the Hyperboom into a home speaker that blends nicely with your home entertainment setup. There are dual Bluetooth inputs to pair the speaker with two media devices simultaneously. That means one person can play the DJ and another can hijack the playlist with their own music requests without compromising performance. UE programmed the Hyperboom to pair with several of the brand’s other mid- and high-range speakers, giving you full 360-degree stereo sound.

The Hyperboom is not an immaculate party speaker and is outdated in certain ways. Notice the lack of speakerphone and voice assistance. Keeping volume at about 60 percent is the safest way to protect one’s hearing and preserve battery life. Furthermore, the speaker has a steep MSRP ($400) and weighs a lot (13 pounds). Still, it’s an audio beast you’ll need on hand to feed adrenaline-pumping sound to large crowds.