Overview
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Your phone may come with a built-in speaker, but it’s almost always worth it to invest in a Bluetooth speaker.
Even if you’re on a tight budget, buying a Bluetooth speaker significantly ups the quality of your listening experience, whether you’re hosting a party or listening to a podcast while cooking dinner. And with Amazon Prime Day just around the corner, your odds of grabbing a good deal on a Bluetooth speaker are much higher.
During Amazon’s annual sale, you can splurge on an expensive speaker, pick up a durable outdoor speaker, and find affordable smart speakers that work well within the existing sound system in your home. We’ve researched and tested the most popular Bluetooth speakers to come up with our recommendations.
Keep reading for our guide to the best Bluetooth speakers available in 2024.
Our Pick
Check out our full review of the JBL Charge 5.
Who it’s for:
The JBL Charge 5 is the ultimate all-rounder, offering great sound quality with deep-but-balanced bass and an impressively long battery life (up to 20 hours at a time) for a reasonable price. A couple of weeks ahead of Prime Day, we saw its price drop down to $179.95, but we’re hoping to see it drop even more to its $129.95 record low.
Why we picked this:
The JBL Flip speakers tend to be the most popular options from the brand, but here’s why we love the Charge 5. For starters, its name refers to this speaker’s ability to charge other mobile devices (via USB-A) even when it’s playing music, making it a fantastic travel companion. It’s perfect for long days at the beach or park when you won’t have an outlet. (If the price puts you off, consider the smaller JBL Flip 6, which we also tested and loved.)
The Charge 5 has an IP67 rating, meaning a waterproof and dust-proof design that’s perfect for taking to the beach or to a pool party. As a bonus, it also comes in a rainbow of fun colors — grab two of them and enable their PartyBoost feature to bump your tunes throughout multiple rooms or spaces. And of course, this speaker wouldn’t make our list if it didn’t sound good. As Mashable contributor RJ Andersen wrote, “It’s rich, dynamic, and surprisingly clear with a decent bass that fills the room without overpowering the rest of the audio.” You’ll also get access to an equalizer in the JBL companion app, though it’s nothing terribly fancy.
The Good
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Note: As of June 2024, Ultimate Ears has announced a new Wonderboom 4 speaker. We’ll be testing that speaker soon, along with more new releases from the brand.
Who it’s for:
The Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 is a powerhouse for its size and price. It’s the perfect size for traveling — you can easily stick it in your bag without it taking up any real space — and it’s rugged enough to endure the bumps and bruises of an active lifestyle. Plus, it’s not too hard to catch on sale, making it an even better value. Ahead of Prime Day, this speaker dropped down to $65. Since it’s being replaced by the Wonderboom 4, this sale is a great time to pick it up before it’s gone. Or, if you’re into the newer model (we’re still in the process of testing, but it looks promising), it’s on sale for $75 during Target Circle Week.
Why we picked this:
You can drop this small speaker 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. On top of that, it features a healthy 14 hours of battery life, which is more than you’d expect for a speaker of its size. The fun colorways look great on a desk and stick out in the sand on beach day, merging form and function nicely.
But the mark of a good speaker isn’t just how portable it is. What matters most is the sound — and again, the Wonderboom 3 performs. Though it lacks the clear, deep bass of larger speakers, we found that it noticeably outperformed speakers like the JBL Clip 4, though you won’t find a companion app. That’s not too out of the ordinary at this price point, but we do wish we could make some basic adjustments to the audio settings, especially considering Ultimate Ears has companion apps for its other speakers.
On the bright side, it’s very easy to plug and play. At the bottom of the speaker, you’ll find an outdoor boost button that noticeably ups the volume of the speaker without distorting the sound. The battery drains a bit faster in boost mode, but if you’re hosting a backyard party, the extra power is well worth it. Other host-friendly features we love include the multipoint connection that works seamlessly and the stereo sound you get by pairing two Wonderboom 3 speakers together. (Unfortunately, the Wonderboom 3 isn’t backwards compatible — in our testing, it wouldn’t pair with a Wonderboom 2.)
All in all, it has excellent sound for its size and plenty of useful features that come in handy when you’re taking it on the go.
Check out our review of the previous version of this speaker, the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2.
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Check out our full review of the Sonos Move 2.
Who it’s for:
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 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.
Though we haven’t seen any markdowns on the Sonos Move 2 yet, we are keeping our fingers crossed. With Best Buy also announcing their Black Friday in July sale, we expect to see at least one deal on this Sonos speaker during Prime Day week.
Why we picked this:
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.
The Good
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Who it’s for:
There are portable speakers, and there are speakers that are truly built to move with you. The JBL Clip 4 isn’t just small and easy to carry around, but also easy to clip on just about anything, from a backpack to a belt loop. So, if you’re looking for the absolute best blend of portability, affordability, and sound, this is a smart bet.
It’s no longer the newest speaker in JBL’s Clip line, but that means it’s more likely to go on sale. Days ahead of Prime Day, select colors are already on sale for $49.95.
Why we picked this:
This is the ultimate portable speaker — it’s compact and thin enough to slip into basically any bag, some pockets, and it gives you a backup plan with the built-in carabiner.
Even though you’re getting maximum portability, the speaker doesn’t sacrifice on basic functionality: you’re still getting 10 hours of battery life and an IP67-rated water- and dust-proof speaker that can be taken along on most adventures. When we tested this speaker, we found that it reached an impressive volume, but that in comparison to a speaker like the Wonderboom 3, which is only about $20 more, the sound does get muddled at higher volumes. In other words, if sound is more of a priority, we’d say spring for the Wonderboom. If you want something something small but built for staying in one place, save a bit of cash and get the JBL Clip 4.
The Good
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Check out our full review of the Sony ULT Field 1.
Who it’s for:
Sony’s entire ULT line was created for anyone who considers impressive base a crucial part of their listening experience, and the Sony ULT Field 1 is no exception. For good bass that keeps things relatively affordable, we we recommend the Field 1.
In the lead up to Prime Day, we saw this speaker go on sale for just under $100. We recommend holding out and purchasing this new Sony speaker while it’s on sale.
Why we chose this:
We’re generally fans of the audio quality Sony delivers and we’re always fans of saving money, so when we saw the brand released a speaker that’s more of the affordable side, we needed to try it out. Deputy Shopping and Reviews Editor Miller Kern took up the task, and found that this speaker delivers on bringing the bass.
This speaker already brings the bass on its default settings, but its two “ULT” settings — which can be controlled directly from a button on the speaker — allow you to amplify the bass even more. Kern wrote that in her testing, “regardless of volume or bass setting, it never sounded blown out or fuzzy.” She also noted that this speaker gets loud, which makes it a great contender for anyone looking for an outdoor option, along with the fact that its waterproof, dustproof, rustproof, and shockproof.
The more intense audiophiles among us will likely appreciate the customizable equalizer on this speaker’s companion app, which isn’t always a given at this price point. You might notice the shortcomings of this speaker most on its battery life, which caps out at 12 hours.
The Good
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Who it’s for:
If you don’t need the most customized, crystal clear sound and simply want a speaker that works and won’t break the bank, the JBL Go 4 is an excellent option under $50.
The JBL Go 4 just came out, so it might be a bit too much to expect a price drop. However, if it’s going to happen, it will happen during Prime Day.
Why we chose this:
We previously recommended the JBL Go 2 speaker as our budget pick, and have been looking for an adequate replacement since it was discontinued. JBL just released the Go 4 in June, and after testing it out, we’re happy to recommend it as our new budget option.
For starters, the Go 4 is just as lightweight and compact as its predecessor, with just a bit more silicone padding around the edges that adds minimum bulk, but gives the speaker a feeling of increased durability (also helped by its IP67 rating). Though it may be tiny, it’s definitely mighty when it comes to how loud it can get: you probably won’t feel the need to use the highest volume unless you’re outdoors and in a noisy area. JBL improved on the bass clarity over the Go 2, as it came through noticeably more prominent on the Go 4 during our testing, without sounding overblown.
However, you are likely to notice the sound gets a little muddier at higher volumes, and especially so with more dynamic pieces — the Final Fantasy VII Remake soundtrack suffered a bit during our testing (the JBL Flip 5 we tested against the Go 4 handled the climatic moments in the soundtrack much better). Still, the Go 4 is only $50, so it’s hard to complain too much, especially as during our testing, this speaker lasted a good two and half hours beyond its promised seven hours of battery life when played constantly at a low volume.
The Good
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We created this guide by sifting through our past Bluetooth speaker reviews from Mashable staff and freelancers, as well as testing out new speakers specifically for this article.
When we’re testing speakers, we take into account brand reliability, sound quality across a variety of genres, battery life, any companion apps and features they offer, as well as user reviews. We take all of those factors into account to determine if the price of the speaker matches its feature set, especially in relation to the competition. Where possible, we compare speakers’ sound to other models in their price range.
The audio market is huge, so we’re regularly testing products and updating this guide to make sure we’re giving you the best possible recommendations. The Sony ULT Field 1 speaker and the JBL Go 4 speaker are the most recent additions to our roster. As of June 2024, we’re in the process of testing the new Ultimate Ears Everboom and are planning to test the new Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4.
Earlier this year, we updated our recommendations to include the JBL Clip 4 and Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3. Previously, we tested portable speakers such as the Sonos Roam, Sonos Move, JBL Flip 6, and the Bose SoundLink Flex. As of March 2024, we removed the JBL Go 2 from our guide due to low availability (and just one month after deeming it our favorite speaker under $40). Also in March, we replaced our Sonos Move recommendation with the newer Sonos Move 2. Finally, we removed the only speaker on our list that we haven’t hands-on tested, the Bose Soundlink Revolve II, as we’re beginning the process of testing a new surround sound pick.
Frequently Asked Questions
Bose, JBL, Ultimate Ears, Sony, and Sonos tend to be the most popular Bluetooth speaker brands. It’s hard to say one brand’s speakers are definitively the best, especially because there can be a variety in performance within a brand’s lineup. Obviously, you shouldn’t expect a $40 speaker to sound the same as the $180 JBL Charge 5, but that doesn’t mean you have to blow out your budget to get high-quality sound. What we can say is that these brands tend to be popular for a reason.
For our guide, we put together the standouts from each brand. All of the speakers we chose offer good value, portability, smart home compatibility, and durability. Most importantly, they sound fantastic, with deep bass and high fidelity.
No, but it really can’t hurt. Even if you’re not planning on taking your speaker out by the pool during the summer, it’s not out of the question that it could be a target for spills no matter where you have it in your home. It would be a shame if a rogue glass of water ended up being the demise of your brand-new speaker, so if you have the option to go waterproof, do it (unless you have your heart set on one that doesn’t have that feature).
When you’re shopping for a new speaker, you’re going to see the word “wattage” a lot. While that might be meaningless to you when you see it on a product page, it’s actually a pretty simple concept. Basically, wattage refers to how loud your speaker can get without distorting the sound. Unless you enjoy really blasting your tunes or you regularly host parties, 50 watts is going to be more than enough for the average listener. But if you really like to crank it up to 11, the more watts, the merrier. While smaller portable Bluetooth speakers tend to have lower wattage, there are certainly some exceptions, including some of the products in this guide.
We always say that you should choose quality over quantity. Having one amazing speaker is going to get you better sound than having multiple speakers that are just okay. For the vast majority of people, we think two speakers is the perfect number. (Just make sure the speakers can sync up). Music is normally recorded for a stereo setting, so having a left and right channel will do wonders for fidelity. And if you have a smaller space with good acoustics, one really good speaker should do the trick.
