I’ve reviewed audio gear professionally since 1990, and I’ve written reviews for numerous magazines and websites, including Sound & Vision, Home Theater Review, Mashable, Lifewire, and Home Theater. I’ve probably conducted more brand-concealed tests of audio equipment than any other journalist, and I’ve tested somewhere around 425 wireless speakers to date. Since 2008 I have taken portable Bluetooth speakers on more than 100 trips, from bike tours to transoceanic junkets to weeklong trade-show slogs.

Our most recent round of listening tests took place at Innovative Audio, a Vancouver, BC–based vintage audio dealer, where we got feedback from two of the store’s most enthusiastic and experienced patrons, Darren Vaughan and Tony Krawzik. Our previous listening panel included Wirecutter senior staff writer and headphone editor Lauren Dragan and Los Angeles–based woodwind player Dan Gonda.

Anyone who owns a smartphone or tablet would probably enjoy owning a portable Bluetooth speaker, which can improve the listening experience anywhere. Bluetooth 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 the phone will play through the speaker.

Portable Bluetooth speakers have a rechargeable battery and are frequently waterproof or splashproof, so you can easily move them around the house or take them to a park or the beach. We’ve found that they make hotel rooms feel more like home.

The best of these speakers deliver sound quality that’s good enough for casual music listening, podcasts, and internet radio. Although Bluetooth does degrade the sound quality slightly, you’re unlikely to hear the effects through speakers such as these.

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:

For true high-fidelity sound, we recommend a pair of decent bookshelf speakers and a stereo receiver, or one of the top picks from our best computer speakers guide. From one of those systems, you get clearer sound, much better stereo imaging, and usually much deeper bass response. You can add a Bluetooth adapter if the system doesn’t already have Bluetooth built in.

Voice control of the sort popularized by Amazon Echo and Google Home speakers is uncommon in portable Bluetooth speakers. However, you can find a few portable models, such as the Sonos Roam and Ultimate Ears Megablast, that support both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections and have smart-speaker functions. Some Bluetooth-only speakers provide a button that activates your smartphone’s voice-command technology (such as Google Assistant), but because you can access those features straight from your phone, this isn’t a big advantage.

I’d estimate that there are at least a couple thousand models of Bluetooth speakers now available, many sold under obscure brands and sometimes only through Amazon. Considering that new ones seem to appear every week, it would be impossible to find and hear them all. But we’ve listened to most of the major models, and we’re always on the lookout for promising new models to test.

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

• Portability and battery life: Although any Bluetooth speaker can be lugged around, we focus on models that have rechargeable batteries and are designed to take a trip to the beach or the park with no hassle. For our top pick, we prioritize speakers that are compact and easy to toss into a backpack, beach bag, or suitcase—yet still produce great sound.
• Ruggedness and waterproof design: We give priority to speakers that are built to survive the knocks and bumps of travel. Although we don’t limit our testing to waterproof speakers, we do give preference in our judging to speakers with an Ingress Protection (IP) rating, which tells you exactly how waterproof and dustproof a speaker is.
• Price: Even though we would like to test every type of portable Bluetooth speaker, we set a bottom price of $15. Bluetooth speakers are often available for as little as $5, but we’ve never found such an inexpensive model to sound good enough to bother using—especially when the speakers built into today’s better phones can play loud enough for light listening.
• 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.
• Special features: Bluetooth speakers offer all sorts of features beyond the ability to play audio from Bluetooth-sourced devices. These extras include speakerphone capability, multi-speaker pairing (the ability to play the same material through two Bluetooth speakers at once), built-in lighting, and even integrated bottle openers. We don’t consider any of these features essential, but they can be convenient add-ons.

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 huge, easily heard differences among the speakers themselves. And because most people use portable Bluetooth speakers for music, podcasts, and internet radio—not for movies, TV, or gaming—the reduced latency of codecs such as aptX Low Latency offers few benefits in this case.

For each new round of tests, I begin by giving all of the new models a long listen. I connect them via Bluetooth to my Samsung Galaxy S10 phone and play the same four test tracks: two pop/folk, one heavy rock, and one jazz. I compare the speakers not only with each other but also with some of our previous picks.

During these tests, 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, with a pink-noise test tone. For this test, I use the analyzer’s L_eq mode, measuring the average maximum level in dB, when playing a 34-second section of ZZ Top’s very loudly mastered tune “Chartreuse” (video). Here are the results for our current speaker recommendations:

Using the results of these tests, I then narrow 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 conceal the speakers behind black fabric and divide them into four groups: ultra-compact, small, medium, and large. I try to set the volume within a particular group to the same level, using a shaped-noise channel-balancing test tone recorded from a Dolby Digital receiver. For the ultra-compact and small speakers, that level is 74 dB at 1 meter; it’s 78 dB and 85 dB for the medium and large speakers, respectively. Because of the widely varying performance of the speakers, their coarse volume-control steps, and the unpredictable actions of the volume limiters in some speakers, it’s impossible for me to match the levels accurately, but in most cases I’m able to get them within ±0.3 dB. At the end of each speaker’s test run, I crank it full blast and play DJ Snake and Audrey Nuna’s “Damn Right” (video) to see how well the speaker tolerates high volume and strong, deep bass. (You can read more about our testing procedures in this article.)

For our most recent round of brand-concealed tests, I used two listeners who had no idea of the speakers’ identities, other than that they’re Bluetooth speakers. Some of the speakers we tested offer tonal adjustments or special listening modes; we listened in the speaker’s default mode (what you get when you power up the speaker for the first time, fresh out of the box), then tried any other modes that were available. After I got the listeners’ opinions on audio performance, I revealed the identities and prices of the speakers and solicited each person’s advice about which of the speakers they’d recommend.

During these tests, we paid particular attention to:

• how clear the speakers sounded at normal levels
• how the speakers balanced bass to midrange to treble
• how loud the speakers were able to play when cranked up
• how clear they sounded when cranked up

You can read more about how we judge sound quality in this story.

Lastly, I checked 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 ran out (for the larger UE Hyperboom speaker, I increased the level to 81 dB). Note that our results may not agree with the manufacturers’ stated battery life, likely because their testing methodology—which they almost never publish—varies from ours.

I also measured 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 became unreliable. I then measured the distance.

For models that offer speakerphone functionality, I tried placing a call with each model to Wirecutter senior staff writer Lauren Dragan or Wirecutter contributor Dennis Burger, both of whom have helped me evaluate speakerphone quality for years. I spoke to them from the same place in my kitchen, starting with my mouth 2 feet from the speaker. I noted how the speaker sounded to me, and they told me how my voice sounded on their end.

There’s no perfect Bluetooth speaker for everyone, but for the participants in our brand-concealed tests, the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom is the closest thing. For the last five years, our various listening panels have consistently chosen the Wonderboom as their favorite. Not only do they like the Wonderboom’s sound, but they also love the adorable yet highly rugged design. The latest iteration, the Wonderboom 3, features two improvements over the previous model: a longer battery life, and the use of 100% recycled fabric and at least 31% recycled plastic. This small, round speaker features an IP67 dust- and water-resistance rating, and its chassis can float and withstand a 5-foot drop.

Both of the panelists in our most recent listening test picked the Wonderboom 3 as their favorite in its class, without hesitation. “This one’s more open-sounding, a little more 3D than the others,” one panelist said when hearing the Wonderboom 3 compared against three other speakers in its price range. “The midrange is stronger, too. It’s a well-balanced, full sound.” The Wonderboom 3 also maintained its composure even when cranked full blast for ZZ Top’s “Chartreuse,” stubbornly refusing to distort or show any other signs of distress.

With its IP67 rating, the Wonderboom 3 is dustproof and waterproof, and it can tolerate being submerged in up to 1 meter of water for a half hour. It also floats, so all’s not lost if you drop it off a boat or dock or into a swimming pool. Ultimate Ears claims the Wonderboom 3 can withstand a 5-foot drop; even after we dropped it from 5 feet onto a backyard deck and then onto concrete, it kept playing and showed just a couple of small scuff marks. The top has a small, elasticized strap that allows you to hang it from just about anything, provided you have a carabiner or some sort of hook or line to secure it.

We measured the maximum volume of the Wonderboom 3 at 84.4 dB at 1 meter, within a fraction of a decibel of the previous Wonderboom 2 and about the same level you’d hear from the traffic noise if you were standing at a busy city intersection. That’s enough to fill a small bedroom or kitchen with sound. The Outdoor Boost button on the bottom of the speaker kicks up the level by about 3 dB, which isn’t much, but we found it helped the Wonderboom 3 cover a backyard deck noticeably better. However, the sound is thinner with Outdoor Boost activated.

We measured Bluetooth range at an impressive 100 feet through one window. In our tests, we got 11 hours of battery life—not quite the 14 hours that UE promises, but a big improvement over the 8 hours we got from the Wonderboom 2. That’s enough for a day at the beach or perhaps a whole workweek of occasional listening.

The Wonderboom 3 has big plus/minus volume controls, as well as a button on top that starts and stops playback and can also skip to the next track. Using the top button, you can also pair two Wonderboom 3 speakers for stereo audio performance, or to play the same audio in two locations. As of last count, the Wonderboom 3 was available in four different color schemes—black, pink, light gray, and blue—and UE often updates its speakers with new color options.

How the Wonderboom has held up

Considering that the Wonderboom 3 is so similar to its predecessor, the fact that numerous Wirecutter staffers have bought and love the Wonderboom 2 still stands as a valid endorsement. In fact, our editor-in-chief selected it from the thousands of top picks on Wirecutter to write about in our “52 Things We Love” series. He also contributed the following long-term test notes:

“I bought my Wonderboom two and a half years ago, and it has held up exceptionally well. During warm-weather months, I use it nearly every weekday as an essential part of my outdoor WFH office setup. I’ll often stream Pandora on it for hours a day, and I remain stunned at how infrequently it requires charging. It sometimes seems like I go weeks without charging. While the color has faded just a bit, it still basically looks (and certainly sounds) as good as it did the day it arrived. Everything about it—pairing, portability, durability—is aces.” —Ben Frumin, editor-in-chief

Flaws but not dealbreakers

Considering the reader comments we’ve seen, as well as the headline on this article, we suspect the number one complaint about the Wonderboom 3 will be its reliance on a Micro-USB jack for charging—given that practically every other battery-powered Bluetooth speaker introduced in the last two years has switched to the newer USB-C connection. We agree that UE should make the switch, but we also don’t think it’s that big of a deal, for two reasons. First, you can easily pick up a cheap Micro-USB charging cable to keep tucked away in your backpack or travel bag, in case you forget or misplace the one that UE includes with the speaker. Second, even though USB-C promises the potential for faster charging, that did not play out in our tests. We found that a fully discharged Wonderboom 3 got back to full power within three hours when connected to a quick-charging USB charger, compared to 3.5 hours for our runner-up pick, the USB-C–equipped EarFun UBoom L.

As much as our listeners enjoyed the sound of the Wonderboom 3 overall, none raved about its bass performance, and all would have preferred a little more of it. If bass is important to you and you want to stay under $100, we’d recommend the EarFun UBoom L.

Unlike our other picks, the Wonderboom 3 lacks an analog input, so there’s no way to connect external audio sources to it directly (although you could use a Bluetooth transmitter). The Wonderboom 3 also lacks a speakerphone function. We wouldn’t use that feature often—on most Bluetooth speakers it sounds pretty lousy. If you want a good Bluetooth speakerphone, we have recommendations for those.

The Wonderboom 3 is light and compact enough for even a small child to carry easily, but it’s not slim. Its 3.5-inch-diameter chassis is too chunky to fit comfortably in a laptop back, and it doesn’t fit as comfortably in a suitcase as some slimmer designs do.

Consider the EarFun UBoom L to be the more conservative, considerate sibling of the UE Wonderboom 3. It has a somewhat fuller sound with a bit more bass, and it uses the more common USB-C charging jack—so Android users (and anyone else who has USB-C–equipped mobile devices) won’t have to bring along an extra charging cable for the speaker, as they would with our top pick. However, our panelists preferred the Wonderboom 3’s sound and styling overall. The UBoom L’s oblong form is tasteful, but it’s unlikely to attract attention, especially since it’s only available in black.

The UBoom L offers two sound modes: Indoor, which is the default mode we used for our listening tests, and Outdoor, which boosts the volume by about 5 dB but also seems to emphasize the treble a bit, which makes the sound a little more lively but makes voices sound slightly harsh at times. In the Indoor mode, the maximum measured volume was 86.1 dB, a barely noticeable 1.5 dB more than the Wonderboom 3—but with the UBoom L’s volume set where we liked it best, both speakers hit about the same level.

“I ranked it right below the Wonderboom 3,” one panelist said. “It has a little more bass, but it sounds a bit strained when it’s turned all the way up.” I found that the UBoom L performed best with the volume set one click down from maximum; the sound immediately smoothed out, voices became clearer, and the bass filled out more.

There’s also a Video mode, which EarFun says reduces Bluetooth latency from about 250 milliseconds to 150 ms, and thus reduces lip-sync effects that may occur if you use the UBoom L for watching videos. Honestly, after so often being disappointed by manufacturers’ claims about improved Bluetooth latency, we weren’t expecting much when we tried this mode. But when we watched YouTube videos, it worked well—the lip sync wasn’t perfect, but it was a lot better, and the videos were much more enjoyable to watch. Results will vary depending on the video, though, and EarFun cautions that Video mode reduces the Bluetooth range, although if you’re watching videos, you’d probably want to keep the speaker close to the phone anyway.

In terms of controls, the UBoom L’s top panel includes buttons for power, Bluetooth pairing, volume up/down, and a play/pause button that can also skip to the next or previous track when pressed repeatedly. As with the Wonderboom 3, you can pair two UBoom L speakers to get stereo sound, and this speaker is IP67-rated, which means it’s dustproof and waterproof and can stand immersion in up to 1 meter of water. This one adds a speakerphone function; while Dennis’s voice on the other end of the line sounded great from my end, my voice sounded “thin and harsh” to him. Unlike our top pick, the UBoom L has a 3.5 mm analog input for connecting external audio sources.

In our tests, the battery life was less than claimed: EarFun rates it at up to 16 hours, but we got 10.5 hours, a little less than our top pick. That’s still enough for a full day at the beach, though. Bluetooth range was impressive, at about 125 feet through one window, one of the best results we measured.

Although the prices of all of these small Bluetooth speakers fluctuate often, we’ve noticed that the EarFun UBoom L tends to sell for anywhere from 50% to 80% of the Wonderboom 3’s price, which means it’s a better choice for budget-minded buyers.

If you want to fill more than a small room—maybe a campsite, a backyard deck, or a yoga class—the Sony SRS-XG300 is a nice step up from smaller Bluetooth speakers like the Wonderboom 3 and UBoom L. With its Bass Boost function activated, the SRS-XG300 sounds fuller than our previous upgrade pick (the JBL Xtreme 3), and its sophisticated design and retractable handle make it easier to carry around. It has the most features of any of our top picks, with a speakerphone function, stereo pairing, and an app that allows control of its internal lights and access to various sound effects. But all that functionality carries a higher price.

With the Mega Bass function activated, the SRS-XG300 has a well-balanced sound and an unusually clear midrange, which means voices sound especially natural for a speaker in this price range. (With Mega Bass off, the sound thinned out too much for our taste.) The maximum measured volume was just 90.2 dB, but to our ears it seemed louder; unfortunately, the unpredictable operation of the volume limiters in these speakers makes any volume measurements a mere approximation.

Truth be told, our panelists somewhat preferred the fuller, smoother sound of the Tribit StormBox Blast (listed below in Other good portable Bluetooth speakers), but when they got a chance to handle both speakers, they picked the SRS-XG300 as the one they’d be happier to carry around. That’s no surprise when you consider the Tribit weighs almost twice as much (12 pounds to the Sony’s 6.6). Still, we wouldn’t call the SRS-XG300 compact; it measures about 12.5 inches long by 5.25 inches in diameter.

Sony rates the battery life at 25 hours, but we got just 14.5 hours in our tests, which isn’t impressive but still adequate for most situations. We measured Bluetooth range at about 100 feet through one window, which is plenty. The speaker is IP67-rated, so it can survive dust as well as a dunking in up to 1 meter of water, and it’s available in black or white. It has a 3.5 mm analog input, so you can connect external sound sources. Technically, it does have a speakerphone function, but Dennis’s voice sounded extremely dull from my end of the line, and he said my voice sounded distorted and bathed in background noise.

The SRS-XG300 has just one button to control audio playback, which lets you pause and restart playback and skip to the next or previous track. You can also pair a couple of SRS-XG300s to get stereo sound, and use Sony’s Party Connect feature to play the same content through as many as 100 compatible Sony speakers. Sony’s Music Center app offers access to bass, midrange, and treble controls to fine-tune the sound, and it lets you adjust the speaker’s built-in multicolored lights. (Fortunately, you can quickly douse the lights from a button on the back of the speaker if you wish.)

If you want a great all-around portable Bluetooth speaker for under $50, the Tribit XSound Go is a terrific choice. Nearly five years after its debut, it still sounds better than almost everything else in its price range, offering clearer vocals and more bass than most competitors can muster. It’s small enough to slip into a laptop bag or any suitcase, and it’s IPX7-rated, which means it’s sufficiently waterproof to survive a half-hour swim in 1 meter of water.

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. The XSound Go doesn’t come across as full, or play as loud, as the UE Wonderboom 3, but all of our panelists thought it delivered amazing sound quality for its price. The measured maximum volume was 82.2 dB—not enough to get a party going, but enough for light listening in a typical living room.

There’s nothing flashy about the XSound Go, but it doesn’t have that cheap, plasticky look that many budget Bluetooth speakers have. It’s available in black or blue. While it sports a play/pause button on the top, it lacks track-skip buttons, which would come in handy if you wanted to use the XSound Go in the shower. The battery is rated for 24 hours of life; we got only about 10.5 hours, but for a cheap Bluetooth speaker, that’s fine. It has a 3.5 mm analog input for connecting devices such as computers and portable music players.

For the price, the XSound Go’s speakerphone function is acceptable. Lauren’s voice sounded full but a little garbled to me, and she complained of a high-frequency hissing noise that accompanied my voice. Bluetooth range is pretty good for the price—I measured about 50 feet through one window.

How the Tribit XSound Go has held up

We’ve added some long-term test notes from Wirecutter staffers who have purchased the XSound Go and lived with it for a while.

“I’ve had the Tribit XSound Go for almost two years now, and it works just as well as the day I got it. Its compact size and shape lends itself to travel, so it has provided the soundtrack at house parties, barbecues, boat rides, and yoga classes. The battery life is great, so I rarely charge it or worry about awkward silences at events. Most phones connect to it easily, so my friends can take turns DJing if they get tired of my Taylor Swift–heavy playlists.” —Nikki Duong, video producer

“I’ve owned the XSound Go for almost two years. Even though I have Wi-Fi speakers from Sonos and Amazon scattered around the house, the XSound Go is the one I reach for most often. I regularly use it outdoors when working in the garden, and I also connect it to every Bluetooth-enabled video projector I test. This little guy is an affordable way to improve the sound quality of most projectors’ built-in speakers, and I rarely have to think about recharging it.” —Adrienne Maxwell, supervising editor

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 users, from the parent who wants to fill their backyard with music for a pool party to the audio aficionado who wants a portable speaker whose sound quality comes close to that of a decent stereo system. It plays very loud, maxing out at 102.9 dB—more than 10 dB louder than the Sony SRS-XG300. That’s plenty of volume for a big pool party. And with an IPX4 rating, the Hyperboom is water resistant enough to survive splashes. “For picnics or group workout sessions in the park, this is ideal,” one of our panelists said.

From a sonic standpoint, the Hyperboom is the most technically sophisticated Bluetooth speaker we’ve encountered. 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), it’s like two good stereo speakers in one box—in fact, I noted that it had the kind of clear, robust sound I’d heard from the ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2, a pick in our best surround-sound speakers for most people guide, but rarely in a Bluetooth speaker.

The Hyperboom also incorporates an Adaptive EQ feature, which is said to adapt the speaker’s sound automatically to the acoustics of the surroundings. In our tests indoors, Adaptive EQ allowed a little too much bass to sneak through, and the full bass tended to obscure some of the treble, so acoustic guitars had less twang and cymbals less ping. (Of course, many listeners prefer a bassier sound.) Outdoors, Adaptive EQ seemed to work perfectly. If you don’t like the sound with Adaptive EQ, the app has a five-band equalizer to manually fine-tune the sound, plus Bass Jump, Game/Cinema, and Podcast sound modes.

The Hyperboom also offers a few unusual features. First is an optical digital audio input, which makes it easy to connect the speaker to TV sets for louder, fuller sound. (You have to control the volume on the Hyperboom, though.) Next is a top-mounted ring switch that lets you choose between two Bluetooth sources and select the optical and analog inputs. Through the app, you can connect the unit to any number of additional Hyperbooms, as well as any speakers from the Ultimate Ears Boom and Megaboom lines.

At 16.6 pounds and 14.3 inches high, the Hyperboom is much larger than our other picks, but a 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 dB louder than the other speakers. In summer 2022, UE released a white model in addition to the original charcoal gray. We measured Bluetooth range at 110 feet, but getting a range at this length sometimes required that we turn the Hyperboom in a particular direction, probably because the sheer size of the unit can interfere with the Bluetooth antenna.

The only real downside to the Hyperboom is its rather high cost, but it’s less pricey than the Sonos Five, which from an audio standpoint is similarly sophisticated—although the Sonos model offers Wi-Fi audio instead of Bluetooth. (If you need fuller sound and don’t mind something even larger, the JBL PartyBox 110, described below, is a better and more affordable choice.) Also, the Hyperboom has a dedicated charger, which you’ll have to remember to bring if you take the speaker along on your vacation for more than a day or two. It lacks a speakerphone function, but most people are unlikely to demand a speakerphone feature in a speaker this large.

If you want bigger, fuller sound than our top pick 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 the equivalent of a good kettlebell workout every time you carry it somewhere. This affordably priced speaker has excellent sound quality, thanks in part to its two-way speakers with separate woofers and tweeters. In our tests it pumped out a maximum 94.8 dB, which is 3.6 dB more than we got from the Sony SRS-XG300. But it weighs 12 pounds and is more than twice as bulky as the Sony by volume, so it’s not as portable.

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 works as an Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant smart speaker, and any content you stream to the Roam from a Bluetooth source can be beamed into the rest of a Sonos system. Thanks in part to its TruePlay technology, which optimizes the sound for the space you’re in, it 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 short battery life (about six hours, depending on how you use the speaker) and a high price.

If you want a non-Sonos, Bluetooth-capable smart speaker: The Ultimate Ears Megablast Bluetooth speaker also doubles as a Wi-Fi–connected smart speaker.

If you want the least-expensive portable Bluetooth speaker that still sounds decent: The OontZ Angle Solo sells for the price of a cheap T-shirt but sounds surprisingly good. There’s almost no bass, but voices sound clear and natural, so it’s great for podcasts and lighter music. It’s small enough to fit almost unnoticed into a suitcase, and its IPX5 water-resistance rating should ensure it can survive an errant hose blast.

If you want an ultra-portable speaker for backpacking or travel: The Tribit StormBox Micro 2 has a rubbery strap that’s great for securing it to backpack straps and tent poles, and it’s slim enough to slip into an already stuffed suitcase or laptop bag. (The strap can attach it to a bike handlebar, but it doesn’t hold it in place securely.) It performs much like the Tribit XSound Go, our budget pick, with a full, satisfying sound.

If you want a speaker for your bike: The JBL Wind 3 includes a mount that attaches it quickly and securely to handlebars, and it has a clip on the back that can attach it to a backpack strap or pocket. The Wind 3 also has an FM radio (it’s rather primitive, with just up/down scan buttons, but it does have a frequency readout) and an SD card slot for playback of downloaded or ripped tunes. (These features are not included on the slightly less expensive Wind 3 S.) It doesn’t sound as full as the Tribit StormBox Micro 2, but it’s surprisingly satisfying to cruise around town with this speaker blasting (well, bleating) your Spotify playlist.

If you want yard-filling volume with plenty of bass: The JBL PartyBox 110 plays loud and sounds as smooth and refined as many of the best wireless speakers—but at 23.8 pounds and 22.75 inches high, it’s a lot to lug. Although it maxed out at 1.1 decibels less volume than the Hyperboom, it sounded fuller and a little clearer when cranked. Input jacks and level controls for a guitar and microphone make this speaker suitable for casual DJing and musical performances, too. (We cleared more than $100 busking with it on a downtown street!) It is less costly than the Hyperboom, but it doesn’t sound quite as smooth through the whole audio range. The PartyBox 110 is splash resistant (with an IPX4 rating), and JBL’s app allows adjustment of the LED lighting and access to a karaoke function and DJ sound effects, such as an air horn and applause. The smaller JBL PartyBox Encore Essential costs less, sounds similar (although with about 4 dB less maximum volume), and weighs only 16.1 pounds, so it’s easier to carry around, but it has only a microphone input and no guitar input (although plugging a guitar into that input does work).

If you want a speaker for your swimming pool or spa: The Wow World of Watersports Sound Buoy floating speaker sounds surprisingly good in or out of the water. A detachable bottom “anchor cup” section fills with water to keep the Sound Buoy upright; it can be removed so the Sound Buoy sits securely on flat surfaces. In our tests, it played loud enough to be heard easily over a bubbling spa with a decorative waterfall. It easily survived dunks under the water and quickly shed any water that got behind the speaker grilles. The Sound Buoy also has an LED ring around the edge that can be set for the color of your choice or turned off. The anchor cup allows it to sit in a cupholder, and there’s also a bottle opener built in. It’s available in yellow or blue.

Many readers are concerned about how the manufacturing, shipping, and normal use of the stuff we recommend impact the world we live in. We take that seriously too, which is why we’ve asked the manufacturers of all our picks to answer some basic questions about materials, life cycle, and other sustainability issues. While our recommendations are based completely on the criteria outlined in How we picked and How we tested, we offer this information to supplement the decision of any reader who uses environmental impact as a deciding factor in their purchases. We also recognize that this may not paint a complete picture of a product’s supply chain and life cycle impact.

For portable Bluetooth speakers, we asked manufacturers whether the packaging and/or the speakers use recycled materials, and whether the packaging and the speakers are recyclable. The former is a big plus. The latter should be a plus, ideally, because most electronics contain many recyclable materials, but the methods of recycling these items may have their own adverse impacts. We asked how long the built-in battery is projected to last and whether it’s replaceable; since the battery is usually the first component to fail in these speakers, having one that lasts longer or is replaceable means replacing the speaker less often. We asked whether the speaker’s firmware can be updated by the consumer; updatable firmware also extends a speaker’s life because it can allow bugs to be fixed or new features to be added.

Logitech, the parent company of Ultimate Ears, publishes a Recycling Standard (PDF) and maintains a recycling page that tells consumers where they can drop off the company’s products for recycling. UE says the Wonderboom 3’s grille is made entirely from recycled fabric, and that the chassis uses at least 31% recycled plastic. Except for the foam used in the Hyperboom’s packaging, the packaging of the Wonderboom 3 and Hyperboom is recyclable. The batteries are not replaceable and are expected to deliver 70% of their original capacity after 300 charge/discharge cycles. The Wonderboom 3’s firmware is not user-updatable, but the Hyperboom’s firmware can be updated through the UE Boom app.

EarFun says that “all the parts of the UBoom L are recycled/sustainable materials,” that “the packaging is made from recycled/recyclable material,” and that “all parts of the speaker are recyclable.” It also says it “ensures zero pollution of its products to the environment.” Other than the statement about the packaging, these are extraordinary claims for a product of this sort, so without evidence we can’t put much stock in them. (The company provided documentation of its compliance with hazardous material standards, but that doesn’t indicate whether a product is recyclable.) The UBoom L is firmware-upgradable by connecting its USB-C jack to a PC, although the company says it’s unlikely the product will need a firmware update.

Sony has a web page devoted to sustainability. Almost all of the SRS-XG300’s packaging is recyclable—Sony points out that less than 5% of it is plastic—but the speaker itself is not. Sony didn’t provide battery-life data but says the battery can be replaced by a Sony service center. The SRS-XG300’s firmware can be updated through the Sony Music Center app.

According to Tribit, the XSound Go’s cardboard packaging and outer plastic shell can be recycled, and the company works with organizations in China to recycle stuff at the end of its life cycle. The battery is not replaceable. The company says it expects the battery to deliver 80% of its original capacity after 500 charge/discharge cycles. The firmware is upgradable via USB.

We’ve tested 365 portable Bluetooth speakers specifically for this guide. Some competitors came close to our top picks in performance and value, and they may be worth considering, depending on your priorities. Here’s a list of some of the more recent models we’ve considered, in alphabetical order.

The Altec Lansing HydraMini doesn’t sound as full as the OontZ Angle Solo, and it costs about 50% more, but it’s slimmer and more portable.

The Altec Lansing Soundbucket XL is what its name says it is—a big, bucket-shaped speaker. In our tests, it had a dull sound that made voices somewhat muffled and bloated.

The Anker Soundcore has a low price and an appealingly simple design, but it didn’t sound as full and smooth as the Tribit XSound Go.

In our tests, the Anker Soundcore Boost lost voice clarity with its Bass Boost mode activated, but without that mode, the bass was usually lacking.

The Anker Soundcore Flare 2 is similar in sound quality to the EarFun UBoom L, but we prefer the UBoom L’s more easily portable design.

We thought the tiny Anker Soundcore Icon Mini didn’t play loud or clear or full enough to warrant the investment.

For such a small speaker, the Anker Soundcore Mini 3 is packed with features, but in our tests it tended to vibrate on a table when it played deep bass notes, and the Tribit StormBox Micro 2 played louder.

The Anker Soundcore Motion+ plays very loud for its size and cost, but voices had a boosted, unnatural quality, and the bass didn’t cut it for hip-hop and pop.

The Anker Soundcore Motion Boom plays loud and sounds full, but Lauren noted that it was “sweet spotty”—it sounded very good when we were right in front of it, but rather dull when we moved off to the side.

Our panelists liked the Anker Soundcore Motion Boom Plus pretty well in its default Soundcore Signature mode, and noted that it plays loud for its price, although they found it a little on the trebly side. We found ourselves switching among its different sound modes in the app often to try to adjust the sound for what we were listening to; our panelists preferred models that didn’t require so much tweaking.

Our panelists thought the Anker Soundcore Rave Neo 2 would be a good choice for someone who wants a loud, decent-sounding speaker that’s fairly easy to carry around. It was too bassy for our panelists in Bass Boost mode but a little bit trebly without it, although that could be fixed with Soundcore’s app. What they liked most was that it played loud (93.8 dB in our tests) and has a big, comfortable carrying handle.

The Anker Soundcore Rave Party 2 is like a bigger version of the Rave Neo 2 with a microphone input added. It sounds a lot like its little brother but played 5 dB louder in our tests. As with the Rave Neo 2, it’s too bassy with Bass Boost on and a little too trebly without it, and deep bass notes can cause chuffing sounds from the rear port. Still, it’s a good deal if you need a lot of volume on a low budget.

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

The B&O Beosound Explore sounds okay, but the treble is somewhat muted, which makes the sound less lively. It’s also very expensive for the performance it offers.

Bitty Boomers’s Star Wars: The Mandalorian – The Child is surely the cutest Bluetooth speaker ever, but in our tests Baby Yoda played only a couple of decibels louder than a good smartphone could.

The Blackfire BBM9113 by Klein Tools has a cool, super-rugged design with a mounting strap and a magnet that allows it to attach easily to many surfaces. But it doesn’t have enough bass for our taste.

We like the Bose SoundLink Color II a lot. At its previous price (around $130), it lacked volume compared with some others that cost about the same. But we’ve recently noticed the black version selling for much less, in which case it is a good alternative to the Wonderboom 3 or EarFun UBoom L, if you prefer the SoundLink Color II’s design.

The Bose SoundLink Flex is a sleek, super-packable design that sounds very clear and natural in the midrange and treble, but it’s easy to hear when its internal limiter clamps down on the bass.

The Bose SoundLink Micro sounds surprisingly full for its size, but for its price it doesn’t play all that loud.

The Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II had the same problem we heard in the original SoundLink Revolve+: The overly aggressive internal limiter made the volume fluctuate unnaturally.

The Braven 105 doesn’t play very loud, but it sounds fairly clear and full for its size, and its integrated elastic strap makes it a more affordable alternative if the Tribit StormBox Micro is too pricey.

The Crosley CR3029A is an adorable little speaker styled to look like a tiny record player; it’s fine for what it is, but it doesn’t play much louder than the speaker built into a good smartphone.

We found the sound of the Doss SoundBox Plus thin and unpleasant, especially on voices.

A campsite-friendly speaker with integrated LED flashlights, the Doss Traveler plays clear and loud, but our panelists liked the Tribit XSound Go better.

Two of our panelists praised the EarFun UBoom for its clear and balanced sound, but two other panelists thought its clarity was lacking.

The Edifier MP100 Plus has a nice design, but it doesn’t sound as clear as, or play quite as loud as, the similarly sized Tribit StormBox Micro 2.

We loved the way the Edifier MP230 sounds and operates, but its styling and “flipper”-style buttons don’t lend themselves to portable use, so we included it in our best home Bluetooth speaker guide.

Our panelists thought the House of Marley Get Together 2 was one of the best speakers they heard, with sound that reminded them of a good desktop stereo speaker system. But they didn’t think its bulky, bamboo-faced chassis made sense for portable use.

We liked the full sound and compact design of the House of Marley No Bounds, but deep bass made it rattle across whatever it was sitting on.

The IKEA Eneby is a neat design, but the Tribit XSound Go plays much louder and sounds clearer.

Although the JBL Boombox 2 sounds good and plays very loud, both the JBL PartyBox 110 and UE Hyperboom play louder and sound a little smoother and more natural with voices. If you want a boombox-style party speaker, we think the Sony SRS-XG500 is a better choice.

The JBL Clip 4 had a somewhat buzzy and sizzly sound in our tests; we preferred the fuller sound and more versatile shape of the Tribit StormBox Micro 2.

The JBL Flip 6 has a nice, full sound for its price, and it plays pretty loud, too. But its midrange is accentuated, and it can sound harsh with some vocal music.

The JBL Go 3 is a nice ultra-tiny, ultra-portable speaker, but it doesn’t sound as full as the Tribit StormBox Micro.

The JBL Xtreme 3 is our previous upgrade pick. It plays loud and sounds good, but we prefer the fuller sound, more convenient design, and lower price of the Sony SRS-XG300.

If you want something larger and more powerful than the UE Wonderboom 3 for about the same price, the JLab Crasher XL is a good choice. Our panelists generally liked the Crasher XL’s loud, full sound.

The LG XBoom 360 XO3QBK has a spacious, natural, full sound that we enjoyed. Technically, it’s a portable speaker because it has a rechargeable battery and a detachable carrying strap, but it’s clearly styled and designed for home use.

For the price, the LG XBoom Go PL5 doesn’t sound better or play louder than less expensive models. The same is true of the XBoom Go PL7, which in our tests sounded good but barely played any louder than the EarFun UBoom L.

The Marshall Emberton II sounded pretty good, but its bass often sounded limited, as if someone kept turning the bass knob down for loud passages. It’s also expensive for the sound quality it offers.

The Marshall Kilburn II tended to clamp down the volume abruptly when it hit a deep bass note, and voices had a sort of canned quality.

The Marshall Tufton plays admirably loud, but its bass sounded excessively pumped up and punchy, even when we turned the bass knob down. Also, it’s only IPX2 rated, so it’s rated to survive dripping water but not a splash.

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

The Monoprice Harmony Capsule 200 sounded like it had a big dip in the midrange, which gave voices a thin, trebly sound.

The Monster Blaster 3.0 played pretty loud in our tests, hitting 98.6 dB, but it distorted badly on deep bass notes and had a rough, coarse sound on voices.

Comparable in price and size to the Anker Soundcore Flare 2, the Morpheus 360 Sound Ring II sounded similarly good, but it fell a few decibels short of the Flare 2’s maximum volume.

The Philips S7505 sounds smoother and more natural than many competitors, but it can’t match the bass performance. As such, it might be a good buy for those whose tastes lean toward jazz, folk, light classical, or vocal music.

The Positive Grid Spark Mini doubles as a Bluetooth speaker and a digital guitar amp that can be programmed with a huge variety of sounds and effects. It excels as a guitar amp, but its boosted midrange made it sound shouty with voices when used as a Bluetooth speaker. (The company says it recently retuned the sound for Bluetooth music playback, but we haven’t heard the new version.)

The Raycon Everyday Speaker has a cute, ultra-portable design with a pretty smooth sound in its Balanced mode, but it lacks bass and doesn’t play very loud for the price.

The Raycon Fitness Speaker sounds exceptionally clean and smooth, but in our tests it didn’t play any louder than the much smaller UE Wonderboom 3.

The Rocksteady Stadium speaker is interesting in that it’s available in a system with two speakers, a wireless subwoofer, and a carrying case. However, voices sounded a little buzzy and distorted when we played the speaker loud, and when we turned it down to where the sound was clearer, it wasn’t loud enough.

We liked the sound and design of Sony’s SRS-XB13, but for the price it doesn’t play very loud.

Sony’s SRS-XB23 is pretty good, but we’ve found other speakers for the same price with more volume, deeper bass, and a smoother sound.

The Sony SRS-XB33 is a former “also great” pick. It’s still an excellent speaker, and we actually prefer it to its replacement, the SRS-XE300 (see below). It seems to be discontinued, but if you can find one, we still recommend it as among the best you can buy for around $130.

The Sony SRS-XE300’s design struck our panelists as rather strange. While no one found much to complain about with its sound, they found it a little dull overall.

The boombox-style Sony SRS-XG500 is similar to the JBL PartyBox 110 in that it plays almost as loud and has a microphone/guitar input (although just one). It sounds good, too, but it costs much more than the PartyBox 110. The big handle and light weight make it easy to carry around.

The Sony SRS-XP500 looks and works much like the JBL PartyBox 110 and costs about the same, but we thought the PartyBox 110 sounded a little smoother on vocals.

Voices sounded pretty clean with the Treblab HD7, but the bass output was very limited for the speaker’s size.

If you want something about the size of the Sony SRS-XG300 but more affordable, the Treblab HD-Max is a good choice. It actually plays slightly louder than the SRS-XG300 and sounds nice overall, but we found that it rattled a bit when playing deep bass notes, and that its midrange was a bit muted.

The Tribit MaxSound Plus is a good-sounding, affordable speaker that falls between the UE Wonderboom 3 and the Tribit XSound Go in price and performance. If we had more picks, this model might be one.

We didn’t like the Tribit StormBox as much as its predecessor, the 360° Sound Speaker (a former top pick), because its sound seemed brighter and more sibilant than what we heard from the previous model we tested.

The Tribit StormBox Pro played really loud (91.8 dB) for its size, but its sound often distorted, and it sounded rough and uneven on voices.

The Tribit XSound Max is like a beefier version of the XSound Go. We liked it overall, and it does play a couple notches louder than the UE Wonderboom 3, but it sounded a bit bright and trebly for our taste.

The Tribit XSound Surf costs a little less than the XSound Go, but it sounds a bit distorted, and the design makes it a little less convenient to carry because there’s no provision for a lanyard.

The Tronsmart Groove 2’s bass seemed to jump around in level as the internal limiter kicked in on hip-hop and rock tunes, and voices sounded sizzly and sibilant.

The Ultimate Ears Boom 3 sounds good and plays loud, and it has lots of great features, but our panelists preferred a little more bass for the price.

Our panelists really liked the Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3 for its features and rugged design, although we preferred the fuller sound of speakers such as the Sony SRS-XG300.

The Vifa Oslo plays loud and has a wonderfully full, clear sound, but $500 is a lot to ask for this speaker.

The VisionTek SoundTube XL is a great option if you want an inexpensive speaker that sounds full, plays loud, and slings over your shoulder. It sounded smoother than the similarly priced Anker Soundcore Rave Neo in our tests, but the Rave Neo played about 5 dB louder, enough to fill a backyard instead of just a patio.

At its original $300 price, the elegantly designed V-Moda Remix was very costly for the sound quality it offers, but it’s now selling for less than $100, which makes it a pretty good buy.

The Victrola Music Edition 1 doesn’t play loud enough for its price; many smaller speakers we’ve tested played louder with less distortion.

The Victrola Music Edition 2 has a great retro design with a feature we love: a built-in Qi charger. However, its sound is thin, and many competing speakers at its price play a substantial 6-plus decibels louder.

The Xeneo X21 sounds pretty good if you bring the volume down four clicks, where it still offers decent volume for its size. We were interested in it mainly for its FM radio, but the tuning is annoyingly primitive; all you can do is press a button to bring you to the next active station.