Every music fan needs a reliable portable bluetooth speaker. With so many different brands and models on the current market, however, it may be hard to know which is the best one for you, your friend, or a loved one. Black Friday is just around the corner, and it’s the perfect time to buy one to upgrade your music listening experience.
We’ve gone through much of what’s available on the portable bluetooth speaker market, tested them out, and ranked which ones are the best. This isn’t your run-of-the-mill list, though, where only the top few choices matter. Each ranking has its own category ranging from “best camping speaker,” “best for house parties,” and “best overall.” We’ve got the size, loudness, price and links of where to get them the cheapest.
Check out the list below.
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The Best Overall Bluetooth Speaker: JBL Charge 4
Normally $180, Black Friday Sale This Week for $119
$95 Refurbished at JBL
Battery life: 20 Hours
Weight: 2.1 lbs
Bluetooth range: 30 feet
Loudness: 80 dB-
Best Uses: Around the House, Backyard, At The Gym, Poolside, Camping, Festival, Hiking
In terms of price, quality, sound, and color options, your best choice is the JBL Charge 4. One of the best and most unique features of the speaker is the JBL connect+. Say you and all of your friends each had the Charge 4, you can wirelessly connect them (up to 100 speakers) to create a broader listening experience!
Best Sound / Best for House Party: UE Hyperboom
Battery life: 24 Hours
Weight: 13 lbs
Range: 148 Feet
Loudness: 100 dB-
Best Uses: House Party, At Home, Backyard, Pool, Camping, Festival, Backyard
If quality is what you’re after, a steeper price tag shouldn’t surprise you. You get what you pay for with the UE Hyperboom. Integrated with precision subwoofers, this speaker delivers playback of a truly deep bass that you won’t find in other speakers this size.
Best for Camping / Most Durable: JBL Boombox 2
Normally $499, Black Friday Sale This Week for $449
Battery life: 24 Hours
Weight: 13.03 lbs
Range: Unknown
Loudness: 104 dB-
Best Uses: Camping, Festival, Poolside, Backyard, Pool, Beach, Boat
If a party is what you’re after outdoors, the JBL boombox 2 will be your best friend. This thing is a freaking beast. It has a full 24 hours of battery life and is practically indestructible. Not only is it fully waterproof, you can literally submerge it 3 feet under water and it will still work completely fine. While we can’t think of any reason why we would need to bump music underwater, it still speak volumes on the durability of it.
Loudest / Best For Backyard: Sonos Move
Normally $399, Black Friday Sale This Week for $299
Battery life: 11 Hours
Weight: 6.6 lbs
Bluetooth range: 100 feet
Loudness: 105 dB-
Best Uses: Backyard, At Home, Pool
A few years back SONOS has redefined the home audio experience with their multi room system and continuously upped their game. They have now entered the market of portable bluetooth speakers. This is an amazing standalone speaker with over 11 hours of battery life. Even though it’s only six pounds it’s actually the loudest speaker on the entire list, even louder than two biggest on the list, the UE HyperBoom or the JBL Boombox 2. Also if you do have a SONOS home system, it seamlessly connects with it. While this our perfect backyard speaker, it’s really perfect in nearly any situation.
Best for Pool / Beach: UE Boom 3
Normally $149, Black Friday Sale This Week for $124
Battery life: 15 Hours
Weight: 1.8 lbs
Range: 150 feet
Loudness: 90 dB-
Best Uses: Pool, Beach, Gym, Boat, Festival, Camping
This sound is quality, it’s fully waterproof, and it’s incredibly lightweight, coming in just under two pounds. All these factors make it the perfect choice for the pool, beach or any outdoor activity.
Cost-Effective Camping / Festival: Sony SRS-XB33
Normally $149, Black Friday Sale This Week for $118
Battery life: 24 Hours
Weight: 2.45 Pounds
Range: 98 Feet
Loudness: Unknown
Best Uses: Camping, Festival, Poolside, Backyard, Pool, Beach, Boat
The sole offering from Sony that managed to make our list this year was the “SRS-XB33”. It’s a fantastic alternative for camping, being at a festival, and generally anything outdoors or even indoors at an amazing price point. It is actually so inexpensive it’s $380 less than our “Best Camping / Festival Speaker” of the year the JBL Boombox 2, while still packing quite a punch. On top of this, it has 2 lights that are bright enough to help out if you’re at a festival or outdoor camping situation.
Best Speaker for Hiking (Extra Lightweight): JBL Clip 3
Normally $79, Black Friday Sale This Week for $29
Battery life: 10 Hours
Weight: 7.8 ounces
Bluetooth Range: 32 feet
Best Uses: Hiking, Outdoor Activities, Camping
This speaker is truly impressive coming in under a half of a pound at 7.8 ounces. This is one of the lightest quality speakers we’ve ever come into contact with. You can take this speaker to places you wouldn’t dream of previously thanks to its featherlight weight. Don’t be caught off guard about the small weight in regards to quality, it sounds great and is from one of the golden standards in portable speakers, JBL.
Best for the Gym: Sony SRS-XB12
Normally $59, Black Friday Sale This Week for $34
Battery life: 16 Hours
Weight: 8 ounces
Bluetooth Range: 33 feet
Best Uses: Hiking, Outdoor Activities, Gym
In a typical gym setting sure, you might be leaning towards earbuds. Maybe you lead a class, or maybe you’re lucky enough to have the gym to yourself and in those situations, we cannot think of a better speaker option than this Sony SRS-XB12. They kept it lightweight at just 8 ounces so you can put all of your energy towards crushing it in the gym. The dustproof design thrives in any situation, so don’t worry about being careful, this thing can take a beating and still show up day after day.
Best Speaker Under $100: UE WONDERBOOM 2
Normally $99, Black Friday Sale This Week for $49
Battery life: 24 Hours
Weight: .79 lbs
Bluetooth Range: 66 feet
Best Uses: Around the House, In The Backyard, At The Gym, Poolside, Camping, Festival, Hiking
A high quality option perfect for the outdoorsmen, the indoorsman and everyone in between you should consider the UE Wonderboom 2. We have featured multiple UE products on this list because they pack a punch at every price point. A battery life of 24 hours on a single charge, a lightweight design and a clip makes it a no brainer for hiking and camping.
Best Speaker under $50: Anker Soundcore 2
Normally $29, Black Friday Sale This Week for $21
Battery life: 24 Hours
Weight: 12.6 ounces
Bluetooth Range: 66 feet
Best Uses: Around the House, In The Backyard, At The Gym, Poolside, Camping / Festival, Hiking
A budget option is necessary for every type of person. Whether you are prone to misplacing things, or breaking them, when you’re only spending $27.99 you can rest easy. This speaker is perfect for a number of daily use situations and is easily the most versatile and powerful option at its price point.
The best bluetooth speakers for every occasion:
- Best Overall: JBL Charge 4
- Best Sound / Best for House Party: UE Hyperboom
- Best for Camping / Most Durable: JBL Boombox 2
- Loudest / Best For Backyard: Sonos Move
- Best for Pool / Beach: UE Boom 3
- Cost-Effective Camping / Festival: Sony SRS-XB33
- Best Speaker for Hiking (Extra Lightweight): JBL Clip 3
- Best for the Gym: Sony SRS-XB12
- Best Speaker Under $100: UE WONDERBOOM 2
- Best Speaker under $50: Anker Soundcore 2