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16 best Bluetooth speakers for epic audio, tried and tested

We review the best high-tech, retro and radio-style Bluetooth speakers on the market

Tamara Hinson
Thursday 19 September 2024 15:48 BST
Many Bluetooth speakers we tested can survive being (briefly) submerged up to 1m under water
Many Bluetooth speakers we tested can survive being (briefly) submerged up to 1m under water (The Independent )
Our Top Picks

These days, you don’t have to compromise on quality when opting for portable audio, as many of the best Bluetooth speakers havespecs that rival larger speakers designed for use at home.

Whether you want a Bluetooth speaker for when you’re lounging in the garden or camping with family or friends, there are a few things to consider when choosing the right one. The frequency response, which refers to the device’s ability to replicate the musical range, is something that’s often overlooked. Most frequency responses range between 20 and 20,000Hz. Love a bit of bass? Go low – speakers that can accommodate lower frequency responses indicate that it can reproduce the deepest sub-bass.

And if you’re taking it outdoors, it’s worth paying attention to the speaker’s IP rating. This comprises the letters IP followed by two digits, the first of which indicates the level of protection against solid matter such as dust. This ranges from 0, which indicates no protection, to 6, which suggests it’s fully dust-proof. The second number represents the level of protection against liquids, and ranges from 0 (which indicates no water resistance) to nine, which means the gadget can withstand high-pressure jet sprays and can survive being under water for 30 minutes.

With Bluetooth speakers, the first digit will often be an X, which means no information relating to protection from solid items is available. However, this isn’t unusual, and doesn’t necessarily mean the speaker won’t stand up to wear and tear – it just means this aspect wasn’t tested. Instead, look for features such as powder coatings, which are resistant to rust and UV light.

We recommend opting for a Bluetooth speaker with a battery life of no less than 10 hours. A growing number of the best Bluetooth speakers will even double as battery packs, providing extra charge for mobile phones, which can be incredibly useful. Additional features worth considering include the ability to pair your Bluetooth speaker with others, for a DIY surround-sound setup; dedicated phone apps, and voice prompts.

How we tested

We tested these top-quality Bluetooth speakers in multiple scenarios – in damp camping grounds, on sandy beaches, in our back gardens (in a thunderstorm, no less) and during long bike rides, with speakers dangling from our backpacks and handlebars. We also tested every aspect of their controls, pairing them with apps and with each other, while evaluating how easy it was to tweak aspects such as volume, bass and power levels.

The speakers below are, in our opinion, the best of the best. In an era when there are so many to choose from, it’s understandable that we’ve all got different priorities when it comes to speakers, and the ones we’ve chosen might well appeal to different people, or excel in different areas, but we’re firm believers that none will disappoint.

The best Bluetooth speakers for 2024 are:

  • Best overall – Sony SRS-XG300 X-series portable speaker: £147, Amazon.co.uk
  • Best budget buy – Sony SRS-XB13 portable Bluetooth speaker: £39.99, Amazon.co.uk
  • Best for portability – Bose SoundLink flex Bluetooth speaker: £149, Amazon.co.uk
  • Best for a compact design – Nokia portable wireless speaker 2: £49.10, Amazon.co.uk

Sony XG300 X-series portable wireless speaker

best Bluetooth speakers review Sony XG300 X-series portable wireless speaker
  • Best: Overall
  • Weight: 3kg
  • Battery life: 25 hours
  • Waterproof: Yes, rated IP67
  • Why we love it
    • Crisp, clear audio
    • Retractable handle
    • Accompanying app
  • Take note
    • Slightly larger than others we tested

Full disclosure: we initially balked at the size of this speaker, which is slightly larger than the others we featured here (it’s 31.8cm x 13.8cm x 13.6cm). But it’s also fantastically rugged (IP67 is one of the highest IP ratings you can get) and packs a serious punch, blasting out crisp, clear sound for up to 25 hours on a single charge. Key to this is the X-balanced speaker unit, which swaps the circular diaphragms you’ll find in traditional speakers for square-shaped ones. This, in turn, means more sound pressure and better high-quality sound.

There’s definitely less distortion with this speaker, which is packed with features we love, whether it’s the way the controls are hidden beneath a rubberised flap, the retractable handle or the subtle lighting on the end (use the Sony Music Center app to tweak the illumination pattern). Our top tip? Use the “mega bass” to crank up the bass.

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Soundcore motion X600

best Bluetooth speakers review Soundcore motion X600
  • Best: For tech
  • Weight: 1.9kg
  • Battery life: 12 hours
  • Waterproof: Yes, rated IPX7
  • Why we love it
    • Easy-to-use app
    • No noise distortion
    • Room-filling sound

We’ve yet to come across a product from Anker (Soundcore is an Anker sub-brand) we don’t love, but rest assured we went into this review with full impartiality. That said, we weren’t disappointed.  The upside to the Motion X600’s slightly larger size is the room-filling sound, which comes courtesy of five drivers and five amplifiers, which disperse sound both horizontally and vertically.

There’s no noise distortion either, something we suspect is down to Soundcore’s claim the speaker uses a high-end DSP (digital signal processor). Its 12-hour battery life is also pretty impressive for a speaker that packs this amount of power, and we’re also huge fans of the easily-navigable Soundcore app, which can be used, among other things, to tweak the speaker’s EQ (equalisation), adjusting elements such as bass and treble.

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Bose SoundLink revolve+ II Bluetooth speaker

best Bluetooth speakers review Bose SoundLink revolve+ II Bluetooth® speaker
  • Best: Premium Bluetooth speaker
  • Weight: 0.9kg
  • Battery life: 17 hours
  • Waterproof: Yes, rated IP55, which means protection against damp weather rather than accidental submersion
  • Why we love it
    • Fantastic surround sound
    • Slick design

This sleek silver dream machine offers fantastic surround sound courtesy of its cylindrical design, while unexpected perks include the 17-hour battery life, the ease with which we could activate wireless Bluetooth pairing with voice prompts, and a top-quality omnidirectional acoustic deflector (in layman’s terms, this helps disperse sound in multiple directions). We also appreciated the little things, such as the use of softer material in areas where the speaker was most likely to encounter bumps and scrapes, and the use of a single-extrusion construction technique, which explains its slick, seamless design.

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Boompods soundflare

best Bluetooth speakers reviw Boompods soundflare
  • Best: For sustainability
  • Weight: 295g
  • Battery life: Five hours
  • Waterproof: IPX6
  • Why we love it
    • Made from recycled plastic
    • App-controlled light-up section
    • Can be used to activate phone selfies

Write off this small (it’s the size of an egg) but mighty speaker at your peril. We were admittedly initially suckered in by the cosmetic features – including the illuminated bottom section, which changes colour in time to the music, and can be configured using its very own app – but there’s substance as well as style, here.

To start with, it’s made from recycled ocean-bound plastic. Then there’s the option to pair multiple speakers and the multi-functionality (this must be one of the only speakers with controls that don’t just control basics such as volume, but can be used to activate phone selfies). Yes, we’d love to have seen a slightly longer battery life, but when speakers are this much fun, we’re not going to kick up too much of a fuss.

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Boompods rhythm speaker

best Bluetooth speakers review Boompods rhythm speaker
  • Best: For fun
  • Weight: 220g
  • Battery life: Five hours
  • Waterproof: IPX7
  • Why we love it
    • Made from recycled plastic
    • Rugged design
    • Simple controls
    • Accompanying app

There are more great sustainability credentials courtesy of Boompods’ pocket-sized speaker, which is made from recycled plastic. It’s got an exceptionally rugged design – there’s a tough dangle cord, and its IPX7 rating means it can be submerged 1m under water for up to 30 minutes. The controls are wonderfully simple to use, and it can also be controlled via an app.

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Groove-e Boston wooden DAB & FM radio with Bluetooth

best Bluetooth speakers review Groove-e Boston wooden DAB & FM radio with Bluetooth
  • Best: For simplicity
  • Weight: 869g
  • Battery life: Requires 4 x C batteries
  • Waterproof: No IP rating
  • Why we love it
    • Crisp, clear sound
    • Ultra-bright LED display
    • Alarm clock functionality
  • Take note
    • Not as hi-tech as some other options

OK, this might not be the most hi-tech device out there, but it’s not designed to be, and there’s certainly space in our tech cupboard for this elegant speaker (although, we’re slightly baffled by the requirement for four batteries as the only alternative to mains power). We’d recommend this for anyone who might not be after an all-singing, all-dancing device, but who craves the simplicity of a speaker that will also double as a radio while producing crisp, clear sound. Bonus points for the ultra-bright LED display and the alarm clock functionality.

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Bose SoundLink flex Bluetooth speaker

Bose SoundLink flex bluetooth speaker.jpg
  • Best: For portability
  • Weight: 590g
  • Battery life: 12 hours
  • Waterproof: Yes, rated IP67
  • Why we love it
    • Great sound quality
    • Rugged design

We’ve watched countless portable speakers topple into puddles or off the rocks on which we’ve carefully positioned them, so, we loved how the combination of this speaker’s weightiness and shape (flat and long) ensured it stayed put. The sound quality is incredible, and we suspect this is largely thanks to the positionIQ technology, which optimises audio depending on the speaker’s position – whether it’s lying flat or you’re hanging it from a backpack using the loop provided. We also appreciated its ruggedness – it has an IP67 rating (drop it in water and it will be fine) and a powder coating that is resistant to rust and UV light, and won’t peel or flake.

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Roberts Radio rambler mini

Roberts Radio rambler mini .jpg
  • Best: For retro styling
  • Weight: 460g
  • Battery life: 12 hours
  • Waterproof: Not specified
  • Why we love it
    • Fantastic audio quality
    • Gorgeous retro-inspired look
    • Tactile controls
    • DAB, FM and Bluetooth functionality

Looking for a speaker that’s also a radio? Say hello to Roberts Radio’s rambler mini, which has DAB, FM and Bluetooth functionality and is fabulously easy to use. Although, we’d have appreciated lights to reassure us it’s charging. That said, this is our only complaint about a device that delivers fantastic audio quality and has a gorgeous retro-inspired look, too. Although, there’s only a front-facing speaker, its size allows for brilliant sound distribution, while tactile controls make it a breeze to scroll between settings.

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JBL flip 6

best Bluetooth speakers review JBL flip 6
  • Best: Wraparound-style
  • Weight: 550g
  • Battery life: 12 hours
  • Waterproof: Yes, rated IP67
  • Why we love it
    • Great bass
    • Multiple flip 6s can be connected wirelessly
    • Great range of colourways
  • Take note
    • Price varies, depending on the colour chosen

JBL is a brand that has seriously upped its game when it comes to speakers. The blurb states this speaker’s racetrack-shaped woofer delivers fantastic sound when it comes to low and mid-range frequencies, while a tweeter (an additional speaker designed for frequencies in the “upper” range) provides brilliant crispness. We’re happy to report the blurb was correct.

This wraparound-style speaker offered up some serious bass, although it’s a great all-rounder, too. We loved the ultra-bright indicator lights and the partyboost mode, which enables multiple flip 6s to be connected wirelessly. Even the packaging is sustainable – entirely recyclable, with instructions printed in a soy-based ink.

It comes in a great range of colourways but note the price varies, depending on the colour chosen.

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Polaroid P2 music player

Polaroid P2 music player.jpg
  • Best: For looks
  • Weight: 660g
  • Battery life: 15 hours
  • Waterproof: N/A
  • Why we love it
    • Fun design
    • Great audio
    • Good range of colourways

Yep, that’s right: Polaroid has entered the world of Bluetooth speakers, and we’re liking what we see. Not just in an aesthetic sense, either – although, we’re admittedly slightly obsessed with the ultra-bright colour scheme, music-responsive LED display and ghetto-blaster-inspired styling. In terms of audio, this speaker certainly delivered when we wanted to crank up the volume.

Controls are simple but cover the necessary bases, with play/power, back, forward and favourite buttons. The one (minor) gripe? There’s no IP rating, so it’s probably not the best speaker for wild, wet weekends in the great outdoors. However, for house parties, barbecues and solo jam sessions, it’s hard to beat.

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Roberts Radio iStream3L

Roberts Radio iStream3L best Bluetooth speakers
  • Best: For sound quality
  • Weight: 1.71kg
  • Battery life: N/A (requires six AA batteries when not plugged in)
  • Waterproof: Not specified
  • Why we love it
    • Great retro design
    • Easy to use
  • Take note
    • No rechargable battery

This retro model is both a radio and Bluetooth speaker, although, it doesn’t have an internal battery, so it can’t be charged using a USB-C cable. That means you’ll need to keep it plugged in or use six AA batteries, but that’s as complicated as it gets.

Despite the wide range of settings – including controls that can be used to scroll through streaming services such as Deezer and Spotify – everything about this model is easy to use. From the Bluetooth connection process to the way the equaliser can be tweaked according to music genre, it’s a great option with great sound quality and a price tag to match.

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JBL GO3 portable Bluetooth speaker

JBL GO3 portable Bluetooth speaker .jpg
  • Best: Pocket-sized Bluetooth speaker
  • Weight: 209g
  • Battery life: Five hours
  • Waterproof: Yes, rated IP67
  • Why we love it
    • Packs a punch for its size
    • Simple, practical design
    • Hanging loop included
    • Consistent audio distribution

Given its tiny size – it weighs just 209g and easily slipped into our back pocket – this speaker packs a serious punch. It has an IP67 certification, which means its dust-resistant and waterproof to a depth of 1m and offers various features that more-expensive speakers don’t have. The controls are refreshingly simple to use with buttons to play, activate Bluetooth, crank up the volume and turn it on and off, and there’s a major focus on practicality when it comes to the design. The woven hanging loop makes it easy to hang the device from backpacks or tent struts, and the wraparound speaker provides surprisingly consistent audio distribution.

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Sonos roam smart speaker with voice control

Sonos roam smart speaker with voice control.jpg
  • Best: High-tech Bluetooth speaker
  • Weight: 400g
  • Battery life: 10 hours
  • Waterproof: Yes, rated IP67
  • Why we love it
    • Fantastic audio quality
    • Rugged
    • Trueplay tuning
  • Take note
    • Not the easiest to set up

First things first, while this speaker delivered undeniably fantastic audio quality, and we absolutely loved the voice control functionality, it’s not the easiest to set up. We spent 20 minutes trying to do so, and could eventually only finish up when using the speaker’s app. In reality, though, it’s a relatively minor downside, and this slightly painful process, thankfully, only needs to be carried out once.

After that, the speaker is refreshingly rugged. It has an IP67 rating, which means it can be submerged in 1m of water for up to 30 minutes, and, thanks partly to Trueplay tuning – which optimises sound depending on the genre of the music and the environment – it delivers incredible audio too.

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Nokia portable wireless speaker 2

Nokia portable wireless speaker 2.jpg
  • Best: Compact Bluetooth speaker
  • Weight: 164g
  • Battery life: 22 hours
  • Waterproof: Yes, IPX7 rated (withstands 30 minutes under 1m of water)
  • Why we love it
    • Made with recycled materials
    • Compact
    • Rugged
    • Can connect to additional models
    • Impressive audio for its size

When it comes to compact, rugged speakers that we can dangle from backpacks or pull out for impromptu jam sessions at gatherings, this speaker, which has a 22-hour battery life, is hard to beat. Although its audio isn’t going to rival that of larger, more-expensive speakers, it’s seriously impressive for a device of this size. Plus, it can be wirelessly connected to additional models, for more wide-reaching audio. It’s another one that scores highly in the sustainability stakes, too, as its exterior is 100 per cent recycled.

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House of Marley get together solo Bluetooth speaker

House of Marley get together solo bluetooth speaker.jpg
  • Best: For sound distribution
  • Weight: 270g
  • Battery life: 25 hours
  • Waterproof: Not specified
  • Why we love it
    • Made with sustainable materials
    • Sound range of 30m
  • Take note
    • Not the most compact

This is one seriously sustainable speaker – 30 per cent is reclaimed hemp, and there’s a heavy reliance on bamboo, too. There’s a pretty impressive 25-hour battery life, and we were able to pair it with our smartphone in a nano-second. Although it’s not the smallest portable speaker, the pay-off is the sound distribution – House of Marley claims this speaker delivers fantastic sound over a 30m range and our testing proved this estimate to be pretty accurate, with no discernible loss of audio quality.

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The verdict: Bluetooth speakers

OK, we admit it – maybe bigger is better, after all. That said, our pick of the bunch, Sony’s XG300 X-series portable wireless speaker, is still perfectly portable, thanks to its ergonomic design. However, it’s the abundance of tech, sound distribution and brilliant functionality that bagged this speaker the top spot.

Soundcore’s motion X600 does an equally fantastic job of distributing sound, and we were suckers for its slick design and the lack of distortion. Finally, Bose’s SoundLink revolve+ II Bluetooth speaker gets highly commended for lengthy battery life, rugged but classy design, and simple, ultra-responsive controls.

Want more recommendations? Check out our guides to the best wireless earbuds and best wireless headphones

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