The Best Portable Bluetooth Speaker

We analyzed 33,331 reviews from 34 websites to find the best portable bluetooth speaker. Sources included:
WalmartBest BuyTargetNeweggB&H Photo Video
+29 More

Top Portable Bluetooth Speakers

Best for Most People
Best Portable Bluetooth Speaker Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2 Bluetooth Speaker
$68 from 15 stores
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Why Consider This:
The UE Wonderboom 2 is as euphonious as Ariana Grande but as tough as Lara Croft. In our blind tests, our panelists picked this Bluetooth speaker as the best-sounding model under $100, with its especially clear vocal reproduction and a decent amount of bass for its size.
People Like:
  • Great sound for its size
  • IP67 dustproof/waterproof rating
  • 30% better battery life
People Dislike:
  • No app connectivity
  • No voice assistant support
  • Micro-USB charging
96
Owner Score
1,188 Reviews from 11 Sites
85
Media & Critic Score
2 Media Reviews
Buy On Amazon.com
Best Value
Best Portable Bluetooth Speaker Sony SRS-XB32 Bluetooth Speaker
$129 from 13 stores
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Why Consider This:
The SRS-XB32 has a respectably big, full sound, with a rugged design and lots of features. It’s also rugged, with an IP67 waterproof/dustproof rating.
People Like:
  • Strong, sculpted audio performance with rich bass depth and crisp highs.
  • Gets loud for its size.
  • Waterproof.
People Dislike:
  • Mediocre mic quality.
  • DSP can overwhelm mix at times.
  • Awkward procedure for enabling/disabling Extra Bass mode
91
Owner Score
1,840 Reviews from 8 Sites
85
Media & Critic Score
2 Media Reviews
Buy On Amazon.com
Top Performance
Best Portable Bluetooth Speaker JBL Xtreme 2 Bluetooth Speaker
$225 from 14 stores
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Why Consider This:
If you want a portable Bluetooth speaker that approaches the sound of a good small stereo system yet is rugged enough to take almost anywhere, the JBL Xtreme 2 is a terrific choice. Three of our four listeners thought the Xtreme 2 was the best-sounding speaker we tested, praising it for its ample bass, high maximum volume, and overall clear, clean sound.
People Like:
  • Clean, clear sound
  • Balanced bass
  • Solid design
People Dislike:
  • Big
  • No wi-fi or multi-room
  • Presentation too grown-up for some
92
Owner Score
3,456 Reviews from 9 Sites
90
Media & Critic Score
2 Media Reviews
Buy On Amazon.com

How Critic.ly Saves You Time

When it comes to reviewing the best portable bluetooth speaker, critic.ly is different than other sites. How?
Unbiased & Unsponsored: Critic.ly aggregates and analyzes reviews from real owners and industry critics. We remove spam, sponsored reviews, and other forms of bias to make sure you get the best possible sense of what people actually think about products.
Our reviews of the best portable bluetooth speakers were based on 33,331 reviews from 34 websites.
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How to Find the Right Portable Bluetooth Speaker

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 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 splash-proof, 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 sound quality slightly, you’re unlikely to hear the effects through relatively low-quality speakers such as these. Voice control of the sort popularized by the Amazon Echo and Google Home is uncommon in portable Bluetooth speakers, because almost all voice-command technologies require a Wi-Fi connection to function. Some Bluetooth 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.

Portable Bluetooth Speakers We Eliminated

We research and analyzed 7 portable bluetooth speakers. Here's what we concluded about the ones that didn't make the cut.
Tribit XSound Go Bluetooth Speaker
Runner Up
Highly rated (91 owner score, 86 expert score), but a slight notch below the best.
Bose SoundLink Micro Bluetooth Speaker
Runner Up
Highly rated (95 owner score, 82 expert score), but a slight notch below the best.
Bose SoundLink Revolve Bluetooth Speaker
Runner Up
Highly rated (94 owner score, 81 expert score), but a slight notch below the best.
EcoXGear EcoBoulder+ Portable Bluetooth Speaker
Runner Up
Highly rated (91 owner score, 79 expert score), but a slight notch below the best.

Sources & Methodology

Critic.ly uses a combination of machine learning and human editors to help you find the best products.
We start by aggregating and analyzing reviews from real owners and industry critics. We remove spam, sponsored reviews, and other forms of bias to make sure you get the best possible sense of what people actually think about products.
We convert every review to a weight average score from 0 to 100.
For this article, we analyzed 33,331 reviews from 34 sites to find the best portable bluetooth speaker.