I’m a senior staff writer at Wirecutter, currently handling 12 guides on audio products and providing technical measurements for our headphone guides. I’ve worked as an editor or writer in audio publishing for more than 30 years, and I’ve previously served as a consultant on speaker tuning and measurement for some of the world’s biggest tech companies.

For this guide:

• I spent 22 hours testing 14 new models. To date, I’ve tested 437 speakers for this guide.
• I brought in another listener—drummer and audio production student Kage Shissler—to provide a second opinion. I also played several models for a group of Wirecutter staffers in a brand-concealed test. For listeners other than myself, I concealed the identities of the products to avoid bias.
• I ran technical tests on the products to find flaws that our listening sessions might have missed.
• Like all Wirecutter journalists, I review and test products with complete editorial independence. I’m never made aware of any business implications of my editorial recommendations. Read more about our editorial standards.

Anyone who owns a smartphone or tablet is likely to enjoy owning a portable Bluetooth speaker, which usually has a rechargeable battery and is often waterproof and/or dustproof. Bluetooth support 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 your phone will play through the speaker.

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:

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

• Portability and battery life: We focus on models that have rechargeable batteries and are designed to take a trip to the beach or the park with no hassle. In selecting our top pick, we prioritize speakers that are compact and easy to toss into a backpack or beach bag.
• Ruggedness and waterproof design: We give priority to speakers that are built to survive the knocks and bumps of travel. We prefer speakers with an Ingress Protection (IP) rating, which tells you exactly how dustproof and waterproof a speaker is.
• Price: We set a bottom price of $10. Less-expensive models often don’t sound better or play much louder than a phone’s built-in speakers.
• 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.
• Bluetooth codecs: 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 easily heard differences among the speakers themselves.
• Special features: Bluetooth speakers may offer extra features, including speakerphone capability, multi-speaker pairing (the ability to play the same material through two Bluetooth speakers at once), and built-in lighting. We don’t consider any of these features essential, but they can be convenient add-ons.

For each new round of tests, I begin by comparing the new models with each other and with some of our previous picks. 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 and playing a 34-second section of ZZ Top’s very loudly mastered tune “Chartreuse.”

The chart below shows the maximum output for our current speaker recommendations, plus a few other models we’ve tested. For more details, see our results and our explanations of our testing process.

Portable bluetooth speaker maximum output

From these tests, I narrow down 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 hide the speakers behind black fabric and divide them into four groups: ultra-compact, small, medium, and large. To make the test fair, I set the volume within a particular group to the same approximate level by using a shaped-noise channel-balancing test tone recorded from a Dolby Digital receiver.

During our brand-concealed tests, our listeners pay particular attention to:

• how clear the speakers sound at normal levels
• how the speakers balance bass to midrange to treble
• how loud the speakers are able to play when cranked up
• how clear they sound when cranked up

Last, I check the battery life of each of our top picks by repeating Steely Dan’s “Aja” at an average level of 75 dB (measured at 1 meter) over and over until the power runs out. For the larger Ultimate Ears Hyperboom speaker, I increased the level to 81 dB.

I also measure 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 becomes unreliable. There are no industry-standard methods of testing these functions, but our methods have worked well through 11 years of testing more than 400 portable Bluetooth speakers.

With each model that offers speakerphone functionality, I try placing a call to Wirecutter senior staff writer Lauren Dragan. I note how the speaker sounds to me, and she tells me how my voice sounds on her end.

Top pick

Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4

The best portable Bluetooth speaker

This small, round speaker has a natural sound and a cool design, and it’s built to survive outdoor adventures. But it’s a little chunky.

Buying Options

$80 from Amazon

$80 from Walmart

$20 from Best Buy

The Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 is the closest thing we’ve found to an ideal all-around portable Bluetooth speaker, thanks to its great combination of performance, ruggedness, and portability.

It sounds great for its size. The Wonderboom speakers have been consistent winners in our brand-concealed tests, with listeners praising a more “open, 3D sound” than its competitors offer. The Wonderboom 4 delivers a natural balance of bass to midrange to treble, which means no instruments or voices are unnaturally boosted.

We measured maximum volume at 84.0 dB at 1 meter; that’s enough to fill a bedroom or kitchen with sound. The Outdoor Boost button kicks up the level by about 3 dB, which makes the speaker a little louder but sacrifices bass.

The design is tough, practical, and fun. This IP67-rated speaker is dustproof, can be submerged in up to 1 meter of water for a half hour, and also floats. When we dropped it from 5 feet onto a backyard deck and then onto concrete, it kept playing and exhibited just a couple of small scuff marks.

We measured its Bluetooth range at an impressive 100 feet, and we got 11 hours of battery life—not quite the 14 hours that Ultimate Ears promises, but still plenty. An elastic loop on top lets you hang the speaker from various objects. You can pair two Wonderboom 4 speakers together to create stereo sound or to deliver sound in a second nearby room.

This roundish speaker measures 4.1 by 3.6 inches and weighs 15 ounces. It’s available in four color schemes—black, pink, light gray, and blue.

How the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom has held up

Numerous Wirecutter staffers have bought some version of the Wonderboom and have good things to say about it. Our editor-in-chief selected it from the thousands of top picks on Wirecutter to write about in our “52 Things We Love” series.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

It’s light on bass. In terms of sound quality, the one consistent flaw we hear with the Wonderboom is that it doesn’t have much bass oomph for hip-hop or heavy rock. If you like more bass, you may want to try out the larger but similarly priced Fender x Teufel Rockster Go 2 described below.

It’s chunky and lacks a few features. This speaker’s 3.6-inch diameter makes it too stout to fit comfortably in a briefcase or laptop bag, but it’ll fit fine in a backpack.

The Wonderboom 4 has neither a speakerphone function nor an analog input, but we seldom use those features.

Budget pick

Tribit StormBox Mini

Decent sound at a great price

This small speaker has the fullest, most natural sound we’ve heard in its price range, but it can’t play as loud as our top pick.

Buying Options

$30 from Amazon

The Tribit StormBox Mini is one of the best audio bargains we’ve ever encountered. Few speakers priced under $50 sound as full and satisfying as this one, and it also offers a useful feature set—including an IPX7 water-resistance rating and internal lights. It’s not the most portable model we’ve tested at this price, but it fits easily in a beach bag or suitcase.

It sounds fuller and typically costs less than our previous budget pick. The Tribit XSound Go was our budget pick for five years, easily beating other inexpensive models in our brand-concealed tests. But in our most recent test, the StormBox Mini beat the XSound Go by just as wide a margin.

Our listeners thought voices sounded somewhat clearer with the XSound Go, but preferred the StormBox Mini overall for its deeper, fuller sound. “Compared with the StormBox Mini, the XSound Go sounds too trebly,” one panelist noted.

The feature set is impressive for the price. The StormBox Mini is IPX7-rated, which means it can stand being submerged in 1 meter of water for 30 minutes but is not dustproof. The 3.5 mm analog input allows you to connect to non-Bluetooth sources, such as some portable music players and computers.

Multicolor lights on the top of the speaker pulse in time with the music; you can easily turn them off if you prefer. A strap on the top lets you hang the speaker from a hook, while the rubbery feet on the bottom prevent sound vibrations from scooting the StormBox Mini across a table—but only if you remove the protective plastic films covering the feet.

You can pair two StormBox Minis to get stereo sound, but it won’t pair with any other Bluetooth speaker. The Mini is available in three colors: black, light blue, and light green.

It’s reasonably portable. While the StormBox Mini is much larger than the JBL Go 4, it measures just 4.7 inches high and 3.6 inches wide and deep, and it weighs 1.6 pounds. So it’s great for tossing into a beach bag, but too chunky for a laptop bag or purse.

In our tests, the Bluetooth range measured about 90 feet.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

It doesn’t play that loud. With a max volume of 80.7 dB in our tests, it’s not significantly louder than the much tinier JBL Go 4. But it does sound fuller.

Battery life is a little lacking. With the internal lights turned off, the StormBox Mini averaged about 9.5 hours of battery life in our tests, well short of the 12 hours that Tribit promises. Still, that’s enough for a full day at the office or beach.

It acts weird when you get a phone call. The StormBox Mini doesn’t have a speakerphone function, and unlike the UE Wonderboom 4, it doesn’t ignore phone calls when paired with your phone. Instead, the speaker plays the voices of both people on the line, which produces annoying echoes.

Upgrade pick

W-King X10

Larger and louder, yet still portable

This speaker plays very loud while maintaining its clear, full sound, and it has a long battery life. But it’s larger and a little less rugged than our top pick.

Buying Options

$116 from Amazon

The W-King X10 is the best portable speaker to use in larger areas, such as at a picnic, a small beach party, or a yoga class. This football-sized speaker often costs less than our top pick, but it sounds as good as, and plays louder than, many of the more expensive speakers we’ve tested.

It’s larger and louder than our top pick. The X10 maxes out roughly 8 dB louder than the Wonderboom 4, which is about the difference between talking normally and raising your voice to address someone 30 feet away.

Even at that loud volume, during our tests it sounded smooth and balanced, with clear voices and plenty of bass. The Outdoor mode cut the bass some but didn’t boost the volume. (Unfortunately, the speaker has no indicator to tell you which mode it’s in.)

The X10 weighs 6.5 pounds, a manageable weight when you use the included shoulder strap (which sports an integrated bottle opener)—but it’s not a speaker that you can easily toss into a purse or suitcase. Once you reach your destination, you can lay the speaker down horizontally or stand it on end.

The battery life is impressive. In our tests we got 24 hours, which is excellent—although short of W-King’s claimed 42 hours.

The back panel offers a USB-C charging port, a 3.5 mm analog audio input, a TF card slot for playing MP3s, and a USB-A output for charging mobile devices. You can pair two X10 units for stereo audio.

We measured the speaker’s Bluetooth range at 70 feet, which is more than adequate.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

It isn’t quite as rugged as our top pick. The X10 has an IPX6 rating, which means it can withstand spraying from a hose but not submersion in water, and it’s not dustproof.

Also, its buttons are a little stiff. They might prove daunting for small or arthritic hands; the similar but slightly less powerful W-King D8 has bigger buttons that are easier to use.

Its speakerphone function isn’t great. Its speakerphone function worked okay in our tests, but for both Lauren and me, it sounded dull and somewhat noisy, as if we were both in our cars.

Best for

JBL Go 4

Best for someone who wants a tiny, ultra-portable speaker

This speaker is small enough to fit in a pocket, yet it still sounds good. It doesn’t really have any bass, though, and the battery life is short.

Buying Options

$40 from Amazon

$40 from Walmart

$40 from Best Buy

If you love traveling light but want to listen to music and podcasts everywhere you go, the JBL Go 4 is a superb choice. It’s one of the few ultra-compact Bluetooth speakers that sound good, and it’s so small and light that it could go almost unnoticed in a laptop bag, purse, or coat pocket.

It’s small and tough enough even for backpacking. Measuring just 3.7 by 3 by 1.7 inches and weighing just 11 ounces, the Go 4 might find a place in the pack of even the most minimalist traveler.

The IP67 rating means it’s dustproof and can withstand immersion in 1 meter of water for 30 minutes. A small loop at the top lets you hang the speaker from a strap or a carabiner clip.

It sounds good for its size, but you should keep your expectations in check. The Go 4’s tiny size prevents it from producing much bass, but the bass you do get is well-balanced with the treble and midrange, so the sound is satisfying.

This speaker plays loud enough for a bedroom, bathroom, or tent, maxing out at 79.8 dB in our tests—about 4 dB less than the Wonderboom 4, but 3 dB louder than most similarly sized models we’ve tested.

The Go 4 is one of the first portable Bluetooth speakers on the market to incorporate Auracast Bluetooth technology. Auracast lets you broadcast a signal to multiple Auracast-equipped speakers and headphones from a single source.

Unfortunately we weren’t able to get the Go 4 to work with a FlooGoo Auracast transmitter, but Auracast products are just starting to roll out, so we expect a few bugs. Even without using Auracast, you can pair two Go 4 speakers to get stereo audio.

We only got about 5 hours of battery life out of the Go 4 in its standard mode, which isn’t great. But activating the Playtime Boost mode in the JBL Portable mobile app kicked this up to about 8 hours 45 minutes, which is much better for such a small speaker. The Playtime Boost mode has a little less bass but still sounds pretty good; if you’re listening to podcasts or background music, you probably won’t notice.

Bluetooth range measured about 85 feet, and the Go 4 is available in nine color schemes.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

It has very little bass compared with larger portable speakers. There’s only so much bass you can produce from such a small cabinet. Even though the Go 4 didn’t distort when we cranked up Audrey Nuna’s “damn Right,” much of the rhythmic drive and kick of your hip-hop, R&B, and EDM favorites will be lost.

Best for

Fender x Teufel Rockster Go 2

Best for someone who wants more bass than our top pick delivers

This speaker has the sonic clarity and full sound of a small bookshelf speaker, but it’s less portable than our smaller picks.

Buying Options

$110$90 from Amazon

You save $20 (18%)

The Fender x Teufel Rockster Go 2 is the only portable Bluetooth speaker we’ve tested under $100 that comes close to the sound of a decent bookshelf speaker. While this speaker is not the last word in portability, it’s reasonably compact and rugged.

Even audiophiles may like the sound. The Rockster Go 2 has an almost shockingly natural, smooth sound compared with most other portable Bluetooth speakers. It doesn’t add sibilance or coarseness to voices, and it doesn’t emphasize certain instruments at the expense of others. A large passive radiator on the front reinforces the bass and gives the Rockster Go 2 a more satisfying sound than most other speakers its size can produce.

The Rockster Go 2 achieved a max output of 86.2 dB in our tests, which is a just-noticeable 2.2 dB increase over the Wonderboom 4. But it sounds even louder because it has more bass.

This speaker doesn’t sound as spacious as a set of stereo speakers or a good soundbar, but no speakers of this size do. The “Dynamore” button on top attempts to add more spaciousness, but it seems to just tack on some phony surround effect with extra reverb, and we didn’t bother with it.

The Rockster Go 2 supports the AAC Bluetooth codec, which could be a mild sonic advantage for iPhone and iPad users.

It’s travel-friendly. Because it measures just 2.4 inches thick, the Rockster 2 Go can probably slip between your clothes and the side walls of your suitcase. But at 8.3 inches wide and 1.6 pounds, it’s not something you’ll want to lug to work every day in your laptop bag.

This speaker should be rugged enough to survive adventurous vacations because, like our top pick, it’s IP67-rated—which means it’s dustproof and can survive being dunked in 1 meter of water for 30 minutes.

A removable elastic strap lets you strap the speaker to a post or hang it from a hook. A ¼″-20 threaded socket on the bottom allows you to attach it to a photo tripod or camera mount.

The battery didn’t run as long as we’d hoped. We got 18 hours in our tests—which is good for the speaker’s price, but much less than the rated 28 hours. Bluetooth range averaged an impressive 140 feet.

The design is more ergonomic than most. Too many portable Bluetooth speakers feature raised black labels on black buttons, which can be almost impossible to see in poor lighting. The Rockster Go 2’s big, top-panel buttons are clearly marked in white, so you can see them in the dark.

While the Rockster Go 2 takes its styling cues from Fender guitar amps, it shares no engineering with Fender products. It’s actually a rebranded version of a model made by Teufel, a German audio company.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

We occasionally noticed the limiter clamping down on deep bass notes. When we played hip-hop or heavy rock music at high volume, we sometimes heard the speaker’s internal limiter reducing the volume of deep bass notes to prevent distortion.

This type of artifact is audible with most portable Bluetooth speakers, but given the size of the Rockster Go 2’s internal speakers and bass radiator, we expected a little less limiting.

If you want something louder: The Ultimate Ears Hyperboom is a great choice if you need loud volume for outdoor parties, or if you want fuller, clearer sound than smaller Bluetooth speakers can provide. It maxed out at 99.1 dB, so it’s loud enough for a big pool party, yet it produces the clear, robust sound we’re used to hearing from a good small stereo system. It’s IPX4-rated, which means it can tolerate a splash of water, and it played for 27.5 hours in our tests, at a volume 6 dB higher than we usually use in our tests.

If you want a powerful portable speaker with Wi-Fi and smart-speaker functions: The Brane X is pricier than the Ultimate Ears Hyperboom, but it’s half the size and offers similar sound quality and maximum volume. In addition to Bluetooth, it works as an Amazon Alexa device. It can stream many services directly through Wi-Fi, including iHeart, Pandora, Prime Music, Spotify, and TuneIn Radio. It’s IP57-rated, so it’s better armed against the elements than the Hyperboom. It requires a separate AC adapter for charging, and in our tests it typically ran for 11.25 hours on a charge.

If you want something more stylish: The Morel Biggie is a smaller, portable version of the Morel Högtalare speaker that we recommend in our home Bluetooth speaker guide. Like the home model, the Biggie is built like a bookshelf speaker, with a high-quality woofer and tweeter. Our panelists thought the sound was exceptionally clear and the bass impressive, although the front port sometimes made chuffing sounds when we played tunes with extra-deep bass. With its leather carrying strap, minimalist design, and eight understated color schemes, it looks like something you’d buy in a home design store. But it’s not waterproof or dustproof, so don’t leave it outside. It lasted 21 hours in our battery test and hit a maximum volume of 98.9 dB.

If you want a more versatile ultra-portable travel speaker: The Ultimate Ears Miniroll is more expensive and a little larger than the JBL Go 4, but it sounds a bit fuller and it has a handy integral strap that lets you strap it to a pole or chair or hang it from a hook—something the JBL doesn’t offer unless you add your own strap or carabiner clip. It’s IP67-rated, so it’s waterproof and dustproof. Its max volume is about the same as the Go 4’s, and its battery typically ran for about 8.5 hours in our tests.

If you want the least-expensive portable Bluetooth speaker that still sounds decent: The Rofall D68F sounds fuller and more natural, and plays louder (an impressive 84 dB), than any other under-$25 Bluetooth speaker we’ve tried. Plus it has cool-looking internal lights that can be switched off, and it even offers stereo pairing.

We’ve reviewed hundreds of Bluetooth speakers for this guide. Below are capsule descriptions of some of the models that might be of most interest to Wirecutter readers. If you don’t see a certain model you’re interested in, check out our running list of portable Bluetooth speakers we’ve tested.

The new version of the Beats Pill sounds much better than the previous model, but it plays only about 2 dB louder than the less-expensive UE Wonderboom 4, and it sounded a little bright and edgy to us.

The Bose SoundLink Flex is a solid alternative to the Fender x Teufel Rockster Go 2. The sound is a little more trebly and less full, with about a 2-dB reduction in maximum volume. But it’s a good choice if you want a speaker that’s smaller and has more conservative styling than the Rockster Go 2.

The Bose SoundLink Max sounds good and has excellent maximum output for its size (96.3 dB), but it has less bass than some competitors and is comparatively expensive.

The EarFun UBoom X is a great choice if you want more power than the W-King X10; it plays 6.1 dB louder and has powerful yet well-defined (i.e., not boomy) bass. Voices and midrange instruments sound clear, although slightly bright. However, the UBoom X is much bulkier and, as of this writing, costs about 60% more.

At 24.4 pounds, the JBL PartyBox Club 120 is probably more speaker than most people want to haul around, but it plays 5.6 dB louder than the UE Hyperboom, which is a significant advantage at a large pool party. An optional spare battery extends its roughly 12-hour play time. The IPX4-rated speaker has jacks for a guitar and microphone, so it’s good for karaoke and busking.

Above about 85 dB, the JBL Xtreme 4 has a blaring, bright sound that emphasizes snare drums; our listeners didn’t like it. And it’s very expensive for its size.

The pricey Marshall Emberton III underperforms for its size; voices sound strained, and it needs more bass.

The Sony ULT Field 7 is a big, powerful, expensive speaker that sounded too boomy and bloated in one of its sound modes and too muddy in the other.

The Soundcore Select 4 Go typically runs about half the price of the JBL Go 4 and offers similar sound quality and maximum output. However, it’s 72% larger by volume. If you don’t mind the larger size, it’s a terrific deal.

The Speck Gemstones Infinity Mid plays loud for its price (90.7 dB) but has very little bass for its size.

The Stage GoFree has a surprisingly clear, well-balanced sound for its price, but our panelists didn’t like its “plain black box” design.

The Tribit StormBox Blast is a great value if sound quality and volume are most important to you, and if you don’t mind lugging around a 12-pound speaker. This affordably priced speaker provides excellent sound quality, and it plays about 5 dB louder than the W-King X10.

The Tronsmart Bang Max delivers the most decibels per dollar (100.2 dB) of any large portable Bluetooth speaker we’ve found. It sounds less smooth and you can hear more bass in the midrange than the Ultimate Ears Hyperboom, but for outdoor parties, it might be better. As one of our listeners said, “I’d prefer the UE for indoor listening and the Tronsmart speaker for dancing or playing music by the pool.”

The Tronsmart Mirtune H1 has a clearer, more balanced sound than the similarly sized and priced Soundcore Select 4 Go, but we don’t like that there’s no way to stand it up.

The Turtlebox Gen 2 is designed for high volume outdoors. It’s quite a good speaker, and it maxes out at an impressive 101.6 dB. At more than $400, it’s pricey, but if you want high volume and need something more rugged than the UE Hyperboom, it’s a great choice.

The Ultimate Ears Boom 4 is a great-sounding speaker with a balanced sound and impressive clarity, but it can’t compete with the volume and bass power of the less-expensive W-King X10. The bigger, pricier Megaboom 4 played only 0.8 dB louder, and sometimes it sounded distorted on deep bass notes.

The Ultimate Ears Wonderboom Play is a cost-reduced version of our top pick, the Wonderboom 4. The Play’s single-speaker design sounds rougher and considerably less room-filling than what the Wonderboom 4’s stereo speakers produce. We think the Wonderboom 4 is well worth its higher price.

The Zvox AccuVoice AV70 has a voice-boosting mode that, as with other Zvox models, does a nice job of making voices sound clearer for those with hearing issues. It can’t match the volume or bass output of our top pick, though.

This article was edited by Adrienne Maxwell and Grant Clauser.