The Best Portable Bluetooth Speakers for Jams Anywhere

Released in 2018, the Boom 3 is the successor to UE’s Boom 2. It has a two-toned outer fabric and “Magic Button” on top of the speaker that’s used for play/pause and skipping tracks. The charging port has been moved from the bottom of the speaker on the Boom 2 to the side here, so you can charge and listen to each speaker simultaneously, fixing a small design flaw in the Boom 2. For deeper, richer bass and longer battery life, check out the bigger and slightly more expensive Megaboom 3. (Both the Boom 3 and Megaboom 3 have the same 90dBA maximum sound level.)

• Battery Life: 15 hours
• Weight: 1.34 pounds
• Water-resistance: IP67
• Charging: micro-USB

The Sonos Roam is the company's small and rugged (IP67-rated) portable speaker, and it's the perfect option for anybody who has other Sonos speakers. It has both built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, similar to the Move, so you can integrate it into an existing Sonos home speaker system or take it outside and use it as a traditional Bluetooth speaker. It supports Google Assistant or Alexa when connected to Wi-Fi, so you can use it just like a Sonos One. And it features Automatic TruePlay so it'll sound good no matter where you're listening to it. It charges via USB-C or any Qi-wireless charging pad, too, which is pretty neat.

As of May 2022, Sonos has released the Roam in multiple colors in addition to black or white.

• Battery Life: 10 hours
• Weight: 0.95 pounds
• Water-resistance: IP67
• Charging: USB-C and wireless base

The SRS-XB23 is the smallest and most affordable portable Bluetooth speaker in Sony’s 2020 Extra Bass series. It lacks the lighting strobes that the company’s larger speakers, SRS-XB33 ($150) and SRS-XB43 ($250), have, which helps keep the price of the SRS-XB23 down. It has a new more cylindrical design and packs two new full-range drivers and a passive bass radiator, as well a strap so that you can hang it on a chair or tree. One of my favorite things about the SRS-XB23, however, is that it’s the first Extra Bass speaker to charge via USB-C.

• Battery Life: 12 hours
• Weight: 1.28 pounds
• Water-resistance: IP67
• Charging: USB-C

Released in late 2021, Bose's SoundLink Flex Bluetooth is the company's new affordable, rugged and ultra-portable Bluetooth speaker. It's really water-resistant and durable — IP67 rated — and it'll even float, in the event you drop it in the pool or tub. It lacks Wi-Fi connectivity, meaning there's no voice assistant, but you can sync it with other Bose speakers and soundbars that you have in your house (via a companion app) to give you the multi-room effect. It's available in three different colors: white (shown), black or teal.

• Battery Life: up to 12 hours
• Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Water-resistance: IP67
• Charging: USB-C
  

Released in 2022, the SRS-XE300 is the middle-sized portable speaker in Sony's newer X-Series, which is designed to deliver less bass-heavy and more neutral sound when compared to the company's Extra Bass ("XB") line. It's good-sounding yet front-firing speaker, so you need to be listening to it head-on for the best possible sound. Additionally, it has a super-high IP67 rating and boasts one of the best battery lives (roughly 18 hours) or any speaker this size. Available in several different colors.

• Battery Life: up to 24 hours
• Weight: 2.87 pounds
• Water-resistance: IP67
• Charging: USB-C
  

The Sony XG300 is one of Sony's newest portable Bluetooth speakers. It delivers big stereo sound and has RGB lighting — which you can customize in the company's Fiestable app — which is fun for parties. It has a USB-C charging port, but also has an AUX jack (so you can music via a wired connection) and a USB-A port that you can use to charge your various other devices from the XG300. It has a really high IP67 rating, a retractable handle for easy carrying, and a near-all-day battery life.

• Battery Life: up to 25 hours
• Weight: 6.6 pounds
• Water-resistance: IP67
• Charging: USB-C

The JBL Go 3 is the newest ultra-portable speaker by JBL. It has an attached lanyard that makes it easy to carry. It charges via USB-C, but its 5-hour battery life is less than ideal. Also, it is a front-firing speaker so it sounds best when the logo is facing you. Available in multiple colors.

• Battery Life: up to 5 hours
• Weight: 0.46 pounds
• Water-resistance: IP67
• Charging:USB-C

Released in 2021, the SRS-XB13 is the smallest portable Bluetooth speaker that Sony makes — it's about half the size of a soda can. It's the next-generation version of the SRS-XB12, which looked identical, but the SRS-XB13 now charges via USB-C and delivers true 360-degree sound. It has a lanyard so you can easily attach the speaker to a backpack or golf bag. And it comes in a number of different colors so you can buy one to match your style. (If you're looking for more room-filling sound, we recommend spending a little more on Sony's SRS-XB23, which you can pick up for less than $100.)

• Battery Life: up to 16 hours
• Weight: 0.56 pounds
• Water-resistance: IP67
• Charging: USB-C
  

Released in March 2022, the Sonos Roam SL is a microphone-less version of the company's Roam portable speaker. The Roam SL is the same exact size and shape as the Roam and can connect to Wi-Fi as well as Bluetooth. The absence of microphones has allowed Sonos to cut $20 off the price tag, however, it also comes at a different cost. Unliked the Roam, the Roam SL can not work as an Alexa or Google Assistant smart speaker. And it doesn't support Automatic Trueplay, which optimizes its sound for the space it's in. Unless you are on a really strict budget, it's probably worth spending the extra $20 on the Roam.

• Battery Life: 10 hours
• Weight: 0.95 pounds
• Water-resistance: IP67
• Charging: USB-C
  

The Clip 4 is a fourth-generation ultra-portable speaker. It gets its name from its integrated carabiner, which makes it easy to attach the speaker to a bag or even a belt loop and listen to tunes. Compared to its predecessor, the Clip 4 has improved battery life, USB-C charging, and even more rugged IP67 rating. Available in multiple colors.

• Battery Life: up to 10 hours
• Weight: 0.53 pounds
• Water-resistance: IP67
• Charging: USB-C

Released in 2022, the sixth-generation Flip is an excellent little portable speaker. It's a front-firing speaker — which houses a two-way driver and dual passive radiators — that delivers room-filling sound. It's fully waterproof (which is probably its biggest improvement over the previous Flip 5) and has an attached lanyard for easy carrying. It does work with a companion app, too, if you want to tweak the sound settings or stereo pair with another Flip 6. Available in multiple colors.

• Battery Life: up to 12 hours
• Weight: 1.21 pounds
• Water-resistance: IP67
• Charging: USB-C

Released in the summer of 2022, the Wonderboom 3 is the company's new and improved ultra-portable Bluetooth speaker. It’s a true 360-degree speaker with a durable IP67 design — and yes, it floats if you throw it in water. You can stereo pair it with another Wonderboom speaker. And it has an "Outdoor Boost" button on the bottom of the speaker, which essentially pumps up its bass. Compared to its predecessor, the Wonderboom 2, the third-generation speaker has a slightly better battery life and improved Bluetooth range. Unfortunately, it still charges via micro-USB.

• Battery Life: up to 14 hours
• Weight: 0.93 pounds
• Water-resistance: IP67
• Charging: micro-USB

The Move is Sonos’s first portable Bluetooth speaker and the best-sounding portable speaker on this list. In addition to being drop-resistant and IP56-rated, it also has built-in Wi-Fi and can work almost exactly like a Sonos One. When connected to Wi-Fi, it can play in a Sonos multi-room system and respond to either Alexa or Google Assistant voice commands. Unlike every other Sonos speaker before it, the Move has automatic Trueplay, meaning it automatically optimizes its sound for the space that it’s in.

• Battery Life: up to 11 hours
• Weight: 6.61 pounds
• Water-resistance: IP56
• Charging: USB-C

Released in 2020, the Hyperboom is Ultimate Ears’s biggest, loudest and “boomiest” portable speaker to date. It’s no small fry, either, weighing in at 13 pounds and reaching up to roughly a grown person’s knees. It’s a 270-degree, not a true 360-degree speaker, meaning it’s best placed in the corner of a room rather than the center. It’s also a Bluetooth-only speaker, (no Wi-Fi, like the Sonos Move and UE Megablast), so it can’t be used as a smart speaker. The Hyperboom is a speaker that’s designed for people looking for a versatile party speaker that can be carried around the house.

• Battery Life: up to 24 hours
• Weight: 13 pounds
• Water-resistance: IPX4
• Charging: USB-C

Bose offers a variety of smart home speakers that work with Alexa and Google Assistant, like the Home Speaker 300 and Home Speaker 500, but they require constant power. As its name indicates, the Portable Home Speaker is essentially a portable version of those speakers. It has built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, meaning that you can stream music away from Wi-Fi like any other portable speaker, or you can connect it to Wi-Fi and sync it with Bose other multi-room speakers. In this way, it is Bose’s direct rival to the Sonos Move. It’s also the only Bose portable speaker that charges via USB-C.

• Battery Life: up to 12 hours
• Weight: 2.34 pounds
• Water-resistance: IPX4
• Charging: USB-C

The Bose SoundLink Revolve II and Revolve Plus II are 360-degree Bluetooth speakers. They’re loud and powerful, and they’re able to deliver accurate and spacious audio; each speaker is engineered with dual-opposing passive-radiators and an efficient transducer to eliminate distortion. They’re not the most rugged speakers on this list, but each is still splash-resistant. And their simple design and easily-defined buttons make this traditional Bluetooth speaker very intuitive to use. It also has a built-in mic so you can answer calls without having to take out your phone. For anybody who loves the Bose sound and style, the SoundLink Revolve II and Revolve Plus II are a solid buy.

• Battery Life: up to 13 hours
• Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Water-resistance: IPX4
• Charging: micro-USB

The Soundcore 3 is a compact portable speaker that's fully waterproof and simple to use. It's a front-firing speaker that charges via USB-C and comes with an optional lanyard (for easier carrying). The best thing about this speaker, however, is that it has excellent battery life; it gets roughly 13 hours on a single charge.

• Battery Life: up to 13 hours
• Weight: 0.81 pounds
• Water-resistance: IPX7
• Charging: USB-C

The Soundcore Flare Mini is a little portable speaker that produces surprisingly good 360-degree sound. Throw in the fact that it costs less than $50, so you can’t really beat it. It’s extremely waterproof and has a dedicated button on the outside to boost its bass if you’re into that sort of thing. Additionally, through Anker’s Soundcore app, you can tweak the EQ settings and customize the LED lights that flash on the outside of the speaker.

• Battery Life: up to 12 hours
• Weight: 0.78 pounds
• Water-resistance: IPX7
• Charging: micro-USB