The best portable Bluetooth speakers for 2023

Note: As of June 2024, Ultimate Ears has announced a new Wonderboom 4 speaker. We'll be testing that speaker soon, along with more new releases from the brand.

Who it's for:

The Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 is a powerhouse for its size and price. It’s the perfect size for traveling — you can easily stick it in your bag without it taking up any real space — and it's rugged enough to endure the bumps and bruises of an active lifestyle. Plus, it's not too hard to catch on sale, making it an even better value. Ahead of Prime Day, this speaker dropped down to $65. Since it's being replaced by the Wonderboom 4, this sale is a great time to pick it up before it's gone. Or, if you're into the newer model (we're still in the process of testing, but it looks promising), it's on sale for $75 during Target Circle Week.

Why we picked this:

You can drop this small speaker from heights of up to five feet without worrying about destroying it. It’s also waterproof with an IP67 rating. If you drop it in water, it can float for up to 30 minutes and come out the other side working completely fine. On top of that, it features a healthy 14 hours of battery life, which is more than you'd expect for a speaker of its size. The fun colorways look great on a desk and stick out in the sand on beach day, merging form and function nicely.

But the mark of a good speaker isn’t just how portable it is. What matters most is the sound — and again, the Wonderboom 3 performs. Though it lacks the clear, deep bass of larger speakers, we found that it noticeably outperformed speakers like the JBL Clip 4, though you won't find a companion app. That's not too out of the ordinary at this price point, but we do wish we could make some basic adjustments to the audio settings, especially considering Ultimate Ears has companion apps for its other speakers.

On the bright side, it's very easy to plug and play. At the bottom of the speaker, you'll find an outdoor boost button that noticeably ups the volume of the speaker without distorting the sound. The battery drains a bit faster in boost mode, but if you're hosting a backyard party, the extra power is well worth it. Other host-friendly features we love include the multipoint connection that works seamlessly and the stereo sound you get by pairing two Wonderboom 3 speakers together. (Unfortunately, the Wonderboom 3 isn't backwards compatible — in our testing, it wouldn't pair with a Wonderboom 2.)

All in all, it has excellent sound for its size and plenty of useful features that come in handy when you'

Who it's for:

Some people want a Bluetooth speaker that's first and foremost a way to listen to music, and some people want a better audio experience than other run-of-the-mill smart speakers might be able to manage. If you fall in the later group, we recommend the Sonos Move.

Why we picked this:

This durable, battery-powered speaker is a great Bluetooth speaker for your home, especially if you want one you can move around with you — say, from the pool area to your office to the dining room. It's also strong enough to take the occasional drop or bump.

While it is portable, this speaker might not be the easiest to travel with over long distances due to its weight and bulky size. The battery lasts up to 11 hours and comes with a charging base. You can also recharge it with a USB-C charger. 

This speaker is simple to set up, can be controlled through the Sonos app, and can switch from WiFi to Bluetooth streaming when needed. It’s also weather-resistant and able to stand up to humidity, rain, snow, dust, sun rays, and salt. 

Who it's for:

Bose has made a name with its speakers and headphones, and the Bose SoundLink Revolve II only helps its good reputation. For folks who are willing to pay a bit more, but want a surround sound speaker experience for listening in the house or for backyard BBQs, this speaker has you covered.

Why we picked this:

This sleekly designed speaker is portable and offers true 360-degree surround sound, making for a great listening experience. It can be paired with a second speaker for stereo sound or integrated into a Bose audio system. 

The speaker is easy to use and features a built-in mic that can be used to take phone calls or use your phone’s smart assistant. It also features a good battery life of 13 hours, though its charging cradle ($29.99) must be purchased separately. 

Check out our full review of the JBL Charge 5.

Who it's for:

The JBL Charge 5 is the ultimate all-rounder, offering great sound quality with deep-but-balanced bass and an impressively long battery life (up to 20 hours at a time) for a reasonable price.

Why we picked this:

The JBL Flip speakers tend to be the most popular options from the brand, but here's why we love the Charge 5. For starters, its name refers to this speaker's ability to charge other mobile devices (via USB-A) even when it's playing music, making it a fantastic travel companion. It's perfect for long days at the beach or park when you won't have an outlet. (If the price puts you off, consider the smaller JBL Flip 6, which we also tested and loved.)

The Charge 5 has an IP67 rating, meaning a waterproof and dust-proof design that's perfect for taking to the beach or to a pool party. As a bonus, it also comes in a rainbow of fun colors — grab two of them and enable their PartyBoost feature to bump your tunes throughout multiple rooms or spaces. And of course, this speaker wouldn't make our list if it didn't sound good. As Mashable contributor, RJ Andersen wrote, "It’s rich, dynamic, and surprisingly clear with a decent bass that fills the room without overpowering the rest of the audio." You'll also get access to an equalizer in the JBL companion app, though it's nothing terribly fancy.

During sales like Prime Day, markdowns on this speaker aren't always a given. We've seen them go live for day one of a sale but be gone by day two. In other words, if you're eyeing this speaker and see it drop in price ahead of or during Prime Big Deal Days, grabbing it is probably a good idea if you're dead set on getting a deal.

Who it's for:

There are portable speakers, and there are speakers that are truly built to move with you. The JBL Clip 4 isn't just small and easy to carry around, but also easy to clip on just about anything, from a backpack to a belt loop. So, if you're looking for the absolute best blend of portability, affordability, and sound, this is a smart bet.

It's no longer the newest speaker in JBL's Clip line, but that means it's more likely to go on sale. Ahead of Prime Big Deal Days, it's marked down to $59.95 on JBL's website, compared to the Clip 5's $69.95 sale price at Amazon.

Why we picked this:

This is the ultimate portable speaker — it's compact and thin enough to slip into basically any bag, some pockets, and it gives you a backup plan with the built-in carabiner.

Even though you're getting maximum portability, the speaker doesn't sacrifice on basic functionality: you're still getting 10 hours of battery life and an IP67-rated water- and dust-proof speaker that can be taken along on most adventures. When we tested this speaker, we found that it reached an impressive volume, but in comparison to a speaker like the Wonderboom 3, which is only about $20 more, the sound does get muddled at higher volumes. In other words, if sound is more of a priority, we'd say spring for the Wonderboom. If you want something something small but built for staying in one place, save a bit of cash and get the JBL Clip 4.

Who it's for:

Looking for a compact speaker to take up as little space as possible on your desk? Maybe you want one you can literally slip into your pocket. The JBL Go 2 is exactly that, and if you don't want to use it as a Bluetooth speaker all the time, it still has a 3.5mm audio jack (unlike most newer Bluetooth speakers these days).

Why we picked this:

Admittedly, the JBL Go 2 is a little on the older side, coming out in 2018. However, we still think it's one of the best mini Bluetooth speakers, especially for those looking for an option that's easy on the budget. The sound quality is decent, especially for just under $40 (and often lower, if you can find it on sale), the volume is impressive, and the price is pretty unbeatable. Sure, you might have to charge it more often than a speaker twice its price, but we think the money saved evens the scale plenty.