The best portable Bluetooth speakers for every kind of party

The Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 looks less impressive than its rivals, but it provides high-quality sound. Indeed, it performs way beyond its small stature. The bass is powerful, while the mids and highs are well balanced and the lows are pleasingly crisp. It sounds like a much bigger system, though for true stereo sound you'll need to connect it to a second speaker.

The Beoplay A1 is controlled by an excellent, highly-intuitive app, which gives you the option to cycle through EQ levels and listening modes — the most impressive customisation on this list.

One negative point is that Alexa is limited. Because it's Bluetooth rather than wireless, you need to connect the speaker to a smartphone to use Alexa, and it can't access all of Alexa's features, such as streaming. For most partygoers, however, that's unlikely to be a dealbreaker.

The Bose SoundLink Revolve Series II is the next-gen version of Bose's already impressive Revolve. It's handily portable and delivers true 360-degree surround sound for an all-round listening experience. Quite literally.

It's significantly smaller that other high-end 360-degree audio speakers. But don't be fooled by the size. The Revolve Series II packs plenty of volume. It's made to go loud, with zero distortion at top volume. That makes it great for outdoor shindigs — not to mention water resistance in case of poor weather.

If you're already a Bose fan, the SoundLink Revolve Series II can pair with a second speaker to create a stereo sound, or to integrate into the Bose audio system via SimpleSync technology. You can also access your voice assistant.

The speaker is controlled with the Bose Connect app, which allows you to switch between Stereo mode or Party mode (yes, the Revolve Series II is very much a speaker for all occasions) with enough battery for 13 hours.

How could we not include Bose again? Its range of speakers is too good and diverse. The Bose SoundLink Micro might lack the stylish looks of some of its competitors, but it offers excellent sound quality. 

The Bose SoundLink Micro is also bordering on indestructible, so it's perfect for taking out and about with you. And it gets right to the point with a top-facing speaker and a micro USB charging port to the side. 

Its small stature makes it far more travel-friendly than some of the rivals on this list — easy to toss into your bag, with a bonus strap for easily clipping it to yourself or your luggage. The only real downside is it doesn't have full 360-degree sound, which is due to the placement of its front-facing speaker. And the battery life is a tad stingy at just six hours. But it's not a dealbreaker for us.

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:

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.

Nothing — and we do mean nothing — says party time like colourful lights that flash and dance along with the music. That’s why we have to include the JBL Pulse 5, which promises JBL’s great signature sound along with a 360-degree light show for ultimate party vibes. The lights actually sync to your favourite tunes, though you can also customise the lights via the JBL app.

The JBL Pulse 5 is a bit pricier than most JBL speakers we’d usually recommend — JBL is king of the mid-range speaker — but this one ups the ante sound-wise with specially designed speaker tech to crank the bass.

It’s actually built with partying in mind. It has a PartyBoost feature — a fun way of saying that you can link two or more JBL PartyBoost-compatible speakers together via Bluetooth and fill your home with tunes and dancing lights. In addition to all that, it’s resilient to the elements and has a 12 hour battery life.