Music is exciting, punchy and energetic, yet it achieves this without overloading the bass, or pushing the treble so far that it loses realism. It's what you expect from B&O (and for a premium price), and is what makes this the best smaller portable speaker for hardcore music lovers.

We test countless portable speakers every year at TechRadar, and that means we know exactly which features and specs to look out for. Feature-rich, but does not excel in any one are. Of note are the options to use voice commands, and pair two SoundLink speakers together for double the output. That said, controls are difficult to operate, and voice commands fail to register more often than not. Should you have a home with Bose technology, the SoundLink is compatible with the Bose Smart Home family.

In terms of features the JBL Charge 5 is relatively basic compared to something like theJBL Pulse 4– which provides a customizable lightshow for users – but for this fifth generation JBL has incrementally improved sound quality and volume while still offering all-day battery life. You’re a frequent beachgoer: The Scene’s IPX7 rating means it’s at risk to fine particles, like sand, so it's not great for the beach. Apple fanatic? Try out the best AirPlay speakers. The latest updates to this best Bluetooth speakers guide We test each Bluetooth speaker in a range of environments and against its chief competitors too, so you know that the product will work just as well in the great outdoors as it does in your home. We live with these speakers in our homes to make sure that their performances are consistent, and we don't finalize our testing until we are certain of the sound quality.

If you're after a Sonos speaker for your home but also want the ability to be able to take it outside with you, then the Move 2 is the Bluetooth speaker you've been looking for. It's both flexible and reliable, and looks classy to boot. Both JBL and Bose produce a range of speakers, some are small and compact whereas others are big enough to fill a room with sound at a party. Bose tends to make products that are at the premium end of the spectrum in terms of both excellent audio performance, design and price. JBL is more affordable and its products tend to fall in the mid-range when it comes to quality. JBL is well known for making some of the best waterproof speakers affordable prices, and it’s line of party speakers even come with built-in light shows. Powerful Bluetooth 5 signal. With over 10 hours of play time and the most advanced Bluetooth 5 chipset available today, the Sonictrek Go is ready to take on a full day of use. Charge in under 30 minutes with included USB-C rapid charging port.The Ultimate Ears Boom 3 was highly anticipated, but unfortunately fails to improve on its predecessors in both sound quality and portability. The oddly thin, cylindrical shape tends to roll when on its side, and easily tips over when not on the included charging stand. Poor signal quality results in music stutter, which is unacceptable at this price point. With a unique design and promising features, we hope the next iteration improves on these glaring flaws. When party mode is enabled, two speakers sync up for double the output. It’s a fun feature that works by pressing the pairing button on both speakers. You can crank up the dual speaker volume to raucous levels for larger gatherings. You want a smart speaker: There are no mics for talking to Siri, Alexa or the Google Assistant here, which means you wont hear your voice over the speakerphone.

It's important for us to compare the performance of these speakers against the specs claimed by their manufacturers, which is why we take the time to make sure the battery life and connectivity is as good as the brands say they are. There are lots of speaker styles to choose from – that's why we've put together lots of guides on the best speakers you can buy. You want Wi-Fi connectivity: Unlike the Sonos Roam, there’s no option to hook the Flip 6 up to your home network for higher quality music streaming. The speaker can be controlled remotely with a connected device, but also features large easy to press buttons that feel rugged and durable. The plus and minus sigs adjust volume, and the other smaller buttons provide pairing, pause, and power.

Customer Testimonials

You need to play extremely loudly: It's loud, but if you’re looking for max volume, you’ll need to look at even bigger speakers, like the Tribit Stormbox Blast.

The Tribit Stormbox Micro 2 is the best-sounding and most fully-featured mini Bluetooth speaker we've had the pleasure of testing. It's not the most powerful or the loudest Bluetooth speaker out there, but at this size and price you can't currently buy better. Powerful Bluetooth 5 signal. With over 12 hours of play time and the most advanced Bluetooth 5 chipset available today, the Sonictrek Go XL is ready to take on a full day of use. Charge in under 30 minutes with included USB-C rapid charging port. The best waterproof Bluetooth speaker, made for the road. The Sonictrek Go goes wherever your trek takes you. Fully waterproof with an ultra-durable sealed design and included wear-resistant lanyard.You won't find extra features such as voice assistants or Wi-Fi connectivity (or even a 3.5mm aux-in), but the Flip 6 sounds so good that you won't miss them. During our testing, we found that its warm, well-balanced audio performance is far more powerful than you might expect from a speaker of this size, and while the treble can sound a little harsh at higher volumes, you're getting plenty of clarity and detail.