Best Mini Bluetooth Speaker 2018

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Wireless Bluetooth speakers take become ubiquitous, indispensable gadgets. Anybody's got one somewhere, and the use cases vary from person to person. Maybe you use your speaker around the house or as a shower soundtrack. Maybe you lot bring it along to the park or beach. And then there are those people who take a portable speaker practically everywhere they go — sharing their music from a cycle or haversack with everyone nearby.

I know a lot of people who have old Bluetooth speakers kick around, and if the 1 you've got is still working for yous, there'south no firsthand demand to upgrade to something newer. But Bluetooth speakers have gotten very good in recent years. Sound quality continues to improve, bombardment life is stretching to new records, and they're more robust and durable than ever before.

If y'all're shopping around for a new speaker, offset off by because what size yous want. For this guide, I'm mostly sticking to portable Bluetooth speakers and excluding anything that's impractical to accept on the go. From at that place, y'all need to weigh other criteria like audio quality, ease of use, durability, and bonus features like speakerphone functionality. Some speakers permit yous stereo pair two of them together, and several companies include "party mode" capabilities that permit you link many speakers together. If you lot don't really care about any of that, you tin get a tiny Bluetooth speaker for as niggling as $25. But all of the picks here go a little farther in terms of features and mode.

The all-time portable Bluetooth speakers

*Bose'southward SoundLink Flex is more rugged and durable than information technology looks.*

1. Bose SoundLink Flex

All-time Bluetooth speaker nether $200

I don't know what kind of engineering sorcery goes into Bose'southward Bluetooth speakers; I just know that going back to the SoundLink Mini Two, they've only sounded clearer and better — to my ears, at least — than any competitors in the same size range. The $149 SoundLink Flex is Bose's latest portable speaker, and it continues to make good on that reputation.

Despite but having a mono commuter (which isn't uncommon for Bluetooth speakers), the SoundLink Flex delivers expansive sound with a genuinely surprising amount of bass. And crucially, that low end isn't muddy or boomy. Everything about this speaker is rich and clear. That's even more surprising when y'all consider that it only supports the baseline SBC Bluetooth codec instead of AAC or the more advanced LDAC. And even so, this speaker sounds first-class.

Bose SoundLink Flex

$129
$149
fourteen% off

Bose's newest Bluetooth speaker, the SoundLink Flex, offers pristine, detailed sound quality with a surprising amount of bass for its size — all in a rugged design that you can take anywhere.

$129 at Amazon
$130 at Best Buy

You lot tin can expect around 12 hours of battery life, and like many other speakers in this guide, the SoundLink Flex is rated IP67 for dust and water resistance. Bose is very confident it can withstand tumbles and swims. Whether you lay the speaker flat or stand it upright, the Flex will automatically optimize the EQ for either orientation. And it as well works better than most equally a speakerphone with the help of built-in mics. Not everything about the SoundLink Flex is platonic: its buttons aren't easy to use by feel alone, and it's strange that Bose opted to go with Bluetooth 4.two instead of a newer version of the spec. Merely if those are my biggest gripes, information technology'south fair to say that the SoundLink Flex is a winner.

*The UE Nail iii remains a popular Bluetooth speaker several years after release.*

ii. UE Nail 3

Best waterproof Bluetooth speaker

It's frankly a picayune heed-boggling that I'g still writing nearly the UE Boom 3 in 2022. This speaker was released in 2018, and Ultimate Ears has been coasting on information technology ever since. Mayhap that says something about how stagnant the Bluetooth speaker marketplace has get, or perhaps UE just hasn't come up up with anything that outshines the $149.99 Boom three in a meaningful way. Or maybe information technology's simply a testament to how good of a portable speaker the Boom 3 is.

Ultimate Ears Nail 3

$128
$150
xv% off

Few portable speakers accept enjoyed the same popularity as the Ultimate Ears Boom 3. With 360-degree sound, a waterproof construction, and easy controls, it'due south not surprising this Bluetooth speaker has stuck around for then long.

$128 at Amazon
$130 at Best Purchase

The company considers this the "perfected" have on the cylindrical, 360-degree speaker design that it pioneered with earlier Booms. And with 15-hr battery life, a fully waterproof outside that floats in pond pools, and those giant, foolproof volume buttons, the UE Boom iii still holds up. Its standout feature compared to older models is the Magic Button, which lets yous speedily play a specific playlist with a press and hold of the top button. But what's given the Smash iii such staying power is its simplicity, rugged build, and satisfactory sound. Having drivers burn down in all directions makes for an expansive soundstage, even if the Boom iii can lack the detail and sharpness of some competitors. Just as an all-rounder, there'south a lot to similar.

*The Sonos Roam has big smarts for a modest speaker.*

3. Sonos Roam

All-time Bluetooth smart speaker

Information technology's of import to proceed your expectations reasonable if you're looking at buying the Sonos Roam. The visitor'due south larger speakers often deliver sound performance that sounds bigger and more than spacious than you'd expect, but that's non necessarily true of the tiny Roam. Don't go me wrong: while it's not going to coating a room with music, it's more than capable of putting out clear, dynamic sound if you're sitting nearby or using it equally a shower speaker.

Sonos Roam

$180

The Sonos Roam is a small, very portable Bluetooth speaker that integrates with the company's pop whole-home audio platform. It also supports hands-free voice commands with either Alexa or Google Banana.

$180 at Best Purchase
$179 at Sonos

The real selling points of the Roam are its smarts and tight integration with Sonos' whole-home audio platform. When at dwelling house, the Roam streams music over Wi-Fi, so you're getting amend fidelity than Bluetooth. You can seamlessly hand off playback from the Roam to another nearby Sonos speaker with the printing of a button, and information technology'south a cheap way of adding a turntable to your Sonos system — so long as your turntable supports Bluetooth. Yous can also hands grouping information technology with other Sonos speakers for multi-room playback. If yous want to use the Roam as a smart speaker, have your option betwixt Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant for hands-gratis vocalism commands.

Sonos recently released a slightly cheaper Roam SL that omits the built-in microphones. But unless you're adamantly opposed to having mics in your gadgets, I'd steer clear of the Roam SL. Information technology merely saves you $20 but loses fairly substantial features like automatic Trueplay audio quality tuning, the Sound Swap characteristic mentioned above, and (obviously) all voice interactions. For $99 or $129, I could admittedly come across it. But $159 is just too much to ask for the Roam SL.

*JBL's Charge 5 is a perfect kitchen speaker.*

4. JBL Charge 5

Bluetooth speaker with the best battery life

If you lot're looking for something a little more than powerful, JBL's Charge 5 is beefier than the UE Boom in terms of both dimensions and audio reproduction. I'thousand not a fan of JBL putting a super-sized logo on its newest speakers; and so much for subtlety. Simply if you lot don't mind that aesthetic determination, the Charge v ticks off many boxes for functionality.

Information technology's a stamina gnaw with up to 20 hours of continuous playback. Speaking of batteries, a unique trick offered by the Charge 5 is its ability to recharge external devices: there's a USB-A port for topping upwardly your ain phone or a friend'south as y'all listen to tunes.

JBL Accuse 5

$180

JBL's Charge five is a powerful Bluetooth speaker with a marathon battery life of upwards to xx hours. It also lets you accuse your phone through the built-in USB-A port.

$180 at Amazon
$180 at Best Buy

My main disappointment with the Charge 5 is its mono driver, which has to downmix stereo content. When you're dealing with mono portable speakers, there might be sections of a song or particular instruments that aren't as prevalent equally they are on stereo speakers. And since the Charge 5 doesn't audio quite as pristine and detailed as Bose'due south SoundLink Flex, information technology's more noticeable here.

*The Sony SRS-XB43 mixes powerful audio with flashy lights.*

five. Sony SRS-XB43

Best Bluetooth speaker for outdoor parties

Sony'due south SRS-XB43 gives you lot powerful stereo audio with deep, resounding bass. Plus, you lot become a light show to go along with the music. This speaker is more than capable of treatment the soundtrack to an outdoor political party — especially if yous enable its Extra Bass mode.

Sony SRS-XB43

$248
$280
12% off

Sony's SRS-XB43 is a large Bluetooth speaker that's perfect for parties both indoors and out. The powerful stereo drivers sound cracking with plenty of bass, and you lot also get a customizable light evidence.

$248 at Amazon

It also has an aux jack (a rarity amidst the picks here), so anyone can plug in and play audio if y'all don't desire to deal with Bluetooth. But if you lot exercise, the XB43 also supports Sony's LDAC codec, and like JBL'southward Charge 5, there's a USB-A jack on the back for juicing upwards your gadgets.

The headphone jack is a goner on most phones these days, and sadly the aux input is as well increasingly disappearing from many Bluetooth speakers. But this 1 gives you lot the best of everything. Information technology weighs half dozen and a half pounds, so this isn't a speaker you'll be casually tossing in your bag. But it'due south tailor-made for apply effectually the house and for parties. And yes, you can download an app and take full control of the lights.

*JBL's Prune 4 can latch onto a purse or backpack with ease.*

6. JBL Clip 4

All-time modest Bluetooth speaker

The Prune 4 from JBL is actually a flake larger than I would've expected when looking at marketing images. But the integrated carabiner makes information technology effortless to attach to your bag, bike, and who knows what else. I was pleasantly surprised by the sound this compact speaker can produce.

JBL Clip 4

$lx
$80
26% off

JBL's Clip iv is an ultra-portable Bluetooth speaker that, as the proper name gives away, tin can be clipped onto just about annihilation. What's most surprising is how good and articulate it sounds despite its small size.

$lx at Amazon
$60 at Best Buy

The bass is a little recessed, simply the Clip 4 puts out clear and crisp mids and treble. Similar our other picks, it'due south rated IP67 for dust and water resistance. Combined with its diminutive size and 10-hour battery life, you're looking at a corking speaker for bringing along on hikes or other adventures.

*The Sonos Move combines good sound with whole-home sound integration.*

7. Sonos Motion

Best large Bluetooth speaker

At half dozen.61 pounds, the Sonos Move is a hefty thing to lug around. That'due south why it's mainly intended to be moved around the business firm or out to the backyard. It'southward not what I'd consider user-friendly, just in substitution for putting upwardly with a much bigger speaker than the Roam, yous're rewarded with a substantial sound upgrade.

Sonos Move

$319
$399
20% off

The Sonos Move is a large speaker that's designed to be moved around the firm or used outside in the m. It offers powerful sound and total support for countless streaming apps through the Sonos app.

$319 at Best Buy
$319 at Sonos

The Move is more than capable of filling a room with resonant sound, and like the Roam, you get your selection of using it similar a regular Bluetooth speaker or playing music over Wi-Fi with the Sonos app. With an IP56 grit and water resistance rating, the Move is designed to be weatherproof, and it's able to withstand some bumps. You'd promise for as much considering this speaker's $400 price tag. But when you add in extras like hands-gratuitous vocalisation controls and automated Trueplay, the Move has a large handbag of tricks that make it a unique option if you're after a larger, louder speaker.

Source: https://www.theverge.com/23022617/best-bluetooth-speakers