The best Bluetooth speaker of 2017: the best portable speakers for any budget

Best Bluetooth Speaker Buying Guide: Welcome to TechRadar's round-up of the best Bluetooth speakers you can buy in 2017.

Our guide to the best Bluetooth speaker is a constantly updated list of the best portable speakers around. Whether you want to buy a speaker that you can take on holiday or to the park, you're sure to find one on this list that sounds great, has good battery life, and some that can even survive a dip in the water.

Interested in keeping your wireless speaker in the safety of your home? While some Bluetooth speakers focus on conquering the outdoors, most of these magical music boxes also work great around the home, too. They might not sound as good as a full Hi-fi setup, but being battery-powered allows you to put them anywhere, regardless of whether they're close to a plug socket or not.

There are hundreds of Bluetooth speakers floating around, and sorting out which ones are worth your money and which ones are best left on the shelf can be a time-consuming process. But leave it to us. We've got you covered.

Here's a quick look at our best Bluetooth speakers list:

How to pick out the best Bluetooth speaker

One of the biggest questions we get asked when talking to folks about Bluetooth speakers is: How do I pick out the best one? The answer is to set your budget, figure out a list of must-have features and then shop within those constraints.

Some common features that people search for are water-resistance (and water-proofed speakers), voice calling and device charging, a feature that allows you to plug your phone or tablet into the speaker to siphon off a bit of juice when it's running a bit low.

Another good way to narrow down your search is to select a speaker based on the activity you're going to do with it. A great travel speaker might not have the exact same attributes as the best home listening speaker, for example.

That being said, we've tried to highlight some of the most common use cases below and have selected a speaker that fits perfectly with that scenario.

UE Boom 2

This sequel to the UE Boom nails everything a Bluetooth speaker should be. It's loud, yet detailed. Portable, but still incredibly durable. Plus, even better, the addition of waterproofing turns what used to be the best Bluetooth speaker around for most occasions into the best one for every occasion.

If you're deep in the search for your next –, or first – Bluetooth speaker, you can stop looking now. (But if you're looking for a little more power, the Megaboom – also from UE – is a great choice, too.)

Read the full review: UE Boom 2

Fugoo

Meet one of the Bluetooth speaker market's best-kept secrets. The Fugoo comes in your choice of jacket style (Style, Tough, or Sport), but no matter which one you choose, this speaker is just as suited for the elements as it is your coffee table. Despite its small size, this option offers surprisingly good sound performance and, get this, up to 40 hours of battery life when listening at medium volume. We were able to get nearly 20 hours out of it at a high volume.

Read the full review: Fugoo

As a package, the JBL Charge 3 offers a compelling set of features and excellent sound quality to boot. It punches well above its weight, playing loudly and distortion-free. The Charge line of speakers have been on our shortlist of recommendations for a long time and the latest iteration maintains JBL's dominance in the portable Bluetooth speaker market.

Read the full review: JBL Charge 3

The Bose SoundLink Mini II is relatively ancient, having been released in June 2015. However, writing off the SoundLink Mini II because of its age would be a mistake, as it remains one of the best sounding wireless speakers. That said, it punches way above what its size would suggest, producing deep bass, sparkling highs and a lush midrange. While most wireless speakers sound OK, the Mini II proves that small speakers don’t need to compromise on sound.

Read the full review: Bose SoundLink Mini II

When someone asks us for a recommendation for a waterproof speaker, the UE Roll 2 was always on the top of our list. We loved the Roll 2’s unique form factor, 50-foot wireless range and, obviously, it sounded good, too. Where it was lacking was in the bass department. Logitech, UE’s parent company, has fixed the Roll 2’s lack of bass by creating the appropriately named UE Wonderboom.

In our eyes, the UE Wonderboom bests the Roll 2 in just about every way –except for the Roll 2’s handy bungee cord. Still, ignoring that, if you’re looking for one of the best waterproof Bluetooth speakers on the market today, it’s hard to do better than the UE Wonderboom.

Read the full review: UE Wonderboom

It's increasingly difficult to stand out in the crowded Bluetooth speaker market, but the Philips EverPlay BT7900 has earned a place on this list thanks to its powerful, balanced sound, and phenomenal range.

This fact, combined with its weatherproofing, means that it makes a great garden speaker. You can happily wander back inside with your phone in your pocket without it losing signal, and it won't be troubled by any surprise showers.

It's not the most feature-packed speaker in the world. It doesn't offer the ability to charge other devices, and its bass sounds better when the speaker is hanging rather than resting on a surface, but otherwise this is a very capable speaker at at a very reasonable price.

Read the full review: Philips EverPlay BT7900

B&O created a hit with the Beoplay P2. It’s a well-designed speaker that’s extremely easy to use, has a well-built companion app, and it sounds great. On top of that, the speaker is ultra-portable without compromising on much bass content. Sure, you could get something a little bigger (and stereo) for the same price, but at this size the sound quality justifies the price. The smart gestures are a nice touch too, although we wouldn’t buy the device solely for that reason.

Read the full review: B&O Beoplay P2

The Marshall Kilburn might not appear to be the best choice in Bluetooth speakers. It’s large, heavy, doesn’t have USB charging and isn’t waterproof – plus, $299 (£239, about AU$390) is a lot to pay for a Bluetooth speaker.

But none of this matters because the Kilburn sounds so darn good.

Over a month's time, we fell in love with the Kilburn’s design, feel and pristine sound quality. There’s no other portable Bluetooth speaker on the market quite like it. It’s a head turner and conversation piece. It’s a piece of audio art that you’ll be proud to show off to your friends during a party.

Read the full review: Marshall Kilburn

It seems just about every speaker company has a wireless speaker that can take the abuse of being outdoors and Bose, a company most well-known for its brand of excellent noise-canceling headphones, is no different. If you’re looking for something from Bose to take with you on your next hike, the $130 (about £100, AU$170) SoundLink Color II is the company’s only splash-proof speaker that can stand up to the elements with an IPX4 rating.

Read the full review: Bose SoundLink Color II

Creative Sound Blaster Roar 2

Bringing bluntness over refinement, the JBL Flip 4 is a good Bluetooth speaker for the rugged outdoorsman in your friend circle. It’s rough, tough design makes it perfect as a portable speaker to accompany all aspects of your life while its sound is solid without worrying your home audio system.

It’s all weather friendly design is a win, but a lack of definition and distinction in the mid-range ultimately means its sound quality is not quite up to scratch when compared with some, more high-end portable speakers.

Read the full review: JBL Flip 4

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