Looking for the best Bluetooth speaker? We’ve rounded up the top portable speakers you can buy today, from budget models to waterproof outdoor speakers.
The best Bluetooth speakers of 2021 are must-have devices for any music lover, thanks to their portable, durable designs and fantastic audio performances. It’s not hard to see why they’ve become the go-to sound solution for music fans looking to take their tunes wherever they go. Whether you’re heading out to your backyard, relaxing at home, or heading down to the beach, the best Bluetooth speakers are an essential purchase – and if you are headed down to the beach, be sure to check out our guide to the best waterproof speakers, too. Nowadays, many of the best portable speakers also come with voice assistants such as Alexa and Google Assistant built-in. This means that some of these wireless speakers can double up as smart speakers, which you can use to control your smart home devices, ask questions, and play your music using your voice alone. In fact, our latest addition to this list and our new pick for the very best portable speaker you can buy in 2021 is the Sonos Roam, which can seamlessly switch from Wi-Fi to Bluetooth, integrate into a Sonos system, and comes with both Alexa and Google Assistant onboard. If that all sounds a bit daunting, there are plenty of pair-and-play devices out there too – for many, the best Bluetooth speaker offers a simple setup above all else. There’s a huge range of portable speakers out there to pick from, which means you might not know where to start. Luckily for you, we’ve done the research and the testing, which means we’re in a prime position to select the very best Bluetooth speakers you can buy in 2021. The Sonos Roam is our pick for the best Bluetooth speaker on the planet, with a powerful sound, rugged design, excellent connectivity features, and smart home control. A bass-heavy audio performance makes it ideal for use outdoors, while a clever Automatic Switching feature means it’s easily used indoors, too – though audiophiles may dislike the overwhelming low frequencies and rhythmic handling. Following in the footsteps of the Sonos Move, the Sonos Roam comes with both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, which means it can work as a portable speaker as well as part of your wider multi-room Sonos system – and with Google Assistant and Alexa onboard, it doubles up a smart speaker too. In spite of its (relatively) low price you’re getting a lot for your money here. Its slick design means the Sonos Roam won’t look out of place in your home, while a rugged, waterproof and dustproof build and a decent battery life make it ideal for listening to music outdoors. Read more: Sonos Roam review Here’s the thing about the Sonos Move – it’s so good, you might want to consider it not only as your on-the-go party station, but also as your main in-the-home wireless speaker too. With two quality drivers, a solid app that unlocks playback from hundreds of wireless sources, multi-room capabilities and smart audio-tuning tech which tweaks the output based on the speaker’s immediate surroundings, the Sonos Move is engineered well beyond your average Bluetooth speaker. It’s a versatile speaker, one that stands solidly alongside the built-for-home Sonos speakers that the company made its name on. It’s not perfect – it’s heavy as a byproduct of its incredible sound, it’s expensive due to its rich feature set, and it sadly can’t be used as rear channels for a home cinema set-up. But if you’ve got the money, it’s hard to fault the Sonos Move when it comes to hunting down the very best Bluetooth speaker in the world. Read the full review: Sonos Move review While we weren’t as impressed with the UE Boom 3 as we were with its predecessor the UE Boom 2, this is still one of the best Bluetooth speakers money can buy in 2021. This is a speaker that can get loud and not distort at higher volumes; be light enough to carry on a camping trip but remain durable enough to tumble in a bag unprotected. It’s both water and dust-proof, and now has a one-touch mix button that lets you pull up your favorite playlists without ever picking up your phone. There are certainly more detailed portable speakers out there, but at a price that’s relatively affordable to all, the UE Boom 3 hits all the right notes for the third year in a row. Ultimate Ears now lets you customize your UE Boom 3, so you have even more options when it comes to color and pattern combinations. Read the full review: UE Boom 3 review The JBL Flip 5 is proof that the best Bluetooth speakers aren’t always the ones with the most impressive specs. JBL’s Flip 5 is a simple soul with Bluetooth-only playback and modest features, but if you desire a rugged, great-sounding portable speaker and can sacrifice voice control or hands-free call functionality, you won’t be disappointed.
