6 Best Bluetooth Speakers, According to Audio Experts
From pool days to parties, these speakers won't miss a beat.
Tested by Nikolas GreenwaldManager, Data & Product Operations
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Playing music while I'm at the pool or hosting guests outdoors is a must, which is why I've relied on portable Bluetooth speakers for years. Over time, these speakers have gotten more refined, with many now offering long battery life, water- and dust-resistance, and more and more impressive sound in ever-shrinking packages. Many of today’s models can look similar when you’re just staring at a spec sheet, and teasing out which one is right for you can be a challenge.
Our top picks:
✔️ Best Overall: Bose SoundLink Plus
Long battery life, water resistance, and—above all else—premium sound quality make this speaker our top pick.
✔️ Best Value: Anker Soundcore 3
At just $50, there are few speakers offering as much functionality along with decent sound quality for the price tag.
✔️ Best for Living Room: Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 3rd Gen
A Bluetooth speaker with rich, well-balanced sound that looks more like a design object than a useful electronic.
✔️ Best Waterproof: JBL Grip
A perfectly portable speaker with loud sound in the shape of a tallboy beverage.
That’s where the Good Housekeeping Institute Tech & Engineering Lab comes in. We most recently tested dozens of wireless speakers in both our Lab and out in the field, taking them everywhere from sound-isolated recording studios to beach days and rained-on rooftop parties. Our experts combine their firsthand experience with rigorous quantitative testing of the various models on the market regularly. The following picks offer something for every listener.
Best Deal
Pros
- Warm, punchy sound that sounds great even at high volumes
- Water- and dust-resistant for outdoor adventures and beach days
- Carrying loop makes taking it anywhere easy
- Long-lasting battery keeps the music going without having to recharge
Cons
- Heavier than other models we looked at
Bose has consistently made some of the Good Housekeeping Institute Tech & Engineering Lab’s top-tested speakers, and the SoundLink Plus is no exception, with solid loudness, a warm-yet-crisp sound, and impressive bass response.
In our Lab testing, we found this speaker reproduced sound accurately across the frequency spectrum, and didn’t produce distortion or other artifacts when pushed to its highest volumes. Though it’s on the slightly heavier side of speakers we looked at, the carrying loop and water-resistant design meant it was still a strong contender in the portability and beach-readiness department, especially given its 20 hour claimed battery life.
We’ve previously recommended Bose’s SoundLink Flex as our top Bluetooth speaker, which still serves as a great, lighter, and cheaper option—we even gave it a Good Housekeeping Travel Award for its portability—but after testing this newer model we feel like the upgrade is worth it.
Pros
- Exceptional 24-hour battery life
- Lightweight, travel-friendly design
- Waterproof construction for outdoor use
- Can connect with 100+ compatible Soundcore speakers
- Excellent feature set for the price
Cons
- Audio quality isn't as detailed as premium models
This Bluetooth speaker is the best bang for your buck and knocks others featured on this list out of the park for its exceptional 24-hour battery life and waterproof design, according to the brand. It weighs under a pound, and its fairly compact design makes it easy to bring around with you. We also love that you get many of the same bells and whistles, like being able to pair up to 100+ Soundcore speakers to get the party started. While it offers excellent value and plenty of features, the sound quality isn't as rich or refined as what you'll get from more premium Bluetooth speakers.
Pros
- Top-notch sound in a small package
- Comes in six stylish colors that work with every home's decor
- 24 hour claimed battery life means you can take it on the go if you want
Cons
- No 3.5 mm input
Bang & Olufsen has a knack for making consumer audio products that look more like design objects than speakers or headphones. Impressively, that appreciation of aesthetics doesn’t come at the cost of performance. The Beosound A1 3rd Generation aced our most recent round of Lab testing, producing well-balanced sound with little distortion and getting shockingly loud given its demure stature. “Typically, a speaker’s loudness is correlated to its size, since a larger driver and chamber for resonance can help amplify sound waves, but this speaker was among the loudest we tested even with its tiny form factor,” said GH Data & Product Operations Manager Nikolas Greenwald, who conducted the most recent round of Bluetooth speaker testing.
While we think this speaker’s great design (coming in a variety of stylish colors) make it a top contender as a living room centerpiece, its 24 hour claimed battery life and light weight means it’s by no means stuck in your house. The only real drawback we found was testing was the absence of a 3.5 mm port for hooking up wired connections to older devices, though it does feature USB-C in to make up for it.
Pros
- Extremely loud with a tiny form factor
- Fits into a backpack's beverage pocket
- 12 colors and customizable designs fit your taste perfectly
- Highly water resistant and sealed to dust for non-stop music wherever you go
Cons
- Mesh exterior can get dirty easily
Out of all the speakers he tested, Greenwald reports the JBL Grip is the one that has become his daily driver: “This is pretty much my platonic ideal of a portable speaker.” The body of the speaker is shaped almost exactly like a tallboy, meaning it slips conveniently into the water bottle pockets in a backpack, making it a great pick for taking wherever you go. With an IP68 rating it can survive submersion in up to 1.5 meters of water for 30 minutes and is dust-tight, making it a great accompaniment for sandy beach days.
The real crowning achievement of this speaker is its sound—it gets outrageously loud for the size. While it isn’t offering a true audiophile-grade listening experience, it’s a fantastic speaker for most use cases where loudness trumps fidelity: parties, outdoor endeavors, and even shower listening. The speaker comes in 12 different colors, and you can also customize it further when ordering through JBL’s site, though its worth noting that the mesh exterior easily traps dirt making for a slightly less visually appealing experience than some of our other picks.
Pros
- Rich, room-filling sound with both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity
- Integrates seamlessly with other Sonos speakers for whole-home audio
- Built-in Amazon Alexa for hands-free voice control
- Easy-to-use app and straightforward setup process
- Includes a convenient wireless charging base
Cons
- Heavier and bulkier than many portable Bluetooth speakers
- Premium price point
Sonos is so popular for its crisp, clear, and excellent audio quality, and the Sonos Move 2 shouldn't be overlooked. Whether you're hoping to leave this speaker on the kitchen counter or bring it outside from time to time, it connects to both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to make things easy and has a built-in handle for convenient transportation.
Our pros admit that this speaker is on the heavier side, but it's our go-to choice for anyone trying to build a sound system throughout the whole house. While the Move 2 creates rich sound on its own, we like that it can link together with other Sonos products to create an immersive sound experience with handy voice control (it has Amazon Alexa built in). Our experts also appreciate Sonos's easy-to-use app and seamless pairing, as well as the wireless charging base that comes included with your purchase.
Pros
- Impressive loud audio quality
- Charges quickly
- Retro style
- Great connection options
Cons
- A bit heavy for a portable speaker
Whether you're hosting guests or throwing a beach party, this Bluetooth speaker from Sony makes a statement. It aced our tests as one of the loudest speakers, amazing our engineers and experts with how loud it could get without sacrificing audio quality. “I like its stylish design, handle that makes carrying it around comfortable, and the way you can adjust sound settings with tactile nobs,” Greenwald said. The analog nobs and design give it a retro style that we love, too.
The speaker has four inputs, so you can connect simultaneously via Bluetooth, an XLR–1/4” combo connector, and two wireless channels. You can also connect up to 100 speakers for large-scale sound coverage if you’re looking to really throw a party (most likely, you won’t need more than one or two for your yard, but it’s a great option for weddings and events!). “Fender's recent forays into consumer audio have been quite impressive for a brand known for pro audio,” Greenwald said.
We also like that this speaker has a Bluetooth range of nearly 33 feet, so you can move around with your phone. According to the brand, it comes with 18 hours of battery life, and you can gain back 1.5 hours of battery life with a quick, 15-minute charge. It weighs four pounds, which is on the heavier side for a portable speaker, but its powerful volume makes up for that.
How we tested the best Bluetooth speakers
The engineers and audio experts in the Good Housekeeping Institute Tech & Engineering Lab have tested 45 Bluetooth speakers in recent years, evaluating everything from ease of use to durability and performance. Our most recent evaluations were led by Nikolas Greenwald, GH Data & Operations Manager, who also nightlights as a music producer and DJ with over 10 years of experience and millions of streams under his belt.
When testing Bluetooth speakers, our experts first consider how easy each speaker is to set up, pair, and control playback music through the device and app, if applicable. We evaluate voice assistant commands, as well as claimed battery life and special features like built-in microphones. We also measure the physical footprint and weight of each speaker to factor in its portability. For sound quality, we listened to various songs across different genres (everything from rock with heavy bass to classical piano music) at maximum and minimum volumes to check for distortion; we also listened to podcasts to assess dialogue.
Next frequency response by playing sweeps through the speakers in a soundproofed environment and recording them, letting us compare the sounds produced by each speaker visually. Speakers that claim to be waterproof or weather-resistant are reviewed to ensure the validity of these claims, and outdoor speakers are dropped multiple times to make sure they still function.
What to look for when shopping for a Bluetooth speaker
When purchasing a Bluetooth speaker, you'll first want to have an idea of where you’d like your speaker to live. Is this a speaker that will sit in your living room and you’ll play music when friends are over? Do you want to be able to take your speaker with you as you travel? Is this a speaker you want in your kitchen so you can ask your voice assistant for measurement conversions and more? Your answers to questions like this will help guide you when choosing a speaker. A few other things to keep in mind include:
✔️ Size: This is typically a decent indicator of how loud each speaker can get. If you want to play music in a loud environment, a larger speaker should likely be prioritized. However, if you plan on toting the speaker around with you, you might want to sacrifice some audio output for a more manageable footprint and weight.
✔️ Battery: Plan on taking your Bluetooth speaker with you on a camping trip? Don't forget to check how much claimed battery life or playtime it has before needing to be recharged. While some speakers have 10 hours, others are closer to offering a day's worth of battery life. If you opt for a speaker with lower battery life, consider bringing a power bank along with you on your adventure.
✔️ Connectivity: Many of our top pick speakers have Wi-Fi music streaming options, as well as Bluetooth streaming options. For instance, the Sonos Roam 2 can operate over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth and also works with Alexa. Our engineers find that setup using Bluetooth is generally much easier and faster, but Wi-Fi setup may be worth the initial setup time commitment since it can allow for easier use when returning to your speaker over the long-term. Connecting through Wi-Fi is especially useful for wired speakers that will stay within the same Wi-Fi radius. If your speaker only connects via Bluetooth, make sure to check the Bluetooth range if you plan on covering a large space. While some speakers need to be within 30 feet of your phone, some will still function over 100 feet.
✔️ Water resistance: When shopping, the experts in the Good Housekeeping Institute recommend you look for a strong Ingress Protection (IP) rating as well if you're planning on using your speaker outside (or have messy kids!). This is a standard that indicates ruggedness and weather or water resistance. IP ratings have two numbers—the first for solids (i.e., dust); the second for liquids (i.e., water). We suggest an IP67 rating if you plan on using your Bluetooth speaker by the pool, where it can accidentally fall inside, which means it's waterproof up to three feet for 30 minutes.
✔️ Voice assistants: Some of our top-rated Bluetooth speakers have their own built-in voice assistants, like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. If you have any smart devices already in your home, you should look up which voice assistant they’re compatible with. Here's a list of additional smart speakers to consider if voice control is a priority for you.
Why trust Good Housekeeping?
GH Institute's Senior Reviews Writer and Analyst Olivia Lipski covers everything from consumer electronics to home, lifestyle, auto, and more. She's previously written about audio equipment, such as soundbars, noise-canceling headphones, AirPods, and AirPod alternatives. She recently updated this guide based on the Tech & Engineering Lab's extensive testing data.
Bluetooth speaker testing was conducted by Nikolas Greenwald, a Data & Operations Manager at the Good Housekeeping Institute, who works across Labs to develop testing protocols and manage data collection and analysis. In his free time, Greenwald has worked as a record producer and mix engineer for over 10 years, using the most cutting-edge technology to produce songs that have amassed millions of streams.
Nik (he/him) works across GH Institute Labs to develop testing protocols, analyze data, and build tools that support product evaluation. He also contributes editorial coverage on men’s beauty and audio, drawing on his background in chemical engineering and experience as a music producer and DJ. Before joining Good Housekeeping in 2022, Nik worked in the labs of MIT and Regeneron on projects ranging from chemical inventory and reporting to bioassay development.
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