The 5 Best Bluetooth Speakers Under $50 - Fall 2024

The best Bluetooth speaker under $50 we've tested is the Anker Soundcore Select 2S. This budget-friendly Bluetooth speaker boasts a portable design ideal for bringing your favorite tunes wherever you go. Its small and lightweight build makes it easy to carry in one hand, and its IPX7 rating means you can use it outdoors without worrying about rain damage. 

Since this speaker lasts roughly 14 hours on a single charge, you can listen to your music all day without interruption. Sound-wise, it reproduces voices and lead instruments with clarity and accuracy, and thanks to the graphic EQ available in the Soundcore app, you can always tweak the sound to your preference. It also gets decently loud without too much compression, although you'll want a larger speaker if volume and low-end thump are your priorities. Still, you get a lot of bang for your buck with this affordable device.

If you're looking for a speaker with a 360-degree design, the Sony SRS-XB100 is worth a look. This small speaker is the next generation of the Sony SRS-XB13, offering an improved sound for a similar price. Its small and lightweight build makes it easy to bring around wherever you go, and its IP67 rating protects it against the elements. Though it retails for above $50, you can frequently find it on sale for below this. You may find it's worth it thanks to its 360-degree design, which ensures consistent sound from all angles around the device.

This speaker lasts a remarkable 20-plus hours off a single charge, so it's great for listening late into the night. It's also suitable for many music genres, which is awesome for music lovers. It brings more low bass than its predecessor, so you can enjoy a more robust sound with genres like EDM and hip-hop. You won't find sound customization tools like with the Anker Soundcore Select 2S, but it's not much of an issue if you like its default sound. For an affordable price, this 360-degree speaker sounds great.

If you're looking for a more compact alternative to help you bring your favorite tunes on the go, check out the JBL Go 4. It's a smaller, more lightweight alternative to the Sony SRS-XB100 that's super portable, so you can easily bring it from room to room or on your next outdoor adventure. Its built-in hook lets you clip the device onto your bag or backpack, and its sturdy design helps it withstand regular wear and tear. It's even rated IP67 for dust and water resistance, which is great if you plan to take it outdoors.

This speaker is available in different colorways to suit your style and offers solid sound quality for the price. It reproduces dialogue clearly, making it a solid pick for podcasts, and voices and lead instruments in your favorite songs are accurate and detailed, too. However, unlike the Sony speaker, it lacks a 360-degree design, so the soundstage is more narrow and directional, and its seven-hour battery life is much shorter than the Sony's 20 hours. Still, it's a great value pick for your next trip outdoors.

If you like blasting your favorite songs at max volume, check out the DOSS SoundBox Plus. Despite its budget-friendly price, this speaker can get loud, so you don't have any issues filling larger, more open spaces with sound. Use it at your next party, or take it outside to the backyard—as you crank up the volume, there isn't a lot of compression, so audio reproduction remains clean and pure. Plus, the RGB lights around its drivers bring some extra excitement to your next party, and you can even control their colors and patterns to your liking, which is nice.

For the price, it's also a good choice for listening to music, as voices and lead instruments reproduce with clarity and detail. Unfortunately, unlike the Anker Soundcore Select 2S, you can't customize its performance. It's battery-powered, so you can still bring it with you on the go, but it's a little bigger than the Anker and the JBL Go 3, so it's not quite as portable. That said, if you want a simple tool to blast music at your next big event, it's a great choice that won't break the bank.

The Amazon Echo Pop is a great option if you want the features of a smart speaker without the high-end price tag. This pint-sized speaker is wired-only and is meant as an accessory for small and medium-sized rooms rather than a device you can take on the go. If you're in range, you can play music from your phone via Bluetooth or use voice commands to control the speaker. It has full integration with Alexa. You can also mute the microphone if you'd rather just use it as a Bluetooth speaker. Its sound doesn't get particularly loud or deep, but it'll still fill a bedroom or kitchen with music. Fortunately, you can adjust the mix to suit your preferences by using the companion app's graphic EQ and presets.

Depending on your existing tech ecosystem, you may want a smart speaker with better integration with devices like Chromecast. In that case, consider the Google Nest Mini. You can use its voice assistant much like the Alexa speaker, but there's an added advantage of accessing emails from your Gmail account, setting and changing events in your Google calendar, and much more. However, it's more expensive and doesn't get as loud as the Amazon speaker. Ultimately, which device works best for you depends on what products and services you already use.