The 6 Best Portable Bluetooth Speakers - Spring 2023 Reviews

The best portable Bluetooth speaker that we've tested is the Sonos Move. This versatile speaker boasts great sound quality and has lots of cool features to make the most of your listening experience wherever you go. It's a little larger than some of the other models on our list, but with a built-in handle, it's still easy to carry out to your backyard in one hand. Since it's rated IP56 for dust and water resistance, it can withstand light exposure to the elements. Wi-Fi connectivity is great for in-home use, and when you take it outside, you can switch to Bluetooth for easy wireless streaming.

Like many other Sonos products, this speaker has built-in voice assistants for hands-free control. Also, you can connect it with other Sonos products to spread audio throughout your home and out to your backyard. You'll also find bass and treble adjustments in the Sonos S2 app if you want to customize its sound manually, as well as the TruePlay room correction feature for more automatic sound adjustment to your unique listening space. It's a premium speaker that lets you bring great sound wherever you go.

Looking for a more affordable portable Bluetooth speaker? Check out the Sony SRS-XG300. It's a great choice for on-the-go listening thanks to a built-in handle that makes it easy to transport. It's relatively lightweight, too, with a sturdy overall design. Thanks to its IP67 rating for dust and water resistance, it can withstand some exposure to the elements. Take it with you to the park or on your next camping trip, and its 14-hour battery life lets you listen all day long without worrying about a recharge.

This speaker's impressive sound quality is great for listening to different music genres. It boasts a balanced sound out-of-the-box, but if you want something different, there's a graphic EQ available in its companion app. Bump up the bass or even out the treble, and you can make it sound however you like. That said, this speaker doesn't have any built-in voice assistants like the Sonos Move, so if you want to control it hands-free, you'll need to pair it with a voice assistant-enabled smartphone wirelessly. If voice assistant control isn't a big deal, you may find it's a better value overall.

The best portable speaker in the mid-range we've tested is the Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 3. It's a small, cylindrical Bluetooth speaker that's easy to bring with you on the go, and you can even attach it to your bag with its built-in carrying hook. It comes in many color variants, so you can choose a style that meets your taste. It's also rated IP67 for dust and water resistance, which is great if you want to use your speaker near bodies of water, like a pool, a river, or a lake.

Given its price, it's unsurprising that this speaker reproduces less low-bass than the Sony SRS-XG300. It's most noticeable with bass-heavy music, like EDM and hip-hop, as you don't feel as much rumble and thump. However, it's not a big deal if you mostly listen to content without much bass mixed in, like dialogue-focused podcasts or classical music. You can also customize its sound based on your preferences using the graphic EQ and presets available in the Ultimate Ears app, which is nice.

The Anker Soundcore Motion+ is a more affordable portable Bluetooth speaker with versatile performance. Whether you want to take it to the park or on your next camping trip, it's a solid pick, thanks to its small and lightweight design. It lasts over fifteen hours off of a single charge, so you don't have to worry about running out of power while you're out and about. If the adventure takes you near a body of water, you're in luck—this device is rated IPX7 for water resistance, meaning it can be submerged in a meter of water for up to thirty minutes without issue.

Despite its small and compact size, this speaker packs a punch for sound quality. Its out-of-the-box performance is great for listening to different music genres, podcasts, and audiobooks. Voices and lead instruments are clear and present in the mix, and there's a solid amount of bass, too. Of course, as a small speaker, it doesn't bring as much rumble as some of the larger picks on our list, and its materials are less premium than the Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 3. Still, it's a great choice, with many customization features, including a graphic EQ in the Soundcore companion app.

The Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 3 is a great budget-friendly alternative to our top picks. This neat device, designed for outdoor and indoor use, is made of recycled plastic and is available in various color variants. Clip it to your bag using its built-in strap, or carry it in one hand, which is easy given its small and lightweight design. Since it can float in water, it's great to use at the pool, and its IP67 rating for dust and water resistance keeps it safe when exposed to the elements.

This speaker also comes with an Outdoor Mode preset that makes audio sound more clear and more crisp when you're out of the house. Otherwise, though, it doesn't have a lot of customization features like the Anker Soundcore Motion+. If you want a budget-friendly speaker with a graphic EQ and presets to switch up its sound, check out the Anker Soundcore Flare 2. While the Anker can't float in water, and its battery life doesn't last as long as the Ultimate Ears, it's still a solid option that ranks among the best small Bluetooth speakers we've tested. You can't go wrong with either speaker.

The JBL Boombox 3 is a portable Bluetooth speaker that packs a punch in the bass range. It has a sleek boombox-like design with a built-in handle, so you can easily transport this mid-size speaker from room to room. Along the way, you get a deep and rumbling low-bass that brings genres like EDM and hip-hop to life, so you feel the thump in the space around you. Want more bass? You're in luck, as the JBL Portable app comes with a 3-band graphic EQ, making it easy to add more punch with the touch of a button.

This speaker is quite versatile. It lasts almost 30 hours off of a single charge, so you can listen to your favorite tunes for multiple days without worrying about a recharge. It gets loud, meaning you can shake the room with bass-heavy music. Regardless of the genre of music, voices and lead instruments remain clearly and accurately reproduced in the mix, so they aren't overwhelmed by the punch and rumble. You won't find voice assistant capabilities like with the Sonos Move, but if you don't plan to use these tools, you may find it a better value overall. Ultimately, this speaker is a great choice for bass lovers.