Best Bluetooth Speakers hold a near and dear place in our hearts, even as we see smart speakers improving their sound and portability. It’s convenient to ask a Echoes of Amazon or Google Nest Speaker to play your favorite music or tell you the weather, but smart speakers need stable, up-to-date Wi-Fi to perform their best. By (mostly) ditching voice assistants and Wi-Fi radios, Bluetooth speakers are incredibly portable, can venture out into the world, and can withstand harsh conditions like a sandy beach or a steamy Airbnb hot tub. They’ll work with any smartphone, and the top options sound as good or better than the average smart speaker.
We’ve tested hundreds of Bluetooth speakers since 2017 (and many before that), and they’ve gotten better every year. Here are our favorites right now. Be sure to check them all out. shopping guideincluding Best Soundbar, Best Wireless Headphones, Best smart speakerAnd Best Bookshelf Speakers.
Updated June 2024: We’ve updated our top pick to the latest version of the Ultimate Ears Boom, added the Brane Audio Brane X speaker, and added the Sony Ult Field 1 to our Honorable Mention list.
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