Best Bluetooth speakers 2021: Top portable speakers to buy today

 

Bluetooth speakers come in all different shapes and sizes, from larger models that fill your entire living room, to smaller laptops that are perfect for picnics or going from room to room. (Pocket-lint)

It's no simple task to find the right speaker for you and your needs, so we've rounded up our list of the best portable speakers available to purchase at the moment. You'll find a mix of types, tools, sizes and budgets.

There may be some overlap with Wi-Fi or wireless speakers, but we have focused on units in this roundup that are primarily designed to stand alone and use Bluetooth to connect directly to your phone or other gadget.

Our pick of the best Bluetooth speakers to buy today

Bang and Olufsen Beosound A1 2nd Gen

The Bang and Olufsen Beosound A1 2nd Gen is unrivalled if you're looking for a portable Bluetooth speaker - and will excuse the lack of Wi-Fi, AirPlay, and a 3.5mm port. It's obviously superior to the already awesome original, with added Alexa voice control and waterproofing.

For several, the elephant in the room would be the asking price of the Beosound A1 2nd Gen. No it's not a low-priced mic. But indeed, it is most certainly a high-quality one that delivers a beautifully made bundle with enormous tone.

It may be thin, but the 2nd Gen Beosound A1 packs a large punch that makes every penny worth it. At this size, we can name no better portable.

Sonos Move

The Sonos Move is a Bluetooth speaker as well as a Wi-Fi speaker - including a rear switch to switch between the two modes. It connects to other Sonos speakers in Wi-Fi mode for a multi-room audio experience, while it provides a great sound experience with plenty of bass and a rugged and water-resistant design in Bluetooth mode. It will also change itself automatically to its surroundings.

By some stretch of the imagination, it's not inexpensive and it's also weighty, which means that while it's lightweight - there's an integrated handle on the back - it's not the kind of gadget you can pop for a picnic in your backpack. That said if you take it to the park or the beach, it will impress you most with its sound and volume.

For those with a Sonos setup, it's a perfect alternative, providing the best of both worlds - an outstanding smart Wi-Fi speaker with AirPlay 2 support that you can switch around as you please.

Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3

The UE Megaboom is a remarkable product; one that is really limited only by a high price point. But even the high price can't muddy the raft of good points that see it swim along - thanks to waterproofing and floatability, practically if you dunk it in the ocean.

This bass-booming cylinder sounds amazing (with even stronger bass than before), looks great, and is tough enough to deal with music in the workplace, for a picnic or festival in the summer, or anything else you throw at it. It's a blissful Bluetooth speaker.

Marshall Stockwell II

We'll leave that to the larger Kilburn II (below and larger-than-life Tufton, but this is a super-portable unit that provides you with powerful on-the-go audio. It's not a party speaker. It's perfect for picnics and camping (both tried and tested by us). It's definitely not going to be your main speaker at home - but if you need it, it's totally capable of being that.

There is also a battery level monitor, as well as the default Marshall bass, treble and volume controls. Over 20 hours of listening time out of it, you'll get well. Indeed, the last time you had to charge it you'll try hard to recall.

Bang and Olufsen BeoPlay A1

The BeoPlay A1 is a savvy choice if you can find it for a bargain price, with a slightly different name to the more recent Bang and Olufsen Beosound A1 2nd Gen (which replaces this device). Its big sound makes it stand out, as does the next-gen version.

Yeah, like some of its rivals, there is no Wi-Fi, AirPlay, waterproofing or 360-degree design, but the solid battery, build quality, extra bass punch and sheer audio clarity offer the upper hand to this speaker when it comes to sound quality. Saving up to buy is well worth it.

Ultimate Ears Boom 3

The UE Boom 2 was excellent, taking the original UE Boom, one of our favourite portable Bluetooth speakers, and making it even better. IP67 waterproofing and a sharper sound were also present. This is put on a notch by the Boom 3 - for a cheaper price too.

The UE Boom 2 hits the nail on the head if you're looking for compact, premium sound wherever you are. Have fair expectations and it's a seriously hot Bluetooth speaker for bass transmission.

Marshall Kilburn II

Its simplicity and portability are the beauty of the powerful Kilburn II. Truly a wall of sound, the Kilburn II is a bass blaster that turns it up to 10 (not 11 sorry). Remember, once you get up to something approaching that amount of volume, you're going to do well to be next to it.

We have listened to cleaner-sounding versions, and instead plump for the UE Megaboom 3 if you need 360 sound. Battery life is amazing at about 20 hours, however and the entire speaker has a very distinctive look and feel, naturally, being a Marshall product.

Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2

If you want to invest in the UE portable Bluetooth speaker range, but want something smaller than the Boom 2 or Megaboom, the Wonderboom is the boom for you - now available in this enhanced version. Prepare yourself for an eruption of 360-degree noise that belies its scale when you turn it on. Thanks to its rubberized casing and IP67 ranking, it is palm-sized and like other speakers in the series, is safe against knocks, bumps, drops and splashes.

It can float as well, so you can take it with you comfortably in the water. In addition, there are a range of colours available - black, grey, red, blue and pink. With aplomb, it can handle all music genres and will bring life to every social scenario. You can also pair two stereos together.

BeoPlay P6

There's plenty to like about the P6, including its beautiful sound quality and friendly physical controls to produce sensational sound. It is also dust-proof and splash-proof and has a completely rechargeable battery that lasts 16 hours.

The only real drawback is the high cost of asking (which has come down a bit) and you may want to look at the cheaper A1, above. There is also no auxiliary input of 3.5mm, either, which is a little disappointing.

JBL Xtreme 2

This highly portable speaker is loud and crisp and it will give you some pretty impressive bass from the dual woofers, even though it has no 360-degree tone.

It is certainly a party speaker and also has a large carrying handle and is also water-resistant to IPX7. There are only two drawbacks - a fairly hefty price point for one, though it is also very heavy, too.

Denon Envaya DSB-250

Denon is a well-known brand in the Hi-Fi world. And Envaya is a great-sounding speaker true to these roots, balancing fidelity and strength. Actually, we'd go as far as to suggest that it's one of the small wireless speakers with the best sound around.

Denon, by the way, has three versions available, the largest being the 250BT and, naturally, the beefiest. Below are the Envaya Mini (150BT) and Envaya Pocket (50BT) slots. The DSB-250, with IP67 water resistance, is semi-rugged. For half an hour, it can withstand being immersed in water a metre deep.