The 11 Best Bluetooth Speakers To Buy

Every year we’re getting better and cheaper tech. One area in particular we’re seeing this is wireless speakers. Even just a year or two ago, speakers like the ones on this list were double or triple the price. The upgrade in quality, battery longevity, and decrease in price means great portable speakers are more accessible than ever. And now with the explosion in Amazon Echo and Google Home sales, people have even more reasons to use a wireless speaker. Pairing Alexa or Cortana with a high quality wireless speaker makes using them just that much better. And since you can get an Echo Dot so cheap nowadays, it doesn’t make sense not to pair a wireless speaker with it, since the Dot’s speaker isn’t the loudest or best quality. For just a few bucks you can have a totally hands free system for listening to high quality music, making phone calls, and so much more around your house, when even just a few years ago that wouldn’t be possible.

With WiFi and Bluetooth, you can take these speakers anywhere, connect them to so many devices. And as an added bonus, some of these speakers are even waterproof. Just bring a little handheld speaker with you and throw it on the beach towel or next to the pool, not have to worry about it getting wet, and listen for hours to great music that used to be only for large expensive systems.

JBL Charge 3 Waterproof Portable Bluetooth Speaker

JBL Charge 3 Best Speaker Gift

The JBL Charge 3 is just about tied for first place with the Ultimate Ears BOOM 2, the next speaker on the list. The reason why is because both speakers share amazing specs, and their differences are definitely both positive things, it just depends on how you’re planning on using them. First of all, the most important aspect of any speaker – how it sounds. The Charge 3 has an incredible, rich sound, with unexpectedly good bass for a speaker of its size. It’s built very ruggedly, and it’s waterproof, so you can take it anywhere and not have to worry about it getting damaged. It has a 20 hour battery life, and the Bluetooth allows you to connect up to three devices at once to change between. And plus, the price has come down so much that other speakers of similar sound and build quality cannot compete.

Ultimate Ears BOOM 2

ulimate ears boom 2 best speaker giftThe Ultimate Ears BOOM 2 comes in at the just about same price as the JBL Charge 3. The BOOM 2 sounds amazing, and compared to the Charge 3, it is similarly rugged. It  stands vertically, which makes it slightly more prone to being knocked or falling over. Although, its “water bottle shaped” lends itself to being very easily and comfortably transportable. It is intended to be a portable “take anywhere” style speaker that is both waterproof and shockproof. So if you’re planning on taking this outside with you often, this form factor is hard to beat. It even comes in a variety of vibrant colors. The one and only negative aspect of this speaker is the battery only lasts 15 hours, compared to the Charge 3’s 20 hours.

Libratone ZIPP Portable Wireless Speaker

Libratone ZIPP Best Speaker GiftPros

  • Incredible sound
  • Unique styling
  • Strap for a truly portable design

Cons

  • The zipper cover design isn’t for everybody
  • Only 10 hour battery
  • No water resistance

B&O PLAY by Bang & Olufsen Beoplay A1 Portable Bluetooth Speaker

bang olufsen beoplay a1 best speaker giftPros

  • Portable and elegant design
  • Splash proof
  • Rich sound quality
  • Great battery life

Cons

  • Not ruggedly built – delicate
  • Limited color options

Sony XB40 Portable Wireless

Sony XB40 Best Speaker Gift

Cons

  • Very loud
  • Great battery life
  • Interesting LED options

Pros

  • Fairly bulky and heavy – 4.2 pounds
  • Not the best bass
  • Only three color options

UE ROLL 2 Wireless Portable Bluetooth Speaker

Ultimate Ears Roll 2 Best Speaker Gift

Pros

  • Great sound for its size
  • Very portable
  • Waterproof

Cons

  • Not super loud
  • Low battery life

JBL Flip 4 Waterproof Portable Bluetooth Speaker

JBL Flip 4 Best Speaker Gift

Pros

  • Connects to multiple devices
  • Waterproof
  • Lightweight and portable

Cons

  • Not very loud
  • Not the best bass

B&O PLAY by Bang & Olufsen Beoplay P2 Portable Bluetooth Speaker

bang olufsen beoplay p2 best speaker gift

Pros

  • Good sound for its size
  • Minimalist design

cons

  • On the pricey side for its size
  • No physical buttons
  • Fairly delicate

Bose SoundLink Color Bluetooth Speaker II

Bose Soundlink Color Best Speaker Gift

Good Stuff

  • Great sound quality
  • Beautiful color choices
  • Voice prompts optionally multi-lingual

Bad Stuff

  • Very plain design
  • Not totally waterproof
  • Low battery life

VAVA Voom 21 Wireless Bluetooth Speaker

Vava VOOM 21 Best Speaker Gift

Good Stuff

  • Equalizer is built-in
  • Sounds great for the price

Bad Stuff

  • Not super portable due to shape
  • No color options
  • Lacking in volume

Vava VOOM 20 Best Speaker GiftGood Stuff

  • Very portable and lightweight
  • Doubles as a powerbank

Bad Stuff

  • Low battery life – only 8 hours
  • No colors options

 

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Justin is the founder of Gadgeterrific and you'll usually find him shouting at a wall of computer monitors at three in the morning. He's a self taught full stack developer and a futures and foreign exchange trader.

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