The best Bluetooth speakers have a place near and dear to our hearts, even as we’ve seen smart speakers improving their sound and portability. It’s convenient to ask an Amazon Echo or Google Nest speaker to play your favorite track or tell you the weather, but smart speakers require stable Wi-Fi and updates to do their best tricks. By (mostly) forgoing voice assistants and Wi-Fi radios, Bluetooth speakers are ultra-portable, able to venture into the world, and can withstand rugged conditions like a sandy beach or steamy Airbnb jacuzzi. They’ll work with any smartphone, and the top options sound just as good or better than the average smart speaker.
We’ve tested hundreds of Bluetooth speakers since 2017 (and many before that) and they improve every year. Here are our favorites right now. Be sure to check out all our buying guides, including the Best Soundbars, Best Wirefree Earbuds, Best Smart Speakers, and 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 Honorable Mentions.
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