Top 3 Best Bluetooth Speakers In 2024

Bluetooth speakers are great for listening to your favorite music or podcasts on the go. However, as they are one of the most popular consumer tech items, you are absolutely spoiled for choices. There are a lot of cheap options out there that sound terrible, and some overpriced ones that don’t offer a lot of value.

With so many options available, it can be hard to choose the right one. That’s why I’ve narrowed it down to the 3 Best Bluetooth Speakers.

We’ll start with an incredible budget option that offers great value, then move on to a premium choice that provides the ultimate audio experience, and finally, we’ll reveal our top pick that strikes the perfect balance between features and price.

So, let’s get started!

Number 3. Sony SRS-XB100 – Best Budget Bluetooth Speaker

When it comes to affordable Bluetooth speakers, a lot of them have connectivity issues and don’t sound great. This is especially true if you’re looking for a compact and portable option. However, the Sony SRS-XB100 is an exception, as this is a Bluetooth speaker that punches well above its weight. This pint-sized powerhouse packs a surprising amount of features into a design that’s both compact and rugged.

It is a successor to the popular XB-13 and while both offer excellent value, the XB100 boasts a few key improvements. The most notable upgrade is the addition of Bluetooth 5.3 over 4.3. This helps to improve the connection stability and overall efficiency. On top of that, the drivers and sound have improved a lot.

Despite its tiny size, the XB100 is built to withstand rough conditions. It boasts an IP67 rating, making it completely dustproof and waterproof for up to 1 meter submersion for 30 minutes. So you can take it to the beach, the pool, or even the shower without worry. The included strap allows you to easily clip it to your backpack or bike when you’re on the move and it’s available in four colors: black, blue, light gray, and orange.

You get 16 hours of playtime, which is surprisingly decent battery life for a speaker of this size. In the way of features, you get Bluetooth Fast Pair that allows you to quickly connect to any one of your devices. You can also connect two of these together for stereo sound. Unfortunately, there is no Aux input, which is not out of the ordinary for tiny speakers.

In terms of sound quality, you shouldn’t expect too much from a compact speaker, but this model manages to hold its own. While it doesn’t get particularly loud, it’s enough to fill a medium-sized room and enjoy your music outdoors. Like most Bluetooth speakers, there’s more emphasis on the low-end and bass. This means that podcasts don’t sound the best, but most mainstream music will sound great. Calls on this also sound good, thanks to the echo cancellation feature which removes unnecessary background noise.

Of course, when it comes to tiny Bluetooth speakers, there’s a lot of competition. The closest competitor is the JBL Clip 4. While the Clip 4 also sounds great, it lacks fast-charging and a microphone for calls. You also don’t get any stereo functionality. In terms of features alone, the Sony is the better pick.

So, if you’re looking for a cheap and rugged Bluetooth speaker with great battery life, this is the one to get. It doesn’t get too loud, but it delivers enjoyable audio in a very compact size.

To sum up, what I like is…
Rugged design
Fantastic battery life
Crisp and detailed sound

On the downside…
No Aux input
Doesn’t get too loud

Ratings:
Design: 9/10
Sound Quality: 8/10
Features: 8/10
Portability: 8.5/10
Value: 8.5/10
Overall Rating: 8.5/10

Number 2. Sonos Move 2 – Best Premium Bluetooth Speaker

While there are plenty of great cheap bluetooth speakers, premium options are a bit more difficult to get right. You need the right blend of features, sound quality, and battery life to deliver a good high-end experience. The Sonos Move 2 promises all that and more, if you can accept the steep price.

This speaker is the successor to the original Sonos Move, and the improvements are clear. The most significant upgrade is the sound quality. Sonos completely revamped the internals, delivering richer, more detailed audio that surpasses its predecessor in every way. It even doubles the battery life to 24 hours.

Design-wise, the speaker is as sleek as it gets. It has a cylindrical body with slightly flattened ends, and it’s available in black and white colors. You might not be able to tell from the pictures, but it’s quite big. In fact, it weighs over 3kg, so it has a lot of heft. While that does hinder portability a bit, this is a speaker that you would use at home or on vacation, not small trips.

Durability won’t be too much of a concern with this one, as it has drop resistance and IP56 water and dust resistance. It’s a very expensive speaker, but at least it’s not fragile. The speaker also features voice controls, meaning that if your hands are wet or dirty, you can still interact with it verbally to control it.

In terms of features, Sonos has packed a lot in here to justify the high price tag. You get support for Apple AirPlay 2, Wi-Fi connectivity, a dedicated companion app for adjusting EQ and other settings, and an aux input. There’s another interesting feature called TruePlay, which dynamically adjusts the sound quality to your surroundings using the microphone. It even comes with a wireless charging base.

Speaking of sound, this speaker delivers exceptional audio quality in any situation. It has two tweeters now, while the original only had one. It gets loud, has a good amount of bass, and doesn’t sacrifice the mids or higher frequencies. The Move 2 sounds great for all genres of music, and it’s great for both outdoors and indoors.

As for the competition, the Ultimate Ears Epicboom is a very strong alternative. However, it lacks the fidelity of the Sonos Move 2, and has lower battery life. Both are great choices, but the Sonos comes out on top in terms of sound quality and features like TruePlay.

The only thing holding this back is the price. However, if you’re fine with that, you’re getting one of the most premium audio experiences out there. If that matters to you, the Sonos Move 2 is a strong choice.

To sum up, what I like is…

Voice controls
Superb sound quality
Exceptional battery life
Wireless charging base

On the downside
Quite heavy
Expensive

Ratings:
Design: 8/10
Sound Quality: 9/10
Features: 9/10
Portability: 7/10
Value: 7/10
Overall Rating: 8/10

Number 1. Anker Soundcore Boom 2 – Our Top Choice

High-end Bluetooth speakers are great, but great portable audio doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. The Anker Soundcore Boom 2 is proof of that, as it delivers everything you’d need from a Bluetooth speaker at a very competitive price. For most people, this is the best Bluetooth speaker out there.

This specific model builds on the foundation of the Soundcore Motion Boom. Compared to its predecessor, the Boom 2 has a lighter weight, better battery life, and a more interesting design. Considering the original was already a great speaker, the Boom 2 is definitely built for success.

You can tell that the speaker is built for fun just by looking at the design. It has boombox style shape, with a handle at the top. The front proudly shows the Soundcore logo, while both sides of the speaker have customizable LED lights. You can control these lights from the dedicated app.

While it looks great, the speaker is anything but form over function. It has an IPX7 splash resistance rating, and a floatable design. That means if you ever drop it in the pool, it won’t sink. Unfortunately, there is no dust resistance rating here, which does take a few points away in the durability department.

In terms of features, there’s a lot on offer here. It pairs with the Anker ecosystem perfectly, meaning you can connect it with other Soundcore speakers for a multi-speaker setup. It even has a BassUp feature, which bumps up the 60-watt output to 80 watts. The app has a lot of sound profiles and EQ presets, and you can even create your own profile with ease.

If you frequently enjoy parties, outdoor gatherings, or even camping trips, this speaker will not disappoint with its sound. It has a 50 watt woofer along with dual 15 tweeters, meaning it gets quite loud. Fortunately, the bass isn’t too overpowering, meaning you can still easily make out the mids and higher frequencies.

On top of the great sound, you also get fantastic battery life. Anker advertises that you can get up to 24 hours of playtime with the lights and the BassUp feature. With those settings, it actually far exceeds the 24 hours. Even with those features enabled, you still get fantastic performance in the battery department.

As for the alternatives, you get a JBL Charge 5 for around the same price. It’s a bit more portable and has IP67 water and dust resistance. However, the Soundcore Boom 2 offers better sound quality, better customization because of the app, and improved battery life.

While this speaker does lack dust resistance, that’s about only the real flaw you’ll find here. It’s loud, durable, and delivers fantastic performance for the price. If you need a speaker that delivers on all fronts for an affordable price, this is the one.

To sum up, what I like is…
Boombox design with LED lights
Fantastic sound with plenty of bass
Customizable EQ and sound profiles
Superb battery life

On the downside
Not dust resistant

Ratings:
Design: 8.5/10
Sound Quality: 9/10
Features: 9/10
Portability: 8/10
Value: 9/10
Overall Rating: 8.5/10