Top 5 compared
The best Bluetooth speakers
Your playlist on the deck, at the cottage dock or in the shower, with no worry about a splash.
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The top 5 at a glance
A portable Bluetooth speaker plays music from any phone with Bluetooth, iPhone or Android, on its own battery, so it goes wherever the music’s wanted: the shower, the deck, the beach or a campsite. They range from palm-sized speakers that clip to a bag, through mid-size ones for a picnic table, to bigger ones with a handle and the bass to fill a backyard.
Battery figures are each maker’s own, usually measured at moderate volume, so expect fewer hours with it turned up. The water rating says what a speaker shrugs off: IP67 and IP68 cover dust and sand as well as water, while IPX7 means waterproof with no dust rating. Several float, which matters at the pool or the lake. All five charge over USB-C, and none comes with a wall plug.
What matters
- A loop or strap for a bag, tent or shower caddy.
- Stereo pairing with a second of the same speaker.
- A built-in power bank on bigger speakers, to charge a phone.
#1Bose SoundLink Flex Portable Bluetooth Speaker (2nd Gen)
$150–$200
Big, balanced sound with real bass from something small enough to clip to a backpack by its loop, and PositionIQ retunes it whether it stands up, lies flat or hangs in the shower. The silicone-wrapped body is IP67 against dust and water and made to take drops.
What owners say: The sound is strikingly clear for the size, owners find, and it hits the sweet spot between sound and something easy to carry; the colours draw compliments too. On battery life, reports go both ways.
A closer look: Knocked into the pool, it floats instead of sinking, so it only needs fishing out. The Bose app adds an EQ, and the speaker can stay paired with more than one phone at once, which helps when a household shares it.
- Retunes itself to its position
- Silicone-wrapped, made for drops
- Floats in the pool
- Stays paired to several phones
- Bose app adjusts the sound
Best for: Playing it in any position
- Water and dust rating
- IP67
- Battery
- Up to 12 hrs
- Power
- Not published by Bose
- Weight
- 590 g (1.3 lb)
- Loop, strap or handle
- Utility loop
- Stereo pair
- With a compatible Bose speaker
- Charges a phone
- No
#2JBL Go 4 Portable Bluetooth Speaker
$30–$50
The lightest speaker here, at 190 g (under half a pound), small enough to ride in a jacket pocket and still IP67 against dust and water. JBL builds it partly from recycled plastic, with a grille of recycled fabric.
What owners say: Owners love the sound for the size and say it’s small enough to drop into a purse and take anywhere. Run time and the Bluetooth connection are where opinions split.
Heads up: JBL also makes the newer Go 5, and still sells the Go 4.
A closer look: Charging from empty takes about three hours, so plug it in the night before a day out and save Playtime Boost, a JBL app setting that trades some bass for two more hours, for the last stretch of the evening. For a cookout, a bigger JBL speaker with Auracast can join it and spread the music across the backyard.
- Fits in a jacket pocket
- Recycled plastic and fabric grille
- Links with JBL Auracast speakers
- JBL app adjusts the sound
Best for: Fitting in a pocket
- Water and dust rating
- IP67
- Battery
- Up to 7 hrs (9 with Playtime Boost)
- Power
- 4.2W
- Weight
- 190 g (0.42 lb)
- Loop, strap or handle
- Built-in loop
- Stereo pair
- With a second Go 4
- Charges a phone
- No
#3Soundcore Select 4 Go Bluetooth Speaker by Anker
$20–$30
A palm-sized speaker that runs up to 20 hours, the longest of the small ones here, and dangles from a shower caddy or a tent loop by its strap. IP67 keeps out sand and water, and it floats if it slips into the pool.
What owners say: The battery is what owners rave about, some saying they never come close to running it down. It’s small enough to travel well and loud for its size, though durability divides them.
A closer look: There’s a USB-C cable in the box but no wall plug, so a phone charger or a laptop does the job. Two of them make a stereo pair: connect one to the phone, then hold the Bluetooth button on both for two seconds, and they play left and right in a tent or a hotel room.
- Palm-sized
- Floats
- Custom sound settings
- 24-month warranty
Best for: Long play, small size
- Water and dust rating
- IP67
- Battery
- Up to 20 hrs
- Power
- 5W
- Weight
- 264 g (0.58 lb)
- Loop, strap or handle
- Built-in strap
- Stereo pair
- With a second Select 4 Go
- Charges a phone
- No
#4Soundcore Boom 2 by Anker Outdoor Bluetooth Speaker
$100–$150
A dedicated subwoofer and BassUp 2.0 give it the low end for a campsite or a backyard, at up to 80W in BassUp mode. It floats, it’s IPX7 waterproof, and a built-in power bank keeps a phone going while the music plays.
What owners say: Owners like the volume and the battery, which lasts and lasts, and call it a little boom box that’s solidly built for its size. Connecting it is where experiences are mixed.
A closer look: Anker’s 24 hours is at half volume with BassUp and the lights switched off, so a loud party drains it sooner. The handle makes it an easy carry from the car to the campsite or the beach, and Auracast links it with other Auracast speakers to spread the sound further.
- Dedicated subwoofer
- Floats
- Links with other Auracast speakers
- Custom sound settings
- 18-month warranty
Best for: Deep bass
- Water and dust rating
- IPX7 (no dust rating)
- Battery
- Up to 24 hrs
- Power
- 60W (80W with BassUp)
- Weight
- 1,660 g (3.7 lb)
- Loop, strap or handle
- Built-in handle
- Stereo pair
- With a second Boom 2
- Charges a phone
- Yes
#5JBL Charge 6 Portable Bluetooth Speaker
$200–$300
JBL takes its initials from James B. Lansing, who founded the company in 1946, and the Charge 6 is its mid-size speaker for a deck or picnic table: 45W, IP68 against dust and water, and a power bank for a phone. It plays up to 24 hours, or 28 with Playtime Boost, a setting that trades some bass for battery.
What owners say: Sound and battery life are what win owners over, and it’s sturdy and easy to carry; the JBL app is basic but works. The one gripe is the box, which holds no charger or cable.
A closer look: Ten minutes on a USB-C phone charger gives roughly 150 minutes of play, enough to revive a dead speaker before heading out. Plug a phone into its port and it charges from the speaker’s own battery, handy on a long day at the beach, though it eats into those 24 hours.
- 1 m (3.3 ft) drop-proof
- Lossless audio by USB-C cable
- 85% recycled plastic
Best for: Longest battery life
- Water and dust rating
- IP68
- Battery
- Up to 24 hrs (28 with Playtime Boost)
- Power
- 45W
- Weight
- 989 g (2.2 lb)
- Loop, strap or handle
- Removable handle strap
- Stereo pair
- With a second Charge 6 (Auracast)
- Charges a phone
- Yes
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1Bose SoundLink Flex | #2JBL Go 4 | #3Soundcore Select 4 Go | #4Soundcore Boom 2 | #5JBL Charge 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Lightest | Best budget | Best for big sound | ||
| Picked Rating | 9.3 | 9.2 | 9.2 | 9.2 | 9.1 |
| Price | $150–$200 | $30–$50 | $20–$30 | $100–$150 | $200–$300 |
| Water and dust rating | IP67 | IP67 | IP67 | IPX7 (no dust rating) | IP68 |
| Battery | Up to 12 hrs | Up to 7 hrs (9 with Playtime Boost) | Up to 20 hrs | Up to 24 hrs | Up to 24 hrs (28 with Playtime Boost) |
| Power | Not published by Bose | 4.2W | 5W | 60W (80W with BassUp) | 45W |
| Weight | 590 g (1.3 lb) | 190 g (0.42 lb) | 264 g (0.58 lb) | 1,660 g (3.7 lb) | 989 g (2.2 lb) |
| Loop, strap or handle | Utility loop | Built-in loop | Built-in strap | Built-in handle | Removable handle strap |
| Stereo pair | With a compatible Bose speaker | With a second Go 4 | With a second Select 4 Go | With a second Boom 2 | With a second Charge 6 (Auracast) |
| Charges a phone | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | Playing it in any position | Fitting in a pocket | Long play, small size | Deep bass | Longest battery life |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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