I test Bluetooth speakers for a living — here are my top picks for every budget

Tom's Guide

4 days ago

I love a Bluetooth speaker. They allow me to take my music on the go, so that I can annoy everyone around me with my... interesting... music taste.
Of course, when it comes time to shop for one, it can be a little confusing. You could just buy one of the best Bluetooth speakers from our guide, but those can be costly.
To help you stick to your savings goals, I've laid out some budgets, and picked one of our favorites in each tier so you can get the best performance without spending more than you should.
The WonderBoom 4 brings some great features to small package. Not only does it look unique with its funky, rounded shape, but it sounds pretty good as well thanks to some clever audio trickery. The shape and the way that the driver inside is situated means that you can hear the sound no matter where you are around the device.
The battery life is pretty good as well, giving you 14 hours of life so that you can take the lil' guy on the road. It's also nice and cheap, crucially coming in at that sub-$100 price point. Even better? You'll often find it for even less thanks to some fairly permanent deals I've seen at Amazon and other retailers.
With its small size and useful strap, this little speaker is easy to hang off a hiking backpack when you go off for a long walk. It sounds pretty good for the size as well, and its 14 hour-battery is going to last you a long time.
Marshall's Willen II is a pocket powerhouse. It's no bigger than your hand, and it'll easily fit into a cargo pants pocket, and then blow you away with sound you might expect from something much, much larger. I mean, just look at it — how cute! Then BAM, rock n' roll baby, and spades of it.
Of course, it's not going to hold a candle to some of the larger and more expensive speakers on the list, but I'm consistently impressed by the Willen II's sound signature. There's a surprising amount of bass on offer from the tiny speaker, and the mids and highs are very well represented.
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Add in the wonderful little brass control clicker from Marshall's headphones and 17 hours of battery life, and you've the recipe for a little Bluetooth powerhouse.
The Willen II is a tiny powerhouse of a speaker that packs quality sound and good battery life into a compact package. It'll last for 17 hours, which is longer than some of the larger competitors. This little speaker is well worth the pickup.
If you want something that's not too expensive but will power pool parties all summer long, then the JBL Charge 6 might just be Bluetooth speaker for you.
There's a 28 hour battery on board to keep the speaker going, and you can use the USB port on the back of the speaker to charge your phone. That's why it's called the 'Charge.'
The sound is big and loud too, thanks to its 'AI sound boost' feature. I found that the speaker sounded its very best just before you hit the upper volume ceiling, so you likely won't want to crank the noise all the way to the top. It is loads of fun watching the passive bass radiators wiggle on the sides, though.
The JBL Charge 6 is a great speaker with plenty of battery life and some great sound quality. 28 hours of staying power means the tunes will keep on coming. The color options are wicked too, letting you really show off (or blend in) as much as you want.
The EpicBoom lives up to its name — it's a big sounding speaker with massive impact. It also floats, so you won't have to worry about it taking a terrible tumble into the pool.
It's designed from the ground up to be durable piece of tech, with IP67 dust and water resistance keeping it safe no matter where it finds itself. The strap on the back, held in place with magnets, also makes the speaker easier to cart around from party to the beach and back — just make sure you don't forget it while it's floating in the pool. It can swim, but you don't want to leave it in there too long.
The EpicBoom is cool because it can float, making it a good companion for the pool or beach. There are 17 hours of battery life as well, so it'll last a long time. The sound is big and loud as well, perfect for keeping the party going.
I am a sucker for Marshall's design language, and the Kilburn III distills it into a package that looks like a practice amp. A practice amp it is not, however.
Instead, it's one of the best Bluetooth speakers I've ever tested with excellent sound quality, a wicked retro style and some truly ridiculous battery life — 50 hours at mid volume, I discovered.
I love the Kilburn III so much that it's now going to take center stage in the best Bluetooth speakers guide — if that doesn't show how much I love it, I don't know what will. Marrying it? Not entirely sure where I'd put the ring...
The Marshall Kilburn III brings rock n' roll style to match some super impressive sound quality. There's a mad 50 hours of battery life available, matched with some of the best controls on any Bluetooth speaker, like, ever.
The Sonos Move 2 still has a permanent home on my nightstand, waking me up every morning with my favorite tunes. I love the speaker and its epic sound quality, but it's the little things that Sonos have packed in which keep it a permanent part of my life: the easy-to-use charging cradle, the Sonos app support, the helpful controls across the top.
It's not a cheap Bluetooth speaker, but you absolutely get what you pay for if you add one to your audio arsenal. I love mine, and I think that anyone else that buys one will too — just remember that it's weightier than the other entries on this list and it's not a good pick for the hike you've got coming up this weekend.
The Sonos Move 2 is Sonos' portable option, but it packs in some smarts to make sure it fits in with the rest of the line. It sounds excellent, has great battery, and looks great with its simple design.
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