The JBL Charge3 is a step up from the previous Charge 2+ model. It is a powerful speaker with loud and deep bass, it is waterproof and has a very good battery life that lasts up to 20 hours on a single charge. Moreover, you can also charge your mobile devices from the speaker. The only potential inconvenience of the Charge3 could be its weight, which does have an impact on your backpack, but even so, it is still portable enough and one of the best Bluetooth speakers you can buy.
The SoundLink Color 2 from Bose is a small but impressively loud and high-quality sounding Bluetooth speaker, with a free, useful app, voice assistance and a solid design. As for the drawbacks of the device, we can mention the average range and battery life and the fact that it’s not completely waterproof.
The Muvo 2c from Creative is a complex little Bluetooth speaker. You can use it in 4 modes (USB audio, AUX in, Bluetooth and MicroSD card), it has several useful features and sounds really good for its size. It doesn’t have the best battery life out there, but that is by no means a deal breaker, considering how affordable it is.
The Boom 2 from Ultimate Ears is one of the best Bluetooth speakers on the market. It is suited for outdoor use, it is waterproof and knows how to take a hit, literally! It is more powerful than the previous model, although you can still experience distortion if you blast it at the highest volume. It has a great, balanced and full sound and a useful app.
The JBL Clip 2 is a great little speaker to take with you everywhere you go. It is highly portable, small, has a solid, metal made carabiner and it is waterproof. It doesn’t have the loudest sounding speaker out there, but it is more than decent and it costs only a bit above $50.
The Fugoo Style S is a great Bluetooth speaker to carry around on your outdoor adventures. It is built like a tank, it is waterproof and delivers a great sound quality. Its battery life is not the best on the market, but at 15 hours on a single charge, it is nothing to sneeze at.
The Soundcore Flare Bluetooth speaker is a great outdoor speaker on a budget. It is very affordable, yet includes some really nice features such as the IPX7 rating (it is waterproof), a nice LED bar with colored lights and a useful app. It has a really good sound and doesn’t distort at high volumes.
The KEF Muo is a high-end, exquisite Bluetooth speaker. It is not for the average consumer, merely because it too expensive. It is not waterproof, it doesn’t have a built-in speaker and it has an average battery life, but what sets it apart is its incredible sound quality. It is a speaker suited for the sophisticated listener who wants more than just an average playing device.
Tribit X Sound Go is without a doubt among the best Bluetooth speakers on a budget. It is very affordable, yet very generous in features: it has an excellent battery life, it is completely waterproof and it delivers a good, clear sound.
The Denon Envaya DSB-250BT is the most expensive and premium model of all the Envaya speakers. It also has the best sound, not only compared to other Envaya models, but other Bluetooth speakers in general. It is a simple speaker, there is no NFC, no WiFi and no app, but the overall sound of the Envaya DSB-250BT will make you get past all the shortcomings.
Last updated April 11, 2024
Nowadays, it’s all about convenience. We want to facilitate every aspect of our existence, from routine daily tasks to our hobbies and technology is our number one ally in that regard.
Music makes no difference. Although there will always be music aficionados who’ll never betray their hi-fi setups, record players, original CDs and so on, most home users are open to technological advancements and enjoy all the cool new gadgets and the opportunities they bring.
Bluetooth speakers are a booming market for quite some years now. These portable, battery-powered devices work by using radio frequency instead of traditional audio cables. They are wireless devices that communicate with your smartphone, laptop or tablet and play the music, podcasts and other type of audio sounds on them.
Bluetooth speakers usually work on the 900 MHz frequency range, which is the same one used by your cordless phones, baby monitors or other wireless devices in your home.
The most widespread and commercial Bluetooth speakers are relatively small and lightweight, because their main purpose is to be portable, so you can take them with you everywhere: outdoors, at a party, when travelling, etc.
They usually have a built-in rechargeable battery and a USB port so you can charge them via your computer/laptop or directly from the outlet. Other run on AA batteries. The best speakers with built-in rechargeable batteries last for up to 20 hours.
In addition to playing your favorite tunes, a lot of Bluetooth speakers also come with extra features such as:
The most obvious advantage of a Bluetooth speaker is definitely its portability. The fact that you can play your music anywhere, without depending on electrical power, cables, amplifiers and so on, it’s like a dream come true.
Bluetooth speakers are also convenient and easy to use. They don’t require more knowledge than operating your smartphone does. There are also no messy cables involved, everything is wireless.
Power and quality. While headphones and the built-in speakers of your phone could also perform the same job as your Bluetooth speaker, you could never get the same volume and quality out of them.
There are of course some drawbacks to Bluetooth speakers as well. Perhaps the most invoked one is the quality, which is not as good that of regular hi-fi speakers. However, only true audiophiles could really hear such a big difference and with all the constant improvements brought to these types of speakers, you can now obtain a great, crisp sound quality. Another concern is the fact that Bluetooth speakers use the same frequency as all the other wireless devices in your household, which means your speaker’s signal could interfere with them.
The range of the Bluetooth speaker may be seen as another disadvantage, considering that the speaker can only work on a distance of approx. 30 feet from its pared device. But given the standard length of an audio cable, we think this is nevertheless a big step forward.
The market is flooded with Bluetooth speakers. You can find them online, on every electronics store and even on the shelves of some supermarkets. They come in all price ranges, sizes and models and it is tough knowing which option is better, especially when you can’t test the product before you buy it.
Here’s a quick guide to follow and some aspects to pay attention to when you want to buy a Bluetooth speaker:
