Bluetooth speakers can be found in a variety of shapes, sizes and prices. So it can be a challenge to highlight the best model overall. That said, a handful of Bluetooth speakers have set themselves apart from the crowd, prompting us to grant them our prestigious Editors’ Choice Award. Included in this group are the Anker Soundcore Motion Boom Plus, Tribit Stormbox Micro 2 and Bose SoundLink Flex. They all deliver amazing sound for their size and are good values.
Best mini Bluetooth speaker
When the SoundLink Flex speaker launched, Bose made some bold claims about its new Bluetooth speaker, particularly its bass performance. But it mostly lives up to the hype and is arguably the best-sounding wireless speaker for its compact size.
Available in three colours black, white smoke and stone blue (pictured) it’s equipped with Bose’s PositionIQ technology to automatically detect the speaker’s orientation and deliver optimised sound based on whether it’s upright, hanging or flat on its back.
Best Bluetooth boom box for the money
Anker Soundcore Motion Boom Plus Anker’s original Soundcore Motion Boom speaker (see below) has been on this list for a while and is still a decent value at sometimes less than $100. But the Motion Boom Plus is significantly improved.
Weighing 5.29 pounds (almost a pound more than the Motion Boom), it uses Bluetooth 5.3 and is equipped with upgraded dual 3.5-inch woofers and newly added dual 1-inch tweeters, delivering up to 80 watts of audio output (60 watts for the woofers and 20 watts for the tweeters). Battery life is rated for 20 hours at moderate volume levels. It’s also IP67 waterproof and dustproof, and it floats if you happen to drop it in a body of water.
I was impressed with the sound quality, which measures up well against a few more expensive and some larger speakers on this list. For its size, the speaker is able to put out a lot of sound and mostly manages to avoid distorting at higher volumes.
Pros:
- Plays loud and delivers very good sound for its size
- Strong battery life (up to 20 hours)
- Charges via USB-C, can charge other devices via USB-A
- IP67 waterproof and dust-resistant
Cons:
- More expensive than its predecessor
Best value micro Bluetooth speaker
Back in 2020, Tribit released the StormBox Micro, a budget version of Bose’s excellent SoundLink Micro speaker that delivered surprisingly good sound for its size and modest price. The second-gen StormBox Micro 2 offers improved sound and battery life, along with a charge-out feature that turns the speaker into a power bank for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. An integrated strap allows you to clip it to your backpack or your bike’s handlebars.
Like the original, it’s an excellent value and easy to recommend if you’re looking for a super compact portable wireless speaker. It does cost $60 but sometimes goes on sale for closer to $50.
Pros:
- Good sound for its ultracompact size and modest price
- Waterproof and dustproof (IP67)
- Integrated strap
- USB-C charging in/out with 12 hours of battery life
Cons:
- Not as durable as Bose SoundLink Micro
- Distorts slightly at higher volumes with certain tracks
Best new midsize Bluetooth speaker
Marshall’s new-for-2023 Middleton speaker isn’t exactly compact. But it also isn’t so beefy that you get a workout carrying it around. Weighing 4 pounds (1.8kg), it’s bigger than Marshall’s Emberton speaker and smaller and more portable than its Kilburn II speaker. Any way you look at it, it sounds very good for its size and puts out a surprising amount of quality bass while offering good treble detail and natural-sounding mids (where vocals live). I also liked that it has equaliser controls on the speaker itself I did bump the bass a bit and is fully waterproof and dustproof with an IP67 rating
Battery life is rated at up to 20 hours at moderate volume levels and Marshall says it takes 4.5 hours to fully recharge the speaker. Its USB-C charging port also has a charge-out feature that allows you to use the speaker as a power bank and charge your devices.
You can pair two or more speakers to amplify the sound but you can’t pair two speakers together to create a stereo pair. Marshall says the Middleton uses True Stereophonic, “a unique form of multidirectional stereo sound” and I did think the soundstage was bigger than what you typically get from a speaker this size. The only downside to the speaker is that it’s fairly expensive but I was otherwise impressed.
Pros:
- Excellent sound for its size
- Strong battery life (up to 20 hours)
- Charges via USB-C, can charge other devices via USB-A
- IP67 waterproof and dust-resistant
Cons:
- Expensive
Best mini canister speaker
For 2023, Sony’s smallest Bluetooth speaker has once again been modestly upgraded, with a new Bluetooth chipset, slightly improved sound and speakerphone performance. This portable Bluetooth speaker is both dust- and waterproof with an IP67 certification and, like its predecessor (the SRS-XB13), it’s rated for 16 hours of battery life at moderate volume levels and it charges via USB-C. Equipped with Bluetooth 5.3 with support for the AAC and SBC audio codecs, the speaker plays bigger than you’d think for its small size, with some punch to its bass. It’s pretty impressive for a mini mono speaker.
Though the 9.6-ounce (272-gram) speaker appears to have the same design as the XB13, Sony says its new sound diffusion processor “realises richer spread sound,” which basically means this has a bit wider soundstage, which I can confirm. It can output only so much sound yes, it has its limitations but if you add a second XB100, you can get stereo sound. Alas, there’s no companion app, but that isn’t a huge deal.
The XB100 is available in multiple colour options and includes a strap so you can attach it to various objects. It also has speakerphone capabilities with an integrated microphone (as I said, the speakerphone’s performance has been improved, and callers said they could hear me clearly indoors).
Pros:
- Slightly improved sound and speakerphone performance
- Lightweight and compact
- Up to 16 hours of battery life
- IP67 waterproof and dust-resistant
Cons:
- It can put out only so much sound
- No companion app
