Wireless speakers offer top notch sound in any room or place you take them. You can toss them in your backpack or bring them out to the backyard during some family fun time. We’ve combed through hundreds of wireless speaker and in our opinion, the Sonos One is the best wireless speaker you can buy. It offers all of the conveniences of wireless technology, including the ability to play back all major streaming services, and is a perfect building block in a larger multi-room system. While the Sonos One speakers are a top choice, we’ve chosen alternatives that are serious standouts in their respective subcategories. From highly portable to high-fidelity, there’s something here for everyone.
Sonos One Voice Controlled Smart Speaker
The best wireless speaker overall
Why you should buy this: It has a tiny footprint, but emits room-filling sound, and has one of the best control apps in the business. You’ll never go wrong with Sonos.
Who it’s for: Those who want a wireless smart speaker that has fantastic sound quality, that can be a key ingredient in a multi-room sound system.
Why we picked the Sonos One:
Sonos’ reputation as one of the best home audio companies is well-deserved. Its speakers not only sound amazing, they are amazingly easy to use, which is something that shouldn’t be under appreciated. The Sonos One brings the best parts of the existing Sonos ecosystem, namely exceptional Wi-Fi performance, super-easy setup, and wide compatibility with almost every music service on the planet. With the addition of Google Assistant to go alongside Alexa, the Sonos One is the only smart speaker that gives you a choice of voice assistants. Granted, like all Sonos speakers, the Sonos One lacks Bluetooth and hi-res music support, but one listening session with it and we think you’ll forget all about these omissions.
Even if we were purely judging the Sonos One on its sound, voice support, and music service compatibility, it would be worth the price of admission. But when you consider the Sonos app’s best-in-class user interface and universal search feature, we think you’ll agree: This is the best wireless speaker right now.
Why we love it:
- Only Sonos speaker with both Google Assistant and Alexa compatibility
- Amazing sound and great wifi performance
UE Megaboom 3 Portable Waterproof Speaker
The best portable wireless speaker
Why you should buy this: With 20 hours of battery life, the ability to withstand both dust and water, and sound quality that makes you forget it’s a Bluetooth speaker, the UE Megaboom 3 is an ideal portable companion.
Who it’s for: Those who need a portable speaker that can withstand the elements, yet still pump out tons of high-quality sound.
Why we picked the UE Megaboom 3:
The Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3 lacks a lot of features you might find in some other Bluetooth speakers, like the ability to take phone calls, plug in an external music source, or charge up your phone. So why would we pick it? Simple: The UE Megaboom 3 sounds better than any portable Bluetooth speaker we’ve tested — so good in fact, that we’d happily give up those extra features to get this kind of sound. Then there’s the weekend’s worth of battery life, and the Megaboom 3’s beach-proof construction. Add its attractive design and clever multifunction button, and you’ve got a Bluetooth speaker that will make any setting feel like your own private listening lounge.
Why we love it:
- Exceptional sound quality
- Durable, dust and waterproof speaker
JBL Flip 5 Portable Wireless Speaker
The best rugged wireless speaker
Why you should buy this: It’s compact, it’s rugged as rocks, and it sounds even better outside than inside.
Who it’s for: Those who want a portable wireless speaker that can withstand virtually anything you throw at it (or throw it at) while still producing solid sound.
Why we picked the JBL Flip 5:
The JBL Flip 5 is the latest in a string of solid Bluetooth speakers from JBL designed for the great outdoors. With heavily rubberized end caps and an IPX7 water rating, few Bluetooth speakers will put up with the kind of abuse you can throw at the Flip 5. It’s durable all right, but amazingly, it pumps out good sound too, with the latest iteration as the best sounding speaker in the Flip line yet.
This speaker gets surprisingly loud for a device with such small dimensions, and though far from audiophile quality, it nonetheless satisfies, especially when there’s lots of background noise to compete with. We love each iteration of this speaker, as more features are usually the benefit of the latest model. However this time, the Flip 5 sheds one key feature of the Flip 4: A headphone input. That said, this is a Bluetooth speaker first and foremost, so most folks shouldn’t take much umbrage there. Throw in 12 hours of battery life and the PartyBoost feature to connect multiple JBL speakers together, and you’ve got yourself a remarkably capable wireless speaker. While the Flip 4 is still a great deal if you can find it, the Flip 5 is another great choice in JBL’s rugged portable lineup.
Why we love it:
- Portable and rugged for outdoor adventures that require tunes
- Connect multiple JBL speakers together with Party Mode
Pohopa Bluetooth Speakers
The best wireless speakers for outdoors
Why you should buy this: Anyone looking for a party speaker with bells and whistles like powerful Bluetooth signal, LED lights, and waterproof capabilities
Who it’s for: Those who love to take their tunes, and the party, everywhere they go
Why we picked the Pohopa Bluetooth Speakers:
Get the best tunes without sacrificing the look of your décor with the Pohopa Bluetooth Speakers. Experience the best beats with powerful 20W surround sound. These speakers can pick up your Bluetooth signal within up to 33ft. These speakers are perfect for your pool or patio area with its waterproof and dust proof body. The powerful LED lights make these speakers perfect for any party or event, especially with the 4400mAh rechargeable batteries.
Why we love it:
- Great Bluetooth range and battery life
- LED lights, great sound and waterproof body perfect for parties or events
How to decipher wireless speaker terms
NFC — Shorthand for Near Field Communication, this oft-touted feature is actually quite limited when it comes to Bluetooth speakers, allowing select phones to pair with a speaker with a quick touch. Since pairing is often as simple as pressing a button, and speakers will be remembered by your device once paired, it’s not seen as a must-have feature.
AptX — Another feature limited to phones and devices outside of Apple’s periphery, AptX is a codec (or group of codecs) that allows Bluetooth streaming at “near CD quality” resolution. Apple products do not use AptX, but Android users may find it improves performance when paired with high-quality tracks and high-performance speakers. AptX HD is the latest and greatest version of this codec, but both the source device and Bluetooth speaker must support it for you to get any benefit.
Passive radiator — A passive radiator is a type of driver used to enhance bass in a speaker. In a sealed speaker enclosure (no portholes) a passive radiator responds to fluctuations in air pressure within the enclosure, creating sound. Since a passive radiator doesn’t have to be powered by an amp, it has no magnet or voice coil, and is therefore lighter and smaller than a traditional driver. This saves space and cost while increasing the speaker’s performance.
Pairing (or Bluetooth pairing) — In the case of Bluetooth speakers, pairing is the act of making a wireless connection from a speaker to your wireless device via Bluetooth.
Stereo pairing — The ability to take two individual wireless speakers and treat them as the left and right speakers of a stereo pair. This is usually done within an app, and the speakers must be compatible with the stereo pairing function. Generally speaking, only identical speakers can be set up as stereo pairs.
Hi-res music — These are audio tracks that have been created from master recordings at much higher levels of detail and range than typical MP3 files. They contain up to four times as much information per song, and when played back through high-quality speakers that support them, they deliver more detail, less overlap between instruments and frequencies, and generally better sound when played at higher volumes. Not all wireless speakers are compatible with hi-res music files, which require one of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth aptX HD, Sony’s proprietary LDAC wireless codec, or a wired connection from the source to the speaker.
Multi-room audio — The ability for a wireless speaker to become part of a centrally controlled, multi-speaker whole-home sound system, where each speaker can play a different source, all speakers can play the same source in perfect sync, or any combination of the two. Sonos is an example of a wireless, multi-room audio system.
Choosing the right Bluetooth speaker is important. Knowing you need something portable and durable, is a lot different than knowing you need something that’s able to be a part of a multi-room set up. This guide brings you through all the good options, which have been thoroughly tested, so you know exactly what you’re buying.
