The 6 best Bluetooth speakers to shop from JBL, Bose, and more

Testing nan JBL Charge 5 broadside by broadside pinch nan Charge 3. Credit: RJ Andersen / Mashable

Mashable reviewed nan Sonos Move 2 aft its merchandise successful 2023. Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

Check retired our afloat reappraisal of nan JBL Charge 5.

Who it's for:

The JBL Charge 5 is nan eventual all-rounder, offering awesome sound value pinch deep-but-balanced bass and an impressively agelong artillery life (up to 20 hours astatine a time) for a reasonable price.

Why we picked this:

The JBL Flip speakers thin to beryllium nan astir celebrated options from nan brand, but here's why we emotion nan Charge 5. For starters, its sanction refers to this speaker's expertise to complaint different mobile devices (via USB-A) moreover erstwhile it's playing music, making it a awesome recreation companion. It's cleanable for agelong days astatine nan formation aliases parkland erstwhile you won't person an outlet. (If nan value puts you off, see nan smaller JBL Flip 6, which we besides tested and loved.)

The Charge 5 has an IP67 rating, meaning a waterproof and dust-proof creation that's cleanable for taking to nan formation aliases to a excavation party. As a bonus, it besides comes successful a rainbow of nosy colors — drawback 2 of them and alteration their PartyBoost characteristic to bump your tunes passim aggregate rooms aliases spaces. And of course, this speaker wouldn't make our database if it didn't sound good. As Mashable contributor RJ Andersen wrote, "It’s rich, dynamic, and amazingly clear pinch a decent bass that fills nan room without overpowering nan remainder of nan audio." You'll besides get entree to an equalizer successful nan JBL companion app, though it's thing terribly fancy.

Who it's for:

The Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 is not a must-have upgrade for anyone who owns nan Wonderboom 3, but for illustration nan erstwhile version, it's a powerhouse for its size and price. This speaker's mini (and rugged enough) to return on for a hike, while traveling, and for tossing adjacent to nan pool. Plus, it's truthful easy to find connected waste that it's often disposable astatine a cheaper value than nan older Wonderboom 3.

Why we picked this:

The Wonderboom 4 is fundamentally nan aforesaid nonstop speaker arsenic nan Wonderboom 3, visually and internally. Like nan Wonderboom 3, you tin driblet it from heights of up to 5 feet without worrying astir destroying it. It’s besides waterproof pinch an IP67 rating. If you driblet it successful water, it tin float for up to 30 minutes and travel retired nan different broadside moving wholly fine. It besides features a patient 14 hours of artillery life, which is much than different speakers of a akin size.

So what's different? On nan sound front, nan Wonderboom 4 has little muddiness than its predecessor, particularly astatine higher volumes. In summation to nan Outdoor Boost mode, you'll besides get a Podcast Mode. We will opportunity that we're not needfully fans of nan caller summation — hosts' voices came done compressed, while inheritance fixed felt much pronounced. Generally, this mode shone overmuch amended connected nan brand's Everboom speaker.

However, nan modular audio is bully capable for listening to podcasts and music, truthful ignoring nan caller EQ feels for illustration a good concession. As pinch nan Wonderboom 3, we recovered that overall, nan sound floor plan is well-rounded and tin get loud. We do wish that this speaker had been updated pinch a companion app for much customization.

On nan agleam side, it's very easy to plug, play, and now charge, acknowledgment to nan summation of a USB-C charging port. While it's not each that different from nan Wonderboom 3, anyone who wants a no-frills speaker that sounds bully will beryllium happy pinch this one. The Wonderboom 4 is easy to find successful banal and connected sale, making it our updated prime for nan champion speaker nether $100.

Check retired our afloat reappraisal of nan Sonos Move 2.

Who it's for:

If portability is astatine nan apical of your database erstwhile looking for a Bluetooth speaker, nan Sonos Move 2 mightiness not beryllium for you. As Stan Schroeder writes successful his review, "It sounds fantastic, but it's fundamentally a location speaker that besides happens to beryllium somewhat portable." However, if you want awesome sound, artillery life, and smart features, this could beryllium nan champion Bluetooth speaker for you. It's besides nan champion prime for shoppers who already usage different Sonos products successful their home.

Why we picked this:

We formerly recommended nan original Sonos Move, but we for illustration nan newer type for its newly-added stereo sound and 24 hours of artillery life (as compared to nan original's measly 11).

To beryllium clear, this speaker isn't perfect, but we deliberation nan trade-offs equilibrium out. For instance, you request a 3.5mm to USB-C adapter for line-in playback, but you tin complaint your telephone from nan Move 2's artillery by connecting it pinch a USB-C cablegram (similar to nan Charge 5). It isn't very portable for hikes aliases trips to nan beach, but it's easy capable to move from nan room to nan backyard (and has IP56 particulate and water-resistance), making it awesome for entertaining. It's besides a awesome prime if you for illustration utilizing a speaker to perceive to euphony astir nan house. While it doesn't activity pinch Google Assistant, it does activity awesome pinch Alexa.

It tin pain done nan artillery life faster astatine higher volumes, but it gets plentifulness large without sacrificing sound clarity. In essence, location are a fewer trade-offs you make pinch this speaker, but if you're looking for nan champion sounding smart speaker, and nan cons of this 1 don't conflict pinch your needs, we deliberation nan Sonos Move 2 is simply a awesome pick.

Who it's for:

There are portable speakers, and location are speakers that are genuinely built to move pinch you. The JBL Clip 4 isn't conscionable mini and easy to transportation around, but besides easy to clip connected conscionable astir anything, from a backpack to a loop loop. So, if you're looking for nan absolute champion blend of portability, affordability, and sound, this is simply a smart bet.

It's nary longer nan newest speaker successful JBL's Clip line, but that intends it's much apt to spell connected sale.

Why we picked this:

This is nan eventual portable speaker — it's compact and bladed capable to gaffe into fundamentally immoderate bag, immoderate pockets, and it gives you a backup scheme pinch nan built-in carabiner.

Even though you're getting maximum portability, nan speaker doesn't sacrifice connected basal functionality: you're still getting 10 hours of artillery life and an IP67-rated water- and dust-proof speaker that tin beryllium taken on connected astir adventures. When we tested this speaker, we recovered that it reached an awesome volume, but that successful comparison to a speaker for illustration nan Wonderboom 3, which is only astir $20 more, nan sound does get muddled astatine higher volumes. In different words, if sound is much of a priority, we'd opportunity outpouring for nan Wonderboom. If you want thing something mini but built for staying successful 1 place, prevention a spot of rate and get nan JBL Clip 4.

Check retired our afloat reappraisal of nan Sony ULT Field 1.

Who it's for:

Sony's full ULT statement was created for anyone who considers awesome guidelines a important portion of their listening experience, and nan Sony ULT Field 1 is nary exception. For bully bass that keeps things comparatively affordable, we we urge nan Field 1.

Why we chose this:

We're generally fans of nan audio value Sony delivers and we're ever fans of redeeming money, truthful erstwhile we saw nan marque released a speaker that's much of nan affordable side, we needed to effort it out. Deputy Shopping and Reviews Editor Miller Kern took up nan task, and recovered that this speaker delivers connected bringing nan bass.

This speaker already brings nan bass connected its default settings, but its 2 "ULT" settings — which tin beryllium controlled straight from a fastener connected nan speaker — let you to amplify nan bass moreover more. Kern wrote that successful her testing, "regardless of measurement aliases bass setting, it ne'er sounded blown retired aliases fuzzy." She besides noted that this speaker gets loud, which makes it a awesome contender for anyone looking for an outdoor option, on pinch nan truth that its waterproof, dustproof, rustproof, and shockproof.

The much aggravated audiophiles among america will apt admit nan customizable equalizer connected this speaker's companion app, which isn't ever a fixed astatine this value point. You mightiness announcement nan shortcomings of this speaker astir connected its artillery life, which caps retired astatine 12 hours.

Who it's for:

If you don't request nan astir customized, crystal clear sound and simply want a speaker that useful and won't break nan bank, nan JBL Go 4 is an fantabulous action nether $50.

Why we chose this:

We antecedently recommended nan JBL Go 2 speaker arsenic our fund pick, and person been looking for an capable replacement since it was discontinued. JBL conscionable released nan Go 4 successful June, and aft testing it out, we're happy to urge it arsenic our caller fund option.

For starters, nan Go 4 is conscionable arsenic lightweight and compact arsenic its predecessor, pinch conscionable a spot much silicone padding astir nan edges that adds minimum bulk, but gives nan speaker a emotion of accrued durability (also helped by its IP67 rating). Though it whitethorn beryllium tiny, it's decidedly mighty erstwhile it comes to really large it tin get: you astir apt won't consciousness nan request to usage nan highest measurement unless you're outdoors and successful a noisy area. JBL improved connected nan bass clarity complete nan Go 2, arsenic it came done noticeably much salient connected nan Go 4 during our testing, without sounding overblown.

However, you are apt to announcement nan sound gets a small muddier astatine higher volumes, and particularly truthful pinch much move pieces — nan Final Fantasy VII Remake soundtrack suffered a spot during our testing (the JBL Flip 5 we tested against nan Go 4 handled nan climatic moments successful nan soundtrack overmuch better). Still, nan Go 4 is only $50, truthful it's difficult to kick excessively much, particularly arsenic during our testing, this speaker lasted a bully 2 and half hours beyond its promised 7 hours of artillery life erstwhile played perpetually astatine a debased volume.