Best Bluetooth speakers 2019: the best portable speakers for any budget

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Best Bluetooth Speakers Buying Guide: Welcome to TechRadar's round-up of the bluetooth speakers you can buy in 2019. 

Bluetooth speakers are often associated with days at the beach, nights out by the bonfire and long weekends away in the woods, but that doesn't mean you won't need them to say, DJ a tailgate party or take with you on the slopes. 

Summer doesn't have a monopoly on music, after all.

To help you track down the best Bluetooth portable speaker for every occasion we've put together a guide to the best speakers on the market, based on our comprehensive reviews and our knowledge of the speaker space. Stick with us and you'll be able to bring an amped-up version of your music anywhere and everywhere. 

Concerned you might have to spend a fortune on a fantastic speaker? Absolutely not. Instead, there are many options for great speakers that’ll cost you as much as your weekly trip to the grocery store. 

In fact, the only problem you’ve got to face when you’re choosing a new speaker is that there’s so many great ones to choose from, it can be overwhelming. 

But don’t worry, we’re here to help you. Here are some of our favorite, portable, audio companions that’ll let you pump out the tunes whether you’re in the garden, at the beach, on the slopes, camping, cooking or anywhere in-between. 

[update: If you noticed that our list looks a bit different in 2019, it's because we've added the relatively unknown (but absolutely fantastic) Tribit XSound Go to the #8 spot on our list. If you're looking for an ultra-budget portable speaker, it's the one to buy.]

How to pick out the best Bluetooth speaker

We're glad you're here, but not the big question is: how do you find the right Bluetooth speaker? It may seem like the choice is endless, but there are plenty with unique selling points that'll suit your needs. Some are rugged. Some are stylish. Some are weatherproof and some aren't fit for the outdoors. 

If you're having trouble figuring out which speaker might be best for you, start by picturing where you're going to use it and find a speaker that matches that setting: If you're a beach person, water- and dust-proofing are key. 

If you're a party person, you might want the ability to connect two speakers together or a speaker with multi-point pairing that allows multiple devices to connect at a time. Battery life and sound quality are paramount for all speakers, and we've our best to take these in the utmost consideration when creating our list.

That said, here are 10 of our favorite Bluetooth wireless speakers, ranked by their price-to-performance ratio, that will surely work for you.

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UE Boom 2

While we weren't as impressed with the UE Boom 3 as we were with its predecessor, this is still the best Bluetooth speaker money can buy in 2019. This is a speaker that can get loud and not distort at higher volumes; be light enough to carry on a camping trip but remain durable enough to tumble in a bag unprotected. 

It's both water- and dust-proof, and now has a one-touch mix button that lets you pull up your favorite playlists without ever picking up your phone. 

There are certainly more detailed speakers out there (see: Bowers and Wilkins Zeppelin down below), but at a price that's relatively affordable to all, the UE Boom 3 hits all the right notes for the third year in a row. 

Read the full review: UE Boom 3

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Fugoo Style

The Bose SoundLink Revolve is an excellent sound speaker for folks looking for true 360-degree sound. It’s great for sharing music during a party or for moving around the room without losing audio fidelity. However, the Bose SoundLink Mini II sounds slightly better and is slightly cheaper to boot. 

On the debit side, it’s also not fully dust or waterproof so you’ll want to think twice before bringing the Revolve to the beach. 

For half the price, the Wonderboom is a great speaker that is completely dust and waterproof and while it can’t match the audio fidelity or features of the Bose, it's still great for on-the-go listening. If bass is your game, the JBL Charge 3 is an excellent fully waterproof speaker that sounds great, but is big and heavy along with it.

Read the full review: Bose SoundLink Revolve

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JBL Charge 3

As a package, the JBL Charge 3 offers a compelling set of features and excellent sound quality to boot. It punches well above its weight, playing loudly and distortion-free. 

The Charge line of speakers have been on our shortlist of recommendations for a long time thanks to the way they combine great sound quality with the ability to charge your devices over USB. 

The latest iteration maintains JBL's dominance in the portable Bluetooth speaker market.

Read the full review: JBL Charge 3

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Bowers and Wilkins Zeppelin Wireless

The new Bowers and Wilkins Zeppelin Wireless is a beautiful piece of design. It's a solid, reassuringly weighty wireless speaker delivering on all the B&W audio heritage which the British audio maestro has been building up throughout its  lifetime: The sound is clear and natural, delivering room-filling audio with seriously punchy mid-range, and dynamic, controlled bass.

Its price might put a bit of a damper on your wallet, but if you have audiophile tastes that extend into the portable speaker space, the Bowers and Wilkins Zeppelin Wireless is the only speaker you should be considering.

Read the full review: Bowers and Wilkins Zeppelin Wireless

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Bose SoundLink Mini II

The Bose SoundLink Mini II is relatively ancient, having been released in June 2015. However, writing off the SoundLink Mini II because of its age would be a mistake, as it remains one of the best sounding wireless speakers. 

That said, it punches way above what its size would suggest, producing deep bass, sparkling highs and a lush midrange. While most wireless speakers sound OK, the Mini II proves that small speakers don’t need to compromise on sound, and other Bose conveniences like a charging pad. 

Read the full review: Bose SoundLink Mini II

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Anker Soundcore Flare

Anker has a history of making excellent budget wireless speakers. While we weren’t entirely impressed with the Anker SoundCore 2’s sound, we couldn’t be too mad since the speaker was so affordable. 

So what happens if you can stretch your budget? For around $20 more you get the Anker Soundcore Flare, an excellent waterproof Bluetooth speaker that can stand toe-to-toe with the competition. 

The Soundcore Flare is an amazing value in the sub-$100 wireless speaker segment. Competitors like the UE Wonderboom (listed above) give the Flare a run for its money in terms of build quality but we give the Flare the slight edge with sound quality. We recommend the Flare for anyone looking for a wireless speaker that can do it all without breaking the bank. 

Read the full review: Anker Soundcore Flare

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UE Wonderboom

When someone asks us for a recommendation for a waterproof speaker, the UE Roll 2 was always on the top of our list. We loved the Roll 2’s unique form factor, 50-foot wireless range and, obviously, it sounded good, too. Where it was lacking was in the bass department. Logitech, UE’s parent company, has fixed the Roll 2’s lack of bass by creating the appropriately named UE Wonderboom. 

In our eyes, the UE Wonderboom bests the Roll 2 in just about every way –except for the Roll 2’s handy bungee cord. Still, ignoring that, if you’re looking for one of the best waterproof Bluetooth speakers on the market today, it’s hard to do better than the UE Wonderboom. 

Read the full review: UE Wonderboom

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Bang and Olufsen Beoplay P2

The Tribit XSound Go shouldn’t sound this good for the price, but it does. The speaker impressed with balanced sound, is near distortion-free at high volumes, and lasts and incredible 20+ hours of playtime at medium volume. Plus, the speaker is IPX7 water and dust resistant so it’ll put up with a day at the beach or pool without a problem. While its design may be forgettable, you won’t care once you hear how good the XSound Go sounds. 

In terms of competition, you’ll have to spend a lot more for better sound quality. The UE Wonderboom is an excellent outdoor speaker, but will cost twice the money and doesn’t last as long as the Tribit. However, the UE Wonderboom does offer 360-degree sound and multi-speaker pairing if that matters to you. The JBL Flip 4 is also a good alternative if you want more bass emphasis and 360-degree sound but, if you're on a budget, you can't beat the XSound Go.

Read the full review: Tribit XSound Go

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Marshall Kilburn

Marshall’s Kilburn II is a fantastic update to its bestselling predecessor, with a stunning retro amp-inspired design and a well-rounded sound. While the bass can be a little muddy at times, it’s excellent for playing guitar music, and its portability means the Kilburn II is great for taking on the road - although it is fairly heavy.

It's rugged design stands out from other Bluetooth speakers on the market, and rock fans will like its heritage design - but if you're all about the minimalist look, the Kilburn II probably isn't for you

Read the full review: Marshall Kilburn II review

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Denon Envaya (DSB-250BT)

The newest speaker in the Denon Envaya line is one of the first speakers to absolutely blow us away in 2018. It offers powerful, room-filling sound that will sound great to most ears, plus comes with an IP67 rating, make it both dust and waterproof. It's also built like a tank, making it one of the most durable speakers we've ever laid our hands on.

Despite a nearly flawless performance, the Envaya isn't perfect: While sound quaity is full, powerful and rich, it doesn’t have the treble bite some like and the buttons located along the side can feel stiff and difficult to operate. These are ultimately minor complaints, however, and the Denon Envaya remains a great Bluetooth speaker – easily one of the best you can buy this year.

Read the full review: Denon Envaya (DSB-250BT)

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