It’s safe to say that the Bluetooth speaker market is booming right now. That means that there are tons of unexceptional options out there, but you’ll also find plenty of excellent speakers at every price. The best Bluetooth speaker options include everything from compact models that are designed to be taken on the go to powerful boom boxes with built-in LEDs. And while bigger usually means better when it comes to speakers, you’ll find plenty of smaller models that still pack a surprising punch. No matter what your needs or your budget, there’s a high-quality Bluetooth speaker that can fit them.
In assessing what the best Bluetooth speakers are, we consider the design of the speaker, and particularly how durable it seems, along with sound quality and overall value. The list includes everything from compact mini models and pocket-size micro versions to heftier models with powerful audio. For more, check out our lists of the best smart speakers and the best Wi-Fi speakers and music systems.
JBL PartyBox 110
Released in 2021, JBL’s PartyBox 110 packs some serious punch and delivers bigger sound than some of the portable boom box speakers on this list, including JBL’s own Boombox 2. There’s an integrated handle for toting the speaker, but the PartyBox 110 is pretty hefty, weighing in at 23 pounds and measuring slightly more than 22 inches tall. You can put it up vertically as shown in the picture above or place it horizontally, as it has rubber feet on both sides of the speaker.
It’s rated for up to 12 hours of playback time at moderate volume levels and has a redesigned light show that syncs to the beat of your music — you can customize the light show from the speaker itself or use the JBL PartyBox companion app.
The speaker has Bluetooth or a wired USB connection and there are guitar and mic inputs. It’s also worth noting that speaker is IPX4 splash-proof and you can wirelessly link two PartyBox 110 speakers together for stereo sound. I didn’t test the stereo mode, but I was impressed with the sound of a single PartyBox 110 — it puts out lots of well-defined bass with good overall clarity in the highs and mids — and I suspect that pairing two of these together would be pretty awesome.
I also liked how the speaker has no external AC adapter brick and only requires a cord for charging (the power adapter is in the speaker). For longer parties during which you’re really cranking the tunes, you’d want to plug the speaker in if possible. But it does deliver enough volume to fill a spacious living room with sound and also plays loud enough for a small pool or beach party.
The PartyBox 710 ($800) is a massive party speaker that has integrated wheels and requires a power source to operate; it does not have an integrated rechargeable battery. This is your best bet if you want a portable speaker that can deliver big, quality sound and operates on battery power. To be clear, this offers bigger and better sound than the JBL Boombox 2 — but it is harder to carry around.
