Expert reviews and analysis of the best bluetooth speakers products
Bose's largest portable: a refined, powerful IP67-rated speaker with minimal compression at volume, a detachable handle and a 15-hour battery with power bank — a superb premium outdoor speaker, bar slightly uneven directivity.
The JBL Xtreme 4 is a big, rugged IP67 Bluetooth speaker with remarkable power and an astonishing battery — over 32 hours in testing — plus a reversible USB-C power bank and a replaceable battery, held back only by bass-heavy tuning and a high price.
The second-gen Bose SoundLink Flex: a rugged, superbly built compact Bluetooth speaker with big sound for its size, IP67 waterproofing, PositionIQ and a new EQ app — a top take-anywhere pick, if short on volume and 360-degree sound.
A premium portable Bluetooth speaker with Adaptive EQ room correction, a full graphic EQ and a rugged build — a warm, tunable and room-filling music speaker, if short on deep bass and multi-device pairing.
A rugged, IP67 360-degree portable Bluetooth speaker with app EQ, long Bluetooth range and USB-C charging — a very good outdoor and small-room speaker, if never thunderously loud.
The Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 4 is a compact, rugged IP67 speaker that finally adopts USB-C: balanced 360-degree sound, excellent battery life and a handy new Podcast mode — though it's almost identical to the Wonderboom 3 and still a touch short on bass.
Even more durable, more practical, and more connected, the JBL Charge 6 maintains the recipe for success of its predecessors while refining even more details. Can it remain the reference under £200?
The Yamaha WS-B1A is a premium, compact and rugged IP67 Bluetooth speaker with a surprisingly powerful, balanced sound for its size and strong battery life — let down by a bare-bones feature set: no multipoint, no stereo pairing, no app and mono-only, directional sound.
