A Guide To The Best Bluetooth Speakers

Unlike docking stations, wireless and bluetooth speakers are generally operated by a built-in rechargable battery making it very portable as it can be used pretty much anywhere.  Any bluetooth enabled device such as a phone, MP3 player, tablet and laptop will be compatible with the speaker.  Pretty much all bluetooth speakers has a 3.5mm audio jack so even non bluetooth enabled audio devices will be compatible.

If you are using a bluetooth enabled device then this is also your remote control, if it’s a mobile phone you’re using you can still use your phone as normal other than making phone calls. 

To ensure your speaker’s battery life will last you for the duration of your trip, then you can buy a portable charger which will charge your speaker without the use of a laptop or USB wall charger. 

If you’re only going to be using the Bluetooth speaker indoors then it might be worth investing in a sound bar instead, this will replace your TV’s speakers so will be fixed to one location but a sound bar will have a high quality output and you can connect your music device to it wirelessly.  Or, many turntables are also Bluetooth enabled, check out our best turntable reviews.

Since there are so many options to choose from, it can be a bit overwhelming when it comes to choosing the best portable wireless speaker.  Our top 3 portable speakers in our comparison table are the best sellers, therefore, we’ve wrote a mini review on these products which you will find at the bottom of the page.

How To Choose The Best Bluetooth Speaker

We created the table on the top 10 bluetooth speakers only as a guidance, as the needs and requirements for each individual may be different.  When deciding what is the best bluetooth speaker for yourself then the key features you should look out for should be:

Wireless range – Although the shortest range of any bluetooth speaker shown in the table is 9 metres, you may be thinking you doubt you’d ever be that far from the speaker, but you need to take into account if you have to take your music device into another room from the speaker and there’s walls blocking the connection then that range will decrease and so will your connection signal.

Charge time – If you forgot to charge your bluetooth speaker but you require it upon short notice then having a quick charge time will give your bluetooth speaker more playback time.

Playback time – The playback time can be extremely useful if you’re spending the day or weekend away and you may not have access to a power source to charge your speaker.  Although you can use a portable charger to charge your speaker but it may not be convenient if you don’t want to carry so many things!

Built-in mic – Take phone calls without having to discount your phone from the speaker.  As soon as the phone call ends, the music resumes!

3.5mm audio socket – Most of the portable speakers will have a 3.5mm audio socket which can be very handy if you prefer to plug the speaker into your phone using an aux cable.  This will use up less battery from the speaker and your music device whether it be your phone, handheld DAB radio, MP3 player or laptop.

Dimensions – Although all of the speakers shown in the table are portable, some can still be quite big and bulky.  Depending on what you’ll mainly be using it for, check the dimensions first.  Users who often travel will probably benefit more from a mini Bluetooth speaker such as the Betron KBS08.