Best Bluetooth speakers 2023

Marshall has made an absolutely brilliant Bluetooth speaker with the same stylish design and incredible sound we’ve become used to but in a bigger package to some of its portable models.

Not only does the Middleton pack in woofers, tweeters and passive bass radiators but has on-board controls for bass and treble so you can quickly customise the audio.

As per other models, you can pair multiple together with Stack Mode, there’s an aux input for non-Bluetooth devices, there’s IP67 dust and waterproofing and the speaker can even charge your phone or other gadgets via its internal battery.

If you need something cheaper and don’t mind losing the aux port, then Marshall’s Emberton II is an excellent choice.

Sonos has hit a decent price-point with the Roam and there’s a lot to like about this stylish, compact and clever speaker.

It’s IP67, can be used in either orientation and has something rarely found on a speaker in the form of wireless charging. As you’d expect from Sonos, the sound quality is excellent too.

This is really a purchase for existing Sonos users or those who plan to create a multi-room system. Bluetooth is limited to streaming so you’ll only get the most out of the Roam by using it over Wi-Fi as well with digital assistants and Sound Swap features.

Battery life is behind rivals, too, at up to 10 hours.

JBL hasn’t added smart features to the Charge 5 like some rivals, so there are no microphones to use your digital assistant or take calls.

But this is a speaker designed primarily for parties with its portable and robust design. An IP67 rating means it’s fully dust and waterproof, and chunky buttons make it easy to use.

Importantly, the sound quality is great and you can link up almost endless amounts for even the biggest parties.

Battery life is long plus, as the name hints, the Charge 5 can be used as a power bank to top up devices like your phone to keep the tunes flowing.

There’s not a huge amount of upgrades here but that doesn’t stop the SoundLink Revolve II from being an excellent Bluetooth speaker.

It looks the same, so it’s a well-made attractive compact cylinder with buttons on top but Bose has boosted the durability to IP55. It’s a shame that this still has Micro-USB and you can’t tweak the EQ but those are minor downsides.

Sound quality is excellent for a small speaker with a true 360-degree experience and battery life is much longer than the quoted 13 hours. Furthermore, the Revolve II has things others don’t like an aux input and the ability to take phone calls and use your phone’s digital assistant.

The Beosound A1 2nd Gen is an almost perfect portable Bluetooth speaker with a luxurious design and high-end build quality. It’s also durable with an IP67 rating for full dust protection and water submersion.

While the buttons are better than the original, they are still more tricky than many rivals and we’d like more LEDs to get volume and battery info.

Still, you can get that from the app which, when it connects properly, has some useful extra features headlining with a customisable EQ. Even without adjusting the tuning, the sound quality is excellent, there’s plenty of power and a 360-degree experience.

Battery life is solid and support for Amazon Alexa (via your phone anyway) is a standout feature but then, in a negative way, so is the high price. It’s also a shame you can’t stereo pair with the original A1.

Not many soundbars come with Bluetooth but the Stage 360 from Creative does and it’s still a lot cheaper than many rivals at under £200/US$230.

So if you’re looking for a Bluetooth speaker for a room where there’s a TV or a PC then this soundbar will kill two birds with one stone.

The sound is great and it has a whole host of features including Dolby Atmos, HDMI ports, remote control and even comes with a subwoofer. The lack of an aux input shouldn’t be an issue here but note that the USB port won’t power a streaming stick.

The Sonos Move really achieves what it sets out to by being both an indoor part of the Sonos system, but also something you can take outdoors (or around the house) when needed.

The addition of Bluetooth means that you can go even further than your garden but the Roam is better for that.

The design is robust albeit heavy, but sound quality is excellent and very powerful. Auto Trueplay makes sure the Move sounds good wherever you put it.

The price might put some off and it’s not the Sonos speaker for everyone, but it’s certainly the Sonos speaker we’ve been waiting for.

In a somewhat surprising move from Apple, the HomePod is back and while the second-generation model is very similar to the original, it’s an excellent speaker in various ways.

As you would expect, it offers premium build and audio quality with Dolby Atmos and Spatial Audio on board. Unlike a lot of Apple’s audio products, the HomePod 2 even supports lossless streaming and using them as a stereo pair hooked up to an Apple TV and you’ve got yourself a pretty sweet entertainment setup.

However, that’s an expensive hit on your bank balance and there are other issues to consider including the fact that Siri is an awkward digitial assistant at times, especially the fact you can only use it for Apple Music playback. As a Bluetooth speaker, you’re options are wide open, but a line-in port and better control over the sound would be better.

Those looking for a rugged and powerful speaker for outdoor usage such as gardens, camping and the beach should consider the Motion Boom Plus.

For starters it’s IP68 dust and waterproof, completely buoyant and comes with a handy shoulder strap. It’s also got a USB-A port to charge devices like a phone as well as aux input and a long 20-hours of battery life.

The device is a bit chunky and weighs 2.4kg so isn’t ideal for a long hike but it makes up for it in audio performance, both in terms of quality and volume.

So the Hyperboom isn’t exactly portable in the traditional sense but this chonky speaker can still travel around with you if you’re not planning to lug it too far.

Expensive and heavy, sure, but if you perhaps want a speaker to use inside and then transport a short distance to the garden then it’s great. And you’ll be rewarded with serious sound so it’s great for parties where smaller speakers will struggle to provide enough oomph.

If the booming bass isn’t enough, you can pair up more speakers and UE offers 24 hour battery life and wide range of connectivity options so you’re not limited to Bluetooth.