Portable Speaker Buying Guide

Portable speakers open up a world of possibilities when you want to take your favourite audio on the go. These days, there’s an overwhelming amount of choice on the market, though you’ll be sure to find a portable speaker that will suit your needs. Whether you’re looking for a speaker to withstand the British weather, or you need a sand-proof speaker for a day at the beach - there will be something for everyone, you just need to look for the right features.

Waterproof rating 💧

Most portable speakers come with an IP rating. It’s good to understand what IP rating will cover, as dust and water protection may be a key feature for some.

Example: IP67 - Great for days at the beach, as the ‘6’ gives you complete protection from dust and sand and the ‘7’ gives protection against immersion in water between 15cm - 1m deep for 30 mins.

Example: IPX7- The ‘X’ demonstrates the speaker hasn’t been formally tested in solids, so avoid this rating if you need protection from dust. The ‘7’ does protect against immersion in water between 15cm - 1m deep for 30 mins. This rating would work well by the poolside for extra protection.

Battery Life 🔋

Battery life is important to think about when choosing the best portable speaker for you. If you just want a portable speaker for moving easily around your home, you probably don’t need to think about battery life. However if you’re constantly on the go with little downtime, battery life should be at the top of your list.

Many modern speakers now have a quick charge feature with some speakers offering a 6 hours of playback from a 20 minute charge.

As well as battery life, check the charge times and methods. Does it use a USB-C connection or something different? How long does it take to recharge from dead?

Weight / Size / Shape ⚫

Portable speakers come in all different types of shapes, sizes and weights, making some speakers more portable than offers. Cylindrical speakers like the Sonos Roam tend to be a better companion for bike rides as they can fit comfortably in a bottle holder.

While if you’re looking to power a summer garden party, it would be better to look for a larger speaker like the Beolit 20 that can provide a wider and more powerful soundstage.

Consider the main purpose of your portable speaker. Will you mainly be using it at home? If so, you may want to think about going for a larger / heavier speaker that can provide a more powerful sound output. If you’ll be using it out and about mainly, it needs to be rucksack-friendly and not weigh more than a bottle of water ideally.

Bluetooth Standard 🔹

Generally speaking, Bluetooth versions featured on portable speakers at the moment range from Bluetooth series 4 to series 5. But what does this mean?

Bluetooth 4 series -  The introduction of Bluetooth 4 brings improvements from 3.0 like Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). This means devices are able to stay connected for longer periods of time while using less power. There’s also an increased connection range to 50m, less interference, improved pairing among other benefits.

Bluetooth 5 series is a step up from the series 4 and boasts increased bandwidth, extended connection range of up to 240m, less power consumption, as well as many more features.

Examples

• Bluetooth 4.2 - Range: 50m outside, 10m inside / Power requirement: High / Battery life: Shorter / Speed: Supports roughly 1mbps
• Bluetooth 5.2 - Range: 200m outside (in line of sight), 40m inside / Power requirement: Low / Battery life: Longer  / Speed: Supports roughly 2mbps

Dual Orientations & Auto-Optimisation

Dual orientation allows the speaker to be positioned either vertically or horizontally.

Auto-optimisation is a valuable feature to look for if you want a speaker that is always acoustically optimised no matter its location. This can take away the pain of messing around with the EQ in the speakers respective app. The Sonos Move and Roam are examples of this within a portable speaker.

Extra Features

Extra features are always good to look out for depending on what your main use for the speaker will be. Some great extra features seen on some portable speakers are;

• Wireless charger base: Sometimes supplied with the speaker and sometimes not, a particularly useful feature if you often find your device with little charge when you’re on the go.
• Wi-Fi: Speakers that have wi-fi capabilities mean you can often make that speaker part of a wider ecosystem. It also opens up useful features like airplay and voice control.
• Carabiner carry clip: Perfect for hikers as the carabiner clip means the speaker won’t need to take up any bag room and can be safely clipped onto a bag.
• Multi-speaker mode: Certain brands may have a mode that allows you to connect up multiple speakers to create a party mode. Most JBL speakers have these features which are great if you want to regularly extend your audio reach with another speaker.
• Quick charge: A handy feature that on average takes as little as 30 minutes to provide over 5 hours of battery life. The timings range from speaker to speaker that provide a quick charge feature, though it’s desirable for those who are never in one place for long.
• Multi-point pairing: Some brands will let you pair more than 1 speaker at a time so you can have more than 1 person in control of the music.
• Voice command integration: A feature that’s not extremely common with portable speakers at the moment, but definitely worth considering if you don’t always have access to your device. A good option for the poolside.

Now you should have a better idea of what features to look out for, we've rounded up a few of our favourites in each category to give you a place to start.

Best speaker for adventuring & outdoor pursuits

If you're planning to take your speaker with you on your travels, adventures or outdoor pursuits, you're going to need an excellent sound quality that can cut through the noise while remaining lightweight and portable.

Our pick: JBL Flip 6

The JBL Flip 6 is an exceptional all-rounder that keeps the adventurer in mind. Its rugged design and hardened fabric material can withstand drops, rolls and tumbles of most manners. Boasting a 12 hour battery life and an assortment of colours to match your lifestyle, the JBL Flip 6 is legendary.

Weatherproof rating: IP67 (submersible in water up to 1 metre)

Weight: 0.6kg

Battery life: 12 hours

Bluetooth: 5.1

RRP: £129.99

Watch our YouTube review of the JBL Flip 6 >> 

Best speaker for larger outdoor areas

For outdoor spaces that are quite large, a smaller portable speaker isn't going to fill the area which is why you'll need something a bit larger. Do bear in mind, larger speakers are less portable so they would be designed to be used around the home and garden

Our pick: Sonos Move

The Sonos Move 2 is purely designed for moving around your home from space to space. Benefitting from both WiFi & Bluetooth, you can take advantage of rock-solid wireless streaming when you're at home, or cast simply via Bluetooth when you're away. 

Weatherproof rating: IP56 (resistant to water splashes)

Weight: 4kg

Battery life: 11 hours

Bluetooth: 5.0

RRP: £449

Watch our YouTube review of the Sonos Move 2 >>

Best speaker for smaller areas

Small outdoor seating areas only require a small speaker but still needs to pack a punch.

Our pick: Sony XB13

Sony have proved that just by spending £54.99 you can achieve a full and dynamic sound from a portable speaker. Thanks to the removable strap, you can hook this to almost anything and you can listen all day long with a 16 hour battery.

Weatherproof rating: IP67 (submersible in water up to 1 metre)

Weight: 253g

Battery life: 16 hours

Bluetooth: 4.2

RRP: £54.99

Watch our YouTube review of the Sony XB13 >>

Best speaker for using both at home & outdoors

If you're looking for a portable speaker that is just as great at home as it is outdoors, then having WiFi & Bluetooth built in at the same time while still remaining compact is the way to go. 

Our pick: Sonos Roam

When it comes to having the best of both worlds, the Sonos Roam is hard to beat. With its unique sound swap feature where music can be offloaded to your closest Sonos speaker when you move indoors, the Roam offers a seamless experience. Take it away with you and it's ready for your adventures using Bluetooth. 

Weatherproof rating: IP67 (submersible in water up to 1 metre)

Weight: 0.43kg

Battery life: 10 hours

Bluetooth: 5.0

RRP: £179

Watch our YouTube review of the Sonos Roam >>

Best speaker for festivals

For avid festival-goers, you're going to need a long battery life and a sound that can fill a large open space. Not to mention, quick charge features that give you a quick burst of charge if you're running low.

Our pick: JBL Charge 5

The JBL Charge 5 is our top pick for taking to festivals because its slightly larger size gives you more punch than most portable speakers. You can also use the USB-C connection to charge your phones and devices, perfect if you've forgotten that phone charger! Not to mention its 20 hour battery life and impressive range of colours. 

Weatherproof rating: IP67 (submersible in water up to 1 metre)

Weight: 0.96kg

Battery life: 20 hours

Bluetooth: 5.1

RRP: £159

View all portable speakers

Watch our portable speaker buying guide