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- We’ve tested more than 40 speakers since 2023. All of them use Bluetooth, and many rely on it exclusively to transmit audio data.
- Between them, our reviewers have decades of experience testing audio products and put each speaker through its paces over weeks, not days.
- Audio quality is a primary consideration, but we also assess price, portability, durability, design, battery life, connectivity and features.
- Of the models we’ve tested, the JBL Flip 7 is our current favourite overall, balancing price, performance and portability better than anything else on the market.
Modern life demands flexibility in how we consume media, and Bluetooth speakers are among the most versatile audio products on the market.
While a Bluetooth speaker’s primary appeal remains its ability to play music without the need for a wired connection, most are capable of a lot more than that. Many are waterproof, offer voice assistant support and can double up as a power bank.
It can be overwhelming choosing a Bluetooth speaker that meets your needs, but we’ve tested over 40 recent models and listed our favourites to help make that process easier. Our number one pick for most people is the JBL Flip 7, but we’ve detailed a range of great options that cater for a range of use cases, below. After our top picks, you’ll find a buying guide answering the burning questions you may have before buying a Bluetooth speaker.
Best Bluetooth speaker: At a glance
- JBL Flip 7: Best overall | Amazon (£130)
- Sonos Play: Best indoor/outdoor speaker | Amazon (£299)
- Ruark MR1 Mk3: Best desktop Bluetooth speakers | Amazon (£399)
How we test Bluetooth speakers
We test each Bluetooth speaker for a couple of weeks at a minimum to bring you impartial, insightful buying advice. A lot of our focus falls on sound quality; we listen to an enormous range of content on every speaker we test to gauge its performance when handling different genres in different conditions. We test how it sounds with each Bluetooth codec it supports, and throw tunes at it from various streaming services, including Tidal, Spotify and Apple Music.
Tests are conducted both indoors and outside (assuming the speaker is portable and has some weather resistance), and at various volume levels. We also measure, weigh and carry them around with us to assess how easy they are to transport. If a speaker purports to be either water-resistant or waterproof, we expose it to the elements on a rainy day or use it in the shower or bath to verify its manufacturer’s claims.
We experiment extensively with EQ controls, audio modes or settings in companion apps and record the length of our listening sessions to get an idea of battery life. If smart assistants are supported, we use the full suite of voice controls on offer and analyse how accurately commands are picked up and executed.
For Bluetooth speakers with speakerphone capabilities, we make and take calls with other members of the Expert Reviews team and get their feedback on how clear (or otherwise) we sound.
The best Bluetooth speakers to buy in 2026
1. JBL Flip 7: Best Bluetooth speaker overall
Price when reviewed: £130 | Check price at John Lewis
- Awesome power for its size
- Super-durable design
- Lossless audio over USB-C
- No USB-C cable included
Tested and reviewed by Andy White
The JBL Flip 7 is a do-it-all Bluetooth speaker that’s our number-one recommendation for most people. We found it compact enough to take anywhere, loud enough to fill large spaces, and durable enough to withstand torrential downpours, a dunk in the swimming pool and being dropped.
It sounded great during testing, delivering impressive mid-range detail on Genesis’ Invisible Touch and plenty of bass on Baby Baby by Corona. Battery life is very solid at 14 hours of moderate-volume listening, and Auracast lets you connect the Flip 7 to other compatible devices for an even more potent experience when desired. The Flip 7 has got the lot, and doesn’t cost the earth, making it the best Bluetooth speaker on the market in our opinion.
Read our JBL Flip 7 review from May 2025
2. Sonos Play: Best indoor/outdoor Bluetooth speaker
Price when reviewed: £299 | Check price at John Lewis
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support
- Handy charging dock
- Impactful, balanced sound
- Unconvincing stereo presentation
Tested and reviewed by Andy White
Most Bluetooth speakers excel either at home or further afield – the Sonos Play is a stellar performer in both environments. It’s the ideal size to sling in a bag to take to the park and use over Bluetooth, but also has the sonic chops to shine as a smart home speaker.
We loved its crisp, coherent output and particularly enjoyed how adeptly it handled the tempo and dynamic shifts in iloveitiloveitiloveit by Bella Kay. Voice controls via Alexa or Sonos worked superbly, and smart integration with Sonos’ home audio ecosystem is a huge draw. The speaker also comes with a charging cradle, which makes keeping the battery, which lasted 19 hours in our testing, topped up a breeze. If you’re looking for a best-of-both-worlds Bluetooth/Wi-Fi, indoor/outdoor speaker, the Play is the one to buy.
Read our Sonos Play review from April 2026
- Gorgeous design
- Refined sound
- Waterproof and dropproof
- Pricey
3. Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 3rd Gen: Most stylish portable Bluetooth speaker
Price when reviewed: £299 | Check price at Selfridges
Tested and reviewed by Andy White
Bang & Olufsen’s 3rd Gen Beosound A1 is extremely well-made and absolutely gorgeous. Crafted from premium materials, it looks every inch the premium portable speaker it is, and it sounds it, too.
We were particularly taken by how consistent it sounds, no matter where you are in relation to it. It projects audio effectively in all directions and does so with a huge amount of refinement. Instruments and vocals have plenty of space within a broad soundstage, and low frequencies on DnB anthem Bad Ass! by Aphrodite had plenty of potency. A stunning speaker for people willing to splash the cash on a statement piece.
Read our Bang & Olufsen Besound A1 3rd Gen review from October 2025
4. JBL Grip: Best Bluetooth speaker under £100
Price when reviewed: £90 | Check price at Currys
- In-built ambient lighting
- Punchy sound
- Great size and portability
- A bit light on bass
Tested and reviewed by Andy White
If you’re limited to a budget of £100, there’s no better portable speaker than the JBL Grip. It’s the first JBL portable to feature ambient lighting, which gives it a glowing allure, and, like the Flip 7, it belies its size with room-filling sound. At 50% volume, it had more than enough muscle to fill a reasonably sized room, but it dealt with vocal elements on Sister Hazel’s Change Your Mind in a characterful fashion, too.
The Flip 7 is the better choice for raw output and can spend that bit extra, but the Grip is the standout choice if you’ve only got £100 to spend.
Read our JBL Grip review from November 2025
5. Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Pro: Best premium Bluetooth speaker
Price when reviewed: £699 | Check price at Selfridges
- Sensational sound quality
- Eye-catching aesthetic
- Great streaming options
- No remote control
Tested and reviewed by Steve May
The B&W Zeppelin oozes luxury, both in terms of its audio quality and appearance. Its titanium dome tweeters and sophisticated mid-range drivers make the Zeppelin Pro a smoother, more tonally accurate listen than any other speaker in this price bracket we’ve tested, and that goes for both its Wi-Fi and Bluetooth performance.
When listening to R.E.M’s It’s The End of The World As We Know It, we were blown away by the breadth of the soundstage and clarity of every note and lyric. And there was lots of low-end grunt on show when it tackled Solence’s Expletive Deleted. Audio this good in a package this stylish commands a high price, but the Zeppelin Pro is worth every penny.
Read our Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Pro review from February 2025
6. Ruark Audio MR1 Mk3: Best desktop Bluetooth speakers
Price when reviewed: £399 | Check price at John Lewis
- Fantastic desktop-friendly design
- Beautifully balanced sound
- Physical connectivity options
- Bass lacks depth
Tested and reviewed by Steve May
This long-awaited update to Ruark’s MR1 aced our audio tests, earning it a place as the Bluetooth speaker system we’d most like to have on our desktop. Diana Krall’s California Dreamin’ showcased the speakers’ warm and crisp vocal reproduction, and they demonstrated surprisingly full-bodied bass for their size when we fed them Billie Eilish’s Bad Guy.
The MR1 Mk3’s precision and poise are matched by top-notch build quality and an elegant aesthetic. These speakers looked the business on either side of our laptop and monitor. In addition to Bluetooth, you can connect over USB-C for high-resolution listening, hook up the MR1 to your TV with an optical cable, and even connect a turntable should you wish. Such versatility is the icing on the cake of this head-turning pair.
Read our Ruark MR1 Mk3 review from September 2025
7. Ultimate Ears Hyperboom: Best Bluetooth speaker for parties
Price when reviewed: £359 | Check price at Ultimate Ears
- Loud and enjoyable sound
- Long-lasting battery
- Can PartyUp with other Boom speakers
- Big and heavy
Tested and reviewed by Andy White
Bigger doesn’t always mean better where audio is concerned, but if you want to kickstart a party, no speaker does so more effectively than the UE Hyperboom. This hulking great speaker weighs 5.9kg, which made it a bit tricky for us to manoeuvre around at times, but the raw sonic output makes it all worthwhile.
Balanced, bold and bassy, the Hyperboom can reach volume levels guaranteed to annoy your neighbours, and does so without distorting, which is no mean feat. This speaker nails the two key things you want from a party speaker – volume and sound quality – making it our number one pick when you want to have a dancefloor tear-up at home.
Read our Ultimate Ears Hyperboom review from January 2021
8. Amazon Echo Dot Max: Best budget Bluetooth speaker with Alexa
Price when reviewed: £80 | Check price at John Lewis
- Alexa works well
- Other useful smart features
- Sounds good
- The light ring is oddly placed
Tested and reviewed by Chris Hall
This new entry into Amazon’s Echo lineup delivers a smart and highly enjoyable experience for an affordable price, making it our pick of budget Alexa options. With Alexa+ now available in the UK, the device’s smart capabilities are more conversational and personalised, making interactions with AI much smoother.
It’s also a good-sounding speaker, too. Our tests showed the Max to be the best-sounding Echo Dot yet, thanks to the separation of the woofer and tweeter, resulting in a cleaner, wider soundstage. Alexa may be an acquired taste, but if it’s a flavour you can’t get enough of, the Echo Dot Max is an excellent addition to the Amazon family.
Read our Amazon Echo Dot Max review from November 2025
9. LG XBOOM XL7S: Best Bluetooth speaker for karaoke
Price when reviewed: £299 | Check price at Amazon
- Fun karaoke and DJ effects
- Top-notch lighting effects
- Loud, bassy sound
- No mic included
Tested and reviewed by Matt Reed
We love a bit of a singsong at Expert Reviews, and the LG XBOOM XL7S enables joyous, colourful karaoke that’ll bring the house down. When we tested it, we loved its potent sonic output, satisfying low-end response and clean articulation of vocals.
We were also enamoured by its customisable lighting and DJ effects, with our reviewer stating they offer “a take on karaoke that most commercial establishments can’t match”. Whether you use it as a karaoke machine or party speaker, this LED-enhanced model is a real crowd pleaser.
Read our LG XBOOM XL7S review from September 2023
How to choose the best Bluetooth speaker for you
What is Bluetooth?
Bluetooth is a wireless technology that allows communication between devices over short distances. All new smartphones and tablets support Bluetooth, as will most laptops. Otherwise, an inexpensive USB dongle can add Bluetooth support.
What’s the difference between Bluetooth and wireless speakers?
The terms wireless and Bluetooth are used interchangeably when referring to headphones, but they’re different things in the speaker world. Bluetooth speakers typically only connect over Bluetooth, though you may find some that are capable of connecting to a Wi-Fi network, too.
Wireless speakers use Wi-Fi as their primary form of connection, with Bluetooth connectivity often a welcome extra. We’ve included a couple of these on the list above.
What are Bluetooth codecs, and which should you look out for?
The transmission of data via Bluetooth is determined by the use of Bluetooth codecs. It’s important to remember that both your Bluetooth speaker and streaming device must support the codec in question to make use of it. SBC is pretty much universal, but some companies use their own proprietary codecs.
You can read more about these in our What are Bluetooth codecs? article.
How portable are Bluetooth speakers?
Most Bluetooth speakers are designed with portability in mind and house built-in batteries that allow you to take them with you wherever you go. These batteries can last anywhere from a few hours to over 20 hours, depending on the size of the speaker and the amount of power it uses.
Bluetooth speakers that rely solely on mains power are less common and normally less portable, too. You may still be able to carry one around in your bag, but if you want to use it while out and about, you’ll need access to an external power source.
Can I use my Bluetooth speaker outdoors?
Many Bluetooth speakers make great outdoor companions thanks to waterproofing and/or a rugged build. Rugged models will have shock-proofing, meaning they can handle being thrown around or dropped, which is handy if you’re on an outdoor adventure.
Bluetooth speakers designed for the outdoors will all have an IP rating, which reflects a device’s ability to withstand exposure to dust and water. An IP rating is comprised of two digits, the first of which relates to protection against the ingress of dust and the second of which represents water resistance.
You can find a full breakdown of what each IP rating means here. If you’re after something extremely resilient, you’ll want to look out for speakers with an IP67 rating.
Can I take calls and use my voice assistant with a Bluetooth speaker?
Lots of Bluetooth speakers will also have a built-in microphone, which enables you to use them for hands-free calls. This means they can serve a useful dual purpose and are a better option than using your phone’s speaker. Some also support the use of voice assistants such as Siri, Google Assistant and Alexa. These speakers allow you to control your audio with voice commands rather than using the physical buttons on the output device or speaker itself.
