In the smartphone era, a portable wireless speaker has become an essential. And whether you want to beam Spotify playlists during house parties, or relax with your favourite Apple Music playlist at the pool, there are speakers to meet every need. Rugged, lightweight and fully waterproof models are perfect for the great outdoors, while stylish – and often slightly larger – options are ideal for moving around the home and having portable playback in any room.
And if your budget can stretch, some higher-end models combine great audio fidelity, long battery life and the ability to easily pair multiple speakers to enhance the experience. Here’s the pick of the best smartphone speakers you can buy right now.
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Best for phone-free control
UE Megaboom 3 (£169.99)
Ultimate Ears’ range of Bluetooth speakers hits a roaring crescendo with the rugged and waterproof Megaboom 3. Packing a massive, bass-heavy punch (max output 90dBA), the cylindrical speaker delivers 360-degree sound, easy touch controls and serious durability. The Megaboom 3 is fully waterproof (it even floats) and is built to take a beating. It pairs easily with your phone, and you can connect it with other speakers to boost the volume, making it great for parties. There’s also a new “magic button” that lets you control playlists from streaming services Apple Music and Deezer via the speaker itself.
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Best for a house party
Sony SRS-XB31 (£150)
The XB stands for Extra Bass, which should give you a pretty decent idea of what to expect from this portable speaker. The SRS-XB31 has a dedicated “live sound” button, which generates three-dimensional audio designed to be reminiscent of your favourite concert venue – complete with flashing lights! With a whopping 24-hour battery life, this speaker draws on Sony’s decades of audio experience, and can sync wirelessly with up to 100 of its stablemates. As a bonus, you can even use that big battery to keep your phone powered up – so the music can carry on, even when your handset is ready to tap out.
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Best for 360-degree sound
Bose Soundlink Revolve (£179.95)
The aptly named Revolve is Bose’s pitch to be at the centre of your room, or in the middle of your picnic. Take it outdoors and you’ll have 12 hours of battery life, plus IPX4-rated water resistance to keep your favourite bands singin’ in the rain. The design seems inspired by the Amazon Echo and Google Home smart speakers, but with more of a premium feel, along with the company’s typically excellent sound. A multifunction button lets you interact with virtual assistants Google Home and Siri.
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Best for a pool party
JBL Xtreme 2 (£279.99)
When you’re hanging at the pool, you don’t want to be worrying about your expensive Bluetooth speaker being destroyed every time someone performs a cannonball. The JBL Xtreme 2 gives peace of mind. The big upgrade in this edition of the rugged speaker is improved waterproofing (IPX7-rated), which means the speaker can be submerged up to one metre for as long as 30 minutes. It retains the fabric construction and rubberised design of its predecessor, meaning it’ll also withstand a beating. Two smartphones can connect to the Xtreme speaker at once, so friends can share the DJ-ing duties if things get a little samey. If those friends have the same speaker (or you own more than one), JBL Connect tech makes pairing more than one speaker nice and simple. Battery life is solid too, with 15 hours of playback on a single charge.
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Best value for money
Anker Soundcore Flare (£69.99)
If you’re looking for a solid all-round performer at the best possible price, the Anker Soundcore Flare fits the bill. It has the popular cylindrical design, providing surprisingly good 360-degree sound for its diminutive size. It’s also waterproof and can withstand complete submersion without killing the party.
You can pair an additional Flare speaker and customise the lights on the bottom of the unit. Of course, for £70, there are some downsides; the battery life is fair-to-middling, at 12 hours, and the bass will be a little mild for some.
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Best for voice commands
UE Megablast (£269.99)
What’s bigger and louder than a Megaboom? A Megablast, obviously. Ultimate Ears’ largest and most powerful speaker provides massive 360-degree sound, rich bass and a crisp and clear range. While it’s designed for the outdoors, it also has wifi connectivity and support for Amazon Alexa. That means you can use voice commands to control music from Spotify, Amazon Music and other streaming services, without having to reach for your smartphone. It also enables users to set timers, check the weather and control other Alexa-enabled smart home devices.
Of course, there’s Bluetooth support too for traditional playback from your smartphone. Like its Megaboom sibling, it offers waterproof protection, can be submerged for up to 30 minutes and will withstand a few knocks. Battery life is rated at 16 hours.
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Best for outdoor adventures
JBL Clip 3 (£49.99)
Designed for use on the move, the JBL Clip 3 attaches to a belt, backpack or whatever else you can clip its fully integrated carabiner to. The ultra-portable speaker can soundtrack even the longest of hikes, pumping out 10 hours of tunes. It’s IPX7-certified water resistant, so you won’t have to hide it away when the heavens open. Naturally at this price and size, you can’t expect the same in terms of overall audio quality and volume, but if you’re enjoying the great outdoors, it’ll provide ample epic backing music without completely drowning out nature’s own soundtrack.
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Best for individual style
Tivoli Andiamo (£189)
This is Tivoli’s first battery-powered Bluetooth speaker, and the company’s initial foray away from wires has been an almighty success. It has an interesting circular build with a stylish tan leather band around the outside, complete with a convenient handle. In terms of audio quality, it punches above its weight; the detail and clarity of the sound belies the price tag, while the bass makes its presence known without being overbearing.
Unfortunately, you need its dedicated charger, rather than any old USB cable, and, unlike many of the other devices on this list, it isn’t waterproof. It’s also relatively hefty, at 720g. That weight is put to good use, though, with the battery delivering a solid 20 hours of playback.
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Best for indoor use
Sonos Play:1 (£149)
The authority on wireless multi-room audio, Sonos has helped to free an entire generation from messy speaker wires. The Play:1 is the smallest of its wifi speakers, but packs enough of an audio punch to fill any room. It requires a mains connection at all times – making it the least portable speaker on our list – but if you’re seeking a great-sounding standalone Bluetooth speaker you can add to (two Play:1 speakers can combine to become rear speakers in a home cinema set-up, for example), then this device is hard to beat.
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Best for battery life
Minirig 3 (£139.99)
Size doesn’t matter, apparently. The palm-sized Minirig 3 is unspeakably loud for its small stature, and offers an incredible 100 hours of continuous playback, albeit at a lower volume (you only get seven hours at max volume). The custom 70mm driver provides double the top volume of its predecessor and includes a party mode that’ll pair with an unlimited number of Minirigs. Thankfully, you can use some of that battery life to replenish your smartphone during playback; there’s also a line out for connecting your Minirig to another audio source.
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To find discount codes for the best portable speakers from major electronics retailers, visit discountcode.theguardian.com/uk
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