The best Bluetooth speakers in 2025
Overview
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Table of Contents
This content originally appeared on Mashable for a US audience and has been adapted for the UK audience.
Either you've got a Bluetooth speaker and it's time to upgrade, or you haven't got one and you're woefully behind the times. In either case, it's time to splash out on a decent Bluetooth speaker. In this world of synced devices and endless connectivity, it's a must-have device. Particularly if most of your music is streamed from a playlist.
A Bluetooth speaker can integrate perfectly into a smart ecosystem, allowing you to pump up the volume from your phone or speak to Alexa — not to mention offer handy portability for taking on your holidays or even your daily commute.
There are loads of top-quality speakers out there, so you have plenty of choice. The problem with having so many impressive products from top brands is that picking the right device can be tricky. That’s where we come in. Here's a quick guide.
Do Bluetooth speakers sound good?
You’d be surprised at the quality of the audio tech in Bluetooth speakers. But what will you be using your speaker for? Purely music? Podcasts? A bit of both? It will surely factor into what kind of speaker you end up buying — whether that's surround sound, Dolby Atmos, something for the great outdoors, or just plain stereo (which is also great — don't feel pressured to get something super fancy and expensive if you don't really need it). Not all speakers produce the same kind of sound quality, so it's important to know exactly the kind of listening experience you're looking for.
How big are Bluetooth speakers?
Speakers can get pretty big, even portable ones, so take stock of how much useable space you want to dedicate to your audio setup both horizontally and vertically. Not everyone has the room for multiple speakers that work in tandem, so don't overwhelm yourself with something gigantic if it's constantly going to be getting in your way. There are plenty of speakers that can be easily stored or concealed, and some that are small enough to rest on a tabletop or shelf.
How many speakers do you need to buy?
We always recommend choosing quality over quantity. Having two amazing speakers is always going to get you better results than having five average speakers. Plus, having too many speakers around is just going to take up an unnecessary amount of space. If you have the room, we think two speakers is the perfect number.
Two speakers are especially ideal if you listen to a lot of music — music is normally recorded for a stereo setting, so having a left and right channel will do you wonders. And if you have a smaller space, even one really good speaker should do you just fine (as long as it sounds great). Many Bluetooth speakers also have easy pairing options with other speakers of the same make, so setting them up should be a breeze.
What are smart speakers?
These are speakers that double up as smart devices, which may connect to Alexa or sync with other smart home devices. They’re great in their own right, but they aren't always the best way to listen to music (sorry, Alexa). If you really can't live without having some sort of smart assistant within your speaker setup, we recommend getting something that is Bluetooth-enabled and connecting it to your smartphone. That way, you get the perks of your phone's built-in smart assistant without downgrading.
Are Bluetooth speakers waterproof?
Many modern speakers have some kind of water resistance. That means you can rock out at the pool or beach. Or, erm, in the shower. Even if you're not planning on taking your speaker on holiday, it's not out of the question that it could be a target for spills no matter where you have it in your home.
What is the best Bluetooth speaker?
There are plenty of Bluetooth speakers out there that are worth considering. We’ve tracked down some of the very best options. We have lined up impressive Bluetooth speakers from all the biggest brands, with something for everyone and every budget.
These are the best Bluetooth speakers in 2025.
Echo Studio
Best For Voice Control
The Good & The Bad
- Built-in Alexa
- Works as a smart home hub
- Sounds fills the room
- Good for home cinema set-up
- Dolby Atmos support
- No wireless option
- Subscription needed
- On the larger size
Why We Like It
The regular Echo has become a staple for many homes — we personally couldn't live without one — but why not upgrade with the Echo Studio? It's the premium offering in the Echo range, and while it costs significantly more than the usual Echo, it's stacked with features and it sounds excellent.
As you'd expect, it has Alexa built in so you can control all your music via voice command. That means you can stream via Amazon Music, Spotify, Apple Music, and more. Just tell Alexa what to do. It's so smart, in fact, that you can make it the hub of your entire smart home system.
In terms of sound quality, it has spatial audio for a truly epic soundstage. Seriously, this sounds much better than you'd expect from an Echo device. It also adapts to any room to deliver the best possible sound for that space.
Details
Ultimate Ears Boom 4
Best For Water
The Good & The Bad
- Floats in water
- 45 metre Bluetooth range
- Battery for all-day partying
- 360-degree sound
- Drop proof design
- Adapter not included
Why We Like It
Looking to throw a party by the pool? The Ultimate Ears Boom 4 should be top of the inventory — right up there with beer, snacks, and swimwear.
It features 360-degree sound and reaches high volumes, making it ideal for big party areas. It takes around three hours to charge, a bit longer than we’d like, but then packs 15 hours of battery life — enough to keep the party going.
The best feature, however, is that it’s waterproof enough to survive being dropped and left in a pool for up to 30 minutes. Even better than that, it floats in water, so it’s easy to retrieve if it does end up taking an impromptu swim. It's also drop-proof — it will withstand falls of 1.5m — and is pretty much indestructible. A great choice if thr party turns wild.
Details
Sonos Move 2
Best For Sound Quality
The Good & The Bad
- Upgraded acoustic architecture
- Excellent app control
- Lots of streaming features
- Bluetooth 5.0
- WiFi need for smart features
- Portable but hefty
Why We Like It
The Sonos Move 2 is a great Bluetooth speaker for your home, especially if you want to move it around from room to room (don't expect to take it on your holidays though — it's heavy). And with Alexa compatibility, it's especially good at integrating within a smart home.
This speaker is easy to control via the Sonos app, which includes voice control, and the combination of WiFi and Bluetooth gives you access to lots of extra features, such as streaming via Apple AirPlay, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Tidal, Spotify, internet radio, and more.
The Sonos Move 2 has seen a considerable bump-up in audio tech, making it a clear, punchy, detailed speaker. It also has automatic Trueplay tuning, which optimises the sound for the size and shape of the room.
Details
JBL Flip 6
Best For Travelling
The Good & The Bad
- Fun colour selection
- Good, reliable audio
- Water resistant
- Very durable build
- Better battery available
- No flashy features
Why We Like It
The JBL Flip 6 doesn't have the best features, but it’s a rugged, great-sounding portable speaker that has everything you need. With Bluetooth-only playback, it’s easy to connect and use at home and on-the-go — indoors and outdoors.
It has IP67 waterproofing, so you can splash it worry-free at the poolside. In fact, this speaker is perfect for taking on your holidays — easy to stash in a suitcase without compromising much luggage space, while boasting solid battery power and audio. Indeed, the sound is balanced and really pops, with a touch more bass than the previous JBL Flip models.
The price might seem high but for the convenience and performance, it delivers. It's actually a steal. Good value is what JBL does best.
Details
Sony SRS-RA3000
Best For Surround Sound
The Good & The Bad
- 360 Reality Audio
- Spotify and voice assistant
- Chromecast included
- Connects to speakers and TVs
- Not for outdoors
- Mains power only
Why We Like It
The SRS-RA3000 is one of the very best Bluetooth speakers from Sony, which is among the most-trusted audio brands in the world. With the SRS-RA300, Sony puts 360 Reality audio at the forefront, using unique spatial sound technology to create an ambient, room-filling sound that's far more immersive than your run-of-the-mill Bluetooth audio experience.
That enhanced experience comes in a relatively compact design. It has five speakers, including a beam tweeter that produces over-lapping sound waves that ensures everything is full and rich, wherever you're standing.
That's all boosted by smart and easy-to-use Bluetooth, WiFi, Chromecast, and Spotify connectivity. It's also compatible with most other smart speakers, allowing you to set up a voice-controlled multi-speaker system, and connects easily with your smart TV. The catch? It's for indoors only.
Details
Bose Soundlink Revolve+ Series II
Best For Volume
The Good & The Bad
- 360-degree sound
- Performance to size ratio
- Loud if you want it
- Multi-point pairing
- Links with other Bose speakers
- No smart features
Why We Like It
This sleekly designed, next-gen Bose SoundLink Revolve+ Series II delivers true 360-degree surround sound, making for a literal all-round listening experience. And it comes in a highly portable bundle. It's significantly smaller that other high-end 360-degree speakers and packs major volume for its size.
The Bose SoundLink Revolve Series II can also be paired with a second speaker for stereo sound or integrated with a Bose audio system via Bose SimpleSync technology. Water resistance makes it ideal for poolside listening.
The speaker is easy to use — just control it using the Bose Connect app — and features a built-in mic so you can take phone calls or use your phone’s smart assistant (though it doesn't have its own voice assistant built-in). You can also switch between Stereo mode or Party mode.
Details
JBL Clip 5
Best For Portability
The Good & The Bad
- Clips to your belt or bag
- Waterproof design
- Respectable battery
- Multi-speaker linking
- Low bass
- Limited battery life
Why We Like It
Like previous iterations, the JBL Clip 5 is small but mighty. It’s completely waterproof, super durable, and powerful. It has an improved battery life — helped by JBL's PlayTime Boost battery extending feature — and, of course, it’s ultra portable: Just clip it to your belt loop, backpack, or your bike with its carabineer clip. You can even clip it to the shower.
There's a wide range of fun colours — including red, blue, purple, pink, and camo — so you should be able to find the perfect model to fit your style.
Of course, it’s small so it has limited volume and reach, but you can wirelessly connect two or more compatible JBL speakers to amplify your sound if you need it. Unusually for a basic speaker of this size, it also connects to an app for EQ level adjustment and other features.
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Joseph Green is the Global Shopping Editor for Mashable. He covers VPNs, headphones, fitness gear, dating sites, streaming, and shopping events like Black Friday and Prime Day.
Joseph is also Executive Editor of Mashable's sister site, AskMen.
Matt Ford is a freelance contributor to Mashable.